Another Look at Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. 

So why take another look at it?

In the course of the book of Romans, the point of the verse is not a major theme.  It’s almost like Paul is just mentioning it in passing.  He has other, bigger things on his mind.

You always want to read a Bible passage in context or at least know the context.  And then you have to decide how much context you need. 

I think Romans 8:1 gives us what we need:      Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Paul had just finished a section and this was his conclusion. 

This verse is similar to Romans 5:1,2   1      Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  2      through whom also we have obtained our access by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

Through the work of Christ on our behalf, we have peace with God.

But that fact in fact doesn’t always give Christians that much peace in reality. 

They live in this mortal body that doesn’t always do the things they know they should.  Oh, they may know that they still have their salvation, but God can’t be too pleased with them.  Maybe their life feels like one constant test after another, and they’re just not enjoying this Christian life like it says in the brochure.

So Paul comes back to this theme from another angle and says that there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ.   And he explains a bit more about what that means.

The basic choice is life is: do you want God in your life or not?  God gives to His people the Holy Spirit which gives us a new life, where we actually want to do the things that God wants.  Oh, we may not do them perfectly or even all the time, but that is at least where our heart is.

He then encourages them to forget that old way of life and embrace God as their father and seeing themselves as His children.

Like I have said so often and will say it often in the future.  God designed life that people have children, so that we can learn about love, giving love and receiving it.  Because one of the hardest things in the Christian life is feeling loved by God.  Yes, He is our Father, and we are His children, but feeling that love is hard for a lot of us.

Some famous Christians, like Charles Finney and D.L. Moody, had an encounter with God where the love of God rolled over them, and it changed them forever.  Others of us have to do with a lot less. 

But then in verse 17, Paul says that: If then we are children of God, then we are heirs.  Heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.  We actually share in an inheritance with Jesus Himself.

Then he goes on: I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

This little preposition to us can also be understood as into us, in us.  We’re not just observing something here from a distance.  We will directly experience it.

So we have this hope that we are to wait for expectantly.  vv. 18-25

But this Holy Spirit who God gave us before helps us now.  We don’t know how to pray, so He intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 

Some Christians believe that this happens when they pray in tongues.  That would fit here, but the verse seems to me to be saying that the Spirit is doing this anyway, whether we do anything or not. 

But if you’re praying in tongues, don’t let me discourage you in that.

And God knows what the Spirit is saying, and the Spirit is praying according to the will of God, so what He prays for will indeed be answered.

And we know that, to those who love God, all things work together for good, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Now this verse can be translated two ways, and scholars have debated it from the beginning.

It can also be translated as: to those who love God, He works all things together for good.

And after careful consideration, that’s the translation I believe is best.  Why?  Because the whole context is about things that God is doing, has done, or will do.  To say that things just work out for the best seems like it can or will just do that on its own.  A lot of the early Greek philosophers believed that.

So to those who love God, He works all things together for good.

The next verse starts with Because.

We know that God works everything together for good for those whom He has called, who love Him, BECAUSE God has predestined that they will be conformed to the image of His son.  Which he also calls being glorified. 

It’s in the past tense, v. 30, these whom He justified, them He also glorified.

That’s you.  And me. 

We talk about going to heaven, and praising God and all.  But God talks about a glory that He gives to us.  Sharing Jesus’ glory.

So what can we say to these things?  v. 31.  If God be for us, who can be against us?   32      He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

There is so much more I can say here, but I’m trying to keep these short.

We know that God is working everything together for good in our lives, because He has plans for us.  He has plans to glorify us.  He has an incredible future for us. 

If I had more time, I would talk about the love that God has for us.  You can’t learn all about the Christian life in one big chunk.  It’s all bit by bit. 

We know that God is working everything together for good for those whom He has called, to those who love Him, BECAUSE He has predestined them for glory.

You may look at your life right now, and say I’m not seeing it.  Like I said, we learn bit by bit.