God works for the good of those who love him
August 11, 2007 (Saturday) – Some folks think the Bible says, “Everything will work out for the best.” Sorry, but that’s a misquote, and a misunderstanding, of Romans 8:28. What does that verse say?
In the King James Version, so familiar to many of us, it says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
The New International Version translates it: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
The NIV translation makes clear that God is the one working. That’s a clarification that needs to be made. The Bible is not saying that things automatically work out for us because we love God. It is saying that God is actively at work in our lives. Without getting too technical, it must also be said that the verb in the original language means “works together with.” The question then, is “together with whom?” With you. With me. We don’t just sit and wait for God; we join Him in this process by continuing to live a life that honors Him. In other words, we cannot expect the glorious help this verse promises if we are living lives of rebellion against God’s will. The promise is to God’s obedient children.
The latter part of the verse is vitally important; it emphasizes that we are those “who have been called according to his purpose.” As we read on, we see that his purpose is that we be conformed to the image of Christ. We have learned that this goal is attained only through tough times. Christ’s work was completed through suffering. The footsteps of Jesus lead to the Cross. An old song chose the right words, “It’s not an easy road.”
Romans 8:28 restates Psalm 23: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
“We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.” [Romans 8:28-29 Amplified Bible (AMP)].
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Read Dale Pogue’s Blog – The Muse Is Loose