All things for our good?

Bible Study

28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

– Romans 8:28
(NASB® © 2020)

Today we want to think about the familiar verse, Romans 8:28.  How many times have we read this verse and enjoyed it?  But perhaps it has also caused us difficulties, especially when we experience circumstances we don’t understand and from which we see no way out.  But that is exactly why the Lord gave us this verse in His Word.  We want to break it into small portions and think briefly about the different parts.  We’ll read Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.“

  • The first part is the “we” at the beginning.  The apostle Paul here makes himself one with the believers in Rome to whom the letter was addressed.  He puts himself on an equal level with them and says that everyone has the same privilege.  They could be sure that God had a plan for everything and that He wanted everything to end well.  This is still the same today for every single believer.  Everyone should know that all things work together for our good.
  • The second part refers to we “know”.  This “knowing” is in contrast to a vague hope.  We know something that is secure.  It is not a vague hope or an empty phrase that we say.  No, it is the firm promise of God, and God’s word is the truth!  We know this. It is not always easy to hold onto it in every situation, but we remember it and gain strength from it.  The Lord wants us to cling tightly to this verse, trusting in Him and His Word, and making it a part of us.  This knowledge draws our eyes to Him and allows us to trust in His ways in every situation of life.
  • The third part refers to those “who love God“.  Interestingly enough, God’s love for us is not spoken of directly here, but rather our love for God.  God’s intentions for us are always directed by His love because He always wants to lead us to a good ending.  But here our love for Him is put into the foreground.  We love Him because He first loved us!  (1 John 4:17) This love may be weak, but it is in every heart of a true believer.  The Lord recognizes this love in our hearts and rejoices in it.
  • The fourth part is the two words “all things“.  It is not always understandable for us that all things are really working together for our good, but it is absolutely true!  There are no coincidences, everything is either willed or at least allowed by God.  When God tested Job and took everything away from him, Job said: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” And a little later: “ Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?“(Job 1:21; 2:10).
    God has His plan, even for things that seem negative to us, such as a car accident, illness, unemployment or the loss of a loved one.  If God says all things, then we can not choose those we like and accept them from God and complain about all others.  It is often not easy for us to accept everything from God, but the deep conviction that all things work together for good allows us to have peace in difficult circumstances.  Then we can rest in the awareness of his love and good intentions for us.
  • The fifth part relates to the fact that all things “work together for good”. God is good and does good (Ps 119: 68)!  It is the nature of God to be good and to do good. When the Lord Jesus was walking here on earth, he was “doing good and healing all” (Acts 10:38). In doing so, he revealed God to us.  Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us that his work is perfect – and that’s always true!  For us it may be, that we do not always recognize the good in all things, especially in the experiences that are painful for us, and yet it remains true.
    God also uses the apparently bad or painful things in our lives to do us good in the end.  Joseph is a fitting example of this: again and again he was treated unfairly and apparently he found himself in a negative spiral.  But at the end God was able to make this faithful servant the second highest man in all of Egypt.  And Joseph was able to say to his brothers: “But as for you, you meant it evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Gen. 50:20).
  • The sixth part shows us that we are “called according to His purpose”.  We know that the God who has already destined us to eternal blessings and glory will also only do good for us in the present time.  We cannot understand everything, we often do not directly recognize God’s good intentions for us, but we can trust in Him, His word and His actions with us in love.  We often do not know how God leads us, but we know that He leads us and that everything works together for our good! Let’s keep that in our hearts!

Comments (0)

No comments yet.

Share this article:

You want to contact us? Ask a question or let us know what you think! 

Write a message here!

Leave a Comment

Abiding in Christ

This article is about abiding in Christ as both privilege and responsibility: only by living in dependence on His presence can believers bear “fruit” that reflects His character. It stresses that fruit isn’t produced by striving for it, but by focusing on Christ—“without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4–5

The Favor of the World

This article is about how the world’s praise can be shallow and fleeting. Using Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction to Daniel and the crowd’s reversal toward Paul, it warns that exaggerated favor can quickly turn into hostility without true inner change.
 Daniel 2,46

Which Believers Go Through the Great Tribulation?

This article is about whether today’s Christians will face the Great Tribulation. It argues the church will be raptured before end-time wrath, explains the rapture vs. Christ’s public appearing, and identifies the believers in Revelation’s tribulation as those who come to faith after the rapture.
Marriage & Family

Situationship

This article is about “situationships”: undefined, commitment-free relationships that blur friendship and romance. Using Leon and Emma as an example, it warns they create imbalance and hurt, and argues from a biblical view for clarity, responsibility, protection, purity, and commitment toward marriage.
Amos 3:3

The Hummingbird – a Masterpiece of God’s Creation

This article is about the hummingbird as a marvel of nature—exploring its unique hovering flight, specialized wing and muscle structure, extreme metabolism, nectar-feeding tongue design, and cooling methods, framed as evidence of divine creative power.
Romans 1:20

Scripture Alone?!

This article is about whether 2 Timothy 3:16–17 undermines “Scripture alone.” It argues the passage supports Scripture’s sufficiency, distinguishes apostolic teaching from later tradition, affirms NT authority, and says the church recognized—not created—the canon.
2 Timothy 3:16.17

Revelation—Not a Book with Seven Seals!

This article is about why the Bible’s book of Revelation isn’t a sealed mystery but an “unveiling” of future events centered on Jesus Christ. It explains key opening verses, symbolic language, the chain of revelation, and the blessing for reading, hearing, and keeping its message.
Revelation 1:1-3
Gospel

My Sin is Great

This article is about sincere confession: admitting our sin is great and seeking forgiveness for God’s name’s sake. It explains that faith trusts God’s mercy shown in Christ’s cross, producing honesty that doesn’t downplay guilt, and notes the Psalms’ purposeful order.
Psalm 25:11
Church/Assembly

All Present Before God

This article is about Acts 10:33 and Cornelius’s gathering as a model for Christian meetings: obedience to God’s leading, awareness of God’s presence, listening to the whole message without picking parts, and speaking only what God commands—nothing added or omitted.
Acts 10:33

Q&A What does it mean, that God has given us “of His Spirit”

This article is about the meaning of “from His Spirit” in 1 John 4:13, explaining it doesn’t mean believers receive only part of the Spirit. Instead, it highlights what proceeds from God’s Spirit—love, truth, holiness—becoming visible evidence that God abides in us.
1 John 3:24; 4:13

Our Great High Priest

This article is about Jesus as the superior High Priest in Hebrews: His once-for-all sacrifice for sin, His ongoing heavenly service with compassion and help for believers, and His continual intercession before God that brings grace, mercy, and confidence to draw near.
Hebrews 2:17–18; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24
Bible Study

The Old Man and The New Man

This article is about the New Testament concepts of the “old self” and “new self”: the old self judged and crucified with Christ, the new self created in His resurrection, and how believers should live out their new identity by putting off old traits and displaying Christlike ones.
Romans 6:6; Ephesians 2:15; 4:22.24; Colossians 3:9.10