All For Good – To Those Who Love God (Part 1)

One of, if not the most comforting of passages and promises in the Bible for someone who has, in faith, entrusted their life to Jesus Christ, is found in Romans 8:28, where we read, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

 There are a number of things that need to be defined or addressed Biblically within this short passage if it is to provide the comfort, encouragement and hope that God intended in inspiring the Apostle Paul to write it.  One is, what is meant by all things?  Another is what is meant here by good, both generally and ultimately. And most importantly, there needs to be clarity regarding who this promise is being made to, when it refers to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

I will be addressing each of these in my next two posts, beginning today with the term good as it is being used in this passage.  The term good, in the eyes of many if not most in our society, has no objective or transcendent meaning or standard. It is a subjective or relative term used most frequently to denote preference or desirability, or that which is beneficial or expedient.  However, the Bible presents the term good as describing the eternal, transcendent, unchangeable God and everything that proceeds from God (Psalm 119:68) (Psalm 34:8).

God is originally good. His goodness originates from Himself and no other source (Mark 10:18). When we speak of the goodness of God we are speaking first of His nature, of His essential character, His moral perfection, what the Bible refers to as His Holiness (Isaiah 6:1-2).  He is not becoming good, nor getting better all the time,  but is eternally, infinitely, immutably and indestructibly good – the only source of goodness in all of the universe (Psalm 16:2).

The first two chapters of the Bible, Genesis 1-2, reveal that all God created, including and especially mankind, was created good (Genesis 1:26-31). It was created to reveal and magnify His glory, the infinite perfections of His being, and most significantly, the glory of His goodness and grace (Isaiah 43:7) (Ephesians 1:6).  As Creator, God in Himself is the standard and measure, the definer, the source and substance of all that is good – of all that can and will satisfy the deepest needs and desires of our hearts and fulfill the most noble longings of our soul (Psalm 36:7-8)

What then is truly good from God’s perspective? All that glorifies God and promotes human flourishing and individual happiness in Him.

The Bible tells us that God by nature is kind, gracious, merciful, patient, generous, compassionate, benevolent. just and wise. And thus all of His actions. all of His laws and commandments, all of His promises, all of His expressions or communications of Himself toward His creation are and will forever be expressions of His goodness (Exodus 34:6-7).

This includes expressions of his justice, of His wrath and judgment against sinful men and women who have rejected His good purpose for and rule over their lives, and who in doing so have slandered His glory and brought disorder, corruption, misery and death into His good and perfect creation (Genesis 3:17-19). God thus would not be good, would not be just, would not be loving if He did not hate, condemn and punish those responsible for doing so (Romans 11:22) (Psalm 2:1-5) (Revelation 11:18).

Psalm 145 expansively summarizes what is revealed throughout the whole of scripture regarding the goodness of God. It emphasizes what is referred to by theologians as God’s common grace – His free and spontaneous expression of His goodness to all mankind and all of creation in the daily providences of this life (Psalm 145:8-9) (Matthew 5:45).  It also addresses His saving grace, His salvation from His judgement to those who fear Him and love Him (Psalm 145:19-20). 

Regarding common grace, James 1:17 tells us that everything good, everything consistent with God’s holy and righteous nature that enlightens and entertains our minds, delights our bodies and satisfies our soul is from above, coming to us as a good and gracious gift from the “Father of lights”, who longs to be good to us (Isaiah 30:18).

Every meal, every prized possession, every talent, every paycheck. every moment of health and safety, everything that brings us legitimate pleasure and delight, every sweet kiss between a man and woman, every child born, every sinful word or action for which God does not immediately kill us and send us to Hell, everything that enriches and sustains our life in this world is a divine gift, given to point us to the giver of that gift, the author and source of all good, namely God.

Romans 2:3-4 tells us that it is God’s goodness that is meant to lead us to repentance, to turn from a self-centered life to a God-centered life, and through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ receive the ultimate expression of God’s goodness, namely the free gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23), the glorious life with God for which we were created.

And it is for those who have repented of their sin and come to trust in and love Jesus above all else, that God is working all things together for their good.  And what is this good He is working all things together for?  That they may be conformed to the image of His Son… (Romans 8:29).

More in my next post.

Grace and Peace ×