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What "Good" Is
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." Romans 8:28-30
A lot in today's passage again. In case you haven't noticed, the NT letters are crammed full of content, particularly Romans. Today I'm going to repeat some that both Rachel and I talk about often: what the "good" of Romans 8:28 is. Christians like Romans 8:28, especially when times are tough:
"Lost your job? Don't worry - all things work together for good for those who love God. You'll get a new, better one." Etc. etc.
The problem with this is that the Bible doesn't promise that things will get better for us in this life. If anything, it promises that things will be worse for those that believe in Jesus. The persecuted Jesus - they will persecute you. All those that seek to live godly in Jesus will be persecuted, etc. The good promised in this verse is not possessions or money or health.
So what is the good? "For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son." The good is being made more like Jesus. Lost your job? I don't know if you'll get a new one. But if you seek Jesus and cling to God, you will be made more like Him. And ultimately, you will be made complete in Him when He returns again - the event which all creation is waiting for!
I love Romans 8. So much good stuff. Any questions or comments on any of it?
What "Good" Is
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." Romans 8:28-30
A lot in today's passage again. In case you haven't noticed, the NT letters are crammed full of content, particularly Romans. Today I'm going to repeat some that both Rachel and I talk about often: what the "good" of Romans 8:28 is. Christians like Romans 8:28, especially when times are tough:
"Lost your job? Don't worry - all things work together for good for those who love God. You'll get a new, better one." Etc. etc.
The problem with this is that the Bible doesn't promise that things will get better for us in this life. If anything, it promises that things will be worse for those that believe in Jesus. The persecuted Jesus - they will persecute you. All those that seek to live godly in Jesus will be persecuted, etc. The good promised in this verse is not possessions or money or health.
So what is the good? "For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son." The good is being made more like Jesus. Lost your job? I don't know if you'll get a new one. But if you seek Jesus and cling to God, you will be made more like Him. And ultimately, you will be made complete in Him when He returns again - the event which all creation is waiting for!
I love Romans 8. So much good stuff. Any questions or comments on any of it?
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