One of the more frustrating texts and oft-misinterpreted texts, particularly in a time of suffering, is Romans 8:28. The misfortune of this text is that it has not only been misinterpreted and misused, but it has been used as a simplistic counseling response in times of trouble. There is no doubt that all things work together for good for the Christian. But whether things turn out “good” is not the question. The better question is, “What does ‘good’ mean?”

We must ask what was Paul thinking and how would Paul want us to interpret the “good” that happens to us when trouble comes. Most certainly the “good” does not necessarily mean I will live a healthy, wealthy, and peaceful life. It also does not mean that when trouble comes God is about to turn this tragedy or disappointment into some kind of prosperity or preferred outcome for me. This is a man-centered interpretation of the text.

The Wrong Good

Debra was in an automobile accident and her car was totaled. Through the ordeal, she received an incredible insurance claim that allowed her to buy a car that was far better than her previous aging vehicle. Though God may have worked these things into her life and she may have received a brand new vehicle, it can be misleading to bring Romans 8:28 to bear on this situation. For some, it might imply that God is our “Divine Dreamweaver.” This is not the “good” that Paul was talking about.

Whether or not your life and circumstances unfold to your liking is not the point of the Bible and neither is it the point of your life. Giving you the life you’ve always wanted is not at the top of God’s “to do” list.

• Jesus’ life ended in death so God could bring about good. (This is the ultimate Good News!)
• Joseph’s life landed him in a pit & prison in order to bring about good.
• Judah offered to give his life up for the sake of Benjamin’s life to bring about good.
• Moses spent 40 years of his life on the backside of a desert to bring about good.
• Naomi was willing to give up her daughters-in-law to bring about good.
• Esther was willing to lay her life down to bring about good.
• Job lost everything, but from his horrible experience came good.
• John was boiled in oil, but he, too, was used to bring about good.
• John Bunyan spent over a decade in jail to bring about good.

The Right Good

The good that God is working in me and you is to make us more like Jesus. If my circumstances and my world are not conforming me to be more like Jesus, then I’m missing the point of what is going on in the circumstances of my life. The point of the Bible is transformation, not 7 habits for highly effective people.

The point of the Bible is not my personal success or happiness as defined by our culture, but transformation into the image of his Son. If I gain personal property, acclaim, or significant monetary worth in this life, but these means of prosperity do not conform me to the image of his Son, then I have missed the point of God’s work in my life.

The “good” in this text and the point of this passage is for me to be changed into the image of Christ, not necessarily to grow healthy, wealthy, and wise.

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 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. 30 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 (ESV)

For a fuller explanation on this subject listen to the message preached on 03.28.10 by Charlie Boyd at Southside Fellowship in Greenville, SC

Application Questions

1. When “negative” things come into your life, what is your immediate response?
2. Do you see God working things for “good” in your life and do you understand the “good” as God conforming you into the image of his Son?
3. Or do you see the positive things in your life as God’s blessing and the “negative” things as God not working for your “good?”

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Can God use sin sinlessly? Can God allow sinful things to happen to me? Can these sinful allowances be for my good? I think the answers to these questions are obvious. Yes, God can use sin in a sinless way. Just one quick look at the Gospel (specifically the cross of Christ) and we see the most heinous sin ever acted out in the world. And we know that the death of Christ was not only God’s will, but it was His kindness to us.

The day Christ died on the cross was a horribly sad day! But strangely enough, though his death was heinous, we benefit. And Christ was acutely aware that what was happening to him was designed by God and for our good.

Though we can accept God’s involvement in the death of Christ, we have a harder time applying or accepting God’s involvement in our lives when we are being sinned against.

Two things I know when I’m being sinned against:

1. The sin event did not take God by surprise. Even more than this passive reality, I am very much aware that God is actively involved in my life. He is ahead of me, planning my life and preparing me for the events in which he allows.
2. One of the ways God is using this sin event in my life is to draw attention to what is going on in my heart. God is using sin sinlessly and for his glory and my good.

My Relative is a Jerk

I remember counseling a gentleman a few years ago. He was angry and frustrated about a sinful relative, who was acting like a jerk. The evidence was for the most part objective and my friend was accurate in communicating what his relative did to him. Though I was sympathetic how the man was treated, I observed that while he was communicating what was going on he was sinning with anger, criticism, anxiousness, bitterness, slander and fear.

This constellation of sin issues from my friend was troubling to me. Jesus tells us that our tongues communicate what is in our hearts. (Luke 6:45) Based on this information, it appeared my friend was sinning badly, even though he was sinned against. I ended up telling him that his relative was an instrument of righteousness in the hands of God, being used by God to reveal the sin in his heart.

Being sinned against is one of the more difficult situations for an individual to respond in faith, hope, humility and gratitude toward God. Typically in the moment of sin our temptation is to curse the sinner. When the heat of life is bearing down on us it is very difficult not to yield to the temptation to curse the the one bringing the heat rather than seeing how God is working in the situation.

A Thankful Heart When Life Presses In

Giving thanks to God in the moment when sin from another is pressing in on you is the response of a mature God-centered Christian. My friend was sinning. Though he was right in his evaluation of what his relative was doing to him, he was wrong to sin in response to his relative’s sin. It is never right to respond sinfully to sin regardless of what the sin against you is.

I have noticed over the years that in God’s kindness to me he allows sinful situations in my life to let me know the state of my heart. He does not have to do this. He does not have to care. Though I can sin in almost any situation, it is not all that normal for me to sin when things are calm. However, when heat comes into my life or when someone does not meet my expectations or when someone blindsides me with their sin, it is in those moments that sin can spew forth from my heart.

God’s kindness allows sinful things to happen to me to reveal to me what is really going on in my heart. This is not the only way that God shows His love to me, but most definitely the heat of life reveals to me who I truly am.

If you put a stick in the well of my heart it will stir up sin. Conversely, if you did the same to Christ his heart would reveal something different. When Christ was poked and prodded he kept entrusting himself to the One who judges justly, according to 1 Peter 2:18-25.

If you can apply this truth to your life you will be in a wonderful place of being more controlled by God than the sin of others. Christ was tethered to his Father and therefore it was not overwhelming to him when men sinned against him. Did it hurt? Yes! Was it sinful? Absolutely! It was more pain than I could ever imagine. But he was centered on his Father and, therefore, he was not thrown by how others treated him.

We will always be sinfully challenged by the sin of others because we are not Christ, but by virtue of being in Christ, we have a power that is greater than the sin that is in the world.

Reflective Thoughts

1. When you are sinned against where is your primary focus? In Christ? Or in the one who sinned against you? Are you problem-centered or Christ-centered?
2. The answer to the question above can be measured by your current and on-going reaction to the person who sins against you.
3. Read 1 Peter 2:20-25 for more perspective. Ask God to help you walk in the steps of the Savior.

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Francis Quimet had no idea how this one was going to end. I do. I watched this movie awhile back. But I’m not going to say how it ends. You can watch the storyline unfold and get caught up in all the drama yourself. If Lucia and I were watching this movie with you we most certainly would be watching it from different perspectives.

You would be curious, hopeful and maybe even at times anxious as to the ending of the greatest game ever played. We would be assured, calm and certain of the ending and though we could get caught up in the rapidly changing events of the movie we would be anchored by the truth that the Writer has brought this one to a satisfying conclusion.

Rom 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Don’t be fooled. For the Christian it ends well. Those whom he has predestined he has also called. And for those whom he has called he has also justified. And for those whom he has justified he has also glorified. In God’s mind all the “words” of Romans 8:30 are in the past tense. The Writer has written the script. That which he has begun he has completed and the “movie” has been sealed to the day of our redemption. (See Phil 1:6; Eph 4:30)

From God’s perspective the movie is over. Just because we are still living it out, meandering through the morass, does not mean that Someone is not aware of how it ends. And thanks be to God that he knows. We are glorified in the mind of God. It’s done. The gig is up. The show is over. The fat lady has sung her song. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus (Col 3:1). In the mind of God future glory is our present hope, our present tense assurance.

Now here’s a question for you: Are you more aware of the difficulty of the journey, the challenges of the journey, the sin in the journey or our Great God who has already brought things to a satisfying conclusion because of the Cross?

Let me ask it another way: Are you really living in the good of the gospel?

Go for it! Live well, live full. Take a chance from the sandy bunker. Swing hard. Live in hope. Don’t worry about the rough or the next time you slice it into the woods. I would tell you all about it, but I want you to walk the fairways, soak it in, watch the movie, all the while trusting in your great God who wrote the script.

Okay, here’s a hint about The Greatest Game Ever Played: It ends very well! You’ll be satisfied with the outcome.

Also read another kind of post for the avid golfer, The Golfer’s Fantasy

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