All Things Work for Good

This week, Michael writes that the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:6, there will be wars and rumors of war. There is so much confusion, strife, and division in this world today. People think that peace is the absence of war. However, there is no true peace without the Prince of Peace. Jesus said in John 14:27, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid.

In light of recent world events, Romans 8:28 still holds true that “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Despite the trials and tribulations of this world ... despite the confusion around us, all things work together for His good. According to Romans 8:27-31, “And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 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. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

What does He know who searches the heart in verse 28? When Jesus healed a man born blind man in John 8, the religious leaders asked him, “The man who was healed answered, “I don’t know if he’s a sinner or not. This one thing I know... I was blind but now I see.” 1 Timothy 1:12 says, “for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day (of righteous judgement).” When we come unto him he opens the eyes of our spiritual understanding. Once I was blind but now I see. The highest purpose for man is that he would love God and that he would conform to the image of His dear Son to the praise of the glory of His grace. God is still Sovereign overall. He knows the end from the beginning, but we don’t. God knew that Adam and Eve would fall and disobey Him in the Garden of Eden. He allowed Adam to choose to sin. The purpose was to set in motion His plan of redemption ... salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  

As we look back over the events of our life, we can see in retrospect God’s hand of blessing. The older we get, the more we can see how God has intervened to bless us according to the good purpose of His will. If the church has lost its impact, it’s because believers have lost their salt, their preserving influence on the godly foundation upon which our country was founded ... one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. God has an ultimate purpose in all things including the pressure of this world. For tribulation works patience and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope makes us not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

Either a nation can humbly kneel voluntarily in prayer to God or else God will allow cataclysmic events to bring a nation to its knees. Isaiah 40 says, the nations are but a drop in the bucket. Kings and kingdoms come and go. Nations rise and fall. However, the Word of God lives and abides forever. God is no respecter of persons or nations. He is a respecter of the conditions in His word. The Apostle Paul said, not that I have already attained, but this one thing I do, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The hope is in the resurrection at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has elected us, chosen us, and set us aside as a special “peculiar” people, that we would be a holy nation unto him. For our citizenship is in heaven. Our allegiance is to the country of our new birth ... the kingdom of our risen Lord. Regardless of the results of man’s election, we rejoice because we are the results of God’s election. 

The devil will deceive us into looking at our sins and failures. He will focus our minds on guilt, shame, sin and iniquity. Sin is the missing of the mark of God’s standards. To overcome sin, we concentrate not on the missing, but on the mark itself. God gives us a moment by moment choice. The choice is to press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We have the hope of Heaven. Life in this world is but a nanosecond in eternity. We look forward to the hope of the return of our Lord ... for our light affliction which is but for a moment (here on earth) is not to be compared with the glory that shall follow (In eternity.). For when that which is perfect is come (Jesus Christ) we shall see Him as He is. Then we shall know even as also we are known. When we look forward to what God has in store for us, despite troubles, trials, and tribulations of this world, we can rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. As we walk in the light as he is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The cleansing is in the walking. Then we will be “living epistles, God’s love letters, known and read of all men.  

Don’t you know that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit? We are God’s dwelling place. We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works that we should walk in the way that he has prepared for us in advance. Therefore, we press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth shall grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Jesus Christ reconciled us to God through His atoning death and resurrection so that we could testify of Him. That we should be a witness of His mercy, grace, and goodness. For He who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. Therefore, I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me that we would be to the praise of the glory of His grace! All things work for good.

Your brother in Christ, Michael