God Has a Glorious Plan for Your Life
God has a Glorious Plan for Your Life
An Exposition of Romans 8:28-30
Pastor James M. Doyle
Read the passage:
Romans 8:
Introduction:
:
It is probably fair to say that there are no more perplexing times in ministry, and I am sure in your own life, than the times when we are called to come to the aid of someone in the throes of very difficult times, a brother or sister in the midst of some horrible distress, or when you are called to experience some kind of untold misery yourself.
Whether the disorienting effects of the unexpected death of a mother or father;
The gut-wrenching relentless agony of losing a spouse
The unthinkable, life-shattering horror of the death of a child
No matter what the crisis – Financial ruin; broken families, an unfaithful spouse; unexpected loss of a job; sudden and severe loss of health of yourself or someone you love. These are the times when everything we’ve come to know about tribulation are put to the test
And I would hasten to add that it is highly likely that somewhere along the line, this passage, Romans 8:28-30 has or will come to mind – either in order to minister to your own soul or in reaching out in compassion to others.
In fact I would say that this is without a doubt the most often misquoted biblical concept by unbelievers. I think that it is innate in every person, stamped upon the soul, sort of like the natural revelation of God seen in the creative order. But they usually put it something like this: “Well, we know that all things happen for a reason.”
RCA, be ready, be clear, be accurate
What you should know What you should show
So how can we be ready to speak clearly, communicate truth accurately with gentleness and fear in light of some difficult times that we are certain to encounter.
Consider this scenario:
Your up here at Kohl’s late one night, here in north Santa Rosa. You park in the North lot away from the other cars. You put your bags in the back seat climb in and start the car. But before you have chance to put the car in gear and pull away a very big, very mean looking man with a very big gun climbs into your back seat, puts a gun to your head, (or worse yet your child’s head) and demands that you take him to the nearest ATM. He is planning a little unauthorized withdrawal from your checking account.
· What do you do? What is the first thing that comes to your mind? How do you react?
· Do you go into survival mode and jettison everything that informs your reasoning?
· I don’t want to “spiritualize” this hypothetical situation, but
· What is it that your mind and heart and disposition are so filled with and geared toward that determines your response?
· What are the chances that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard and guide you at this terrifying moment in time?
· Is your heart so filled with the truths of scripture that they are what will come to your mind?
· Will truths found in Romans 8:28-30 be your rock and your defense?
This morning I am hoping to show you from the mind of Paul proof positive that God has a glorious plan for you life, and that there is nothing in heaven or on earth that can stop it.
I have a simple two point outline:
God’s Work is Your Good
God’s Purpose is Your Perfection
Looking at the big picture
How does this piece of God’s truth fit into the whole puzzle of Paul’s intent to explain to us the mind of God?
· I think that it is important for us to keep in mind that in context this is about the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the child of God –
· So how should that inform our understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ?
· It starts with this awesome reality:
o Those who are “in Christ” having been delivered from being “in Adam”
o Chapter 8 begins with Paul telling us that our being united to Christ means that our lives take on whole new meaning, that we go from abiding in one realm, if you will to another.
o Back up and look there with me:
o In verse one here is how he puts it: (read verse one)
§ Explain the “laws” through the use of others
· Gravity
· Physics
· Cause and effect
· It is what Paul refers to as “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ” (v2)
1. We walk according to the Spirit (v 4)
2. We set our minds on the things of the Spirit (5)
3. Which results in a state of life and peace
4. We are “in the Spirit” (9) and the Trinity is at work in us
5. The Spirit of God is in us (9)
6. The Spirit of Christ is in us (9)
7. The Spirit of the Father is in us (11)
8. We live according to the Spirit (13)
9. We are led by the Spirit (14) and are therefore sons of God
10. We have the first fruits of the Spirit (23)
o That is to say the first workings of the Spirit in the life of every child of God
· That is the Spirit led, Spirit-filled life
· And the Spirit is at work coming along side of us, as Paraklete, the Parakeletos,
· The Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God (16)
· The Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses (26)
· The Holy Spirit intercedes for us (27)
· That is the context!
· The Holy Spirit’s working in our lives according to the will of God or literally, according to God – according to the absolute immutable, perfect, sovereign, desires and purposes of our Almighty Father in Heaven.
I think we are going to see this unfold by just walking through the passage.
I. God’s Work is Your Good (this is verse 28)
· In verse 28 throws down a theological bombshell which obliterates any possibility that the circumstances that we find ourselves in are anything but ordained of God.
· That’s right, God has a plan! And it is a glorious plan. It’s a perfect plan. It’s not left to renegade chance or the capricious whims of an unsympathetic impersonal “force.”
· It is the intentional administration of a predetermined plan by a loving, sovereign, benevolent, ALMIGHTY father!
· That’s why he starts with this phrase “and we know”
Verse 28
And we know
“And”
You know much I like conjunctions, especially when they give us a piece of the puzzle.
The conjunction here, gives us the indication that this is an addendum thought – i.e., “and in addition to that…”
In addition to what?
In addition to the fact that we know that what God is accomplishing His will through work of the Holy Spirit in our lives in all these areas we just mentioned, including our prayer, and the fact is that God’s will cannot be usurped!
“we know”
We have the ability to comprehend with conviction the truth of verse 28
That knowledge find’ its source in our faith in God and the reliability of his testimony.
How do we know anything at all?
Knowledge obtained through a reliable source
- The testimony of God
- The testimony of others
Knowledge obtained through experience
Knowledge obtained through ???, I don’t know!
Romans 5:3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
So what is the content of this knowledge the Paul speaks of?
“that God causes all things”
Just a quick note on the phrase. You may have a translation that doesn’t contains the words “God causes.”
We really cannot comment on God causing “all things to work together for good” without first coming to grips with the reality that “God causes all things.”
Now, that is not the point, per se, here, but it at least needs to be considered.
God is absolutely sovereign over all things and that includes everything single thing as it pertains to me.
God is infinitely acquainted and in fact the efficient cause of all things that converge in my life to make it what it is.
God is actually the efficient cause of all things.
Simply stated this means that ultimately everything that happens happens because God caused it.
Think about this with me. If God were not the efficient cause of all things, then what are the alternatives?
John takes up this question in his discussion of the possibility of salvation having an ultimate source other than God.
John 1:12-13 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born,
not of blood (some force of nature or carma, chance, or something)
nor of the will of the flesh (I am in control)
nor of the will of man, (others are in control)
but of God. (to the exclusion of all else, God is in control)
and here is why that is good news:
So this is the One who is at the present causing all things: the all powerful, all knowing, ever present, unchanging, sovereign ruler of all things who is infinite in his perfections, completely separated from, always doing right and judging wrong, kind toward all and gracious, and merciful.
“to work together”
God causes everything to sunergei, synergie, the same word that we get our English, synergy.
Syn, together, ergo, work.
God is literally causing every single solitary thing in the life of every single Spirit-filled child of God to work in symphonic harmony to accomplish exactly what he is seeking to accomplish in the life of his child.
Illustration:
I was once given tickets to the Musical high water mark of year at Moody Bible Institute.
“for good”
The good of his children is always in view.
Remember what Christ said about God as Father and your good
· In Matthew 7 Jesus taught us the lesson that we who are by nature evil have the capacity to do good for our children, how much more is a Father that we just described capable of doing good to his own?
This means that nothing bad can happen to the child of God. No matter how it may appear from our perspective, our divine good is always in view from God’s perspective.
That is not to day that it always seems good, but that it is good.
· The decisions that I make for my children don’t always seem good to them, but as far as I can tell, I have their ultimate good in view.
This bears out in scripture as well.
Speaking of his bringing hardship upon the nation in the wilderness God said to them:
Deuteronomy 8:16 "In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end.
Psalm 46:1 For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
The writer of Psalm 119 says this:
Psalm 119:67 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.
Psalm 119:71 71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.
Psalm 119:75 75 I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
“to those who love God,”
The one who loves God is the one who is the beneficiary of God’s special love and sovereign work for his good.
To love God is the primary mark of a Christian. We love God because He first loved us.
The love of God is the first commandment.
“to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Ultimately, God’s purposes are all that really matter. They cannot be improved upon, and there is no viable alternative.
God’s purposes and his ability to carry them out are tied to his very nature as God!
And we just examined what his nature as God is.
Transition:
Now think about it. Given the alternatives, who would you want directing all things in your life?
Now had Paul stopped there, we would have been immeasurably blessed by the knowledge of this truth, but he doesn’t. He goes on to give us the purpose for this truth. He lets us know what God has in view and here it is:
II. God’s Purpose is Your Perfection (vv 29-30)
Verse 29
“For those whom He foreknew”
“For” introduces the fact that this is an explanatory clause. Paul was not content to simply lay out the theology without an explanation, but chooses now to let us know the basis upon which he has made his statement.
“Those whom He foreknew” are one in the same as those “whom He called” (v 28).
“Foreknew”
has been the subject of much debate and writing.
But there are only a couple of possibilities as to what is intended here.
Either God looked down the corridors of time and knew ahead of time who would believe, and made his choice of them based upon their response to the gospel call,
or it means something else.
The major problem with this in my estimation is that there is no indication that this means that there is something that God knew about the “those,” but rather the “those” themselves that which he knew. And to know someone is different than knowing about someone.
There is a word in Hebrew that is very often translated “chosen” but literally means, “know.” The word is yada, and it means, “know,” but the best way to understand it is to see it in context.
Jeremiah 1:4-5 4 Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."
Genesis 18:17-19 17 The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19 "For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him."
Amos 3:2 2 "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
Hosea 13:5 5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought;
Genesis 4:1 Genesis 4:1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD."
Nas reads: “the man had relations with his wife”
Matthew 7:23 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
Illustration:
It could be said that I know my best buddy, Shawn, but I know my wife. NO matter how you slice it, the knowledge that I have of my friend is subordinate to the knowledge that I have of my wife. This bears out biblically as well.
So to say that God foreknew someone is to say that God intentionally and purposefully made certain individuals the objects of His special and saving love in order to accomplish His will.
Affirm the Point
What good does it do for us to have this knowledge?
· We know that God’s will is being accomplished!
o What is the one thing that we want to know more than anything in life?
He also predestined
to become conformed
to the image of His Son,
2 Corinthians 3:18 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification;
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him--
“so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren”
this simply means that Christ will have his rightful place as preeminent in the household of God.
Verse 30
and these whom He predestined,
He also called; and these whom He called,
He also justified; and these whom He justified,
“He also glorified”
What is the goal – the realization of the fullness of your sanctification – namely your glorification. The realization in time of the intent of God saving you – your bearing the image of Christ in heaven – your glorification.
But note here, the verb is in the same tense as the others: Past tense!
How could that be since our glory is future?
While time constrains us from realizing that glory, there is not a counsel in heaven strategizing how to bring it to pass. God has ordained it to pass and nothing in heaven or on earth can stop it!
Paul says in our being glorified is for the glory of God
2 Corinthians 4:15 For all things are for your sakes… 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
Philippians 1:19 for I know that this will turn out for my …Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;
1 Peter 1:6-9 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
So isn’t it clear:
This morning God has shown us from the mind of Paul proof positive that God has a glorious plan for you life, and that there is nothing in heaven or on earth that can stop it.
Having penned these awesome verses couched in the work of the Holy Spirit in the believers life then concludes in verse 31:
Romans 8:31 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Transition
Conclusion
We are in the last days and God’s patience should not be misunderstood as God’s failing to deliver the promise of judgment:
2 Pet 3:3-9
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
· My First word in closing is to those who are sitting here today who don’t know for sure or have reason to doubt that you belong to Christ.
God is rich in mercy, and your being here today proves that.
How many things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose?
Every child of God became a child of God beginning with a call. Your being here today constitutes that call.
Why should you take me seriously in this today? Read further:
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
My second word in closing is to those who have the confident expectation because of the internal witness of the Holy Spirit of Christ Himself in them – Listen! This passage that we have looked at today out to be a source of your peace, your sanctification and your hope!!
LOOK with me:
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God…
Will you look differently tomorrow at the circumstances of you life and ask yourself the question: How will I look at hardship in the life of myself or others? Informed by the comforting words of scripture, or deprived of those truths:
Our hypothetical situation that we started with is not so far fetched after all:
Ninety-two-year-old Pauline Jacobi had just finished loading her groceries into her car at a local Wal-Mart in Dyer County, Tennessee. She got in her car, and a moment later, a man climbed into the passenger side. He said he had a gun and that he would shoot her if she did not hand over her money. What she did next did not involve pepper-spray or martial arts, but it did save her life and may have saved his.
Pauline calmly refused her would-be robber three times. Then she said, "You know, as quick as you kill me, I'll go to heaven and you'll go to hell." Then she told him that he needed to ask God for forgiveness. "Jesus is in this car," she said, "and He goes with me everywhere I go." Jacobi said that the man looked around, and then tears began to come to his eyes.
For 10 more minutes, Jacobi shared with the man. Finally, he said, "I think I will go home tonight and pray." But Jacobi told him that he did not need to wait to pray; he could pray now.
Then Jacobi, voluntarily, offered the man all the money she had on her, 10 bucks, on one condition—that he not spend the money on whiskey. After that, the man kissed her on the cheek, got out of the car, and walked away.
Pray with me.