Romans 8:28-30: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified; he also glorified.”

Dear Christian friends:

An interesting story is told of a man in China. He raised prized stallions, and when one ran away his friends came to his home to mourn his loss. After listening to their expressions of concern, the man asked, "How do I know whether what happened is good or bad?" Several days later the runaway horse returned bringing several strays with him. When the news spread the same group of people came to his house again - to celebrate his good fortune. "But how do I know whether it is good or bad?" the old man asked. The next day the horse kicked the old man's son, which resulted in his leg being broken. Once again the group assembled - this time to express sorrow over the unfortunate incident. The father asked, "But how do I know if this is bad or good?" The following week war broke out; the old man's son was exempted from military service because of his broken leg. The friends gathered again....and so the story goes on.

This tale points to the fact that we so often try to interpret the experiences of life from our limited perspective. We need to realize that no matter what may happen to us, God can use also difficult and painful experiences to help us grow in the Christian life. Of this St. Paul assures us in our text, which is the Epistle Lesson for this Sunday from Romans 8. He assures us that

St. Paul says in our text, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him." (v.28)

A. There are really no accidents just incidents. God is in control, even when bad things happen. True, these bad things are inspired by Satan, but God controls and limits Satan as we learn from the story of Job in the Bible. Satan first had to get permission from God before he could take away all of Job's animals and servants and kill his ten children who were celebrating in the oldest brothers house. However, at first Satan was not permitted to “lay a finger” on Job himself, although later on God did allow him to afflict Job with boils from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. (Job 1:12-18)

The God who loves us is in control, even when "bad" things happen to us. He is there watching and grieving over us just as He was there that Good Friday long ago when He allowed them to nail His beloved Son to the cross so that we all might be forgiven and be saved eternally.

B. The things we consider good may from the perspective of eternity be bad.

When I was a student at the Seminary in my graduate year, as part of our training, we were sent out to the various institutions nearby to minister to the sick and dying. I was assigned to a T.B. Sanitarium. This was way back in the 1940's when T.B. was a big killer. I remember one young man who was very ill and who seemed to hang on every word I said as I ministered the Gospel to him. I visited with him several times. Then I was assigned to another institution. However, in the spring I filled-in for a fellow seminarian one day and returned to the T.B. sanitarium. As I was coming up the walk from the parking area I met the young man who had been so ill and to whom I had ministered during the winter. He was sitting on a bench with another patient and seemed to be much better. After visiting with him a bit, I asked him if he would like to hear my message and have a word of prayer. He replied that he did not need that now that he was well.

If good health is going to cause you to neglect the Word of God and prayer, can it really be good?

C. The things we consider bad may, from the perspective of eternity be good.

When I was a child, I remember my mother talking and pleading with my aunt to send her children to Sunday School and confirmation instructions and for the family to attend the church services. However, my aunt kept on putting it off. One Summer my aunt with her four children and husband were driving from Santa Ana, to Huntsville, Texas to visit relatives. They were pulling a trailer loaded with camping gear and baggage. As they entered El Paso, Texas one of the tires blew out causing my uncle to lose control of the car and trailer. The car fell on its right side where my aunt was sitting in the front seat with the window open. Her right arm was injured so severely that it had to be amputated just below the elbow. Shortly after the family returned home, I noticed that they were attending church regularly. The children were enrolled in the Sunday School and the older ones were also in confirmation instructions. My aunt also became a teacher in the Sunday School, sometimes teasing us children with the stump of her forearm.

What seemed to be a bad accident from our human, earthly perspective was in reality a good accident from God's heavenly perspective.

II. This so because God has an eternal, glorious plan for us, which is not just for this life here on earth, although it includes that. Primarily, His plan aims tor the life to come, the hereafter.

A. Wrong attitudes concerning God's plan are held by many people.

"What have I done wrong to deserve this? i tried so hard to do the right thing. Is God angry with me?” These are wrong questions and display a wrong attitude about God's plan. They are wrong because they come out of superstition. The unbelievers think this way as do the heathen. They think that they must do certain things to appease their gods, to keep them happy and to ward off bad happenings. But this is not so for a Christian. He does not have to appease his God. Christ Jesus has already done that for him by His holy life and by His innocent suffering and death upon the cross.

True, we deserve the bad things that happen to us because we are sinners and continue to sin daily. This the unbeliever and the heathen generally do not know or admit, so they are shocked and ask, "Why is this happening to me; I have been so good." But when bad things happen the Christian asks, "Why shouldn't this happen to me?" The Christian remembers that he is part of the fallen creation, part of the total rebellion against God: and His mercies. The Christian knows that the bad things which happen in his life are to remind him and reinforce what the Bible teaches, namely, that we are by nature sinful and unclean, deserving of God's wrath and displeasure, temporal death and eternal damnation.

This is good for us so that we pay attention when one of God's servants tells us about His eternal and glorious plan, as St. Paul does here in our text. God doesn't let bad things happen to us because He hates us or is angry with us, but because He loves us and has this plan for us.

B. Here is the plan: "In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (vv.28-30)

What St. Paul is really saying here is what he said more simply to the Ephesians: "By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing." (Eph. 2:8) Your salvation was all planned in minutest detail, before He created the world. You had nothing to do with it. He saw and chose you, predestined you to be saved long before you were born. He sent His One and only Son from heaven to earth to die for you almost 2,000 years ago so that He could, in all fairness, justify you. You had absolutely nothing to do with that either. He called you in baptism when you were a baby, and you had nothing to do with that. He justifies, forgives you, declares you righteous, as you hear the Good News and believe with the faith that His Spirit freely gives you, and even this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. What we do is resist the Spirit. The only thing that hasn't happened yet is your glorification. You can be absolutely sure that it will happen to you because all these other things have already happened to you, and because Jesus is the One who will make it happen when He comes again in power and great glory to judge the nations, raising the dead out of their graves and glorifying the bodies of the believers so that they may enter His eternal glory.

God has known you and loved you for a very long time. He has His finger upon you so that you will become good and holy like Jesus, our firstborn Brother, and eventually enter into eternal glory. He is not going to let you get away from His eternal, glorious plan even though He may need to allow Satan to clobber you with a so-called "bad accident" from time to time. When God's finger weighs heavy upon you in difficult times, remember this advice from the Bible: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." (Hebrews 12:5-6)

Conclusion: We are in good hands; we are in God's hands. He is our Father in heaven and we are His dear, precious children. We really have nothing to fear, even in the worst of times. May God help us to continue believing and trusting.

Amen.