All Things Together For Good!

God’s help is an enduring promise; He has the ability to work all things for good and to see us through to glorification.

a. “And we know that all things work together for good": God’s sovereignty and ability to manage every aspect of our lives is demonstrated in the fact that all things work together for good to those who love God, though we must face the sufferings of this present time (Romans 8:18). God is able to make even those sufferings work together for our good and His good.

b. “All things”: God is able to work all things, not some things. He works them for good together, not in isolation. This promise is for those who love God in the Biblical understanding of love, and God manages the affairs of our life because we are called according to His purpose.

c. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son”: The eternal chain of God’s working is seen in the connection between foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. God didn’t begin work in the Romans simply to abandon them in the midst of their present suffering.   

• “Paul is saying that God is the author of our salvation and that from beginning to end. We are not to think that God can take action only when we graciously give him permission.” (Leon Morris)   
• “Of course I believe in predestination since it’s plainly taught in the Scriptures. The doctrine could be assumed, even if the word was never explicitly used. It’s a thrilling truth that doesn’t upset me at all. The fact that He chose me and began a good work in me proves that He’ll continue to perform it. He wouldn’t bring me this far and then dump me.” (Chuck Smith)

d. “To be conformed to the image of His Son”: However, our participation in this eternal plan is essential, reflected in its goal: that we might be conformed to the image of His Son; and this is a process that God does with our cooperation, not something He just “does” to us.

e. “That He might be the firstborn among many brethren”: This is the reason for God’s plan. He adopts us into His family (Romans 8:15) for the purpose of making us like Jesus Christ, similar to Him in the perfection of His humanity.

Based on the Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik