Made New: Working All Things into the Good
Romans 8:14‑28
Years ago, after Chris and I lost our middle child in infancy, I sat down one morning and meditated at length on the passage we come to today. I know it’s Mothers’ Day and I wondered whether I should stick with Rom 8:14-28, because it focuses on the pain that is still a part of all our lives. But, then I saw that the passage speaks directly in v. 22 about mothers having a special understanding of its message. Even more, I have sensed strong leading from the Lord to talk to you about what I wrote down one day when, in one of the darkest hours of our lives, God led me through this great Bible passage.
Let me remind you that we have been going through Rom 5-8 for several months as a congregation. These four chapters tell us that God is at work in our world to make everything the ways it’s supposed to be – and that everything includes you and me. Last week, I took the entire sermon to speak about the fact that, while God is remaking us as his children, we must deal with the reality of temptation.
Today, I’ll deal with that other “t” word, i.e., trials. I think you’ll see that God’s message about the pain that is in our world is very different from what we often hear in our society. I want you to consider the thoughts I wrote down 33 years ago about the difference that following Jesus makes in the midst of pain as Chris and I were going through one of the most difficult times in our lives:
#1: We walk through suffering with our “Abba” (8:14-16). The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by the Spirit we cry, “Abba, Father.
God always has been a father. That is among the most profound truths about the being of God that Jesus reveals to us. God didn’t become a loving father-type when Jesus was born. No, in his coming to this world. Jesus simply revealed the eternal fatherhood of God. And Jesus let us know that he also was who He had always been, i.e., the Son of God. Always in the heart of the Godhead, as John puts it so tenderly -- "in the Father's bosom” (Jn 1:18) -- there was Jesus, God's Son.
Here in Rom 8:14-16, the Apostle Paul takes Jesus’ word for his relationship to his Father, i.e., Abba (Dad) and says that God's eternal plan has been to place us into the kind of position of privilege and intimacy with God that Jesus had from all eternity. When we follow Jesus, we enter into a relationship with God as father.
Of course, our being God’s children is different from Jesus' for we are children by adoption whereas Jesus is the one and only Son by his essential nature. Yet, even though we are adopted children, we are heirs, joint heirs with Christ. And what v.15 is saying is that when any child of God prays, through the prompting of God’s Spirit, we pray, "Abba."
That is how a true Christian prays -- not the more formal word some used of “Abbi”, meaning "my Father”, but the way Jesus prayed, with the affectionate “Abba”, a word much like Dad in our language. One of the things that happens when we follow Jesus is that we begin to experience more deeply what it means to know God as “Abba”, as a very personal Father. Have you experienced that?
I think most American Christians don’t have a good idea of what it means to walk with God as Abba. We tend to think of God more like a boss. You may have a decent relationship with your boss but, often, the main point of a relationship to a boss is that the boss has to pay you your wages and benefits if you work hard. The boss will fire you if you don’t. If you think of God that way, you will find it is stifling for your walk with God. You make demands when you do something right – and live in fear when you don’t.
But, when you share life with Jesus in knowing God as Abba, then everything is different. The good Father often lets a child go through some tough times. But, the good Dad never abandons his child. And, if the child is in pain, the Dad hurts too. And, the good Dad never abandons his child. You sometimes simply have to rest in our Father’ care for you, to trust that he knows more about what’s happening than you do, and to trust him to provide when you most need it. Resting in God as my Abba became one of the most life-changing parts of my life as a Christian when I walked through a dark time of pain and loss. I learned a bit better to say, “Father, I don’t know what is happening but I know you do. And, Abba, I trust you.”
#2: We consider suffering as a way to share life with Jesus. We are co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his suffering... (8:17b).
For us, it is a bit surprising when we see the early Christians saying again and again that our own suffering is a way to "share in Christ's sufferings." However, those first followers of Jesus were deeply moved when they realized that the Son of God entered this world and out of love suffered because of us, suffered for us ‑‑ even died for us. Knowing what He had done and knowing that our own salvation came about because of His suffering, they recognized that it was no humiliation to suffer. More than that, they saw it as a means of experiencing oneness with Christ.
In fact, Paul would go so far in his letter to Philippi, written while he was in prison, to express a desire to know "the fellowship of His suffering (Phil 3:10)." Paul had learned an unforgettable lesson about how Jesus and his people shared suffering of Christ when he first became a Christian. While on the road to Damascus, on a mission to persecute and kill Christians, Jesus appeared to Him and said, "Saul, why do you persecute me?" Paul was really persecuting Christians but Jesus said it was the same as persecuting Him directly.
So always think of this as you live through tough times in this world: You and I follow a crucified Lord who suffered for us. When we undergo difficulty or oppression, he understands. More than that, He says He suffers with us. That is one of the reasons why the strongest, most effective Christians, are almost always those who have passed through times of intense trials. There is truly a depth of unity with Christ that can only come through suffering. We consider suffering not as a punishment or indignity but as a way to share life with Jesus
Because of that, there have been times when Christians in their thirst for a deeper unity with Christ refused to run from "the fellowship of Christ's sufferings." The most vivid instance of that may have been Ignatius of Antioch in the second century who had been taken captive. Some from his church wanted to pull off a courageous rescue of their bishop but he said, "No!" Hear his words: "Let fire or a cross; let companies of wild beasts; let breaking of my bones or the tearing of my limbs; let the grinding of the whole body, and all the malice of the devil come upon me‑‑if only they produce this in me: I want to know Christ."
#3: We are never without hope (8:17b‑25). I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (8:17b-18).
I remind you that these verses about suffering come near the end of four chapters of God’s Word that tell us to look at all that happens in this imperfect world from the perspective that God has promised a day when His creation will be re‑made into it is supposed to be. With that in mind, notice the phrase "in order that" in v.17b: We share in His suffering in order that we may also share in His glory. I’ll come back to this truth when we get to v.28 – but the point is that God uses suffering to bring about glorious things.
God promises us that the suffering is temporary. And that is what vv. 17b-25 deals with. Nothing in this world is what it should be but God promises he is at work now and that he will eventually step in and make all things right. If you truly believe that, then you will be able to wait in the midst of trials in this world without being filled with fear, frustration or anxiety. To the contrary, one of the surest characteristics of genuine faith in Jesus is that a Christian always has hope.
Notice how hoping and waiting are linked in 8:24-25: Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Paul takes us back to Genesis 2-3 in Rom 8:19-21 when, because of human sin, all creation was harmed. He lets us know an amazing truth, i.e., that as God redeems and refashions his people, he also has that affect the rest of creation. Notice v.19: The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
The phrase "in eager anticipation" carries the idea of stretching the neck to see something as clearly as possible. What is all creation longing to see, groaning to be able to see? "The children of God to be revealed." When God finishes his work in us as his people, then he will also finish his work in the rest of creation. That phrase, “to be revealed” means that there is something about us that is not fully seen yet in our world. When most people see you, they are not aware of the fact that God’s Spirit is dwelling in you. Right? But someday, it will all be revealed. You will be seen to be a child of the kings.
In that day, Paul says, all creation will be liberated from the bondage to decay and God will refashion His entire creation to be what it should be. Paul says that right now all creation is groaning because it is all subject to decay, and ruin and pollution. And, he says, we groan too. “Groan” a strong word. It’s a word that speaks of intense pain and agony. But, even though there are times in this world when we all experience intense suffering, we have hope that God will end the pain and bringing about glory. Do you believe that?
What is it like? Paul indicates that mothers understand this better than anyone. In v.22, he writes, “The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. When Brandon was being born, Chris at one point went through such intense labor pains that she got her arm around my neck and squeezed and said, “This is the last one. No more. If we’re going to have another one, you’re going to have it!” But, at the end, with child in her arms, she had an inexpressible joy. It’s like that, the Bible says. The pain sometimes seems to be too much to bear -- but she knows it will end.
When we have that kind of certain hope ahead, it changes our whole perspective on suffering in this world. We Christians live in a tough world but we live in it with hope. God promises that pain will not last forever!
# 4: We have a Helper when we are exhausted (8:26-27). The Spirit helps us in our weakness.
Hope is not the only thing that God gives you. Paul knew that sometimes life is so hard that we have no idea what to say or do. So, he steps in quickly to say that God's Spirit is present with us so that, when we think we can go no further, God's Spirit is present to help. This is something that I find hard to speak about – but that I have experienced again and again in my years of following Jesus. I pray you do as well.
The specific example of weakness Paul gives is our prayer life. The Bible indicates here that there are times, even as Christians, when we don’t even know how to pray. Like the Psalmists often experienced, we have times when we’re confused and don’t know how to pray – we’re angry and pray for wrong things – we’re consumed with self and pray out of wrong motives – or we’re just weak and don’t know how to pray at all
Just to encourage you, notice too that when the great apostle Paul speaks of this kind of weakness, he includes himself. He speaks of "our" weakness. Paul was very aware of the fact that God still had work to do in him too. But Paul had learned that, no matter how exhausted or confused he felt, he was not alone. No, God's Spirit was within him to help.
Not one of us in church today is free from weakness. Some of us have psychological and emotional weakness. For others, they are physical or relational. Sometimes, we feel like we have them all! Weakness is something that Christians share with non‑Christians. And times of weakness are hard to navigate.
But the difference is that, as we grow in our faith, we who follow Jesus learn to count upon God’s Spirit to help us. I pray that you experience this in your walk with God. I have experienced the Spirit’s presence and help in so many ways: providing the exact message I need in a sermon, providing a Christian friend who gives support, providing financial support when I was at the end of resources… Maybe we as a church can provide some of God’s help to you with our prayer team after the service.
Much more could obviously be said about this but let me at least add this word: It’s not bad when you feel weak. When you feel weak, then you are less apt to be self‑sufficient. When I’ve felt the weakest in my life, I’ve found that I was more open to the work of God in my life. On the other side, when I am complacent or self‑satisfied, I know I have little hope of experiencing the strength that comes from simply falling in faith upon God to help.
#5: We are confident God has a purpose for all things (8:28). For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This is one of the most beloved passages of Scripture. Today, we have a chance to see it in its context, i.e., that of suffering. From vv.28-39, God’s Word brings Romans 4-8 to its climax, driving home the point that God is at work in this world using all that happens to make all things new, including your life and mine.
- Notice the phrase “all things” – As you read down into v.35, you’ll see that those “all things” include “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword.” I think a lot of the groaning we do in hard times comes because bad things happen and you think they shouldn’t be happening. A famous book by Harold Kushner suggests that people think that, “Bad things shouldn’t happen to good people”. Of course, that isn’t true. The sin and evil in this world affects all people. But God is at work in all things – both good and bad.
- Notice also the phrase “for the good” – The Apostle Paul literally says God work all things “into good” or “to the good”. As we observe the world and ourselves, we see that so much seems to be falling apart. Just look at a picture of yourself 5-10 years ago and you’ll see what I mean. But, if we could see from God’s perspective, we would see that he is using all things – good and bad – to bring about his good. It’s not that he promises to make the circumstance good. And, it certainly isn’t that God makdes bad things good. No, he uses bad things to bring about his eternal good. That good is to make all things new – all things right and whole.
- Notice that the promise is for all who are in Christ – That’s what Paul means by “for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” With that promise, we know that any pain you and I experience now is not random but is something God is at work in the midst of.
I will come back to Romans 8:28 again next week -- but now I’ll simply point out that this may be the most distinctive part of a Christian's perspective on suffering, i.e., Christians are convinced that there is a purpose to even the worst tragedy. Why? ‑‑ because we are convinced that God is not distant but present. We are convinced that God is at work in every phase of history, yes, even in every phase of our lives. Thus, even though we often cannot see the purpose of pain, we trust Him.
I thought about this when my daughter Brittany died. The non‑Christian sees a child die and, not knowing whether there is any life beyond this, is filled with doubt and perhaps even despair. I’ve thought about this in times of financial distress. The non‑Christian loses his/her job or home or business, and, thinking that material well‑being is the end‑all in life, is sent into utter despair. But, everything changes when we come to know and love God through faith in Jesus. We know that there is purpose behind suffering and that purpose is the good of our world, yes, even our own personal good. God uses even suffering to bring about His good in our lives.
It is indeed the message of the cross. That cross made no sense to those who followed Jesus. But, the God who is at work in all things was using even that “thing”, that blood-inducing thing, to bring about his greatest victory, i.e., our salvation.
It's not necessarily that the circumstance will work out all that well: that we'll get our jobs back, or get revenge over our enemies, or become healthier. The good is for our eternal being, as the Bible says in Rom 8:30, God’s works all things so that you and I will one day be conformed to the likeness of Jesus.
Being assured that there is some good purpose to pain is a great help in making that pain bearable. Just as a child is born through great labor pain, and young people experience remarkable physical growth only when there are growing pains, so too, Christlikeness is often developed through pain.
I come back to these five points that I wrote down 33 years ago again and again in my life with God. I pray you will find them to be helpful to you as well. I leave you with Romans 8:18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Right now, we all fall short of the glory of the God in whose image we are made. Someday, he will make his glory shine through us without hindrance. You and I will be all that our Abba made us to be. God works all things to that end – even this sermon. May it indeed be used to his glory.