The Good

He saw the fear in their eyes as they took anxious breaths. They did not understand the significance of the events that had led to this moment. Sure, they tried to live good lives and make up for their past mistakes, but the one sin they all conspired to commit was huge. He empathized with their panicked pains and worries and was tempted to let it linger, however, he quietly thanked God for giving him an eternal perspective based on faith in the promises of God. Faith in God gave him hope that allowed him to persevere through rejection, servitude, and prison with a positive mindset and a faithful life. Hope is powerful! Not only were they mourning the death of their father, but they feared for their lives. He compassionately began to say, 

“Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:19–20).

In this vignette from the life of Joseph, we see exactly what Paul is talking about in Romans 8:28, and really the whole section. Joseph saw beyond his present circumstances to something beyond his own experience, believing God was working a bigger story than his own struggles. His statement to his brothers reveals his belief in the sovereign hand of God working behind the scenes to bring forth good for his people. Keep this in mind as you read through the passage.

Read Romans 8:18-30

Future Glory – Romans 8:18-25

In this section, Paul is calling us to look beyond this temporal, present time. To look beyond our current suffering. He is not dismissing the reality of suffering or the realness of the pain we feel going through it. However, in light of eternity, what we are enduring in this moment is like comparing one grain of sand with the beaches of the world. Having an eternal perspective transforms the way we think about hardship (2 Cor. 4:17). What we face today is not worth comparing to the hope we have in the future, which is yet to be revealed. I love this verse, Romans 8:18, and find myself quoting it and reflecting on it often. What is this glory to be revealed “in us”? 

It is the “redemption of our bodies” (v. 23) as adopted children of God. Paul is speaking of the “already not yet” aspects of our faith. In Christ, we are adopted and redeemed spiritually. Here Paul tells us that one day our bodies, and all of creation, will be redeemed. The curse will be lifted, and sin and corruption will be done away with. I find it interesting to read that “not only creation…groan” waiting for our adoption. The relationship that humanity has with creation is significant and worthy of exploring deeper than the few comments I will make here. 

God made all of creation a special place for humanity to live. God spoke creation into existence out of nothing (ex nihilo) and from creation he formed the first man, Adam. In Hebrew, the word for earth is adama and the word for man is Adam. From the dust of the earth, man was formed in a unique relationship. When Adam sinned, a curse was brought on all of creation, and since that time creation has groaned for freedom from the curse. The groaning of creation and our souls is likened to the groanings resulting from childbirth. That is deep, intense, visceral groans through pain that results in the birth of a child. Likening the groanings to childbirth also gives the implication that there is something being delivered, hope. Creation is longing for us to be in our glorified, adopted, and redeemed bodies, free of the curse. A return to Eden without sin, where once again God, man, and creation will be reconciled and restored. Just something to think about.

Present Help – Romans 26-27

An eternal perspective helps us through our trials, but God has given us more than the hope of final redemption in the future; he gives us His Spirit to empower our present. The Spirit helps us presently in our weakness. Right after mentioning weakness, Paul mentions prayer. Not only does he bring up prayer, but he says we don’t even know how to pray as we ought to pray. Pray is a wonderful gift God has given to us to commune with him. Elsewhere, Paul says we should pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:16-18). I have to admit that I do not pray as often as I should or in the way I ought to pray. Most of humanity avoids prayer during the good times, but isn’t it amazing to see how people start to pray when things are difficult? I don’t fault them for that, for I am the same way. Pain reminds me to pray. Even atheists find themselves praying in the midst of tragedy. Prayer is an instinctual gift that God has given to us, but like any gift, it has to be developed to fully appreciate. 

Paul recognizes our weakness and reveals that the Spirit “intercedes” for us when we don’t have the words to say. Intercedes is to pray on someone else’s behalf. The Holy Spirit prays in our place. Notice how the Spirit groans (same word) for us. Creation groans, our spirit groans, and the Holy Spirit groans, longing for the delivery of redemption. This Spirit searches out our hearts and minds, knows what we need, and communicates to the Father on our behalf according to the Father’s will. So when you find yourself at a loss for words, just an internal groaning and longing for God to move, the Spirit translates the thoughts that we cannot even put together. In Christ, we confidently know that the Holy Spirit has our back. 

Perfecting Good – Romans 8:28-30

8:28 is one of the most quoted, misquoted, and misunderstood verses. It is one of the most hopeful verses but also has been used as a trite response to tragedy. I love, love, love 8:28, but we must be careful when and how we use it to encourage others with. When someone is in the midst of suffering, they may not be ready to hear “God’s working for your good in this” while that person is questioning the goodness of God. Do not use Scripture like a Band-Aid, which can be insensitive. Rather, we want to use the Scripture to bring healing from the inside out. 8:28 is true. Whether we quote it at the right time or not, it is still true. However, when someone’s family member dies and they are mourning the loss, just quoting 8:28 and walking away does not make the separation that death brings less painful. How is it good that my family member is gone? However, as a believer, understanding 8:28 will help you process life when you go through loss and struggle.

When we read 8:28, most of the time we have a misconception about what is “good”. I want to define what is good for Brad. I have dreams and aspirations and I begin to expect God to fulfill my vision of good, which leads me to disappointment when “my will” is not done. That is not what 8:28 is talking about. Let’s explore this deeper:

God is working (Phil. 1:6). God is working in all things, in all circumstances. God is working for good in all things, in all circumstances, for those who love him. God is for those who love him. God has called them that love him to a deeper and fuller good. What is good? God is good (Matt. 10:18). God calls you to his goodness, so that we will be like him. God created the world good and will restore the world to good in the end. Right now, he is working to recreate those who love him into the image of Christ. Every struggle and circumstance God uses to chisel away our brokenness and shape us into the image of Christ. Our good, that God is working in us, is to loosen our grip on this temporary world, and cultivate an eternal perspective that desires God’s glory and mission above the comforts of this world. 

I never realized how poorly I understood 8:28 until I was on sabbatical a few years ago and attended a church with my friend. The pastor had just returned from his own sabbatical and was preaching for the first time in weeks. His circumstances for his sabbatical was different than my own, for his was birthed from tragedy. Several weeks earlier, his child had drowned in a pool and died. No parent should have to experience the death of their child. And yet, this faithful brother had to walk through that experience with his family. How do you answer those questions? His first sermon back, he elected to preach on Romans 8:28 and said, “I thought I knew what good meant, but now I know what it means.” In his tragic loss, he experienced the goodness of God in profound ways and taught us that good means something different then we expect, harder than we anticipate, but better than we can imagine. 

I also picture this good from another story. Another pastor was nearing the end of his life and struggling with cancer. His body was not cooperating with the medicines and his end was looming. He sat with a man he was mentoring and talked about heaven and what God was teaching him, even on his deathbed. As he was coughing up and spitting out black bile, he said, “I finally understand what the Bible means by ‘they shall not taste death.’” As he was literally tasting death taking over his body, his view of the goodness of God and the joy of being in His presence took over, and this pastor died knowing he was truly alive. 

This is the process God is working in our lives. It is a process that we have to go through and we will all work through it differently and at a different pace. But God wants his children to know that they were meant for something more and every circumstance they face in this life is an opportunity for them to get ready for the next life. 

God is perfecting good in our life, perfecting meaning maturing. Those whom God has a loving relationship with are predestined. Unfortunately, I do not have time to fully unpack this thought, but I will try to make a few quick points. Predestination is not about a destination but about a purpose. Every time the word is used, it refers to a purpose. Here Paul reveals that those whom God has a loving relationship with are “predestined” to be “conformed to the image of Christ.” God foreordains that his children will become like Jesus. This means that in some way we cannot fully appreciate, God has chosen his own and has a purpose for everyone he calls. 

These ideas are some of the hardest ideas to wrestle with and understand. That’s ok. God is bigger than our perception of him. As we grow in our understanding of him, we will continually conform our thoughts to align with his reality. As we try to understand the Divine, take comfort in knowing that God loves you and has provided the way for you to be in a right relationship with him in Jesus Christ. He is working for our good and one day we will be with him forever. Until then, we pray and live in the Spirit.