I felt led today to take a closer look at a very popular passage of scripture. Read in… Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. I’m sure most of us have heard this passage quoted and likely more than once at a funeral. The common thought is that as long as we love God, are called and live according to God’s purposes, then we can be sure that somehow even during a time of extreme trauma, all things will work out in the end for good. Often we are encouraged that there will be some kind of silver lining in the clouds like a lesson to be learned or a character improvement. While this may be true, is this actually what this verse is talking about? Let’s take some time and examine this passage more closely.

Let’s begin our reading in verse seventeen. Reading in… Romans 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. As we look at these passages, let us not forget what the apostle Paul had experienced by now. Paul witnessed the stoning of Stephen, had to flee multiple times because of preaching the gospel, had been stoned and left for dead, and imprisoned multiple times. Was Paul’s character being developed through all these circumstances, for sure. But looking back at our text, Paul talks about suffering leading to also being glorified. What does Paul mean by “being glorified”? Reading the very next verse helps us to understand. Reading in… Romans 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. So in verse seventeen he said “suffer with him, leads to being glorified with Him” and now he says “sufferings of this present time not worthy of being compared to future glory”. Now jumping a little forward, we read in verse 23 about waiting for the adoption…the redemption of our bodies. And then in verse 25 it talks about hoping and patiently waiting for something. And then we finally get to our text. Reading again in… Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. So could it be that the “all things working out together for good” is actually talking about our future resurrection and glorification? We should get confirmation of this if we continue to read. Read in… Romans 8:29-30  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  (30)  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Isn’t it glorious? Conformed to the image of the Son? The word conformed here literally means to be changed from one thing into something else. When and in what way was Jesus conformed? After Jesus was physically resurrected from the dead, he was afterward glorified by being changed into a new body. And reading in… Philippians 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body… 

So are you by now seeing what I am seeing. So all things working out together for good is referring to the future resurrection, when we will finally escape corruption and put on incorruption. Be glorified as Jesus was! Why is this important? I wonder how many times we give those grieving a false sense of hope that in this life now they will be comforted that all things are working out? What if instead we remind folks that in this life we will have tribulation but in Jesus comes the victory! And not only that. Look again at the promise. whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. God promises future resurrection and glory to all those that have put their trust and hope in Christ. Not some, but all!
In closing and confirmation that we have understood this text properly. Let’s read again in… Romans 8:31-39  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  (32)  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?  (33)  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.  (34)  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.  (35)  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  (36)  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  (37)  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  (38)  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  (39)  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.