Romans 8:28

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It's reasoned relevant content apologetics, worldview, and answers to the questions that you need to know. From Alex McFarland Ministries, this is Truth for a New Generation Radio. And now the man who preached in 50 states in 50 days, speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics, Dr. Alex McFarland. C.S. Lewis, the great Christian thinker, once said that this world is full of suffering, but this world is also full of the overcoming of suffering and pain.

Hi, Alex McFarland here. Welcome to this edition of Truth for a New Generation. You know, in Romans chapter 8, the apostle Paul said, For I reckon, or I conclude, that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. And he went on to talk about the earnest expectation of the return of Christ and the victory we have as believers. I'm so glad you're listening, and we're going to be talking about a very famous verse of scripture, an understanding, and frankly I think it's very liberating, understanding the definitive victory that we have in Christ Jesus and as his followers. If you're a believer, you're a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, then guaranteed biblical promise by definition, you are a victor. You are an overcomer.

And no problems or pains or sufferings or setbacks that this day can throw at you will negate the reality that you are victorious in Jesus. But nevertheless, we are in a fallen world, and even painful things, bad things can happen to people of all strata of life. You know, people have a lot of accidents. I was just reading an article about the different ways people get injured, and as you probably know, most injuries take place at home. I read that 4,000 people a year are injured by their coffee pot, coffee pot injuries, and I think I've probably had a few of those myself. Every year 8,800 people are injured in some way with a toothpick. And this particular article said that a toothpick is the object most choked on by Americans. That's unfortunate. Every year there are about 15,000 vacuum cleaner related accidents in the United States.

People tripping over the cord and things like that. Here's one, and I've got to say as I read this statistic, you know, I don't know that we should tell this. I mean, they say that America's status in view of other nations and our standing on the world stage has diminished in recent years. Well, if this statistic were well known, it would go down even more so. But it says on average, 100 Americans a year choke to death on a ballpoint pen. Very sad.

Don't put the pen in your mouth. But in spite of these bad things, it's a great life, and life is a gift from God. And the Bible promises that we are overcomers in Jesus Christ. Now, there's a progression here, a four-point progression in the life of every believer. Called, saved, justified, glorified. The Spirit of God calls, and maybe even right now as you're listening to this program, if you're thinking about your relationship with the Lord, maybe God is calling you to make things right and make sure that you are a believer. But we put our faith in Christ. We hear that call.

We heed that call. And you trust Jesus, and you're saved. And the Bible talks about how our sins are washed away, and the righteousness of Christ is imparted or imputed to the believer.

The Spirit of God indwells the believer. And in the eyes of the Father, we are justified. We are standing before God. We are declared righteous. We are just in the eyes of God. Now we didn't earn it.

We didn't deserve it. But see, that's one of the beautiful things about the Christian message, and it's grace that we simply trust Christ, who he is and what he did. He paid for our sins on the cross. And a legal declaration is made in the council room of heaven. We are declared righteous, and we are just by our faith in Jesus. That's in the Old Testament Habakkuk 2, that the justified shall live by faith. In other words, by faith, belief, trust, we live. We have everlasting life. And the majority of your Christian life, odds are, is going to be spent in that justified state.

I've been a Christian now over 30 years, and one day I will leave this world, and one day you will too, either by death or the return of Christ. This period of history and our life itself will be over, but we will get a glorified body. And I want to talk about that, because in verses 29 and 30 of Romans chapter 8 it says, the ones that God foreknew, he predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. Now, as we live this life of justification and sanctification, sanctification means to be set apart.

And we talked about how it says in 1 Thessalonians 4, this is the will of God, your sanctification. What is God's plan for my life? People often ask me this.

This is probably one of the most asked questions that we get. How do I know God's will for my life? Well, God's will for your life is, number one, that you become a believer, and number two, that you lived a Christ-honoring life, that you be more and more conformed to the image of Jesus. Now, one day when you leave this world and you get your glorified body, you will be fully glorified. Now, if you've come a ways from what you were at the moment of salvation, and we all have or we all should, we're increasingly sanctified, increasingly conformed to the image of his Son. But one day we'll be fully conformed and we'll be glorified. We're not there yet.

No one in this particular life is. But the beautiful thing is that for knowledge and predestination, God knows who will choose him and all who chose Christ and are born again are destined, preordained, foreordained, predestinated to be conformed to the image of Jesus. And in spite of all of the challenges of this world, and I'm going to unpack one of the most famous verses about problems and challenges and how to see it from God's perspective, Romans 8.28, I'm going to talk about something that is in Romans 8.28, a very famous verse, something that I think most people miss. But we're going to pull out a word that says so much because it isn't in that verse.

Stay tuned when Truth For A New Generation returns. The Apostle Peter wrote 1 Peter to remind us that Christians have true and lasting hope in their Savior Jesus Christ. Because Jesus conquered death in an incorruptible glorified body, we can be sure that our salvation has permanence as we walk through everyday life. The Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove presents Jesus Christ, Hope That Lives, Hope That Lasts for Every Believer, a special three-day seminar with Alex McFarland. Alex will dig into 1 Peter to help you gain truths to live by and assurance to keep going. Come to the Cove near Asheville, North Carolina, July 8th through 10th for three days of in-depth Bible study, fellowship, and refreshing. Jesus Christ, Hope That Lives, Hope That Lasts for Every Believer, a study of 1 Peter with Alex McFarland. Find out more and register at thecove.org. Have you ever wanted to raise your hand during a sermon?

Well, here's your chance. Hi, Alex McFarland here from the nationally syndicated radio program, Exploring the Word. For more than 10 years, my cohost Bert Harper and I have taught Scripture and answered hundreds of Bible questions. We've compiled a brand new book of the top 100 Bible questions from listeners of all ages, from questions about supposed Bible contradictions to apologetics facts that prove the truths of Scripture. This new book features practical content that will make the Bible come alive for you.

Can we really be sure that God exists? Are there contradictions in the Bible? I need a book that will help me understand the Bible better.

There's so much good content in this book. 100 Bible questions and answers published by Broad Street Publishers and available at your local bookstores and also through resources.afa.net. For apologetics resources, books by Alex McFarland, and to find out where Alex is speaking, visit alexmcfarland.com. Welcome back to Truth for a New Generation.

Alex McFarland here. I'm about to read Romans 828, which is a very famous verse. We're talking about the overcoming of problems and obstacles. But before we get into that verse, I want to mention two things. For one, I'll be at the Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville, July 8 through 10. I want you to be there. Oh, it's going to be great. We're going to study the book of 1 Peter.

Wonderful accommodations, incredible food. Angie will be there, and you can join with us with people from all over North America as we fellowship, enjoy time together in the Lord, great worship. And I'm sure, as she usually is, Gigi Graham will probably be there and Will Graham and we'll hear some incredible things about the ministry of Billy Graham and Samaritan's Purse.

And so be there July 8 through 10. We'll study the book of 1 Peter. We'll pray together. We'll fellowship together, and we'll grow close to each other and close to the Lord. The other thing I want to remind you.

Oh, this is big, folks. Our annual summer youth camp, July 17 through 22. We're going to be just about an hour east of Raleigh. It's very easy to get to. You can drive.

You can fly. Right now, I have space for about 30 females and 30 males, middle school, high school. And the theme this year is unashamed building your biblical worldview. I want your teens to be there, folks.

I say this, invest a week that will count for a lifetime. Now, we'll do all the fun camp things, you know, hiking and fishing and ropes course, horseback riding, swimming, all of those great things, campfires and roasting marshmallows. But I'll be there.

Will and Miki Addison, great music, great speakers. And we're going to talk to your young people about loving God and country. We're passing the baton of faith to young people.

You can go on our newly redesigned website, the brand new AlexMcFarland.com website. It's awesome. And we've got my travel calendar is on there. So many wonderful things are going on, not the least of which is our summer biblical worldview camp. We want to take them through a journey of what it means to stand strong for Jesus Christ.

And I thank you for your prayers and your interest. But I want to get back to Romans 8.28, very famous verse. It says, 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. Now the larger context of Romans chapter 8, which by the way, as you probably know, Romans is my favorite book of the Bible. You know, Romans 6 and 7 talks about that we are dead to sin and we're alive in Christ Jesus and we are to be servants of righteousness.

And it's interesting, there's kind of a wordplay because, you know, a servant doesn't really get paid, a slave to righteousness. But it says at the end of Romans chapter 6, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If you are working for sin, the only paycheck you're going to get is death, separation from God. Romans 6.21 talks about the fruit of sin is death. It says the end of those things is death but we are set free from sin.

And here's the wordplay. We are now servants of God, servants of righteousness. Well, a servant or a slave doesn't get a wage. But here's the beautiful thing. The wage of a believer is eternal life, but the wages of sin is death. And it goes on and in Romans 7 it famously talks about the struggle between the old nature and the new nature. And Paul said that which I don't want to do, I do.

That which I do want to do, I don't do. Who will deliver me from this body of death? Romans 7.24.

And it would be very agonizing if we didn't have any help. But Romans 8, beautifully Romans 8.1 begins, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. See, there's no condemnation if you're a born again believer.

Positionally you are in Christ. Now there are things that conspire to come between you and God. The Bible basically summarizes the world, the flesh and the devil. We're in a fallen world and all around us is all manner of sin from violence and robbery and terrorism and domestic violence and there's marital conflict and there's drug abuse and substance abuse. And then there's just our own fallen nature that mitigates against the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And Paul, maybe the agony in his voice in Romans 7.24 says who will deliver me from this body of death?

A wretched man that I am. Romans 8 says look, there's no condemnation. We have been called, we are saved, justified, increasingly sanctified, one day we'll be glorified.

So let's land on verse 28 of Romans 8. We know that all things work together for the good. Now this world is full of circumstances, things, people, events, history, accidents, all things. It's a world of endless things, right? Notice it doesn't say that all things are good but it does promise that our providential God can sovereignly make all things work together for the good.

It's very interesting. The wording there means coalesce. In other words, it all worked out. It all came together and God is superintending and guiding the ship of history.

Now to who? Now all things don't necessarily work together for the good to those that hate God and who rejected God's call. In fact the Bible says the way of the transgressor is hard.

But here's the thing and this is why we need to rest easy and rejoice in Jesus. For them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. But notice as Romans 8 concludes, you'll see in your Bible the word His is in italics. And in the English Bible it says, who are the called according to His purpose.

But in the original Greek it's really only the called according to purpose. Now what does that mean? Stay tuned and you'll find out on this edition of Truth for a New Generation. Send your kids to a summer camp that will change their lives for the gospel and equip them to defend the faith. Truth for a New Generation presents the unashamed biblical worldview camp, Go Deeper with God at the Refuge Camp of Eastern North Carolina, July 17th through 22nd. Your eighth through 12th graders will hear from evangelist and apologist Dr. Alex McFarland, as well as conference speakers, pro-family activists and radio hosts Will and Miki Addison from American Family Radio as they share with your kids ways to effectively engage and transform the culture. Campers will also enjoy swimming, canoeing, fishing, soccer, volleyball, archery and a whole lot more. A great summer camp of fun and faith building, the TNG Unashamed Biblical Worldview Camp, July 17th through 27th at the Refuge Camp in Aiden, North Carolina.

To learn more and to register, visit alexmcfarland.com. Are you tired of liberal agendas ruining our country, but you don't know what to do about it? That's why Truth and Liberty Coalition was founded. We want to equip you to take back our country and impact the world. Here's how we do it. We educate through broadcasts, conferences and our website with resources that inform, equip and motivate. We unify by collaborating with like-minded organizations like the Family Research Council, the Family Policy Alliance and My Faith Votes. We mobilize by providing practical tools you can use to impact your local community.

As Christians, we are called to make disciples of nations. Together we can change the course of our country for good. Join Truth and Liberty to connect with believers and organizations who not only want to see a change in our nation, but a community that is actually doing something about it. Join us online for our broadcast and subscribe for relevant updates on our website, truthandliberty.net. In the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism, Alex McFarland is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to Truth for a New Generation Radio.

Welcome back to the program. We're in Romans 8 and we're talking about the fact that as Christians we are called, saved, justified, glorified and even along this rocky journey called life we can know that God is in control. And maybe you've got some things in your life that are stretching your faith or challenging you. Trust God. Renew your hope in Jesus.

Maybe even right now today you want to say within your heart, Lord, I do believe and Lord I trust you and I want to know you and trust you even more. And I want to talk about the fact that there's a word not in the original Greek. It's put in the Bible really as a connecting word or passing word to iron out the wrinkles. Whenever you see something in your Bible, a word that's in italics, very likely it's a word that had to be inserted because in translation there's what's called the donor language and then there's the recipient language. Well for the Bible it's Hebrew and Greek, the donor language. The Bible is translated from Hebrew into English or whatever, Spanish, Chinese, one of the many dialects. And then there's the recipient language which is the language scriptures being translated to.

Well sometimes in the recipient language they have to add a word here or there not to change the meaning of the scripture but just to make it work. Now it says in Romans 8.28, and we know that all things work together, that means coalesce, come together for what? For the good.

To them that love God, to them who are the call according to his purpose. So God is big enough that even tragedies, even things that are unfair, if we give it to God, trust God, live right, God will work it out and it will redound for our good and his glory. God is always about those things. The good.

Now what is quote the good? It might not be what you necessarily want but ultimately retrospectively as you look back, we have to be honest, God really did do things that were in our best interest. I thank God in my own life. I thank God for the prayers that I prayed that didn't get answered the way I asked them to. There have been things that I almost demanded of God, requested of God, and then things went a different way. And then one day eventually I look back and I say, thank you God, I am really glad that you knew better than I did about what my true needs were. So God always does things for our good and his glory. And that is what the good good is.

You know we think, well it would be good if I had more money, got a better car, whatever. And God may give you those things. But remember Matthew 6.33, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things will be added to you. God knows you are going to be joyful, you are going to be fruitful, stable, emotionally sound.

All the things that you really would want for yourself, that is going to be the good in your life, the highest good, the right good, the good good if you put Jesus first. And so all the things that come down the pike, God is going to weave it together for your highest and best interest. Now here is where I want to talk about the word that isn't there. Who are the called according to purpose. Now in the English Bible, the recipient language, it says to his purpose.

But interestingly in the Greek it really says according to purpose. Now what is purpose? We think okay well there is a goal or a reason. But ultimately here is history's purpose. Do you know in all of history there is really only one purpose? And that is that the kingdom of God be ushered in. And so we don't even have to say God's purpose as opposed to all the other purposes, you know, kingdoms, countries, leaders, people, circumstances, history itself. That is not even real.

Really. I mean history happens. But do you know what? All of reality is moving irrevocably to this point that the kingdom of God will be ushered in and like the book of Revelation says that the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ and he will reign forever and ever. That is purpose. So if Christ's kingdom and the king himself is purpose and it's happening and it's coming, you can be a part of it. You can be a joint heir with Jesus and a co-recipient of heaven and everything is moving toward purpose, God's purpose. Then the converse of that is all the noise and the sound and fury of this world is not even purposeful. As much as I love history, even music and art and I appreciate accomplishments and so many people achieve so many things, it is gone and forgotten because it is not substance. Only God's truth and God's kingdom has real substance.

Do you know Hudson Taylor, he was the founder of China Inland Mission. They said he hung on the wall of his home a plaque with two Hebrew words, Ebenezer and Jehovah Jireh. The first word Ebenezer means, quote, hitherto the Lord has provided and helped us. And the second word Jehovah Jireh means the Lord will see to it and provide.

See one looks back, one looks forward. Up until now the Lord has provided, Ebenezer, and looking forward the Lord will provide, Jehovah Jireh. And so we know, listen, God has been with us.

God is with you now and in every tomorrow God will be with you throughout every moment of history. You know time is a fascinating thing. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, centuries. The smallest unit of time is a Yocto second, Y-O-C-T-O.

Do you know that? The smallest unit of time, a Yocto second. Twenty years of time is a vicennial. You know we talk about a centennial, bicentennial. Twenty years is a vicennial. Some of you maybe have lived for three or four or even five vicennials.

That's a twenty year period. But you know what? Every moment the Lord is on His throne and God is in control.

And in this life now today, all things will be woven together for the ultimate good by the One who is our eternal Savior, Jesus Christ. TNG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland Ministries, P.O. Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina 27404. That's P.O. Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina 27404. Call us at 877-Yes-God-1.

That's 877-Yes-God and the number 1. Or give online at AlexMcFarland.com. While you're there, listen to program archives, read Alex's blog, invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment. AlexMcFarland.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next time as we bring you more truth for a new generation on TNG radio.