DO ALL THINGS REALLY WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD?

I do not have to tell you that Romans 8:28 (ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE) is one of the most beloved verses in the Bible. You know that! Many of you could give testimony to that fact. You were sick and this verse was like medicine to your soul. You lost a loved one and these words somehow carried you through. You were crushed and beaten by the winds of ill-fortune and this verse—and only this verse!—gave you hope to go on.

Therefore it shocks us to know that it is often without consoling power. There are some among you who secretly doubt it. They hear this verse quoted and instead of a balm to the soul, it is a mocking, cruel joke.

They say, “What do you mean by ‘good’?”
—Sickness is not good.
—Murder is not good.
—Divorce is not good.
—Rape is not good.
—The death of a child is not good.

So ... Can we still believe in Romans 8:28?

Or do you say,"That's fine for fairy tales, but not for real life?"

The Bible never asks us to pretend that tragedy isn’t tragedy. Or to pretend that our pain isn’t real! The point is, we must see the active involvement of God. What happens to you and to me is not the mechanical turning of some impersonal divine wheels. It is not fate or 'kismet' or 'karma' or luck. God is actively at work in your life!!!

Take the example of a car manufacturing factory. At one end of the assembly line you see components being delivered and at the other end, a brand new car rolls out! What goes on in the middle is much grinding, bending, pressure, heat .....

Paul is saying that our experience is like that. God begins with the raw materials of life, including some parts that seem to serve no good purpose. Those materials are joined with pressure and heat and then they are bent and shaped and joined together. Over time something beautiful is created. Not by accident, but by a divine design. And nothing is ever wasted in the process.

That is how we must look at life. We must not judge the end by the beginning, but rather the beginning by the end.

 (Article Inspired by Pastor Ray's sermon)