“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (8:28, NRS).
“We know” connects us to the preceding, especially 8:26,27. In suffering the Spirit intercedes for us according to God’s will (and God wills us to be glorified—8:1-25). So, we know God will make all things work together for good.
The words, “all things work together”, are a translation of a Greek word, “soon” (together with) “ergeo” (work). Question is, how encompassing is “all things”. There’s no reason not to take the Greek word pas literally—all things.
Does this mean that everything that’s happened in my life—from a loose tooth to our car breaking down on I-80 traveling home from Bible college, to marrying Lois, to parenting three children, etc., etc.—all “work together for good”? Here, Paul is emphasizing suffering. Thus we could rightly translate, “We know that all things—even suffering—work together for good . . . “
“ . . . good” is the Greek agathone—good in the sense of morally good and beneficial.
This mind-stretching promise is true “for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
In reply to the question, “Which commandment is the greatest?”, Jesus said, ”Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Matthew 22:37), affirming the Lord’s command through Moses to Israel: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might (Deuteronomy 6:4,5).
The Greek verb, agapao, refers to love as a matter of the will and action. We are to love God as a matter of our will and demonstrate it in our actions. That leaves us with a big problem: our will is “bent” toward sin, toward not loving God. Which is probably why Paul hastily added, “who are called according to his purpose.” God’s call is a call to justification and sanctification and, ultimately, glorification. That’s God’s purpose for those he calls. So God works for good in all things for those whom he has called and who, thereby, love him (however imperfectly).
It’s a shame that 8:29,30 don’t always follow when someone quotes 8:28. Verses 29 and 30 explain the good God is working and the purpose for which he’s called us.
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified” (8:29,30, NRS).
Paul uses five key verbs to explain why he knows God works for good in all things for his called ones.
“foreknew”. This means more than God knowing beforehand who would love him. It means God knowing from before creation whom he would predestine, justify and glorify. How could God know that? Because he chose them before creation . . .
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Ephesians 1:4).
“ . . . who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began . . . ” (2 Timothy 1:9).
“ . . . foreknew” means more than “had knowledge beforehand”. It means “knew personally” even before they had been created!
“predestined”. The Greek (proprizo) means to “determine in advance” or “decide on beforehand”. So God “decreed in advance” that those he called would “be conformed to the image of his Son”. That’s God’s predetermined destiny for believers.
What does it mean to be conformed to the Son’s likeness? One, we will have resurrection bodies like Christ (8:11). Two, our indwelling sin-nature will be gone, for we will have reached the goal of the sanctification process and be glorified. Beyond that, we can let our imaginations soar!
Our likeness to the Son has a purpose: “in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” In other words, that Jesus might be the firstborn in a family of believers, who ultimately are together conformed to the Son’s likeness. (Many sons and daughters like the Son!)
“called”. Peter uses the word (kaleo) of God inviting to salvation those he foreknew (1 Peter 2:9). Matthew uses keleo of Jesus summoning Matthew to discipleship (Matthew 4:21). Since this “call” comes to those who God foreknew and predestined, this call (that comes in time) must be effectual (able to produce the desired effect). If God calls, you won’t and can’t refuse.
“justified”. The Greek point-in-time aorist tense of dikio-o means God “justified” the ones he calls at a point in time, like a judge declaring “not guilty”. But beyond being declared “not guilty”, “justified” implies what theologians call “imputed righteousness”. To “impute” means to reckon or attribute to someone the blessing of another. In this case, it means God credits his Son’s righteousness to those who believe! “ . . . they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (3:24).
“glorified” (doxodso). Paul uses this word to describe the culmination of God’s saving work in those he called. Sanctification complete: God gives his called ones what John Piper calls “the inward beauty of holiness”. Resurrection complete: God gives his called ones a new body like Christ’s (see 1 Corinthians 15:42-49).
Suffering with Christ is the prerequisite for being glorified with Christ (8:17). But suffering, Paul reckons, is “not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us” (8:18). It’s the revelation of the children of God for which all creation waits with eager longing (8:19).
Furthermore, suffering is part of the “all things” God works together for his good purpose. Toward that purpose, he knew his chosen people before creation, predestined them to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, called them, justified them and glorified them.
“Glorified”, like “justified”, is in the Greek point-in-time aorist tense, though “glorified” remains future in our experience. It’s as if Paul chose the aorist tense because Christ has been glorified (and our glorification is a share in his), and because he wants his readers to know the certainty of its fulfillment.
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So we come back to, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” This knowing isn’t only intellectual; it’s knowing as in assurance. And how do we know that all things work together for good? Because, if we believe in Jesus, we’re caught up in God’s grand purpose. We’re among those he foreknew, predestined to be conformed to his Son’s likeness, called, justified and glorified–all in Christ.
And because Christ suffered in order to be glorified, so must we. But what if our suffering isn’t persecution? What if it’s illness or the death of a child? All Christian suffering is suffering with Christ, because it tests our faith in him and it draws us closer to him.
So whether it’s an enjoyable beach vacation or a painful hospital stay, it’s all good. We can believe it. Because we’re graciously caught up in God’s grand purpose–and he’s using all things toward the day of our glorification with Christ.
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