WHAT DO WE CALL “GOOD”?

Romans 8:28-30 

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. 

29 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.

For too many Christians, their “expectations” are that God’s purpose in everything pertaining to their “Christianity” is to “make them a ‘good’ person,” and to “make their lives better here and now.” However, neither of those expectations is Biblical — at all.

The Word of God plainly declares the following:

Mark 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God. (See also Matthew 19:17; Luke 18:19.)

Romans 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (See also Psalms 53:1-3.)

Having these erroneous expectations proves by themselves that we do not really know the Bible, AND that we do not really know God, AND that we do not really know what any of us are supposed to be doing here. This situation results in us having little to no understanding of why God would “allow” the circumstances to occur in our lives (that we view as “negative/not good”) that we periodically face — IN HIS WILL!

HERE IS THE “REVELATION”:

The Lord God is far more interested in our spiritual growth and development IN HIM than He is in the comfort and convenience of our temporal lives. (THIS STATEMENT WILL “SHOCK” SOME “BELIEVERS.” WHY? BECAUSE IT IS COMPLETELY CONTRARY TO EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE EVER BEEN “TAUGHT.”)

Our Father is very aware that He has made us in such a way that we have to be tested and tried, molded and shaped as “clay,” and purified as “gold” in order to produce the spiritual growth in and through us that He has purposed. This growth develops us into the vessels that He will use in His plan to fulfill HIS PURPOSES. 

SO, THOSE WHO TRUST GOD UNDERSTAND THAT “EVERYTHING” IS ABOUT GOD AND HIS WILL, PLANS, AND PURPOSES — AND, NOT ABOUT US!

We must allow Him to bring us to the place BY our circumstances that we will finally believe Him when He says, “WITHOUT ME, YOU CAN DO NOTHING [the literal Greek is “not even one thing”]. (John 15:5).

Remember, in nature the Lord God mixed “gold” with other materials/substances that have to be separated BY FIRE from the gold for it to truly be “pure gold.” THAT IS HIS PRINCIPLE. 

TREES/VINES HAVE TO BE “PRUNED” TO BECOME MORE FRUITFUL. (John 15:1-8; Hebrews 12:7-11)

FIELDS HAVE TO BE “PLOWED” TO BE PREPARED TO RECEIVE SEED AND PRODUCE CROPS. (Luke 9:62; 1 Corinthians 9:10)

AS THE FETUS GROWS IN THE WOMB TO THE POINT THAT IT IS ABLE TO SUSTAIN LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE WOMB, IT HAS LESS AND LESS AVAILABLE SPACE. THUS, IT “SENSES” A GROWING URGENCY FOR “CHANGE.”

GOD DID ALL OF THIS — AND MORE! THIS IS HIS DESIGN. 

The verses quoted above, Romans 8:28-30, are in “one paragraph” according to those translations that group verses accordingly. That means that Romans 8:28 is an “introduction” to the spiritual growth process detailed in verses 29-30. 

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

Therefore, this verse is revealing to us God’s “motives” behind the events that HE ALLOWS AND WILL ALLOW to occur IN OUR LIVES in order to take us through the process to completion.

Verses 29-30 declare the path to “spiritual maturity” that the Lord God has predetermined that HIS FOLLOWERS should follow. He NEVER said that everything that happens to us on that path is “good,” naturally speaking. BUT, IT ALL “WORKS” FOR OUR GOOD IN HIM!

However, this promise is “conditional.” To be able to “claim” the promise of Romans 8:28 THAT GIVES PURPOSE AND VALUE TO EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING, we have to “love God” AND we must be “submitted” participants in HIS PURPOSE! Otherwise, this promise DOES NOT APPLY to us! AT ALL!

When our faith and prayers are focused on trying to persuade God to “fix” the things going on in our lives that we do not like, that are inconvenient for us, or even painful and uncomfortable for us, we prove our lack of spiritual understanding and wisdom. 

James 1:2-8

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8 A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

THE LORD WILL NOT ANSWER OUR PRAYERS TO CHANGE OUR CIRCUMSTANCES WITHOUT THE PREDETERMINATION THAT HE WILL ALLOW “MORE DIFFICULT/MORE PAINFUL” SITUATIONS TO FOLLOW THEM AT SOME POINT IN ORDER FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO “FINISH” HIS WORK IN US.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

His Grace is “sufficient” (enough) to enable us to go through ALL that He has allowed in our lives for the purpose of making “US WEAK, SO THAT HE CAN BE STRONG — THROUGH US”!

Everything that we can see is temporary.

Only those things that we cannot see are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

This includes what some find themselves experiencing that they would strongly prefer not to have to go through. That is the mindset of those who cannot see into God‘s future because their focus is on the temporal.

EVENTUALLY, SOME WILL PROVE TO THE LORD THAT THEY WILL NOT SUBMIT TO HIM AND TRUST HIM, THEN HE “GIVES UP” ON THEM! SELAH!

HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? EVERYTHING STARTS “GOING THEIR WAY,” EVEN THOUGH IN WHATEVER CONSCIENCE THAT THEY HAVE LEFT, THEY KNOW HOW FAR THEY ARE FROM GOD. THEIR OBSTINANCE AND LACK OF TRUST CAUSES THEM TO BECOME “ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN” (KJV = “BASTARDS”). WHY? BECAUSE THEY HAVE REJECTED HIS “FATHERHOOD” IN THEIR LIVES!

Hebrews 12:1-11

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

THE LORD WILL NOT SAVE “SPIRITUAL BASTARDS” — THOSE WHO WILL NOT RECEIVE AND TRUST THE FATHER’S LOVING CARE, CORRECTION, AND DIRECTION!

SO, THE ULTIMATE QUESTION — WHAT IS GOD ENDEAVORING TO REVEAL TO US? 

DO WE TRUST GOD?

If I have to have everything explained to me, then I DO NOT TRUST GOD!

TRUSTING GOD DOES NOT EXPECT HIM TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, “WHY?”!

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

In Jesus’ Name!