Romans 8:28 - Forerunner Commentary

Romans 8:28

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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain Romans 8:28:

Romans 8:28-30
Excerpted from: Free Will or God's Sovereignty?

We have so much working for us—that the Creator would purpose these things so far in advance, and be interested in us as individuals from long before our births. This passage is also about those whom God has called according to His purpose. It likewise mentions God’s foreknowledge of those whom He calls. It says we are predestined to be conformed to Christ’s image, and that His predestination includes justification, which we saw in I Peter, as well as glorification.

Now, before we conclude that our part in the first resurrection is assured if we are called according to God’s purpose, we need to think carefully about what it means that He “also glorified” those whom He predestined, called, and justified. The glorification we think of first is our change to spirit in the resurrection when our bodies will match Christ’s glorious body. Plugging that glorification in here certainly makes it sound like our spiritual completion and resurrection were determined from the very beginning.

But there is another way to understand the glorification here that also answers the question that many have asked, which is why sanctification is not mentioned here.

In John 17:22, during His Passover prayer, Jesus says to the Father, “. . . the glory which You gave Me I have given them . . ..” Jesus gave glory to the disciples, even as He had glory while He walked the earth. It was not the glory of a luminescent body, but rather the glory of a life of absolute purity and truth. Christ gave glory to the disciples through His instruction and His overwhelming example. This relates to what Paul says in II Corinthians 4:6:

Drawing this all together, it means that those whom God has called into a relationship and who thus come into His presence, like Moses did, have been glorified in the sense that our lives begin to radiate the light of Christ’s life and truth. This is why Jesus said both that He is the light of the world, but also that His disciples are the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5; Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).

When someone has spiritual understanding upon which he acts, it becomes visible—there is a glory. To glorify someone can also mean to bestow honor on them, which also applies to all whom God has called and justified—it is a tremendous honor that has been given to us. We are already partakers of the divine nature, which is another way of describing this glorification. It is the initial stage of a future glorification, but it is glorification, nonetheless. Those whom God justified, He has also glorified. We shine as lights in a darkened world.

Romans 8:28
Excerpted from: Psalm Genres (Part Four): Laments

Finally, we get to verse 10 and that is where we see the final element, the praise of God. And verse 10 is simply a quick word of praise for God's deliverance. "The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory." A very positive statement to round out the lament, saying that this is going to work out for good for the righteous. And it is very interesting here that he ends with not necessarily that God will get the glory, but the upright in heart shall glory. And I think the meaning here is that they will praise God, but there is going to be a residual glory for them because they have remained faithful.

So one thing we can really see from just this one example is that psalms of lamentation usually proceed from woe, depression, anxiety, hopelessness to faith and praise, exaltation and wisdom. They, from the start to the end, turn over from negative to positive. And that is very instructive for us because it gives us hope, gives us a great deal of hope that even though things are really bad, that if we follow these things through and trust in God, then they are going to turn out for good. I mean, what does Romans 8:28 say? That all things work together for those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. So if you stick with it, if you trust in God, if you let Him act, remaining faithful, then things will turn out well. So we have this transformation in the lamentations from negativity to positivity.

Romans 8:26-28
Excerpted from: It's Enough! Now, Lord, Take My Life!

Think about what God has done in the past and what He is doing now to accomplish His great plan of salvation. When we put our problems in perspective with God's plan, the troubles and trials of life shrink into insignificance. God has promised the help of His Holy Spirit and His everlasting love. Here in Romans 8, we are going to read verses 26 through 28 and 31 to 39.

Verse 28 does not mean the situation itself is good. It does not mean that it is good when our husband or wife dies, and it does not mean that losing our jobs is good necessarily. Any situation can work for good if we meet the challenge correctly and let God guide us. If we put our lives in God's hands, the result will always be good. It might not seem reasonable at the time, but something good will ultimately come of it.

God's Spirit supports us in our weakness and intercedes for us when we do not know how to pray, aligning our hearts with God's will. God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Therefore, we can have complete confidence in God's love for us and we will never feel like saying, It's enough now, Lord, take my life.

Romans 8:28
Excerpted from: Love's Basic Definition

Now, because of this, because we have this hope, there can be verses like Romans 8:28. You see, “All things work together for good to those who are the called, and to those who love God.” The two go together. Did you notice the tag line? To those who love God. And so we know then, because of what God has revealed in His love, that He is in control of what is going on in His creation!

There might be some awfully bad things that are going on—terrible things, traumatic things, and painful things going on—as this whole thing begins to wind towards its climax. But yet, to those that God has called—to those that He has given His love—and to those who love Him in return, they can live life knowing that things are going to work out right. Because this God of creation, who loves His creation and who loves us, is going to make it work out that way, if we just give Him half a chance. If we just leave the door open a crack, His love is so great that He is going to wedge His way in, as it were, in order to secure our salvation.

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Faith to Face Our Trials
Faith to Face Our Trials
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The Offerings of Leviticus (Part Nine): Conclusion (Part Two)
The Offerings of Leviticus (Part One): Introduction
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The Sovereignty of God: Part Two
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Christians?
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Who Do You Trust? (Part Two)
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The Sacrifices of Leviticus (Part 2)
The Sacrifices of Leviticus (Part 2)
The Sacrifices of Leviticus (Part 3)
The Sacrifices of Leviticus (Part 5)
God's Workmanship (Part 3)
Motivation to Endure
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These Things We Know
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The Providence of God (Part 1)
The Providence of God (Part 2)
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The Providence of God (Part 3)
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Maintaining Good Health (Part 14)
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Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part 6)
Overcoming Discouragement and Depression
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Knowing God: Formality and Customs (Part 7)
Mercy, Pilgrimage, and Providence
Trial by Fire
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God the Father (Part 3)
He Who Overcomes
Acts (Part Six)
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As Much as Depends on You
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Our Awesome Destiny
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Defining Logos (Part Two)
Passover and Hope
Power Belongs to God (Part 2)
Power Belongs to God (Part 2)
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Heavenly Citizenship (Part 2)
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Offerings (Part Two)
Offerings (Part Three)
Offerings (Part Seven)
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Thank You for Finishing What You Start!
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Facing Times of Stress: Persecution
From Dust to Glory
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Back to Life (Part One)
Facing Times of Stress: When God Is Silent (Part Three)
Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen (Part Six)
The Clear Light Of A God-Given Life
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