Seeking for the help of the Lord
I direct your prayer for attention to Romans chapter 8 and reading
for our text verse 28. Verse 28 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. Romans 8 and
verse 28, a very well-known chapter, a very blessed chapter, many
things that are of great comfort to the people of God. Of course the chapter begins
with that wonderful declaration that there is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not
after the flesh but after the spirit and this follows the apostles
conflict in the previous chapter the good that he would he did
not, the evil that he would not that he did, and who shall deliver
him from that body of death? And the answer was in our Lord
Jesus Christ. Well then throughout the chapter
he gives the blessings of one in Christ Jesus and especially
the latter portion that we've read together we have the assurance
really what our Lord said in John 10 that no one is able to
pluck his sheep out of his hand my father that is greater than
I no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand and we
have that assurance throughout the latter part of this chapter. I want to then specifically look
at the verse that is before us and I want to divide the word
into three parts firstly the blessing of knowledge the word
begins with and we know we know that all things work together
for good and then secondly four things that this text reveals
about god's people the word of course reveals a lot about god's
children but we've confined our thoughts just to what is set
before us in this verse this evening And then in the third
place, the use of this knowledge, how we can use the knowledge
for good and actually have improved on that knowledge. Firstly, the blessing of knowledge. The apostle says, and we know. We think of the Apostle when
he wrote to the Thessalonians and in the fourth chapter he
comes to the latter part of that and he says, but I would not
have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep. And these Thessalonians, they
were troubled that those that had died of their relatives,
their loved ones, that they had perished and that there is no
hope for them. And the apostle then sets before
them the knowledge of what the truth was, that their souls were
with the Lord at the end of the world, the Lord would come with
power, he'd bring them with him, The dead would rise first, and
those that are alive and remain shall be caught up with them
in the air. And he says, wherefore comfort
one another with these words, these words of knowledge, that
through the knowledge of the truth was to be comfort to them
at this time our lord said to those that believed in john 8
verse 31 i think he said there that if you continue in my word
Then ye shall be my disciples indeed, ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free. And it is a knowledge through
the word of God, and how vital it is that we have that knowledge. When the Lord rose from the dead,
he met with those first on the way to Emmaus, and they did not
know him, They also did not and weren't able to interpret what
had happened at Jerusalem. We trusted it should have been
he that should have redeemed Israel, and they were troubled,
troubled in their minds. So the Lord gently reproved them. 4 Ought not Christ, who has suffered
these things, to enter into his glory? 5 And beginning at Moses
and all the scriptures, he expounded in all the scriptures the things
concerning himself, and their heart burned within them. The
Lord was giving them knowledge, opening up to them what was the
purpose of God. All the types and the shadows
pointed to that it was to be a suffering Saviour and that
what had happened was all according to the plan and purpose of God. And so again, the knowledge of
that was a great comfort in that way. And later on, when they'd
returned back with the disciples, the disciples were saying this,
the Lord is risen indeed. Throughout that day, the knowledge
of the rising of the Lord was gradually unfolding. At first,
they were so perplexed. The tomb was empty. What had
happened? And then by the end, the certainty
and more certainty there was, the more comfort there was. And
then when the Lord appeared to them in the upper room, them
were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. And then He
opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. It is a blessed thing to have
the knowledge of the truth. There's thousands, millions that
do not have that knowledge of the truth, not even in a natural
way. But in a spiritual way, we have
the promise, all thy children shall be taught of the Lord,
and great shall be the peace of thy children. I think as Bunyan
in his Pilgrim's Progress, he speaks of one ignorance, and
he thought he'd just get to heaven, he didn't need to know much doctrine,
he didn't need to really be very particular or anything. He'd
just drift along and all would be well with him. without really
having a good hope and Bunyan's Christian and hopeful I think
it was tried very hard to impress upon him the need of that vital
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in him but he was just
happy to be in his ignorance and then solemnly perished at
the end. It's a blessed thing if we can
join with the Apostle And we can say we know, we know. And going back a couple of chapters,
we think of chapter 6, the Apostle just in the previous chapters,
set forth that we are saved by faith and by grace alone and
then counters the terrible thought shall we sin that grace might
abound and right through that chapter says in verse three know
ye not and then in verse six knowing this that our old man
is crucified with him and then in verse nine knowing that christ
being raised from the dead dieth no more And all the time he's
bringing before them knowledge. Verse 16, know ye not that to
whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are
to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto
righteousness. And so the text here begins with
this word, and we know. Do we know? And if we do know,
May we count it a blessing and be thankful to the Lord if ever
He has opened our eyes, opened our ears, taught us and instructed
us, taught us something of the things of God. Those things concerning
the Lord, concerning ourselves, concerning His work, in his people's
lives, in our lives, concerning those things that are in our
text here. 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. Or secondly, four things that
this text reveals about God's people. The first is this, that the Lord
has an eternal purpose towards them. it doesn't just begin in
time but it has begun in eternity now text is just before a a beautiful
chain a golden chain if you like it goes from eternity past 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 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 and we have this beautiful chain
that goes from eternity past into time and then eternity to
come that which is in the past is that which is foreknown and
then that which he has predestinated them and that joins and links
into time because the destination that he has for them is concerning
firstly in this life in this life to be conformed to the image
of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren
made like unto the Lord Jesus Christ. He was made like unto
his brethren, but sin accepted. And he has always predestinated
his people to be as he was in this world. He says, I am not
of this world, ye are not of this world, even as I am not
of this world. If they have received my word,
then they will receive your word. they believe me then they'll
believe you and the world did not want the Lord and they don't
want the people of God either and the Lord's people are in
this world to be like our Lord was not of it, not a friend of
the world and this is what the Lord has always intended for
his dear people as they are through this world and to that end then
he calls them by grace and that is in then in time And then being
called and brought to be a believer, they are justified, justified
by faith. And then He glorifies them and
brings them to heaven and to be with Him and to see His glory. And so that eternal purpose,
may we think of that and what a wonder that is for a poor sinner,
for you and I, as believers that the Lord has loved us with an
everlasting love and therefore with loving kindness as he drawn
us for no nothing good in us nothing he foresaw in us no reason
in us whatsoever if anything that he foresaw it can be drawn
from what we read in Deuteronomy and in Moses words and Joshua's
words they said that Israel would turn away they would go to idolatry
they would forsake they'd already done so through the wilderness
and so God knows what his people are he knows what is in man we
read when he was on earth he did not commit himself unto them
he knew what was in man And yet the Lord has this eternal purpose
of love and grace and mercy, and those that are chosen in
Him before the foundation of the world, they are those that
shall be in that innumerable throng in heaven at last. Time, like a narrow sea, is in
between that, but the Lord has His counsel and has His purpose,
and we know that. We know that it is not influenced
by man, it is God's purpose. And what a blessed thing to think
that I, a poor sinner, am found in that purpose. So the first
thing this text reveals about God's people, He has an eternal
purpose towards them. The second thing is, they are
called by grace according to that purpose. The calling comes
in the middle of this chain. And of course, those that the
Lord calls, He also at Calvary has put away their sin. He's
blotted out their transgressions, He's paid their debts, born in
His body their sins on the tree and therefore when the appointed
time comes they are born into this world and then born again
of the Spirit. and called by the grace of God
to hear his voice. My sheep, they hear my voice. I pass by thee when thou wast
in thy blood. When thou wast in thy blood,
I bid thee live. All of God's children are called,
and that is a holy calling. It is a heavenly calling. and
is God's calling and it is that which shall result in eternal
life it is the giving of life and may we be clear it is an
irresistible call they will answer to that call their heart will
move at his command And we are told this then about the people
of God in our text. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. The third thing is that they
are brought to love God, whom having not seen ye love. What a blessed thing. and that
then is translated into love to the brethren. We know that
we have passed from death unto life in that we love the brethren. When the Lord would assure Peter
of his love to Peter, he asked Peter, love us thou may. And John is very clear, we love
him because he first loved us. The love to God is not in us
by nature, it doesn't come by nature. We are at peace with
hell, with God at war. The whole work of redemption
is God and sinners reconciled. It is to bring men, bring fallen
men to be turned completely around. to instead of hating God and
loving sin, they're brought to hate sin, to mourn over it though
they feel to not mourn enough, but to love God. And so this
is a blessed grace the Lord gives to His dear children, if ye love
me, keep my commandments. Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are
my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. And so may we
be blessed with the love of God, shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost, To look back, to remember the time when that
was so, when it was a constraining love, a love that brought us
to walk in His ways, in His commandments, maybe many other things too in
our lives. You can say it was the love of
Christ that constrained us. so that's the third thing that's
set before us here they're brought to love God we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God to them
who are the called according to his purpose and the fourth
thing is this that all things work together for good to them
this is really the main message of of this verse all things work
together for good what shall we say about this one thing to
say is it's for an eternal good eternal good The Lord said, Fear
not them which kill the body, after that there's nothing more
they can do, but fear him of power to cast both body and soul
into hell. Our soul is worth much more than
our bodies, and the Lord's dealings with us have regard to that. And we may suffer, suffer hell,
suffer material things for the good of our souls. The last is
steeped, he on thee lies, yet softened in his blood, and those
things that we go through fall out rather to the furtherance
of the gospel and in a personal sense, a personal way as well. Instructed and taught thy teachers
shall not be removed into a corner anymore. The working together
for good. Often think of how things in
providence, we may have them happen before we hear the word
preached and then the word comes and it goes along with what has
happened in the week and it fits together. There's one author
that's ordered providence and ordered the word. sometimes the
other way around. John 6, we have the miraculous
feeding with the loaves and the fishes, 5,000. And then the day
following, we have the teaching of the manna, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the manna from heaven. And those are blessed times where
the Lord joins in providence, teaching through the word, working
together. Another question we may ask is
long-term or short-term? Sometimes we might have a very
short trial and we can see that something has worked together
for good. Some disappointment, something
that has been a change in Providence and we see within a few hours
or a few days that it has worked for good. Other times it can
be like dear joseph who has to wait 20 or so years and then
he is able to say ye meant it for evil god meant it for good
until his word came or time came the word of the lord tried him
and so The Lord warns us, judge nothing before the time. The
Lord's time is right and we're not to suddenly judge and say,
well, how can this verse be true? How can I be a child of God?
Because this hasn't worked for good. But sometimes our measure
of what is good is wrong. and sometimes it is that we just
have not got to the end of it yet dear Jacob right at the very
end when he's within as it were a very short time at the end
of 20 or so years and he's soon going to see Joseph he's saying
all these things are against me How little did he realize
there was so much for him and he was so close to actually seeing
that and you and I might be in that same situation. ready to
despair, ready to say everything's against us, and yet being so
close to the time, the Lord appears and shows us that these things
have been for good. There's a real reason why. Dear Paul, they had two shut
doors, couldn't go into Bithynia or Asia, but then come over into
Macedonia and help us. He saw the reason for the shut
doors and we can have that as well. And so those things that
work together for good is another mark of the people of God. One of those things the Lord
has joined together that is revealed in this text about the people
of God. 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 in the third place, the use
of this knowledge. How can we use this? How can we profit from the Word
here? Firstly, they are tokens of being
the Lord's people here. It is a blessed thing when the Lord
has tokens for his people, scripture tokens. Some people can use very
mistaken tokens. And of some saying, well if I'm
a child of God and it's raining outside, let the rain suddenly
stop and that's a sign that I'm a child of God. Rain might stop,
there's no sign that you're a child of God. It's not according to
scripture at all. Not according to knowledge at
all. But the words that are in our
text are scriptural, true tokens of a child of God. Those things
working for good, things outside of our control, things in the
Lord's control, things that regard our soul, things that we didn't
know but the Lord has taught us and we do know them. the love
of God that we didn't have by nature and the Lord has given
us that these things are a token show
me a token Lord for good token of thy special love the things
in this verse are a true token that which Rahab said give me
a true token to the Spice The second use is that these
are the words that faith lays hold on, especially in trials. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God. And, you know, we can easily
comfort one another and say, don't worry, don't fear, everything
will be alright. but no foundation to it. There
are many fear-nots in the Word of God, and the Lord always backs
them up with solid truth, a reason why we should not fear. And so here is that which faith
lays hold upon. Faith, it might, in the present
trial, look at this and say that we have known something of the
love of God, and we have been called. And we do know that the
Lord has had those purposes of grace and mercy toward us. We
may be able to look back to other things in our lives where there
has been a working together for good. But in the present trial,
we can't see how it does work for good. And it is a trial and
it is a burden. But this Word then is a Word
that faith will lay hold on. say my soul we know this it must
work for good i can't see how yet i can't see how it is but
it must because it has before and it's joined all together
as one package as it were in this verse and the word of god
cannot fail heaven and earth shall pass away my words shall
not pass away they must come to pass and faith will lay hold
upon it Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Why art thou disquieted
within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall
yet praise Him as the health of my countenance and my God.
Is that who can tell? Wait on the Lord. Be of good
courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart. The thing is not
finished yet. The Lord is still working out
His purposes. He is in control, and faith it
lays hold upon such a word like this. Though everything around
might be ways, billows, troubles, faith lays hold. And then there's
the last point. Here is subject for prayer and
for watchfulness. When you turn this verse into
prayer, Lord, make this that I'm going through to work for
good. Bring me to see, in Thy time,
what place it has in Thy providence, in Thy plan, and for my good,
and for Thy honour, and for Thy glory. And then there'll be the
watching. The watching, how is it working? How is it working for good? that
examination of ourselves, our own spirits, that watching of
providence, watching the Lord's hand and Lord's way, a means
that our soul might be kept lively and exercised and prayerful and
watchful. The end of Psalm 107 We read,
Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even they shall
understand the lovingkindness of the Lord. And certainly, in
a verse like this, the lovingkindness of the Lord in giving it to us
and in arranging, arranging the conduct of His grace, His providence,
His dealings with us in such a way that there are tokens for
us There are helps for us, there are things that we know, things
that the Lord has revealed, and things that shall be a comfort
right through our journey's end. and land us safe in glory, as
the beautiful golden chain does that follows on after the text,
whom he justified them he also glorified. The Lord then blessed
this word to us each this evening, 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. Amen. The Lord bless his word.