When do "all things work for good" ?

 BY Argie Simonis

"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." Rom. 8:28 

This is one of the most abused verses in the Bible. Many people have quoted this to say that whatever happens to us works out for our good. Let's take a closer look.

First of all, this verse begins with the conjunction “And.”  This means everything that is being said here is dependent on the previous verses:

"Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Rom. 8:26-27 

If we are not letting the Holy Spirit help us with intercession, then all things do not work together for good.

Another very important thing that this verse DOES NOT say is that everything comes from God. What it simply means is that when we pray in the Spirit and allow the Spirit of God to intercede for us with "groanings which cannot be uttered" then whatever the devil throws into our lives, the Lord will make it work for good.

If we interprete this verse that everything that comes our way is from God, then we become passive  and embrace problems which the Lord explicitly commands us to resist:

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7 

And this is also very importand:

All things work together for good to them that love God. Don't forget that not everybody loves God. And it only works for those who are the called according to His purpose:

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1John 3:8

Those who are not resisting the problem but submit to their problems are not operating in the same calling that Jesus did.

So, whatever comes our way works for our good, only if:

- we cooperate with the Holy Spirit,

- we love God and

- we resist the devil and we are out to destroy the works of the devil.

Amen!