Perhaps, when you went through a tough spell, a friend or mentor reminded you that all things work together for good for those who love God. Perhaps you’ve reminded others of the same thing in their tough spells. And such comfort may be in line with what the Apostle Paul hoped to achieve in Romans 8:28. But do you understand why? Do you understand what is the “good” for which all things work together? This verse is not a promise to remove or alleviate suffering. Nor does it require us to take a noble or pious perspective about suffering, as though, if you love God, all things that happen to you must be seen as “good” things.
Because context matters. If we learn to read the Bible for what it is—and not as a collection of independently assembled proverbial sayings—we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages say something slightly different from what we’ve always assumed.
Basic Observation
Let me first address one wrongful use of Romans 8:28. I’ve sometimes heard people refer to this verse to suggest that all things are good for those who love God, as though we should be happy or pleased with the suffering we endure. As though suffering is a good thing.
But the verse doesn’t say “all things are good for those who love God.” It says, “all things work together for good for those who love God.” Simple observation should clear out our thinly veiled reincarnations of stoicism or asceticism. Your suffering is not good. It will not last forever. One day, every tear will be wiped from your eyes, if you love God and have been called according to his purpose. Your suffering is bad, a product of living in a fallen world.
But God still uses it to work together for good. But how?
Train of Thought
To understand Paul’s argument in this part of Romans 8, we need to see that he’s talking about not only suffering but also glory. Rom 8:18 tries to compare the present suffering with the coming glory—and finds such a comparison be not worth our time. Rom 8:30 ends with the sure result of God’s calling: not only justification but glorification. These two references to glory (Rom 8:18, 30) create an inclusio that marks off a unit of thought for us. Let’s trace it accordingly.
The main idea (Rom 8:18): Our present suffering is not worth comparing with the coming glory. (Note: This unit unpacks Paul’s conclusion from the previous section (Rom 8:17): that we who are children of God are also his heirs, if indeed we suffer with him in order to be glorified with him.)
Julia Manzerova (2010), Creative Commons
How does Paul prove these things aren’t worth comparing? First, he addresses the present suffering we can see.
- The creation suffers (Rom 8:19-21): It waits, it endures futility, and it’s bound to corruption.
- The creation groans (Rom 8:22): like a woman in the second stage of labor, groaning that she’s got to push this baby out!
- So also we groan (Rom 8:23a): inwardly, despite having the Spirit as the firstfruits of God’s promise
- So also we suffer (Rom 8:23b-25): We wait with patience, we anticipate final redemption, and we can’t yet see what we hope for.
Second, he addresses the hope we have for glory we can’t see.
- We do not groan alone (Rom 8:26-27): The Spirit, who knows both our desperate weakness and the will of God, takes our concerns directly to the Father on our behalf.
- We do not suffer without purpose (Rom 8:28-30): God determined before the ages began to make his people like his Son. This means they don’t only suffer with him; they’re also glorified with him.
In the rest of the chapter, Paul gives 5 questions we should ask (“What then shall we say to these things?”) to help us appropriate the unseen, coming glory in the midst of our visible, present suffering:
- If God is for us, who can be against us (Rom 8:31)?
- Won’t he also graciously give us all things with his Son (Rom 8:32)?
- Who can accuse us (Rom 8:33)?
- Who can condemn us (Rom 8:34)?
- Who can separate us from Christ’s love (Rom 8:35-39)?
Conclusion
Romans 8:28 does not say that suffering is a good thing. Nor does it promise to alleviate suffering here and now. Rather, the verse gives us a sense of purpose in our suffering: It shows us that God is making us to suffer like Jesus now so we can be glorified in resurrection like him on the last day. Jesus’ life sets a pattern for those who love him. This is God’s good purpose, which he is working out while we, along with the creation, wait patiently for the redemption of our bodies and the revealing of us as heirs of God.
Context matters.
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