PLATITUDES AND HAPPY TALK (ROM 8:28-31)

SERIES: DON’T BELIEVE IT, PART 5

GCEFC: SEPTEMBER 6, 2009

INTRODUCTION

1. I think it’s safe to say that most thinking people want to believe that life makes sense. That what happens happens for a reason. That it’s not just random.

2. So much so that when things happen that seem to defy logical explanation or lack meaningful sense, effort is made to come up with an explanation that satisfies the mind.

3. Even tragic events we can explain to some degree. 9/11, the anniversary of which is this Friday, we attribute to the diabolical, hateful, misguided evil desire of men to attack an ideology that contradicts their own.

4. It’s harder to explain why innocent adults and innocent children are the victims of such senseless violence. But misguided evil is not hard to explain or understand.

5. Disasters like floods, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, and forest fires we see as normal acts of nature in which people and property are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

6. But some things happen that we’re hard-pressed to explain.

a. Why a mother with 4 children in her car, including one of her own, would drive on the wrong side of the freeway in broad daylight, driving head-on into another vehicle, killing 8 people, including herself.

b. Or why two young boys would gun down 12 fellow students and a teacher on their own school campus in Columbine, Colorado—then take their own lives.

c. Or why a friend or family member in the prime of life and health would be diagnosed with a fatal illness.

7. Depending on one’s viewpoint, ways of dealing with the difficult to explain vary.

a. For some, no explanation is possible. They see tragedies as senseless, meaningless, random events in a meaningless and random universe.

b. For others the explanation is that certain events are an anomaly in an otherwise orderly universe.

c. Things happen that may defy explanation, but at least they aren’t the norm. Most things that happen can be adequately explained.

d. But what about those of us who claim to be Christians, followers of Jesus Christ? How do we explain the seemingly inexplicable?

e. I want to focus our attention this morning on a particular verse of the Bible that has come to be used in a way that I don’t think helps us in our explaining.

f. A verse that is not only applied incorrectly to life’s difficult moments. But it’s applied to the wrong people.

8. The verse is ROM 8:28. I’d like to spend a few minutes looking at this verse, understanding what it teaches, and seeing how we apply it to the events of life—especially those events that are hard to explain.

A. WHAT THE VERSE DOES NOT TEACH

1. Let me read the verse again so we have a good foundation from which to proceed.

2. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

3. The problem has its roots in the 400 year old translation of this verse in the King James Bible. There V28 reads: 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.

4. One translation says that all things work together for good. The other translation says in all things God works for the good.

5. Actually, both translations mean the same thing. But the slight difference in wording has led to the belief that the Bible teaches that all things work for good.

6. That there’s some intrinsic power in the things of life that works toward a good outcome. That no matter what the event or circumstance, things work to bring about a good result.

7. In a word, it’s claimed that the verse teaches that everything happens for a reason. That there’s no event, no matter how tragic, that doesn’t result in some good thing.

8. And that even the most unfortunate event or circumstance will somehow work good through it. So you will find good meaning people saying things like:

a. I wonder what good thing is going to happen as a result of this tragedy? Because, as the Bible says—all things work together for good.

b. Or: Yes, I know you’ve been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But all things work together for good—so something good is going to come from this.

c. Or, on a more local level: Yes, it’s a horrible thing that 4 adults and 4 children died on the highway when a woman drove on the wrong side of the road—but all things work together for good—so we’ll wait to see what good thing comes from this.

d. After every big tragedy, or whenever something awful happens on a personal level, rest assured there will be somebody standing by to say that something good will come from it. They mean well—they’re just misguided.

B. WHAT THE VERSE DOES TEACH

1. Any honest observer must admit that there are things that happen in life that are just plain awful. Sometimes horrific, painful, agonizing, destructive things.

2. How else could you see the deaths of 8 people riding down the highway on a beautiful sunny morning?

3. We might as well admit that sometimes bad things happen to good people for no good reason. That sometimes only more evil comes out of something already bad.

4. Platitudes and happy talk don’t help. It just discourages, disillusions, and makes people wonder if your brain is running on all cylinders.

5. We don’t even see this in the Bible itself. With a few glaring recorded exceptions like Joseph, Esther, Job, and Daniel, who were all integral parts of God’s sovereign plan—the Bible is not a record of people living happily ever after.

6. I know you’re familiar with Hebrews 11. After describing a few people who were exemplary models of faith, verse 39 ends the chapter with: These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.

7. These people went to their graves never seeing what they hoped for ever come to pass. No ROM 8:28 for them! So what does ROM 8:28 teach? What promise does it make?

8. The promise of ROM 8:28 is that God’s ultimate purpose for his redeemed children will not be thwarted or defeated by any earthly circumstance whatsoever.

9. Verse 29 goes on to say that what God started, God will complete. Those God foreknew he predestined to be conformed to the likeness of Christ.

10. Those he predestined he called. Those he called he justified. Those he justified he glorified. It’s as good as done. It’s certain. It’s reliable. You can count on it. You can take it to the bank. It’s guaranteed. It’s a promise.

11. It does not mean there’s some intrinsic power in the things of this world to positively affect the circumstances into something good.

12. The point of Romans 8:28 is that in all things, good and bad, expected and unexpected, joyful or tragic—no matter what happens—God in his sovereignty will accomplish his ultimate purpose in his redeemed people.

13. And what is God’s ultimate purpose for his redeemed people? It’s ROM 8:29. That they would be conformed to the likeness of his Son.

14. To understand the meaning of ROM 8:28, we must consider the entire context of verse 28 to the end of the chapter.

15. It’s summarized well starting in verse 35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

16. ROM 8:28 is promising that in all things, ….good/bad, happy/sad, predicted/unexpected, whatever happens, the true believer’s future is safe and secure. In all things, God is working to bring to fruition his plan and purpose for each of his redeemed children.

17. This has to be one of the most encouraging promises in all of the Bible. Not because it guarantees that life on earth will always be hunky dory.

18. But because it guarantees that there will be pie in the sky by and by when we die for you and I. This is not happy talk. It’s truth as revealed in God’s Word.

19. God does not orchestrate tragic events in order to bring good things out of the events he caused. God uses unfortunate events and circumstances to work out his good purpose in the lives of his children.

C. WHO CAN CLAIM THE PROMISE?

1. But to whom is the promise given? We’re told in the same verse 28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

2. So there are 2 qualifications. The person for whom God works for the good must be one who loves God. And he must be one who is called according to God’s purpose.

3. So who are these people? Well, we could spend all day talking about what it means to love God and be called according to his purpose.

4. But let me try to condense it.

a. A person who loves God is one who has responded to God. One who knows God for who he is.

b. Not just one who loves God for the benefits God provides. But one who magnifies and worships and loves God for who he is—apart from benefits received.

c. And the promise is to the person who’s been called according to the purpose of God. And what’s that purpose again? To be conformed to the likeness of God’s Son.

d. These people are known as “the called.” To be called is more than to be invited. For example, suppose I asked 10 of you to come to my house to help me rake leaves.

e. But only 2 of you respond. Only 2 of you would be “the called.” Though 10 were invited, only two became “called.” The called are those who respond to the call.

f. Those who are “the called according to God’s purpose” are those who have responded to his call.

g. So essentially we’re talking about a person who’s been redeemed. One who’s been saved. A believer in Christ. A follower of Christ.

5. For such a person, there is the promise in the Word of God that no matter what happens in this life, their ultimate destiny is secure because God has secured it.

6. ROM 8:28 is not a promise for a wonderful life on earth. It’s a promise for a wonderful future in God’s sovereign plan.

a. You know what the Bible calls true believers? Pilgrims. Aliens. Foreigners. People who are simply passing through on their way to eternity.

b. Paul says in I COR 15 that if our hope is limited to this life, then we should be pitied.

c. Now if we are blessed in this life—and the blessings of this life can be magnificent and wonderful—then all the better.

d. But ROM 8:28 is not a promise for this life. It’s a promise for the next life. A promise that nothing in this life can take away what God has planned for his own.

7. Do keep in mind that both the KJV and NIV translations of ROM 8:28 mean the same thing. Whether the subject is all things working for good or the subject is God working in all things, the meaning is the same.

8. God must work in the things. Both verses teach that it’s God who is sovereign over the things. But with “things” as the subject of the action, it has caused a lot of confusion.

9. So if the promise of ROM 8:28 is for God’s redeemed children, then what about the people who are not?

10. They cannot claim this promise. It is not for them nor can they rightfully claim it.

11. We should never tell another person that something good is going to come from a bad thing in a temporal sense.

12. First of all, we have no authority to say it because we cannot predict the future. We have no certainty of how something is going to turn out.

13. We may hope, we may pray, we may have great faith. But these are not a guarantee of a future we prefer. God is sovereign…we are not.

14. And…when we speak such platitudes and happy talk, we may disillusion the person about God if things don’t turn out as we assured them they would.

15. And…what if things actually get worse? Then we’re left with a more difficult explanation, or a possible contradiction in God’s Word—or both.

16. Only true believers have the assurance of God for an ultimate future. NO ONE—believer nor unbeliever has the assurance of God for our temporal future. It’s just not in our hands to know or control. Again, God is sovereign, we are not.

17. The promise of an ultimate future can be anyone’s to claim. But only after they submit to God’s purpose. Only those who love God and are called according to God’s purpose can claim the promise.

18. If you want to minister to someone in pain, you don’t make wishful promises to them. The Apostle Paul’s counsel in the 12^th chapter is simply: Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

19. In other words—empathy. We don’t issue platitudes or make happy talk to people who are in pain. We empathize with them in their pain.

20. The friends of Job ministered to him not when they gave him their evaluation and spiritual platitudes. It was when they sat with him and wept with him.

21. Our own response in the midst of our own pain and our own suffering should be to claim the promise of God that no matter what happens, his sovereign purpose for us will prevail. This will provide hope.

22. And we should make sure we obey what God has clearly revealed. In the midst of the inexplicable and unpredictable, the correct response is always obedience.

23. Sometimes we will see the fruit of our obedience in this life. Sometimes it will take longer.

24. Let’s not use ROM 8:28 to claim what it does not promise. Let’s claim what it does promise. And leave the sovereignty of God where it belongs—with God.