I have talked to many members who stand in the need of assurance. They are going through a lot of things, so I tried to tell them that regardless of the things they are going through, the bible assures us that “All things work together for good for them that love the Lord.”
But they still have an unanswered question, namely, why am I going through these difficult times? What have I done? Why is all of this happening to me? So I thought to write this article to explain in simplicity the meaning of Romans 8:28.
In this verse we have words that tell us not to worry. But this verse (Rom. 8:28) does not tell us why we are going through what we are going through. And after reading this verse their questions continue to sound something like this, “Why do we as the children of God suffer like we suffer? I mean, if God is our God, and we are his children, why is God not treating us like his children?” Oh! But He is, and I will try to explain to you why you are going through what you are going through.
Now the first thing to understand is that verse 28 is a verse of assurance, but it is not the reason why you need assurance. To understand what Paul says in verse 28 one must go back and read verses 18-27. And once you have studied all of these vss then you will come to understand your suffering and to accept it as well.
First understand that whatever you are going through you cannot blame God. God is not picking on you. You are not the only one suffering. All of us are suffering, but your suffering is suited to you and mine is suited to me
So my suffering, my distress speaks only to me. And yours speaks only to you. I will not understand yours and you will not understand mine, but God is watching over all of us. And yet all of us are acquainted with some type of suffering.
SO WHY DO WE SUFFER? Because suffering is a part of this present age. To the Jewish world in Paul’s day, time was divided into two sections, this present age and the age to come. This present age was and still is wholly bad, subject to sin, and death and decay. That’s why Paul said, “I reckon that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (8:18-19)
Then he explains why we suffer!
“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope.”
All of that means, this suffering was not by our will but God’s will. It was not our choice, but rather the choice of God. This choice became the purpose of God. But God’s choice was a re-action to man’s action. Because man did what he did, God had to choose what was best for man, and God thought a little suffering would be good for man.
With a touch of imaginative insight Paul shows that not only does all of man suffer but all of nature suffers with man. It is apart of God’s system of things. But nature is a little worse off then man’s suffering. Man had deliberately sinned, but it was involuntarily that nature was subjected. Unwittingly she was involved in the consequences of the sin of man.
To be continued . . .
By God’s Grace
Dr. SNT
Comments