- Romans 8:28 ¶ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
I’ve just finished reading Thomas Watson’s classic, All Things for Good, which is an exposition of Romans 8:28. It’s difficult to review books by the Puritans (they did, after all, write entire books based on one verse of Scripture). It’s easier to quote them.
This is my second time reading the book. The first time was several years ago. I remember vividly the first time I read the book being struck by Watson’s first point – the best things work for good to the godly. In my experience, as Christians cite Romans 8:28, we always tend to focus on how God works the bad things for good. This focus is understandable. This is one of our great assurances in the Christian life. Joseph’s slavery and imprisonment leads to the salvation of his family. Christ’s cross leads to the salvation of his people. Our suffering leads to glory. His strength is made perfect in weakness. Amen.
Yet, if we focus solely on the negative side of the verse, the bad things, we might forget the point – that God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. All things, of course, includes the good along with the bad.
It is easy, I think, in focusing on the bad things, to imply, albeit unintentionally, that the good things don’t really matter. We, perhaps, tend to think that we can’t spiritually flourish during the good times – it’s really only the bad things that will work for our good ultimately. But this, of course, is not true. There is a time for fasting, but also a time for feasting (more on this to come in a future post). We tend to think that God only moves in the fast – but the truth is he also moves in the feast.
Watson puts his finger on this – if he works the bad things for good, how much more will he work the good things for good?:
If the cross has so much good in it, what has the crown? If such precious clusters grow in Golgotha, how delicious is the fruit which grows in Canaan? If there be any sweetness in the waters of Marah, what is there in the wine of Paradise? If God’s rod has honey at the end of it, what has His golden sceptre? If the bread of affliction tastes so savoury, what is manna? what is the heavenly ambrosia? If God’s blow and stroke work for good, what shall the smiles of His face do? If temptations and sufferings have matter of joy in them, what shall glory have? If there be so much good out of evil, what then is that good where there shall be no evil? If God’s chastening mercies are so great, what will his crowning mercies be? Wherefore comfort one another with these words (p. 63).
That’s good news. He works all things for good to those who love him. The bad is for good and the good is for good. Why then is your soul cast down?
