Working all things for good

While I would love to write an article explaining in detail how all of this chaos is going to work out, let me instead share an anchor of hope from Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

It does not say that God “might” work things out for good, or that we “hope” things turn out okay. It says we “know” this to be true! There is no shadow of doubt about it. Just as surely as I know that 100 follows 99 and spring follows winter, I know that God will work good out of this pandemic.

Now, let me clarify that this promise pertains to those who love God and are called according to His purpose, because it’s not given to those who reject Him.

Do you love God? Now would be a pretty good time to get on board, I would say! With tomorrow so uncertain, don’t you think now would be the right time to take spiritual inventory? Perhaps this mess serves as your spiritual wake-up call. Let me urge you to answer!

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

In other words, God took the initiative to send Jesus on a rescue mission to save us from our sins. He did it because He loves each and every single person on the face of this planet with such a deep love that He does not want us to perish, but to repent and believe the good news of Christ. Jesus died in our place on the cross to take away our sins, that we might be forgiven and made right with God and have the promise of eternal life.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

So maybe part of the good that God’s working out means your salvation!

And maybe part of the good also means the sanctification of God’s people. If this virus leads us to abandon foolish ways and lean upon the Lord more in faith, if it causes us to renounce ungodliness and embrace holiness, if it means that we indulge selfish appetites less and love our neighbor more, then God’s working out a good purpose through it all.

Ultimately God not only wants us to come to Him through Jesus for salvation, but to conform us to the very image of Jesus, that we might reflect the light of Jesus into the world for the glory of God.

So if we know this whole thing works out for our good and for God’s glory, then let’s anchor our hope to this truth and walk in faith, loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.