Romans 8:28- God works all things for good

The problem with reading Bible verses out of the context of the passage in which they were written is that we can often misunderstand what the verse actually means. We like to read and memorize individual verses of Scripture, but sometimes this focus on an individual verse causes us to misunderstand what the biblical author, and ultimately God, said. We love to quote Romans 8:28, which says, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” We cling to this wonderful promise from God, but do we really understand what it means?

Often we understand this verse to mean that God will not continue to let bad things happen to us, that God will always deliver us from hard times, or that God will work things out for our earthly, material benefit. In other words, God will make good things happen for us in life. While we might reject a prosperity gospel, we assume that God will generally cause good things to happen to us in life if we are His children.

While I don’t mean to suggest that “good” things or worldly “success” never come to Christians, the context of Romans 8:28 paints a different picture. Paul talks about creation being under a curse, looking forward to, and even groaning for, the day of its redemption (8:20-22). We as believers long for and hope for a day in the future when we will be delivered from suffering, but we hope for this day because the day has not yet come (8:23-25). Paul goes on to promise not that we will avoid hard times, but that hardships and hunger and danger and persecution cannot separate us from God’s love (8:35). Furthermore, when these trials occur, they are not necessarily a sign of God’s absence or His punishment on us. The promise is not that we will be delivered from hard times but that we are victorious through these times because nothing exists that can separate us from God’s love (8:37-39).

Even a quick look at the context of Romans 8:28 shows that the verse is not even close to a promise of the American dream, security and prosperity in life, or freedom from danger, pain, and sadness. Instead, God promises that He will redeem the hard times of life. The seemingly senseless pain and tragedy of life do not fall outside of the scope of His plan, but quite to the contrary, God uses the brokenness of this world for His good and His glory as He redeems His creation. So may we not always and only pray to be delivered from the pain and trials of life, but let us pray that God will redeem those trials not as we will and want, but as He wills (Matthew 26:39).