Sermon Tone Analysis

Confidence in the Midst of Suffering

Romans 8:28

Introduction:

Romans 8:17-39 comprises a most blessed portion of Scripture for although it is a passage on suffering, it emphasizes that suffering leads to glorification.

This passage focuses on the path from suffering to glorification.

It also shows that even though we will suffer as we are continually sanctified, we can persevere through this suffering.

There are four reasons given in verses 24-39 that show us how we can persevere through suffering.

In verses 24-25 the reason for perseverance is the hope of the future realization of our present salvation which culminates in the redemption of our bodies.

Verses 26-27 show that we can persevere through suffering because of the help that the Spirit gives us in regards to our weakness in prayer.

The third reason is found in verse 28 and is the confidence that we can have that God will work all things together for good.

The fourth and final reason for perseverance through suffering on the road to glorification is found in verses 31-39 and is the fact that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

The third of these reasons is where I would like to direct your focus this afternoon.

Let me begin through the story of a wealthy young family who lived in the 1870’s.

The family consisted of a wealthy business man, his wife and there five children.

The family was prosperous, and in fact they owned much real estate along the shores of Lake Michigan.

They seemed to be living the perfect life, when disaster started to strike.

In 1870 the youngest of the children and the only son, came ill with scarlet fever and died at the young age of four.

Several months later, every real estate holding that they owned was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

After these events they decided that a vacation was necessary and so the family decided to go to England for rest, and also the opportunity to help D.L. Moody who was a close family friend.

The family headed for New York where they were scheduled to set sail for England.

At the last minute a last minute business development arose, and the father was unable to leave at that time.

He encouraged the rest of his family to continue on, and he would follow them a few days later.

His family set sail on the ship ‘Ville de Havre’ and several days after setting sail the ship was struck by another and sank in only 12 minutes.

The business man received a telegram several days later form his wife which read ‘saved alone’ Upon hearing this news Horatio Spafford set sail to join his bereaved wife.

Several days after setting sail the captain of the ship came to Horatio and told them that they were over the very spot where his four young daughters had drowned.

Horatio returned to his cabin and penned these words:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul

It is well, with my soul

It is well, it is well, with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul

It is well, with my soul

It is well, with my soul

It is well, it is well, with my soul

My sin, Oh, the bliss of this glorious thought

My sin, not in part, but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh my soul.

It is well, with my soul

It is well, with my soul

It is well, it is well, with my soul

And Lord haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul

It is well, with my soul

It is well, it is well, with my soul

What made it possible for a man who had suffered such grief to pen such words?

Maybe you are here today, and you are suffering in such a way that you cannot imagine why God would allow this event to be taking place in your life, or you see no way that good could come from it.

Let me assure you with this verse.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose.

This verse shows that God is accomplishing His will in and through us for our own benefit and blessing, regardless of whether or not we can see the benefit or blessing we can have confidence that it is so.

James M Boice asks the following: “When times are good—when we have steady jobs, when our families are doing well, when no loved one is sick, and there have been no recent deaths—in times like these, well, it is easy to say, “we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who love him.”

But what about the other times?”

In this passage we see two areas in which the work of God brings us the confidence we need to persevere even through the hardest of times.

Confidence in Knowing that God is sovereign over all things

“The doctrine of God’s sovereignty is often abused, misunderstood, and misapplied.

Many Christians decide it is too deep, too confusing, too hard to understand, or too offensive.

But we should not run from it; we should run to it.

We should not be afraid of it; we should rejoice in it.

This doctrine crushes human pride, exalts God, and strengthens the believer’s faith.

What could be more encouraging than to know that God is sovereignly in control of all His creation?

The universe is not subject to chance.

There is no possibility that God’s plans will fail.

“We know that God causes all things to work together for good … to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom.

8:28).

That’s the best-known and best-loved promise in all of Scripture, and it hinges on the doctrine of God’s sovereignty.”1

With this statement often comes the question or accusation.”Why

then does God allow bad things to happen to good people” This question in short is answered by these verses here in Romans 8.

He allows and even decrees things to happen because He uses them for the good of his children in order to conform them to the image of His Son and to bring glory to His Son (Romans 8:29-30).

I we follow the context of the passage going all the way back to verses 16,17 we could also say that He uses these things to sanctify His children (conform to the image of His Son).

We would be remiss if at this point we did not discuss a poignant example in Scripture.

This truth is no better answered than by Genesis 50:2 where Joseph told his brothers “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant if for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

In this case we actually see the result of God’s allowing evil and using it for good.

Not always will we be able to see the result in this manner, but always God will use such circumstances to bring about his sovereign will.

Ephesians 1:11-12 is tied in with these verses very closely, and states “Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His Glory.”

All things are worked to the counsel of His will, this gives us confidence to know that whatever the circumstances, God is sovereignly in control over them, and even though we do not always see why He allows things to take place, we can rest knowing without a doubt that all events are in accordance with His will.

Not only do we have confidence in the fact that God is sovereign over all things, we take that a step farther and realize that His sovereign will actively brings about good in the life of His children even through suffering.

Confidence in knowing God works all things together for good in the lives of His children.

Verse 28 tells us that God works all things together for good.

The context is suffering, so we would have to say that God even uses suffering to work good.

There are some boundaries here though that we must establish.

These boundaries are taken from James M. Boices commentary on Romans 8:28, and shed great insight into what is in mind in this passage.

There are four boundaries that we will look at, and then take a look at one aspect of this passage in which there are no boundaries.

Areas in which there are boundaries

“For Christians Only”

The first and most important qualification in this passage is that the recipients of this goodness are believers.

The passage qualifies this by two statements in apposition to each other.

The first qualifier, is emphatic in its position and states “to those who love God” This promise therefore is only to those who love God.

This phrase could very easily be misconstrued.

For who really loves God as they should.

None of us fulfills the command to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and might.”

So where does this leave us?

In order to answer this we must turn to several other passages.