Romans 8:28 is a favorite verse for Christians everywhere. It reads, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
Many Christians thrive on this verse. When they read it they see that God is going to make everything work out just fine. God is going to use all of the bad things in our lives and turn them into good things. But we often neglect to read verse 29.
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."
When we see the words "work together for good," we imagine happiness, stability, or satisfaction. But when God says "works together for good," he's talking about making us more like Christ, conformed to his image, and glorifying his majesty. And just for the record, Jesus was not exactly living large. He was homeless, one of his closest friends betrayed him, he was ceaselessly mocked, he was tortured, and he died a completely miserable death even though he was utterly and completely innocent. I wouldn't describe his situation as good. But God was glorified, the gospel was completed, and all the world gained access to salvation- good stuff. For the New Testament martyrs, all things did not work for good by human standards. For Christians being persecuted throughout the world, things are not relatively working out for good. Followers of God everywhere are suffering amid terrible situations that seem to be relentless. But these people were and are becoming more like Christ as they glorify God, and that's good.
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