Title: The Golden Chain of Salvation, Part I
I was commenting to Pastor Ron Cooper on the day I began working on this sermon that I was very excited to be delivering this text. He said that from the inception of this church Biblical Accuracy is something that has been stressed, and therefore, this text, while troubling to so many who call themselves believers, should not be a troubling text for us as all.
We learn a lot about the process and plan of salvation in these three verses from Paul. I want to talk with you logically today. I want to draw logical conclusions, to build to logical truths and to impact the very core of what you believe and may not believe about the salvation given to us and the character of the God that grants it. So join with me this morning, as we’d ask God to speak to us this morning.
All things have purpose.
V28 “…all things work together for good to those who love God…”
This can be both a comforting and challenging Biblical Truth. It is a comfort in those moments when we do not understand how or why certain things happen how and why they do. When we see the birth of a new child, it is easy to see that event “working for good.” But when we see the death of an infant do we see that as “working for good?”
What good can be found in the death of an infant? I’d argue the same good that can be found in that child’s birth: the glory of God.
The challenging part of this text is who the good is aimed at. The good is not intended for everyone, but rather for “those who love God.” Let us think logically then. If all things, both good and bad, work together for for good, to those who love God, what about the people who don’t love God? Do these same events, both joyous and tragic, not work for them either.
Answer: NO, they don’t. The world and the reflected Glory of God were never intended for those who do not love God, but for those that would give the glory rightly back to God.
Now, does common grace exist for those who hate God? Yes. Every day many of these people are allowed to wake, breathe, eat, fall in love, live their lives, and die, all under the same grace that you and I are accustomed to.
The difference in their lives and ours is two fold:
One: they cannot, at any time, please God by choosing not to sin. Believers have the ability to know sin, to avoid it, and therefore honor God in their discipline. Believers can also honor God in their recognition of God’s creation. For the non believer the earth doesn’t reflect God’s glory, not matter how obvious that glory is the non believer will call it something else. Paul tells us this in Romans 1:18 when he says they have suppressed God’s glory in their wickedness.
Two: At Judgement, their fate is not ours. The sinner receives justice. The saved sinner receives mercy.
Furthermore, this idea that all things have purpose and the purpose is God and his people, is not an idea new to Scripture. In fact, one of my favorite sections of scripture, the entire third chapter of Ecclesiastes, is devoted to exactly this idea.
One of the myths I hope to debunk this morning is the very basic and very wrong idea that being a Christian means being blessed. The most awesome Christians, both from the Bible and from history have had the some of the most harsh conditions in which to operate. Think of the oppression of Paul, of Christ himself, of the early Church believers. And also think of Job. A man who God allowed to fall into horrible persecution under the directive of Satan and when Job’s wife, who obviously loved him and just wanted to see his suffering end said to him, “Job, just curse God and die!” He rebuked her and said, in arguably the most powerful words a man has ever spoken, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks! Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept his adversity.”
We live in a stupid world with stupid people who think that all that comes from God is blessing and anything that is bad must be from the devil. What foolishness. When Paul tells us here that all things work for the good to those who love God we must understand what the good is that he is talking about. Job knew it, even when his wife did not. Daniel knew it, when his very life was at stake, Christ knew it when Pilate said, “Don’t you realize I have the power to kill you” and he responded by saying, “You have no power, except that which my father has given you.”
And what is this “it”? That the glory of God is the greatest thing the world will ever know. And if it is revealed in our joy, we praise God. And if it is revealed in our tears, we praise God. And if it is revealed in the our wailing, we praise God. If it is revealed in 911, we praise God. If it is revealed in the Tsunamis, we praise God.
Paul sets up his audience for what he is about to tell them by prefacing his statement with this essential idea: Both good and bad befall all people. The purpose of this is that God’s glory might be revealed.
Now why would Paul tell us that?
Because Paul’s about to tell us who really does love God.
And were not going to like it.
If you are interesting in knowing who really loves God, we talk about it next week.
Let’s pray.