The Authority of the Word of God + “All Things”
All Things.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28
“All means all, that’s all “all” means.”
–Brother Ray Nichols
This verse and this little statement that I grew up hearing have been resurfacing in my brain pretty frequently over the last few weeks. ALL IS EVERY. That is probably not a shocker to most people, but to me and my natural mind that is mind-blowing…mind-boggling, crazy! The fact that Paul would state that EVERY LAST THING; “ALL THINGS work together for good” is an unfathomable surprise to me.
There are no exceptions to “all.” How is that possible? Personally, I think I “label” or “categorize” things: “This could be used by God.” “This could not be used by God.” I make two columns, and mentally sort out events: useful and not useful. Of course, most things go in the “useful” column, but there are the things that in my mind seem that they could never be useful. It seems impossible. But Romans 8:28 entirely deletes the “not useful” column and boldly proclaims there is only one column: “All things work together for good!” Really!? All?!!?
Yes! Every!
A prison sentence?
A cancer diagnosis?
The loss of a loved one?
Financial ruin?
Debilitating, ongoing physical pain?
A barren womb?
Personal failure?
Family Crisis?
Persecution?
A forced “early retirement?”
Battles for your mind, heart, and soul?
Divorce?
With one line, Paul says “every last thing you will ever face works together for good.” He moves every single thing to the “useful” category.
Of course, he list qualifications:
1. This is the case for those who love God.
2. This is the case for those who are called according to His purpose. So, if you don’t love God and haven’t’ responded to His call (He calls all!), I cannot promise you that all things will go in the “useful” column. But WHEN you respond to Him and answer His call to salvation and begin the journey of walking hand-in-hand with Him and loving Him, YOU ARE QUALIFIED FOR ALL! Simple qualifications: a quick disclaimer that must be noted.
Paul wrote this verse late in his life. From what I’m reading, Paul wrote these words on his 3rd missionary journey. The Apostle Paul was a man who knew both internal and external struggle. With limited time, I can’t say for certain which things he faced before writing “all things work together for good,” but from his writings, we know he was a man who suffered, who knew the gut-wrenching pain of hardship. The incredible call of God on his life and the eternal impact of his ministry did not exempt him from the things I’d categorize as “not useful:” To the church in Corinth, he states, “…our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on ever side; without were fightings, within were fears.” Repeatedly throughout his letters to churches and individuals, he shares the trials and tests that most of us would think could never be useful, but, in spite of these things he’s faced, he writes that “all things work together for good.” Really? All, Paul? (such poetry 😊 )
Yes, all!:
1. Battling beasts at Ephesus? (1 Corinthians 15:32)
2. Frequent imprisonment? (2 Corinthians 11:23)
3. Being whipped 5 times? (2 Corinthians 11:24)
4. Being beaten with rods 3 times? (2 Corinthians 11:25)
5. Being shipwrecked? Spending a night and day in the deep? (2 Corinthians 11:25)
6. Perils? In water? Of robbers? Of your own countrymen? From the heathen? In the city? In the wilderness? In the sea? Because of false brethren? (2 Corinthians 11:26)
7. Weariness and painfulness, sleepless nights? Going hungry and thirsty? Being cold and naked? (2 Corinthians 11:27)
8. Escaping with/for your life? (2 Corinthians 11:32-33)
9. Having a “thorn” in your flesh and unanswered prayer relating to it? Knowing the feeling of personal weaknesses? (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)
10. Parting ways with your long-time ministry partner Barnabas after God had used you TOGETHER so many times? (Acts 15:37-41)
11. Being forsaken by Demas? (2 Timothy 4:10)
12. Fighting your flesh? (Romans 7:14-16)
13. Being stoned and left for dead? (Acts 14:19)
14. Imprisonment? On more than one occasion? Being identified as a prisoner? “Paul, a prisoner of the Lord?” (Acts 23:18, Ephesians 3:1)
15. At times, dealing with the guilt of your past? Your persecution and torture of Christians?
16. Death threats on your life?
ALL these things work together for good? You, as an aging man can look back over these myriad life experiences and more and say they have ultimately worked together for your good? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?
1. Paul says “all things WORK TOGETHER for good,” not “all things are good.” The 2 words, “work together” are one Greek word= “synergeo” (#4903), which means “to work together, to partner...to be a fellow-worker, i.e. cooperate.” Paul is saying that all these difficulties and challenges, all these trials and hardships on their own are not good, but that when they are compounded together in the life of one who loves God, the “mixture” IS good. When devastating and seemingly debilitating events, “the un-useful things,” are mingled and merged, the final results ARE good. They work together FOR good! It is not simply the events themselves, but the other things required to make it through the events, that bring good. Dependence on God is mixed in and “works together.” Humility is mixed and “works together.” Compassion, and empathy and anointing are “squeezed out” by “all things.” More grace for the trial is mixed in and “works together.” “All things” become the ingredients in a life that leaves an impact. All things are not good, but “all things WORK TOGETHER FOR good.”
2. Paul had one goal: the spread of the Gospel. Paul saw how the things that fell under the category of “all” had advanced his primary mission. To the church at Philippi, he writes: “Now, I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened unto me has actually served to advance the Gospel.” (Philippians 1:12, NIV) NLT says “everything that has happened to me here…” Paul could look back at “all things” and state they worked together for good because he saw how they advanced the Gospel and kingdom of God. Paul had stopped living for self and was living with a purpose far greater. This was the mindset that allowed him to say “all things work together for good.” Imprisonment in a Philippian jail with his feet in the stocks? Oh, yes! It was good because it worked together with his praise, and saw a jailor and his family baptized and saved. (Acts 16:23-33) Pauls’ perspective took note that “all things” opened doors for the advancement of the Gospel. “All things work together for good!”
Now, a third thing comes to mind…
3. Paul saw “all things” working together for good, because his eyes were fixed on eternity and not on the here and now. There is a BEAUTIFUL passage in 2 Corinthians 4 where Paul conveys his mindset and eternal focus so eloquently…” But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are HARD-PRESSED on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body…. therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day: FOR OUR LIGHT AFFLICTION, WHICH IS BUT FOR A MOMENT, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen (“all things”) are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 2:4) Paul could endure and see the value of “all things” because he could, through eyes of faith that had an eternal perspective see their impact on eternity. He saw the invisible but long-lasting effects of “all things.” Paul could call shipwreck and beatings, personal struggles and weakness, rejection and imprisonment “light afflictions” because his eyes saw past the moment, past the season, into an eternal realm. He could see that “all things” were producing “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The things he was enduring were for something far greater than earthly recognition or human accolades. “All things” working together were laying up treasure where moth and rust don’t corrupt.” (Matthew 6:19-20) “All things” in Paul’s life would never see a trophy case in his office, but it would see HIS LIFE AS A TROPHY OF GRACE in eternity! “They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an ETERNAL PRIZE!” (1 Corinthians 9:25) Paul endured through physical and mental pain, emotional anguish, and devastating circumstances because his goals was not a human “atta boy,” but an enduring “well done,” from the One who was his ultimate goal. Like Moses in Hebrews 11:27, “He endured, as SEEING HIM WHO IS INVISIBLE.” “All things” worked together for good, because their effects and results produced a “far exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
One day, we too, can look back and see goodness in “all things.” Those seemingly senseless, could-never-be-useful-to-my-human-mind events and trials and seasons will one day reveal the goodness of God. Every piece and part of my life will WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD, if I place them in God’s hands and allow Him to be the Author and finisher of my faith.” (Hebrews 12:12) “All things” surrendered to His capable hands, and “all things” mixed and melded together will be both for the advance of the Gospel and the procurement of an eternal crown. (1 Corinthians 9:25, KJV) “All things” still serve the purpose of a great God!!!
Your “things?” My “things?” ALL THINGS!!! Delete the “not useful column.” God works in “all things.” “All things” means everything, because “All means all, that’s all “all” means.”
Thank you, Brother Nicholls, for this life lesson, and thank you, Brother Paul, for putting pen to paper time and again! Thank you for writing to the church what “ALL” looks like!
In closing, another famous “all” from Paul:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39
“All things…”
Final answer.
Recommended Sermon: “Why We Trust the Word” by Rev. Joseph Hanthorn http://clcwi.com/media?sapurl=Lytja2RqL21lZGlhL21pLytqZzRna3NzP2JyYW5kaW5nPXRydWUmZW1iZWQ9dHJ1ZSZyZWNlbnRSb3V0ZT1hcHAud2ViLWFwcC5saWJyYXJ5Lmxpc3QmcmVjZW50Um91dGVTbHVnPSUyQms5cThwOGs=
Recommended Study: https://bttbfiles.com/web/docs/cbe/Scientific_Evidence_for_the_Power_of_4.pdf
Authority of the Word of God lesson: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:3ffdec18-57f1-4668-a6d1-8deddd763b24