God's Good Plan

I get interred to Romans chapter 8 Romans chapter 8 In Preparation for this evening. I was considering what to preach and as we approach Christmas and the end of the year It's rolled around the thought of the Christmas message something about the birth of Christ but then I also thought about it being the end of the year and Often people at the end of a year what they do is they reflect They reflect on what has taken place Over the year leading up to this point, but then what they also do with with one eye behind them They're looking back and then with the other eye They are looking forward Wondering what is going to happen in the next year and as I thought of people in this very congregation I know there has been much Rejoicing over what the Lord has done in people's lives over the last year Yet at the same time there has been much weeping we have welcomed people Into the faith here at Grace Bible Church. We've witnessed many Baptisms yet. We have also Watched many people walk away We have welcomed many babies many many babies Into the church family here at Grace Bible Church Yet at the same time we've wept sorrowfully over those whom we've lost we've rejoiced as New members have come here and the church has expanded Yet we've wept as dear friends have let We've rejoiced many of you have over new Relationships in your life. It's like at this moment for this year. You've been soaring and Then there are others who are single that look back over this last year and they see it as another year in the books in Which God has not brought them that someone Some have experienced the healthiest years year of their life physically While others have been through much physical affliction some of you have been on the mountaintop of God's kindness to you and Others feel like you have been wandering in the wilderness This past year and so whichever group you find yourself in today The message is the same for you that God has a plan that his plan is Good and that if you are in Christ You can know that God is working all things for your good And so the passage that we will be looking at together is Romans chapter 8 verses 28 through 30 now I know that as soon as I said that some of your intellectual ears perked up and many of you are hoping that I will give you a lecture on predestination or we will meticulously look at the word for knowledge or we'll spend the next hour well not hour because someone already told me before this hey There's food waiting. So however long you give me You you may be hoping that I'll spend that going through the order of salvation And we'll we'll all leave away from here with with a head full of knowledge and that is not the goal of this message The point of this message is so that we would go to the loftiest promise here in Scripture at the end of a year going into a new year and find rest for our souls knowing that what God has done in 2023 and what he will do in 2024 if you are in Christ is for your good read with me in verse 28 and we know That for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose For those whom he for knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and those whom he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified he also glorified I have three points that I want us to look at here this evening The first is this you can know that all that happened in 2023 and all that happened will happen in 2024 is for your good because God is orchestrating the pieces of his plan for your life Because God is orchestrating the pieces of his plan for your life Verse 28 says we know that God is that we know that for those who love God all things work together for their good meaning this that those pieces that he's orchestrating that is the all things of your life and it's not as if Everything in your life just mysteriously and magically works together It's this that God is behind all of those things He is the one who is making those things work together To orchestrate something is this it's to arrange it It's to plan it It's to put it together and so as you look back over this year and you see all the little details and the pieces of Your life know that God was behind every piece of it orchestrating them and not just orchestrating them but orchestrating them for your good if you are in fact in Christ now this promise is huge and the scope of it is limited the scope of it is wide it goes for both good things and bad things now I Probably don't have to do much much convincing in the way of good things We all pretty well get that if you look at verse 1 in this text It says for the believer for those who are in Christ. There is no condemnation for them and We would all say hallelujah. Amen that works together for my good That is that is a good thing or in verse 2 that the spirit of life has set you free From the law of sin and death praise God that is working for our good or verse 3 that the God sent his son That he he did what the law could not do for us We know that that is for our good and on and on in this passage. We've been in dwelt with the Holy Spirit We are children of God. We have the spirit inside of us whereby we cry Abba father all of these things work for our good and most of you would never argue that point But now we get to verse 17 of this text and it says this and if children then heirs heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ Here we go curveball provided we suffer with him in Order that we may also Be glorified with them He throws a stipulation here. You want all things to work for your good?

Romans 8 · chapter mention Romans 8 · chapter mention Romans 8:28–30

You have to understand this that suffering comes before glory So it's not merely the good things that are working for your good in your life It's also the difficult things It's even those pieces from this last year that don't quite make sense to you It's those pieces even that you wish weren't there in your life that God is taking those and Using them for your good. Now if you look at verse 26 He says this he says likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness For we do not know what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words if If you're anything like me If you want to see your weakness go to the prayer closet I will be fired up to go in there and I'm gonna spend an hour in prayer and Within two minutes my mind's in five other places But if you read this text even in your weak prayers That God is working all things for your good because the Spirit is interceding for you According to the will of God and so what the Spirit prays God Answers and so he uses the bad things. He uses the good things. He uses our weaknesses He uses it all for our good. We don't even know what to pray for But we do know this we do know that all things work together for our good What this means is this that your best day in?

2023 and your worst day in 2023 if you are in Christ they are working together For your good now, this doesn't mean that the things themselves are actually good Sin is not good Death is not good Affliction is not good. We don't we don't see these things as being good But God doesn't see sin as being good But what he does is he works them together For our good in his infinite wisdom. He brings about his ultimate Purpose from these things I picture it like this I've got two boys Malachi and Isaac if I give Isaac or his mom gives him some like medicine some cough syrup or something or she makes up some Potion and gives it to him. He's sick or Malachi now Isaac will take it He don't have any problem with it. But with Malachi if you give him the same thing It's a fight as it is a knockdown drag out to get him to take it. Why?

Well, I think of a couple reasons why one it could be a little bit bitter He doesn't like the taste of the medicine and two he just doesn't want to do it is that I don't like it. I don't like it and So it is in the sufferings of this life that that they're bitter going down They don't taste good and we don't like them yet Just as me as his father knows what's best for him I know that on the other side of that bitter taste that there awaits Something good for him and so too it is with the sufferings of this Present time now not only does this promise include the scope of bad things good things our Weaknesses our failures, but it has a time element to that God Has if you're in Christ has always been working things out For a specific purpose. This means in your past all Those details that led you to Christ Like you think back on your conversion think that this person was there and they introduced me to this person and and The psalmist said it this way before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word could be could be said this way I went astray you afflicted me and now I keep your word and a few verses later He says it this way. It is good For me that I was afflicted and so the Lord does that in In the past he's doing that for you in The present verse 18 says that the sufferings of this present time are Not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us if he's done it in the past If he's currently doing it in the present He most certainly will also do it in the future now This promise at this point. I hope you see that it's wide sweeping But now I actually want to narrow this promise he says for those who love God and So there is a qualifier This promise is not for everyone Although the unbeliever wants to hijack this promise They want to take it and something bad happens in their life and that first thing will they want to say is oh It's going to turn out for good Everything's going to end up and be okay But this promise is Only for the believer the unbeliever verse 7 says they're actually hostile to God they don't even submit to God's law because they Cannot and so to take this promise as if all things will work for their good is Totally mistaken and so my question to you this evening is this do you love God?

Do you want to know that all things work together for your good ask yourself? Do I?

Love God and if you would answer that in the affirmative before you get prideful Before you say well, yes, I love God So that that means that all things will certainly work for my good because of my deep affection and love for God Paul throws another qualifier in He says all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his Purpose and so he switches here. He's like, okay, you love God. Well, here's why you love God You love God because he called you according to his purpose. We love him because he first loved us This is this is that call that comes to your life that cannot be resisted where Paul says in chapter 1 I was called to be an apostle and Paul wasn't looking for this in his life but God reached down and Took him over subdued him in first Corinthians chapter 1 he says this we preach Christ crucified a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles but to the called Christ is the power and wisdom of God. So the picture is this you've got two groups of people Jew and Gentile and One thinks that the message of the cross is it's just it's a stumbling block for them And the other is just like that's foolish as complete foolish But then out of both of those groups God has one group Called and those are the ones who actually love God when God calls you you then Love him and are you not amazed at your calling?

1 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

Are you not amazed that the Lord called you are you not amazed that you do love God?

That you don't love those things that you once loved But instead your affection and love is for him We should be floored that he called us And so as you consider your own life this evening know that God is orchestrating all of the pieces of His plan for your life in such a way that it is for your good Now many of you have been sinned against in this past year And I know it hurts and I know that it's not what you wish for your life But can you say with?

Joseph what man meant for evil?

God meant for good and I know others have made many personal Mistakes in your own lives this past year that you you regret and you wish you had not done These things are they driving you to your knees?

in prayer are those weaknesses of yours driving you to bow before the Lord and independence upon him Whichever camp you find yourself in this evening Know that he is in fact working all things together for your good people of grace Bible Church who love God He is working all things for your good the called-out ones the saints of grace Bible Church He is truly orchestrating the pieces in such a way that it is for your good now God is not only orchestrating the pieces now this promise really would be empty if there wasn't a purpose behind it But the next verse we're actually going to see the purpose for God's plan and so number two God has a purpose for his good plan verse 29 For those who before knew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers So we got to ask what is the purpose for which all of these pieces are working toward it is this Conformity to the image of Christ now he says that that we're going to be actually conformed to the image of his son and So when you see that this should take you all the way back to Genesis that man was made in the image of God morally Spiritually, we've got the divine stamp upon us Yet Adam falls into sin and that image is marred that image is Damaged that that image is it's messed up now Yet, it's not completely gone It's still there and and so where the first Adam damaged the image the last Adam Jesus Christ comes and and and he is the Perfection of that image. He is the image of the invisible God He said himself if you've seen me You've seen the father and so he comes to rescue his people and Restore and renew within them his very own image now consider with me for a moment the perfection of Christ Those perfect hands of his Were never stained with the sins of this world those Beautiful feet of his were never swift to shed blood His tongue Never cursed at those who are made in the image of God or spewed out gossip or spewed out slander Against those who are made in the image of God his mind It never wondered to those unholy heights that ours do his motives were always perfectly pure His heart never hated his brother or his sister His love for others was patient. It was kind. It was never boastful or proud or rude or arrogant This is our perfect Lord Would you see the beauty of Christ and then would you consider this?

That the goal that the purpose of the pieces of the plan of God is working toward your conformity to that very image to the to the image of Christ to the very one who is perfect to our Lord That is the purpose of the plan of God Paul said it this way in Colossians 3 that We're putting off the old self and putting on the new Which is being renewed after the image of its creator or he says another way in 2nd Corinthians 3 that we behold the glory of the Lord and we all are being transferred from one degree of Glory to another and so there is this progressive change that is taking place in the life of the believer and the result of that is conformity to the image of Christ and so What is getting you there though? It's the pieces. It's the details It's the all things from verse 28 that God is using those things as an instrument To bring about your conformity to the image of his son Now Job said at the end of his life after everything had happened. He said I know this Lord No purpose of yours can be stopped No purpose of yours can be thwarted and so if the purpose of God for your life is Conformity to his son, you can know this that it won't be stopped that you will in fact be conformed to the image of his son and and Unless you again think that it's about you. Let me go ahead and take the purpose one step further So that was one purpose we could say there's a dual purpose This is the smaller purpose for you to be conformed to Christ, but the bigger purpose is this back to verse 29 Those who before knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in Order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers This is the ultimate purpose of The plan of God it's this it's that Christ would be supreme That Christ would be the preeminent one that Christ would get the glory the title their firstborn is is that that he is supreme over everyone else and He's the firstborn the firstborn is the heir the heir of all things But the great thing is back in verse 17. He says we're we're also heirs with him So the firstborn has an inheritance and and the younger brothers have an inheritance With him and so the plan of God is this that he has Predestined a group of people to be conformed to the image of Christ for the glory of Christ So that Christ would be honored among all people This group of people it's that very same group that that God told Abraham there'll be as many as the stars in the sky as many younger brothers as the stars in the sky as many younger brothers as the sands of The sea this is that multitude that's too great for any man to number It's it's the ones that are going to be around the throne Singing praises to the elder brother who's right in the middle of all the younger brothers while they bow and worship him Just as Joseph's brothers bowed and worship or bowed at his feet So too you will bow at the elder brother's feet now What does this mean for your life today? It's this The purpose of God for your life is conformity to Christ for the glory of Christ Are you living for that very same purpose?

Are you living your life in such a way?

That that conformity to Christ is the chief in the chief goal the glory of Christ your life being conformed to him Or when those pieces that God sends your way when you don't like them Are you trying to run from them?

Are you trying to escape them?

Or are you welcoming them from the hand of God?

So that you can be transferred Transformed into the image of his son in order that his son might be the firstborn among many brothers Now he said that the spirit prays according to the will of God if we knew the will of God You know that we would not be doing that We don't want some of those pieces in our life. We don't want the painful pieces to come into our life And so we too must must fall before the Lord trusting in his plan Knowing that he has a purpose for his plan number three God has guaranteed That his good plan for your life will be perfected Look at verse 29 for those who before knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and those whom he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also justified and those who me justified he also glorified God's plan that started before time Will be completed God has guaranteed the perfection of his plan for the good of his People and Paul gives us here five links in this chain And we would say that this chain cannot be broken That the first link stays intact all the way to the last Link of the chain and he starts with this foreknowledge for those whom he foreknew He also predestined what this does not mean is that God looked at your life and saw that you were going to choose and follow and love him if That were the case. This would be the weakest link in the chain Because your weak love would eventually fall away from him But instead the picture is this that God For knew a people not what they would do the verse says those whom he foreknew Like when he called Jeremiah he says this before you were born before you were even in your mother's womb I Knew you and Set you apart and so believer do you want to know that all things are working for your good?

God has set his love on you in Eternity past you can know that he is working all things together for your good in the past in the present And he will carry that plan on All the way onto completion. The second link is this that very same group that he for knew he also Predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. And so if foreknowledge is Taking a group of people Predestination is taking that same group of people and determining their end Determining where their life will go and what we see here is that he predestines us for the purpose of Affirmity to the image of Christ. He says this that I am God and there is no other I declare the end From the beginning so it's like God is here in the beginning and he declares what the end will be all the way from the beginning and God's end is that you would be Conformed to the image of his son So that Christ might be the firstborn among many brothers from life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny How can we know that the pieces of the plan of God are working together for our good?

We can know that they are working together for our good because because God has Predestined us to be conformed to the image of His son. The third link is this that that very same group those whom he Predestined verse 30. He also Called and so if you're going to be conformed to the image of Christ You must first come to Christ There has to be that moment in time where where he comes down and takes hold of your heart We know that man and his natural state will not come to Christ on his own That that he must call us that every time a pastor gets up here They're they're proclaiming the gospel that call is going out to all men Yet there are a group that respond to that call That's that effectual call that comes to the heart by the Holy Spirit of God These are the very same ones whom God set his love on an eternity past the very same ones whom he is conforming to the image of His son when you are in the the furnace of affliction Would you remember this?

Would you remember your calling? Would you remember what it was like before you were called?

Would you remember being in the muck and the mire or when you're in the valley?

Many of you've been there even in 2023 Would you remember the hope of the gospel? Would you remember the hope of your calling?

Or when you're on the mountaintop many of you've been there this last year Would you also remember your calling?

Would you remember that not many of you were noble not many of you had this great birth and pedigree?

But God called you unto himself The fourth link in the chain is this that very same group that he calls those he also Justify and so he they were at one time condemned Through faith they trust in Christ Their sins are forgiven cast as far as the east is from the west no more condemnation But that's not it the perfect righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ is Imputed to them where where now they're not only forgiven their sins washed and cleansed From scarlet to white as snow, but now they're robed in the perfect Righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ God made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf That in him we might become the righteousness of God his robes for mine a wonderful exchange Now the question is this can we lose that?

justification Can the mistakes that I've made in?

2023 Pull me out of that beautiful exchange can can he go back on?

his exchange by no means if You can lose your justification Then the promise of verse 28 is pointless You should never believe that all things work together for your good if you can lose this beautiful justification But he says who can bring any charge against God's elect it is God who?

Justified and now we come to the fifth and final link in this chain It's here that we reach the pinnacle of all of these promises it's here that we reach the heights of Conception where we will fully and finally actually understand all of those pieces That led us to this point It's here that the conformity to Christ will find its completion those whom he justified He also glorify This my friends is a guaranteed Completion ponder this thought with me for just a moment and we will get back there and eat Whatever they've got going back here, but I want you to consider this with me That glorification is that step?

the final step in your salvation and it's actually not When you leave this earth You will not be fully and finally glorified if you died today What you will have though is this you will have that inward Glorification where he says to Paul said this took depart is far better it's far better for me to leave and be with Christ or that that The spirits of just men are made perfect where we won't we won't have any more sin at that point Where the song says oh that day When freed from sinning I shall see thy lovely face Clothed then in the blood washed linen how I'll sing thy sovereign grace And oh won't that be beautiful will be without sin will be there in heaven Waiting on the full consummation, but that is only the inward transformation. You must remember that full Formity to the image of Christ also includes outward transformation Remember that weak and frail body of yours That lowly body will be transformed into That glorious body that our Lord Jesus Christ has This is why Paul said back in verse 11 that the spirit The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies This my friends is the hope that we live for this is it right here This is this is that day that we are looking forward to when the bride of Christ Will be presented spotless and without blemish Before the Lamb of God and here John Murray points this out. He says this is the one thing here that that you'll experience With those sitting on your right and your left if the Lord returns today We will all be in that glorified body together So look at the person on your left or right and what a glorious day that will be if you're in Christ To just see him face to face and we know this this will be that day when we do see him We will be like him This is that day when?

All the tough days of your life actually makes sense This is that day when he will wipe away every tear from your eyes There will be no more mourning no more pain no more loss for the former things have passed away This is that day when you'll no longer see in a mirror dimly But you will see completely this is that day when you're groaning Will actually be turned to glory This is that day when the Lord's high priestly prayer will be fully and finally answered Where he prayed other I?

Want them to have the glory that I had with you Bring me there. He says in verse 24 bring them I want them to experience that shall the father not answer the prayer of the firstborn The firstborn prayed for our glory You must see that the father will answer this and oh what a day this will be No more sin no more sorrow no more suffering no more pain no more loss But that's not even the most glorious thing The glorious part of this promise is this that God will again dwell with his people There will be no need for a light Because the lamb will be the light my friends Let this be the lens through which you view 2023 and let this be the lens through which you look forward to 2024 now let me wrap this up. I want to address three things three people. There's unbelievers in here what I'm saying is Not true of you You must come to Christ Don't waste another second Flee from your sin and come to Christ today Second those people in here who would say I've been on the mountaintop I've experienced great blessings from the Lord this past year Would you worship him? Would you praise him? Would you not let grumblings be in your mouth?

Would you be thankful to this one who is working all things together for your good?

The third group those of you who have suffered and I know there are many of you those of you who have walked through Pain this past year. I want you to know this that He knows when you lie down and when you rise He knows of your thoughts Before they even enter your mind He he knew and he wrote Every one of the days that were written in your book Before there were any of them He's not caught off guard by what has happened in your life Would you would you with Paul say do not lose heart?

Though your outer self is wasting away Your inner self is being renewed day by day as we look not to the things that are seen But to the things that are unseen This my friends is what we look forward to with great Expectation and so I pray that whatever has happened to you in 2023 and whatever will happen in 2024 that you would know that God is orchestrating the pieces of his plan that he has a purpose for that plan and That he will see that plan on To completion and may we all say together whatever my God ordains is right. Let us pray. Oh Lord we Come to you and God what a mountain of a promise how comforting for the weary soul I pray Lord that You would bring that to bear on the hearts of the people in this room May we trust you more may we maybe look back and see your divine hand in our life And may that cause us to trust you going forward Lord we pray ultimately that the firstborn would get the glory that he so rightly deserves we pray this in Christ's name. Amen in the next section.