God is not blind to the suffering that people experience, and neither was the apostle Paul when he wrote this verse. The purpose of Romans 8:28 is to exhort Christians to reorient themselves—to change their perspectives. Romans 8:28 is one of the best known verses in Romans and probably one of the best known verses in the whole Bible.
Here is what it says: “For God works all things together for good to those who love him and are called according to His purpose.”
There’s a good reason people like this verse and think a lot about it. It’s because we all suffer. We all experienced hardships, some of it almost unbearable, and those of us who believe in God and that’s most of us want to know what God’s relationship to that suffering is.
Where does suffering come from?
Did God cause our suffering? Does he sympathize with us in our suffering? Can he do anything about our suffering?
These are human questions and questions that many, many people have.
Romans 8:28 does not tell us that God causes people to suffer, and it doesn’t say that God considers suffering in and of itself to be good.
What it does say, however, is that God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are who are called according to his purposes.
Romans 8 in context
It’s actually really important to read around that verse. I would recommend anybody interested in the meaning of this verse read all of Romans 8, beginning in verse one. This entire passage in Romans is really helpful for understanding what suffering is all about particularly as a Christian.
It doesn’t solve the problem at a philosophical level, the problem of how God can be all powerful and all good and yet good people can suffer. How can that happen? It doesn’t solve that problem for us.
But it does describe how God is at work in a suffering world. We know he has identified with that world through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross—suffered—for our sins and participated with us in a suffering world. We know he’s with us in our suffering.
Romans 8 also reminds us that God is busy recreating this world and that those of us who are united with Christ by faith are being transformed, and the church is being transformed and is God’s pilot unit for what the world should look like.
He’s transforming the church, and eventually he’ll transform this whole world to bring suffering and oppression to an end.
That’s how God is working all things together for good, for those who love him and are called according to his purpose.
Let’s start in verse 17 and read all the way to verse 28 to put it into context.
And let’s make this more fun by having a pop quiz!
Just kidding. Breathe.
But I would like for you to indulge me and answer these 4 questions …
Don’t worry! This will be an open-book quiz. And I have even put the answers in bold!
You’re welcome.
Here we go. Ask the Lord to speak to you through these verses in Romans 8.
1. Christians are not exempt from suffering. Is there a purpose behind the suffering?
Verses 17-18 say: and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
We suffer with Him. So that we may be glorified with Him.
Now there’s something to think about! It’s all about eternity.
How do you feel about your present sufferings? Know this – they are worth it if they affect your eternity!
2. Who decided life on earth would be this way and why?
Verses 19-23 say: For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
He subjected it. So we can be set free. It’s all about eternity.
Again, it will be so worth it!
3. If things were “heaven on earth” all the time, would you live a life that reflects hope for a better place?
Verse 24-25 says: For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
4. Do you pray for God to give you what would be best in your ultimate long-range (eternity) good, or just your right-now good?
Verses 26-27 say: 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. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Now don’t get me wrong – it’s ok to ask! (See Philippians 4:6) But we can have peace in knowing when we get a “no” it is because He is thinking of our ultimate (eternity) good. And whatever gets us to our ultimate good will be so worth it.