View source for The Working of All Things Together for Good

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<p>"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28<br><br>
The child of God seems to me often to resemble a benighted traveler. He has left his home, and is struggling onward to a certain destination. He is surrounded on every side with mists and darkness; still he struggles onward. But looking up into the sky, he sees a star glimmer through the clouds – by-and-by another appears; and by-and-by another; until at last all the mist and fog are dispersed, and the stars shine forth in all their beauty and glory. Thus is it often with the child of God. He has left the world; he is struggling onward to his heavenly home; but he often walks in darkness and has no light; little else but mists and fogs surround the path he is treading. In this state, perhaps he opens the word of God; or, as he is musing over his many trials, a text, a promise breaks in upon his mind, and that shows him the mist and fog are breaking up; by-and-by another portion of God's word, another sweet promise comes into his soul; and this encourages him still more, until by-and-by the Bible seems full of promises, shining forth in the pages of the sacred volume more thickly and gloriously than the stars that spangle the midnight sky.<br><br>
Among these bright stars that glimmer in the skies of Scripture, there is scarcely one more resplendent than our text. Let us travel through the promises upon record, and we can scarcely find one more sweet or suitable to an exercised child of God than this, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose."<br><br>
In looking at these words this morning, I shall, for the sake of greater clearness, somewhat invert the order, and show,<br>
  First, who the characters are to whom the promise belongs. <br>
  Secondly, the promise itself.<br>
  Thirdly, the knowledge of the promise, and of our personal interest in it. The Lord grant his presence; and enable me to speak such things as he shall bless to our souls.<br><br>
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<strong>I. The characters to whom the promise belongs. </strong>Now it is necessary to make the ground good here; for if we err here, we err everywhere. Let me illustrate this by an example or two taken from the things of common life. A man makes a will; when he dies, and the will is opened and read, the very first thing to be settled is the person in whose favor the will is made. Until that is settled, there is no going a step further.<br><br>
Or, there is a society founded for the relief of certain poor people. This society has certain objects in view, certain characters on whom it bestows its liberality. There are prescribed limits; as age, poverty, being members of the household of faith; and if these qualifications are not in the individual, he cannot be a candidate.<br><br>
So it is spiritually. Unless we make the ground good at first by coming to some clear decision who are the characters whom the promise belongs, we are all in confusion; we do not make straight paths for our feet; our eyes do not look onward, nor our eyelids straight before us. It is absolutely necessary, therefore, in order to make the ground good, to clear up who the characters are in favor of whom the promise is made.<br><br>
If we look at these characters, we shall find them described as bearing two distinct marks, that they "<strong>love God</strong>;" that they are "<strong>the called according to God's purpose</strong>." If a man, then, does not love God, and be not called according to God's purpose, he has no manifest interest in this promise. And if, on the other hand, he bear these two marks, that he loves God, and that he is called according to God's purpose, the promise is intended for him, and is ready to discharge its full contents into his heart.<br><br>
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<strong>1.</strong> First, then, let us look a little more closely at the character set forth as <strong>a lover of God</strong>. We are very certain this never can be true of any man in a state of nature, for "the carnal mind is enmity against God;" and if so, there cannot be any love to God in his heart. He is therefore excluded from the benefit of the promise; his name is not in the will.<br><br>
But, in order to make this weighty matter more clear and plain, let us see what the Scriptures say of those who love God. I think we shall find in the first epistle of John three marks given us of those who love him; and by these three marks may we try our state. Let us, then, bring our hearts and consciences to the test of God's unerring word, and see whether we can find these three marks of the lovers of God in our soul. We read, "Love is of God, and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God." 1 John 4:7 Here, then, are two marks which the Holy Spirit has given of him that loves God, that he is born of God, and that he knows God. And if we look a little lower down, we shall find a third mark, "This is the love of God that we keep his commandments." 1 John 5:3<br><br>
These, then, are the three marks of a man being a lover of God– <br>
  1. that he is born of God;<br>
  2. that he knows God;<br>
  3. that he keeps God's commandments.<br><br>
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<strong>1.</strong> But what is it to be <strong>born of God</strong>? We read of those who were followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, that they were "born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:13 A heavenly birth is contrasted here with the birth of the flesh; the one is set aside, and the other set up. To be born of God is to be quickened into spiritual life by the Holy Spirit; to have passed from death unto life; to have faith, hope and love brought forth in our hearts by the operation of God the Spirit; to be made new creatures in Christ; to have the kingdom of heaven set up, and the power of God felt in our souls. If, then, a man can feel that he is born of God; that a mighty revolution has taken place in his soul; that he is a new creature in Christ; that old things are passed away and all things become new – if he has the witness of God in his conscience that this divine change has taken place in him, and that a measure of the love of God has been shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Spirit--then he has an evidence that he is one who loves God, and therefore has an interest in the promise before us.<br><br>
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<strong>2.</strong> Our second mark of one that loves God is, that he <strong>knows God</strong>. This we cannot know by nature, for there is a veil of unbelief over our heart. We are born in darkness and the shadow of death – but when God is pleased to shine into our souls, and give us "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ;" to take the veil of unbelief away, and give us that knowledge of himself as the only true God, and of Jesus Christ whom he has sent, which is eternal life--then we know God; we know who he is, and we fear his great Name.<br><br>
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<strong>3.</strong> The third mark is, that we <strong>keep his commandments</strong>, that we come out of the world, and are separate from it; that we desire to do his will, to serve him, and to walk before him in simplicity, humility, and godly sincerity; that his fear is alive in us; that we obey him, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.<br><br>
But why do I mention these marks? For this reason; because the children of God are often tried and exercised whether they do love him. There are so many things in their hearts to oppose the love of God. There is the world; a going out in their carnal mind after the things of time and sense; sin working in them, bringing them continually into bondage; darkness of mind, so as to be unable to see their signs; deadness of soul, so that the love of God seems reduced to the last spark. All these things are so opposite to the love of God that they seem at times not to have one grain of it in their hearts. And when they would gladly look back to certain spots, times, and seasons, when they did feel the love of God shed abroad in their hearts, when they could delight themselves in the Almighty, when his word was sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, and they could walk before him in holy obedience and love, I say, when they would gladly look back upon these favorite spots, times, and seasons, they often cannot. Such is the darkness of their minds they can scarcely see the hill Mizar, or remember him from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites.<br><br>
Therefore, it is necessary to look to certain marks of God's word. The landmarks in our experience are sometimes swept away, or clouds of darkness cover them. We therefore must look to the unerring landmarks of God's word, which, unlike the landmarks of experience, are never swept away, but stand there firmly fixed by the pen of the Holy Spirit. If therefore, with all our doubts and fears and misgivings, our hardness of heart, our unbelief, darkness of mind, and deadness of frame, we can find these three marks in our souls, that we have been born of God, that we know him, and that we are keeping his commandments and desiring to do his will, we have Scripture testimony that we are of those who love God, and therefore have an interest in this promise.<br><br>
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<strong>2.</strong> Our second mark is, that such are the<strong> "called according to God's purpose."</strong> This seems to be added as a kind of supplement to clear up the first mark; and added for this twofold purpose. First, to exclude all men in a state of nature. A man, in a state of nature, might say, 'I love God; I love to walk abroad, and mark his glory in the beauties of creation. I look up by night, and as I see the stars in the sky I recognize in them a heavenly Architect. I am sure I love God.' A man in a state of nature may do this. Now this phrase seems added to cut off such. It says, 'No; all those who love God are the called according to his purpose.' A man must be called; there must be a work of grace upon his soul before he can be a true spiritual lover of God.<br><br>
But there is another purpose also. The child of God may say, 'Do I love God? If so, what love do I now feel? Are my affections now in heaven? Do I feel my soul now desiring the Lord more than thousands of gold and silver? Is my heart now softened and melted by the sweet operations of his grace, mercy, and love? No;' the poor child of God says, 'I feel too much the contrary--hardness, darkness, carnality--perhaps enmity, rebellion--how can I, then hope I am the character for whom this promise is made? Yet if I be not a lover of God, I have no saving interest in it.<br><br>
To clear up this dark path, it seems added by way of supplement, "called according to God's purpose." His purpose is not affected by what we are, or what we have. His purpose is still going on. We may be in darkness and deadness; but our darkness does not alter God's purpose; our deadness does not change his decree. We may not have the sweet enjoyment of his love in our hearts; but still his 'purpose' remains unchanged and unchangeable, like its divine Author.<br><br>
But how can we prove we are called according to God's purpose? Love may flag; evidences may fade; hope may droop; enjoyment may cease; but the calling still remains. Can we, then, look back to any time or spot when the Lord signally called us? Can we cast an eye on the path we have trodden in the ways of grace, and say that none but the Lord could have separated us from the sins in which we were entangled, the company with which we were mixed, the course we were pursuing? Can we remember there were at the time certain feelings which none but God could inspire? certain operations in our hearts which none but God could perform? certain effects which nothing but a heavenly hand moving upon the soul could create? If we cannot now trace distinctly that we are the lovers of God; if we cannot now feel the love of God shed abroad in our hearts, yet we may compare ourselves with the three marks I have given, and take some comfort from them; or even if these three marks be buried in obscurity, we may still cast an eye along the vista which we have trodden, and see the hand of God stretched out in a manifestive way to call us out of nature's darkness into his marvelous light.<br><br>
I have been thus particular, and dwelt thus long upon this portion of the text, because I love to make sure ground. Let us make the ground good – then we can step safely on; but if the ground be sandy, the foundation uncertain, we are faulty at the very outset. There is no advancing a single step until the ground be made good. I will suppose, then, the ground is thus far made good, and that there are in this congregation those who have some internal testimony that they are lovers of God, and that they are "called according to God's purpose."<br><br>
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<strong>II. </strong>But I proceed to <strong>the substance of the promise</strong>, "that all things work together for good" to such characters. Every word here is pregnant with blessed import – we could not part with a single syllable. And yet, what an exalted view does it give us of the wisdom, providence, and power of God! Look at this complicated scene. Here are God's people, surrounded by a thousand mysterious circumstances, traveling in the various paths of life--station, age, sex, circumstances, all widely different. Here is the world lying in wickedness around them--a crafty adversary ever on the watch to beguile or harass them – a heart full of sin to overflowing, except as kept down by the mighty power of God! Look at all our varied circumstances; and then to believe that if we are the lovers of God, all things we experience are working together for our spiritual good, what a view does it give us of the wisdom, grace, and power of a wonder-working God! Let us bear with all our weight upon the text – it will bear all the strain that we can put upon it.<br>
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