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Exploring the Text: Does God plan for bad things to happen?
In verse 28, Paul says that God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose, This, and other passages, has led some people to think that God sometimes plans for bad things to happen to us so that he can make something good out of it. Does God really intend to do us harm for some kind of potential greater good?
This idea does not fit with the nature and character of God. He sometimes does allow bad things to happen for us due to the choices of others and he often allows us to suffer the consequences of our own choices and actions, but he doesn't plan or intend to purposely harm us. Instead, what this verse is saying is that God can take anything, even harmful choices made by ourselves or others, and bring something good out of it.
A classic example of this the story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37 and 39-50. Joseph suffered many challenges. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, lied about by his master's wife, and betrayed and forgotten by his fellow inmates. and yet God was able to turn all of these things around to save Joseph, his family, and many others. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells his brothers that what they intended for evil, God intended for good.
Paul reminds us that no matter happens, good, bad, or indifferent, and no matter the cause, God can take anything that happens to us, even those things that are intended for evil, or the negative consequences of our own choices and actions, and use them for his good purposes in our lives.
David Dalton
In verse 28, Paul says that God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose, This, and other passages, has led some people to think that God sometimes plans for bad things to happen to us so that he can make something good out of it. Does God really intend to do us harm for some kind of potential greater good?
This idea does not fit with the nature and character of God. He sometimes does allow bad things to happen for us due to the choices of others and he often allows us to suffer the consequences of our own choices and actions, but he doesn't plan or intend to purposely harm us. Instead, what this verse is saying is that God can take anything, even harmful choices made by ourselves or others, and bring something good out of it.
A classic example of this the story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37 and 39-50. Joseph suffered many challenges. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, lied about by his master's wife, and betrayed and forgotten by his fellow inmates. and yet God was able to turn all of these things around to save Joseph, his family, and many others. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells his brothers that what they intended for evil, God intended for good.
Paul reminds us that no matter happens, good, bad, or indifferent, and no matter the cause, God can take anything that happens to us, even those things that are intended for evil, or the negative consequences of our own choices and actions, and use them for his good purposes in our lives.
David Dalton
Exploring the Text: Secure in the love of Jesus
In two different places in this passage, Paul talks about the love of Christ. In the first place, he asks what can separate us from the love of Christ. He rhetorically asks what might be able to separate us from Jesus' love. Are trouble, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or violence capable of separating us from the love of Christ? The implied answer is no. None of these things are more powerful than God's love for us. The circumstances that we go through are not more powerful than God's love for us. In the second place, he lists another series of things that he is convinced cannot separate us from God's love. He says that neither death nor live, the present or the future, spiritual or earthly powers, or anything else in all of creation can separate us from God's love.
The point that Paul is making is that we are secure in the love of Jesus. Life circumstances, obstacles, challenges, opposition, none of these things, or anything else for that matter, is powerful enough to pull us away from God's love. God's love for us does not depend on any of these things. It does not depend on our obedience or our worth. God's love for us is rooted in who he is and who he is alone. We can rest secure in God's love for us despite anything and everything else that may happen.
David Dalton
In two different places in this passage, Paul talks about the love of Christ. In the first place, he asks what can separate us from the love of Christ. He rhetorically asks what might be able to separate us from Jesus' love. Are trouble, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or violence capable of separating us from the love of Christ? The implied answer is no. None of these things are more powerful than God's love for us. The circumstances that we go through are not more powerful than God's love for us. In the second place, he lists another series of things that he is convinced cannot separate us from God's love. He says that neither death nor live, the present or the future, spiritual or earthly powers, or anything else in all of creation can separate us from God's love.
The point that Paul is making is that we are secure in the love of Jesus. Life circumstances, obstacles, challenges, opposition, none of these things, or anything else for that matter, is powerful enough to pull us away from God's love. God's love for us does not depend on any of these things. It does not depend on our obedience or our worth. God's love for us is rooted in who he is and who he is alone. We can rest secure in God's love for us despite anything and everything else that may happen.
David Dalton