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 foreknew 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.
This should give us confidence and joy.
1) Confidence in God’s Purpose
We know
Not we hope, not we guess, not we are postmodern relativists so we only see things from our own perspective. We know.
We can have certainty of knowledge.
We can have confidence in that knowledge.
We can be confident as we trust God.
“If God does not give me that which I would like, He will surely give me that which I need.”
When we face a situation — we might not be able to figure out how it will turn out for good. It might not even look like it could.
But we can know with confidence that it will turn out for good.
2) Joy in God’s Providence
We can rejoice —
Because we know if God is for us – so who can be against us?
Because we know if God has done these things for us then they are done indeed.
A Christian can always rejoice!
Look back over history and rejoice in God’s faithfulness. Look back, further than you possibly can, to before the foundation of the world and rejoice that God set His love upon you.
Look at the present and rejoice. Look at your life and your calling, your justification, your membership in the church, and rejoice.
Look toward the future and rejoice. You are a co-heir with Christ. He has prepared a place for you. He will complete was He has begun in you.
Pastor Samuel Rutherford had this kind of confidence and joy. Rutherford was thrown in jail for preaching the gospel. His congregation wrote him many letters expressing their sorrow for him. He kept writing them back and telling them not to feel sorry for him at all.
Here is a portion from one of the letters he wrote from his prison cell –
“Do not pity me. I ask not for the sugared dishes or a spoiled child. I will gladly open my mouth and eat what my father has given me be it sour or bitter and not sweet.”
“I would have Christ – bitter or sweet, easy or hard, difficult as it may be provided it is Christ in truth, in presence and in power.”
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 foreknew 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.