We are not perfect

The world is not perfect. Neither are we. Faith does not change everything, but sometimes only gives a view, as Paul writes:

“We ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we ourselves also groan within ourselves, expecting the adoption as sons, the ransoming of our bodies. For upon this expectation we were saved.”
Rom 8:22-24

Everything will be fine, but probably not today. And tomorrow, maybe not. Nevertheless, I trust that God will one day be “all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28). Yes, everything will be all right one day. I take this confidence from the Bible, even if I don’t see it so far.

So the reason that I can see it this way is not because I can feel it today. The Bible does not direct my gaze to the steps immediately in front of me, but to the horizon. The destination looms on the horizon. Both the footsteps directly in front of me and the horizon are real, but they are not to be confused.

The Promise in the Letter to the Romans

Paul is constantly striving in his letters to explain a larger context to believers. There is much more at stake than is in front of your eyes right now. In Romans he writes:

“But we know that God works all things together for good to those who love God – to 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, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. But whom He predestinates, these He also calls; and whom He calls, these He also justifies; and whom He justifies, these He also glorifies.”
Rom 8:28-30

But we know! There Paul addresses fellow believers. The church in Rome is standing there in the same place as he is. They both “know” that “God works all things together for good to those who love God.” A remarkable statement, but what can it mean?

This “know” speaks of confidence. He can’t see that. If in the previous passage the apostle emphasized that God’s Spirit works in us, here the apostle clarifies that even everything works together for good for those who love God. Neither God’s spirit we see, nor how everything once leads to the good. It is invisible, but it is not doubted. Such “knowledge” comes from experience.

Not only does the Spirit work in our humble human existence, but God also works in the world and the course of the world as a whole: everything will work together for good. All. Logically, this includes the good as well as the difficult.

If you read the verses without context, they already sound very extreme. After all, who can judge the experience of life as “easy”? And given the suffering in the world and in one’s own life, how can one see anything “good” about it? There the apostle is already very extreme in his assessment – one could think.

Paul, however, does not base his understanding only on current experience. He reckons with things that can only be grasped in faith. Promises of God show you a horizon that is far greater than the current experience. With it neither hocus-pocus is meant, nor an unrealistic religious projection. Let’s see what he writes.

The view of God’s action

Some have read these verses quite differently. You read here conditions that must be met. This creates faith stress, not faith confidence. This then sounds something like “only those who love God” experience such things. And who loves sincerely? Can you confidently say that about yourself? No wonder such emphasis worries many people.

Paul, on the other hand, expresses himself positively. He does not speak of conditions. He wants to emphasize inclusivity, not exclusivity. These are often interchanged. We must then go back to the text and the context, ask ourselves what Paul is writing here. Does he want to exclude or include, does he want to proclaim threatening or glad tidings? The expression “those who love God” speaks simply of the believers in Rome. That was the audience. Not exclusion, but inclusion.

What’s next? The apostle now speaks of God’s action. One after another, Paul uses different verbs: He recognizes people, He calls people, He predestines people, He calls and justifies and glorifies. This is not exclusion, but good news for the whole church in Rome. Everyone may confidently recognize that He is for us, not against us. This is what Paul writes in the very next verses that we will look at soon.

What we may become

The predestination is to express itself in the fact that we are “conformed to the image of His Son”. This is our “target state”, the “goal”, so to speak. This is in accordance with God’s intention that Christ be the firstborn among many brethren. We are involved in God’s saving action, not only through our calling, but also in the impact. What is to become of us? Well, we should become more like Christ.

Paul writes to the Corinthians:

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory as of the Lord’s quickening Spirit.”
2Cor 3,17-18

Christ is the “image of the invisible God” (2 Cor. 4:4, Col. 1:15). But we will be transformed into the image of His Son. Christ as “image of the invisible God” is thereby not God himself. And we who are being transformed do not become Christ Himself. But we are becoming more like Him. The transformation is the goal.

To the Colossians the apostle writes:

“But now you also put away all these things: anger, wrath, evil nature, blasphemy, profanity from your mouths. Do not lie to one another, for you have put off the old man together with his actions and have put on the young man, who is being renewed to knowledge in the image of Him who created him, where there is no Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or free, but all and in all Christ.”
Col 3:10

While Paul describes to the Colossians what effect our vocation has in everyday life, he is concerned with a different aspect in the Letter to the Romans. He wants to hint at how we will surely reach the future glory. We will surely reach the goal God has in store for us – not because we are so blameless, but because God Himself provides it. In everything, God is the doer:

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. But those He predestines, these He also calls; and those He calls, these He also justifies; and those He justifies, these He also glorifies.”
Rom 8:29-30

God’s action is foremost here. This clarifies why everything works together for good. He has it in His hands and He is doing it. That is where the decisive effect is. It is not automatic and we are not decisive either. It is God who acts. We can find confidence only in Him.

Everything will be fine

Confidently, I can now say with Paul that all will be well. But I also do it like Paul. I refer to God’s action in time. Not everything is today, not everything is tomorrow. However, everything – today as well as tomorrow – remains in God’s hands. That is why I always manage to let go of the burdensome in trust, and simply live this day in gratitude. Everything will be fine, because He will do it well.

“Just believe and everything will be fine” turns out to be a hoax. We do well not to build our confidence on such commonplaces, but to anchor faith in God. Faith is not a cheap consolation, but help and confidence even in the most difficult situations. It will be good. This proves itself where it is just not perfect.

Deepening

These studies in the Letter to the Romans would like to invite you to engage more closely with the Bible. It is not only about theological questions, but also about how we exist in everyday life.

• Will everything be all right? Why?
• How does this outlook shape your everyday life?