TRANSFORMATION!

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.     Romans 8:28

            If you have been in an evangelical church for any length of time whatsoever you have heard this verse.  If you grew up in an evangelical church you memorized it as a kid and have never forgotten it.  If you have ever had to go through a personal tragedy or loss you have had someone from your church or from another church quote this verse to you with the intention of comforting you.  It goes something like this, “I’m so sorry for your loss/trouble/problem; but you know that “all things work together for good!”  And if you have ever ministered to people in such difficulties you have probably used this verse to try to reassure or comfort them.  This verse often doesn’t do much in the way of comfort because most of the time we are left with the thought, “Well, I sure can’t see any good coming from this!  I just see pain and hurt!”

 

            Unfortunately, the second half of the verse is frequently dropped off.  If we remembered that part of the verse we would be more careful with the way we use the first part!  God works out all things for good “for those who love God…those who are called according to his purpose.”  So we really can’t use this verse to comfort people who don’t love God; people who are not called according to God’s purpose.

            But that still leaves us wondering about the good that God is working in our lives through the trials and suffering we encounter in times of tragedy and loss.  That’s where the next verse comes in!          

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.”  Romans 8:29

            We don’t have to sit and wonder what God is doing in the middle of our pain!  God actually tells us what the good is that he is bringing about in our lives!  He is conforming us “to the image of his Son!”  He has a plan for those of us whom he loved and called.  He has predestined us to be made over and shaped into the likeness of Jesus Christ!  He’s making us like Jesus!  And that takes a lot of shaping and modeling!  When I think of all the ugliness in myself that God has to take off it is no wonder to me that it hurts sometimes!  But the encouragement and comfort that is available in these verses is God’s goal for me!  In the end I will look like Jesus!

            One more thing.  It’s not about me.  It’s not about us.  It’s still all about Jesus!  God is doing this work on us so that Jesus “might be the firstborn among many brothers!”  It’s like the opposite of cloning!  Clones grow from the DNA of the original.  They are genetically identical from the very beginning.  We are as far from the DNA of Jesus as possible!  So we have to be reshaped and be made to be like Jesus.  God injects the DNA of Jesus into our souls through the person of the Holy Spirit and he begins to work on us from the inside out!  He uses the pain and suffering of circumstances in our lives to carve away the sin and evil in our lives.  And he does all this so there will be many brothers who are just like Jesus!  Twins!  Triplets!  Quadruplets!  Quintuplets!  And on and on it goes as Jesus is glorified in the sanctification of the church!