Don’t Blow Your Cover!
March 1, 2025ZChurch Message for March 8, 2025 (full service: • Things We Know That Just Ain’t So – E… )
Does everything that happens really work together for good? A lot of Christians say that it does. But is that what the Bible actually teaches? These are questions Elder Bob Peck tackles in this message. Discover a life in the Spirit where all the things of the kingdom of God are designed to work together for your good.
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Preface
There are things that we know that it turns out just ain’t so. Some we learn by assumption and some by assimilation through hearing a thing repeated often enough, but that doesn’t make it so.
Ask yourself, “Do I know this because I prayed, studied God’s word, and received the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit enlightening me to understand, or did I just hear other people say it and assumed it was so?”
The only defense against Satan’s tricks, traps, and lies is knowing the truth (John 8:32).
All Things Work Together For Good
The idea of everything that happens working together for good never sat well with me. Yet the words people quote are from the Bible, so how can I argue with it?
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Exegesis
American Heritage Dictionary – exegesis: “Critical explanation or analysis, especially of a text.”
Exegesis is the critical analysis of the Bible in an endeavor to interpret, understand, and rightly apply God’s word. It’s what 2 Timothy 2:15 instructs us to do, “…rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Three basic rules of good exegesis to apply to today’s study.
- The plain text of the verse – the words, all the words, and the meaning of the words.
- The context of the conversation that the verse is part of.
- The greater text of all scripture – scripture must agree with all other scripture.
Rule #1 – The Plain Text
The statement “all things work together for good” is only six words taken out of a 25-word sentence. It’s bad exegesis to build a doctrine on a quarter of a verse.
The plain text says “all things,” not “everything that happens.” The statement is not about events that happen, but things that work together for good.
“All” can be universal or apply to all the components within a set or system of things.
According to the plain text of the verse, the things working together for good apply only to those who love God and have accepted His calling to walk out His purpose.
Rule #2 – The Context
Paul begins Romans chapter 8 with nine contrasting comparisons of the two systems of things that men can be connected to and their effects. Here are a few samples.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Before arriving at verse 28, Paul goes on to speak of being led by the Spirit of God (verse 14), receiving the Spirit of adoption (verse 15), the Spirit bearing witness that we are children of God, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ (verses 16, 17), having the first fruits of the Spirit (verse 23), and the Spirit making intercession for us according to the will of God (verse 27).
It is at this point that Paul finally bursts forth with the proclamation that for these who are in the Spirit, have life, have adoption, are heirs of God, love God, have accepted His calling and His purpose, for them all the things of this system of Spirit and life in the kingdom of God in Christ work together as an integrated system working in concert for our good.
Rule #3 – The Greater Text of Scripture
Does the greater body of scripture support the idea that just anything and everything works together for good? Or do these passages support the idea that there are indeed two systems at work in creation, one that works all good all the time, another that works all evil all the time?
Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (8) For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
All of these passages describe two systems. One always works good, blessing, and life. The other always works cursing, corruption, and death.
We Have a Part to Play
If we want the things of God’s kingdom to work together for our good we have to activate them by living according to the kingdom’s ways of being and doing by speaking what the word says and doing what the Spirit does.
In Deuteronomy 30:19 God said that we have to choose life. It doesn’t happen on its own.
In Joshua 1:8 God told Joshua that it was up to him to observe to do all that is written in the book in order to make his way prosperous.
This is why Jesus told us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) so that we could find the ways of the kingdom and work them together for good.
Examples of ways of the kingdom that work together for good.
- Love your neighbor as yourself.
- Forgive if you have ought against any.
- Give and it will be given to you.
- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
- Have faith in God.
- Speak blessing, not cursing.
- Fear not.
- Resist the devil, submit to God.
When something bad does happen in it doesn’t necessarily mean you caused it. Adam unleashed the sin system into the world, and death by sin (Romans 5:12). Earth is a battle field and there are land mines and booby traps everywhere.
Keeping in step with God’s word and Spirit can keep us out of those traps.
Both good and evil are present in this world, but they are not working together.
God is not obligated to make something good come of every bad thing that happens – the Bible does not teach that. That’s an idea that people have invented to comfort their emotions when they don’t know what else to do.
Nevertheless, when bad things happen, God does have a plan and power to deliver, heal, and restore, but it’s up to us to seek and work the kingdom’s plan for our good.
All things of Satan, sin, and this world work together for evil, cursing, and death.
All things of the kingdom of God work together for good to those who love God, accept His calling, and walk out His purpose.
