Title: The reign of God (Romans 8:28)
The reign of God (Romans 8:28)
< Introduction >
The way we see the world these days is not comfortable.
* 23 deaths due to the Sealand fire incident.
* The real name and death of a child named Tae-wan (Kim) covered in sulfuric acid. The child ended her six-year-old life by saying, "Mom, I want to go."
* Newlyweds were shot and killed for passing while blowing dust.
* The story of Won-jun Yoon, an international student who was shot and killed by a white supremacist while going to a service at a Korean church.
From a young age, we have believed that God rules the universe. God is always on the side of good people, and the wicked are punished and perish, but they are struck by lightning to death, but good people brought the belief that God blesses them and makes them prosper. Without such belief, we would not have found the meaning of living a good life even though we suffered losses.
1. God rules the world.
But if we look at the various events that take place before us, how will God rule the world? We want to ask what role God plays in our suffering. Did God create the world and let it go down from its operation? So, has the world become like a car without a driver? So do the unlucky people, good or bad, get shot, burn, and fall into planes... are they misfortunes?
God created all things in the universe and looked good. God then rested. Sabbath is not a story of rest, but a perfect creation. The world has become a good environment for good people to live in without any inconvenience. God created the world and did not retire from it, but continues to preserve, manage, and rule the world. Even when the world in which God rules is distorted and the people who believe in Him suffer, God has his own rules of rule and governs the world.
But this is the problem.
What kind of governing principles does God have, and how much influence God has on humans.
Our thoughts and God's thoughts are as far from each other as the east is from the west, so we are sometimes frustrated and discouraged before God's rule. I don't find the assurance and meaning of living a good life.
2. God works together for good.
Paul's life was very difficult.
He suffered, betrayed, and persecuted countless times. They were persecuted by their own people and went out to the Gentiles.
The chronic disease he had caused him to severely hinder his missionary work.
God did not establish him as a popular preacher, but gave him the mission of planting a church.
The area he wanted to preach in was Asia Minor. But God blocked his way.
He went to Rome and tried several times to preach the gospel, but failed.
He questioned before God and had doubts. Sometimes, they even pleaded with earnest desire to get rid of the thorns. But God did not fix it.
Then he discovered the truth. All things are in God's plan and all things have meaning.
* Persecution of our own people - evangelism to the Gentiles.
* Chronic disease - humility and the presence of God's power.
* Drowsiness in speech - Writing 13 books of the Bible
* Rejection of Asia Minor - European Mission
* Safe escorts because Roman evangelism was in the position of a prisoner.
After going through all these things, the truth that Paul realized today is condensed into the second half of verse 28, “All things work together for good.” The things we encounter every day, whether sad or joyful, are the ingredients God needs to beautifully complete the composition of our lives. Therefore, in any case, you should not lose hope for the good that God is making through you.
3. God's good is to become like God's image.
We often try to interpret good as good in human terms - joy, pleasure, success, etc. So it hurts more religiously by speaking outrageously to those in need.
That person is Job.
Job suddenly lost all his children. Those friends come and give advice. If you repent to God, God will give you more.
Such advice is spoken by people who have never had it.
What's the difference between saying "God will give you something better" for parents who now have their children buried in a pit of fire?
How can it be justified to say what will mean for the parents of the loss of an international student son? Is there any line left for children who lost their parents too early? Still, Christians say this too much.
If the concept of "goodness" that we are talking about jointly achieves is human health, material things, and honor, many of us suffer from a disease that will never happen again in our lifetime. You are too old to stand up financially. Time does not wait. When two children are dead, when will the child be born again and the goodness of God will appear?
Paul's concept of good is not like that. They suffered various kinds of discipline, lost their children, lost their husbands and wives, and to the people of the world, these things say, "It means nothing, my life is over." The thing is that things are mixed to create a certain line. That goodness is verse 29, “to be conformed to the image of the Son of God.”
In other words, it helps us become more like Christ through difficulties.
We can learn that from Job.
Through countless trials and tribulations, Job discovers the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He is a man 4,000 years before the coming of Jesus. We can boldly say that this is the will of God in suffering Job.
(Example)
William Kerry is an Indian missionary. After years of hardship with colleagues, he translated the Bible, but it was burned down in a fire in 1812 (March 12). It was such a big blow that I was devastated. Everyone was desperate, but one of his colleagues, Marshman, declared the same faith as the text. "The time has come for training in God, who has declared that those who love God work together for good. Surely God will advance our interests through this bad work." God's goodness was quickly revealed.
The disaster opened the ears and touched the hands of British Christians. They were too tired to translate the Bible, and it restored their spirituality.
The world's failures and misfortunes are meaningless. It will only cause pain and unhappiness. But God's people have their own good. It is becoming like the Son of God. Our failures and mistakes make people humble.
The pain and weakness of the body makes us feel our own weakness.
Financial difficulties lead us to look to God who provides the best.
Bereavement and parting strengthen our hope for the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, we must wait for the good of God in any case. We must also learn to persevere until God prescribes and shows us the good.
< Conclusion >
We do not see the reign of God in our eyes. It's as if the world rolls around like a car without a driver.
But will there be no driver in the driver's seat of our lifetime? Then we really don't have the courage to live.
God still rules the world, and he will rule until the end of the world. God is in the driver's seat of my life. Maybe he'll lead us on some dirt road for a while. It can even drive you into the valley. But we are going with him. In Him, all our misfortunes, pains, frustrations, failures, joys, and successes are intermingled, and we progress toward becoming more and more sanctified like Jesus Christ.
God is the weaver. Weave with red thread and weave with black thread. Why is it a dark thread this time? When we suffer, we ask countless times. But God does not open the silk and explain why until the loom is quiet and the drum of the loom stops.
He will continue to weave, alternating gold, silver, red, and black threads according to his designs.
One day the Lord will show us a truly beautiful picture. It's a picture of my life.
Christians are those who believe in that "good".