02.04. Divine Assurance
Divine Assurance And we know
God’s plan of salvation spans the ages, in fact it stretches from eternity to eternity. It has been unfolded in a nutshell in a few Bible verses in Romans 8:1-39 (Romans 8:28-30). But this plan does not include all mankind, it aims at a special class of people, namely "those who love God". Who are they? They are His people, God’s own children, born of Him and of His Spirit. They enjoy the divine promise, the divine assurance: "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" (Romans 8:28). The apostle Paul bases the assurance of which he speaks on the firmness of God’s eternal plan of salvation for His own, as it is explained in the following verses of this chapter (Romans 8:29-30). This remarkable passage we will now study. The apostle’s purpose in writing these words is that we should learn to see everything in the light of God’s plan of salvation, that we should learn to view everything from the heights of His own plans and thoughts. That is the basis of the joyful assurance: "And we know (...)". Our assurance is based on the consciousness of all that God is, and does, for us. The expression "we know" occurs very often in the New Testament, both in the Epistles of Paul and those of John. It suggests the spiritual insight of God’s children into the things of God, because of their anointing from the Holy One ("...and you know all things", 1 John 2:20). Here in Romans 8:1-39 the words, "And we know" of Romans 8:28 are in contrast with the expression, "For we do not know" of Romans 8:26. This divine assurance which directs our eyes upward and focuses our attention on God’s eternal counsels is opposed to the uncertainty of our feelings in the midst of a groaning creation.
All things work together for good
Now what do we know? Our assurance here is that all things work together for good to those who have a place in these eternal counsels, and who have been called accordingly. For it is God who determines the course of all things. He holds all things in His hands. Nothing can happen which would change His plans or would detract from His counsels. He transcends all things visible. He uses the things that surround and, perhaps, frighten us, as the stage for the fulfilment of His plans. His eternal purpose will be established, and all things serve to realize this. All things cannot but work for good, even though everything might seem to go wrong. With Christ, God will also freely give us all things (Romans 8:32). They are ours, they are at our disposal. Whether God’s servants, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come - all are ours (1 Corinthians 3:22). And none of these things can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39). Nothing can thwart God in the execution of His eternal plans of love, and nothing can rob us of the assurance of His love.
Beyond that we are not merely the passive objects of His love. It does not say here that all things work together for good to those who are loved by God (although this is true as well). It is rather the opposite that is stated: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God". So here our love of God is emphasized, while at the end of Romans 8:1-39 God’s love for us is emphasized (nothing can separate us from the love of God and of Christ). For God’s love cannot but awaken a response in the hearts of His children. He expects us to be aware of the riches of His love and to love Him in return. He expects us to take the place of loving children and sons.
There is nothing artificial about that. We do not need to produce this reciprocating love ourselves, for the love of God has been poured out in our hearts (Romans 5:5). In this way we have been brought into this relationship of love with Himself. Nothing can change this. But we can make this love flourish by immersing ourselves in the riches of His endless love for us. So when we are true Christians, all things do work together for good to us because we enjoy a place in His plans of love. This fact cannot be changed in any way by the practical level of our faith. But God expects us to have an increasing awareness of the place that He has given us, and of the precious relationship into which He has brought us. As we gain a clearer understanding of the position to which God has raised us in Christ, our hearts will be filled more and more with love and gratitude. We shall increasingly respond to the relationship with our Father, and to His love. And so we shall realize better that God orders all things in such a way that they work together for good. All things are subordinate to the divine plan of salvation, which began with His election and which ends in His glory. This will strengthen our faith, increase our assurance, and quicken our hope.