Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Romans 8:28

"And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, [even] to them that are called according to [his] purpose." — Romans 8:28 (ASV)

Verse 28 begins with the notion that God works for the good of believers. This thought is connected with the foregoing section in that we now have a broad, general statement after a more specific one relating to the work of the Spirit as intercessor.

What is the meaning of “all things”? It most likely refers to those things that, while themselves adverse, are turned to good account by the sovereign God working on our behalf. This line of thought agrees with 5:3–5 as well as with the mention of sufferings and opposition in the present chapter. The “good” (GK 19) is not defined, but should be sought in the intended conformity to God’s Son.

The beneficiaries are those who on the human side “love God” and on the divine side are “called according to his purpose.” Paul seldom refers to love for God on the part of the saints (1 Corinthians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 8:3). Nor does he introduce it here as the ground for the benefit he has been describing, for it is simply a response to the divine love and grace. The “called” (GK 3105) are not those who are merely invited to respond to the proclamation of the Gospel; they are called according to God’s (electing) purpose.

This calling is further explained in terms of foreknowledge (“foreknew”; GK 4589) and predestination (v.29). The former term does not indicate advance awareness of someone; it refers to God’s choice, his electing decision (see especially 1 Peter 1:20). God’s calling is not a haphazard thing, nor is it something cold and formal. It is filled with the warmth of love, as in the Hebrew word “to know” (GK 3359; Amos 3:2). Though foreknowledge is not mentioned in Dt 7:6–8, that passage illumines the concept. God’s sovereign choice precludes any possibility of human merit entering into the decision (cf. Ephesians 1:4). Observe also that we are called according to God’s purpose, not according to his foreknowledge; hence foreknowledge must be included in the electing purpose.

If “predestined” (GK 4633) stood by itself without any amplification, one might conclude that only an action by God is involved whereby one is chosen to salvation. But the remainder of the sentence indicates otherwise, pointing to much more than deliverance from sin and death. The background is adoption, but now presented not as in v.15 (where it is related to the Father and the Spirit) but as related to the Son. Paul presents two aspects of this conformity. By a sharing in the sufferings of Christ that is based on having the mind of Christ , the believer is gradually being made into his likeness. This is the essence of sanctification. Its second and final aspect is conformity of the body to that of the risen Lord, to be realized at the resurrection , which is the culmination of a growth in likeness to Christ based on the Spirit’s work in the believer (2 Corinthians 3:18).

From these passages we learn that fellowship with Christ in his sufferings is the prelude to sharing with him in his glory. God sent his Son in our likeness (v.3) that we might eventually be like him. This makes understandable and legitimate the use of “brothers” as a description of believers in relation to the Son. The likeness will be complete except for the fact that glorified humanity never, of course, becomes deity.

Verse 30 states the various steps involved in the realization of the divine purpose: the call (cf. v.28), justification, and glorification. The marvel is that the final item is stated as though it had already occurred. This is what we might call a prophetic perfect (cf. Isaiah 53, where the work of the Servant of the Lord is spoken of as though his sacrifice had already been made).

Why is sanctification not mentioned in this verse? It is probably left out deliberately because sanctification is the one area in which human cooperation is essential. God never appeals to us to be called or justified or glorified, but there are numerous appeals to cooperate with him in the realization of the life of holiness.