Sermon Title: The Confident Promise of Grace
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Most Christians know the Scripture by memory: “And we know that in all things God works for good…” It is an often quoted verse, said during times of struggle or hardship to others. However, when something happen that is tragic, and there are no obvious answers as to how God can work out something good from the event, it becomes harder to believe that promise. And when that tragic event impacts our own lives directly, we often not just simply quote the verse, but also ask “How, Lord? How in the world can you make something good out of this horrible event?” And sometimes that answer never comes. Can we trust God then?
Dr David Jeremiah, in his book, Captured By Grace, speaks to this situation when he writes:
That question penetrates to the depth of our commitment to Christ. Yes, we know God is working all things for our good. Sometimes in this life we have the rare privilege of seeing just how God used this setback or that disappointment. We can feel the wisdom and strength that came through the basic trials of normal living. But can we trust Him even when we don’t know the answers?
How does this verse comfort us even when we don’t know how God is “working for good” all that we experience, even the most difficult and challenging of our experiences? It comforts us because we know that the promise that was given is a certain, comprehensive and conditional promise that does not change based upon our own experiences. We will talk more about the powerful promise of grace given to Christians that is found in this verse on Sunday as we continue our sermon series, “Captured By Grace.” Hope to see you then!
