TEXT: Romans 8:28

SUBJECT: Divine Cordial #7

Tonight, with God’s help, we’ll continue our study of Thomas Watson’s great book, A Divine Cordial. For the last few weeks, we’ve studied Providence and found the best things work together for our good. God’s attributes are for us; so are His mercies, promises, angels, and people.

It’s encouraging to know these things. Unless things are going badly in your life. Then, they have a way of torturing you! If God is love—you think—why did my best friend die? If the angels are on my side, why didn’t they keep me from losing my job?

When bad things happen to them, some people take it out on God. They say there is no God; or, if there is a God, He doesn’t care. Others, though, are too devout for that. When bad things happen to them, they take it out on themselves. They believe "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose". But, because things aren’t working out for them, they assume they don’t love God and haven’t been called by His grace. In other words, they think they’re not saved.

This is where the Old Puritan is at his best. He tells us that not only do the best things work for good for the godly, but so do the worst things.

Things like sickness, temptation, and loneliness come from the same Love that sends health and happiness our way.

Thomas Watson begins with a clarification. This is very important. If we don’t get this, we pretty much become Buddhists who say there is no real difference between good and evil. After saying "the worst things work for good for the godly, he adds,

This means: Cancer is not good; losing your job is not good; your mother’s death is not good; your son running away from home is not good! But God is wise and powerful enough to put all these terrible things together in such a way as to make them work out for your good in the end.

The Bible teaches that bad things are good for us—not good, but good for us.

This is what Paul has in mind, here in Romans 8. When he says, "all things", he’s not thinking of God’s attributes, promises, angels or people. No, he has other things in mind. The paragraph starts in v.18, and here are some of the key words, "sufferings, wait[ing], futility, bondage, corruption, groaning, labor pains and weaknesses". These are the things—Paul says—that "work together for our good".

And he’s not alone. Solomon said the same thing,

He had no morbid interest in funerals, but saw how much good they do us.

This is the general teaching of the Bible. That God sends bad things our way and for our good. But we can’t leave it there. We have to go from the general to concrete examples. There are men in the Bible who knew suffering first-hand, and still said it was good for them.

• Job, 1:21-22.

• Joseph, Genesis 50:20

• David, Psalm 119:71

• Paul, II Corinthians 12:10

I chose the four examples carefully; they provide a certain balance you may not have noticed. Two of the men had had time to think about their problems and put them in perspective. Joseph and David were out of danger when they said these things. Paul and Job, on the other hand, were right in the middle of their problems!

It’s not easy to understand; it’s very hard to accept, but the Bible teaches that problems of every sort—including the worst ones—work together for our good.

It doesn’t say how they do us good; when they’ll do us good; or why the Lord sent these problems our way (instead of some others), but only that our Father knows what’s best for His children.

Having proved the doctrine from the Bible, Watson goes on to show some good results that come from bad problems. Or, how God makes the troubles of life into a blessing. The Puritan has a lot to say on this one. Here’s some of it,

In the first place, problems humble us. Watson says,

Watson has never been more on-target than he is here. This is one of the big lessons from the Book of Job. Job is the holiest man in the world—God says so. Yet, in his loss and pain, even he blurts out things that shouldn’t be said. Even his heart needed the fire of affliction to boil out the impurities.

Since humility is the thing God wants most, the problems that humble us also do us good.

In the second place, problems focus our attention.

Does any believer not know what it’s like to have a divided heart? We do love the Lord. Yet, we also love the world. We believe the promises of God. But, we also believe the promises of the world. We want His pleasures. And we want the world’s happiness as well.

Even Paul felt torn—what he wanted to do, he didn’t do; what he saw was wrong, he couldn’t keep away from! He was a "Wretched man"!

But suffering takes the happiness out of the world and puts it back where it belongs—with God only! The glutton loves his food, but God sends him an ulcer—and now it doesn’t taste so good! The covetous wife wants a bigger house, a better car, nicer clothes. She finally gets them, but in the process loses the closeness she once had with her husband and kids. The loss shows her what’s important—and what’s not.

The Psalmist prayed, "Unite my heart to fear Your Name". Problems are one way the Lord answers the prayer.

In the third place, problems make the comforts of Christ more real to us. Here’s a test you parents can take. When one of your kids is running around, having a good time, stop him, take him into your lap, and whisper sweet things to him. What are you doing? You’re comforting him. What does he think of it? Not much. But now, take the same kid, and let him skin his knee. You pick him up, take him into your lap, kiss the boo-boo, and so on, and it will mean the world to him! What you did didn’t change at all. But he appreciated it a lot more because he needed it a lot more!

When do we need the comforts of Christ? All the time. But especially when we’re hurt or scared or sad or confused. II Corinthians 1:5 puts it well,

Here’s the quote from Thomas Watson,

In the fourth place, problems shut wicked mouths.

Satan thought Job served the Lord for money. Of course he’s a good man—the devil said—you’ve made him rich. Take away his money and he’ll curse You to Your face. The Lord took away his money—and everything else. But Job kept his integrity. And so shut the devil’s dirty mouth!

Satan’s servants still like mocking God—and us. They think we follow Christ only when things are going well. But what about when they’re not? Then what? They want to hear us blaspheme the Lord.

But God sends the trial—and the grace—to shut their mouths. How can a mother love the God who took away her little boy? They can’t answer that one.

Watson says,

In the fifth place, our problems conform us to Christ.

The goal of our salvation is likeness to Christ. Our text says so, just one verse later. Now, if our Lord was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief", why would we think we could be become like him without any problems? No, it was the problems that made Him the Man He is (cf. Hebrews 5:8).

Our problems, therefore, don’t break the Image of Christ in us, but, rather, form it. Watson says,

If problems make us more like Christ, then they must do us good.

Finally, our problems are good for us because they fit us for glory.

I can’t say just how this works out, but I know it does. The Bible says so, II Corinthians 4:17. Not only does suffering give way to glory, but it paves the way for glory. That’s what it does for everyone who believes in Christ.

Do the all things include bad things? Yes they do. The worst things work for our good.

How? By humbling us, by focusing our attention, by making our comforts sweeter, by shutting the mouths of the wicked, by conforming us to Christ, and by fitting us for glory. You can add to the list.

Are these things always plain to us? No, they rarely are.

Then how can we know they’re true? Because God says so. And He can’t possibly lie or make a mistake.

That means we have to trust Him for it. That’s never easy. So God give us the grace to do it. For Christ’s sake. Amen.