I'm going to read once more the words found in Paul's epistle to the Romans in chapter 8, reading

verses 28, 29 and 30.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did

for know, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the

firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called, and whom he called them he also

justified, and whom he justified them he also glorified.

Now we've spent some time on these verses, and especially on these terms, these great terms, these particular

terms which the apostle uses in the statement. You notice that I'm describing the three verses

as a statement because it is essentially just one great statement with a number of subsidiary clauses

of course but it's vital to an understanding of it and even of the individual terms as we've

seen that we should realize that it is one big statement.

Very well. Let me remind you then of what exactly the Apostle is saying here,

what his argument is.

He says that we can be certain.

We can know that all things work together for good, for us, because we are the called according to his purpose.

Now that's the thing that he's concerned about. He wrote these words in order to comfort people.

He is dealing, as you remember, with this whole problem of

suffering in the Christian life. He began it halfway through verse 17. If so be that we suffer with

him, we shall be also glorified together. And then immediately adds, for I reckon that the

sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared

with the glory which shall be revealed in us. And it's the same theme still. He's gone on with it.

But here now he's putting it in this particular form. He says, you can be certain of this as a Christian, that it doesn't matter

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