Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The text on which this morning's message is based comes from our Epistle lesson (Romans 8: 28-32) read earlier.

Romans 8: 28 is one of the most quoted and quotable verses from Scripture. "And we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." You have a friend in the hospital with a serious, even terminal disease. You want to give them comfort that God is with them. You may desire to share this verse with them "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." In the right situation, with the right person, this verse can be very comforting. But be aware that not everyone in pain or fear for their earthly existence will respond positively to this verse, especially if it is the first attempt at Biblical comfort that you make. Quoting this verse, even if done with all sincerity and faithfulness, may bring on an angry retort like "well it doesn't feel like God is working for good right now" or "that's easy for you to say. Do you think you could say it so easily if you hurt like I do now?" If you quote this verse as your first or primary attempt at God's word of comfort, you may find that your friend or loved one perceives you as being shallow or glib. If quoted with a superficial sense of "Smile, God loves you" they might perceive you as simply singing the words of that inane song "Don't worry, be happy."

The intention of Romans 8: 28 "is not to deny the seriousness of the pain and suffering that people experience" (Raabe, 1993, Concordia Journal). Nor did Paul write these words to create in us a disheartened resignation toward the status quo. This verse is not an echo of the old Doris Day song "que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be." No, Romans 8: 28 takes seriously, eternally seriously, our current condition of suffering in this life.

During this past month we have been marveling at Paul's Words in the middle of Romans, chapters 7 and 8. John 3: 16 is often called the Gospel in a nutshell, concentrated down to one verse. Romans 8 has been called the preeminent chapter of the Bible, the culmination of the proclamation of God's plan in Christ Jesus, and chapter 7 its stormy introduction. In these verses we've heard Paul's inner conflict and struggle with sin by saying "What a wretched man I am, who will save me from this body of death?" We've heard him turn away from his inner struggle to something, someone much stronger than himself, confidently asserting that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8: 1). Paul has admitted that there will be suffering in this life, that we, in a sense, may share in the sufferings of Christ. But then he goes on to announce (v. 18-19): "18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." (v.22) "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." And likewise (v. 23) "we (his children) groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." And while we wait in faith and hope (v. 26) "the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

If you hadn't noticed, in those verses leading into our Epistle text, Paul makes his Christian readers very aware that there will be suffering and groaning in this life. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, accidents, and injuries will still harm and smite us and our loved ones. We are not yet fully free from the effects of original sin and our sinful lives. But Christ suffered on the cross for us to remove that suffering and groaning at the end of time, at the redemption, the resurrection of our bodies. But until that time we wait in hope, bearing each other's burdens, reminding each other that "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8: 28 can be a wonderful verse to comfort someone who is ailing and suffering, but only if they know that you, their Christian brother or sister, senses that suffering right along with them. To use it as a quick bandaid is to misuse this verse. To understand and use it faithfully, in its context of our mutual human suffering in this life is a wondrous reminder of the God who is for us.

There's a charming story that Thomas Wheeler, one time CEO of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (a.k.a. MassMutual), tells on himself: He and his wife were driving along an interstate highway when he noticed that their car was low on gas. Wheeler got off the highway at the next exit and soon found a rundown gas station with just one gas pump. He asked the lone attendant to fill the tank and check the oil, then went for a little walk around the station to stretch his legs. As he was returning to the car, he noticed that the attendant and his wife were engaged in an animated conversation. The conversation stopped as he paid the attendant. But as he was getting back into the car, he saw the attendant wave and heard him say, "It was great talking to you." As they drove out of the station, Wheeler asked his wife if she knew the man. She readily admitted she did. They had gone to high school together and had dated steadily for about a year. "Boy, were you lucky that I came along," bragged Wheeler. "If you had married him, you'd be the wife of a gas station attendant instead of the wife of a CEO." "My dear," replied Mrs. Wheeler, "if I had married him, he'd be the chief executive officer and you'd be the gas station attendant." (Story modified from SermonIllustrations.com).

We could debate long and hard whether or not Mrs. Wheeler's selection of a husband was the causal factor in his life working out the way it did. Many of you wives will probably leave here today ready to say to your husbands that they would not be the man they are today without you behind them, and you may be right. But the point of this story is not whether Mrs. Wheeler's choice of a husband was what made him, but to remind us that it is God's choice of us that makes us what we are today.   "For those God foreknew he also predestined… and those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." God works together for good, not because of our love for him, but because of his love, his selection of us. God in Christ Jesus has predestined us to salvation from before the beginning of time. He has called us to faith, made us righteous in his sight because of Christ Jesus. He will glorify us at the end, not because we deserve it, but because of his love for us.

Therefore "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." We know that through all of this life's struggles, nothing can ultimately harm us. When life's struggles start to get you down, look away from yourself, and look to God's promise in His Word to pull you through the suffering times.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. (Philippians 4: 7)