It Will All Come Out in the Wash

 

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28, NLT)

It will all come out in the wash…well at least that’s what I’ve been taught this verse means. That if you give your heart to Jesus, he will take all the crap in your life and make something good come out of it. As I studied the context of this verse with the help of Stuart Briscoe and  his commentary on the book of Romans, I’ve just uncovered a bit of a different application. The very next verse starts with ‘for’ which means that it is attached to this verse.

If you have walked with God for any length of time you know He is good. The good that God is working is for (or in) those who love him. But stay with me a bit longer because the verse does not stop there. “…and are called according to His purpose for them…” What purpose? What does that even mean?

“For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.” (Romans 8:29–30, NLT)

The Message makes it a little plainer.

“God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.”                                         (Romans 8:29–30, The Message)

God’s purpose for those of us who love Him is to conform us to the image of His Son Jesus Christ. Everything that happens in our lives is part of the restoration process. This is not a promise that it will “all come out in the wash” if you are a good Christian. It is a promise that He (God) is drawing us closer to Himself. He’s renovating our hearts. And as is the case with many reno projects, it often seems to get worse before it gets better.

And about this predestination thing. I’m probably going to get myself into hot water with these thoughts but here goes anyway.

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29, NIV84)

 So many discussions over so many years. Perhaps we will need to wait until we get to heaven to understand it more clearly. Excuse me as I refer to Stuart Briscoe’s thoughts again. He suggests in The Communicator’s Commentary: Romans that God’s predestination plan was not person-specific but rather plan-specific. He has known from the beginning of time that He would put together a salvation plan to rescue mankind from slavery to sin. God is not willing that ANY should perish (be destroyed) 2 Peter 3:9 & Matthew 18:14. He has not hand-picked His favourites to be saved. Rather, God’s ‘predestined’ plan has always been to justify and glorify mankind through His Son; to conform men and women into the image of Jesus Christ. He has called – invited – everyone. All who accept the invitation are justified and one day will be glorified together with Jesus Christ God’s Son. The plan of salvation was pre-planned. It’s a bigger, grander picture than what I thought of before, not a ‘one-to-one scenario. The plan was predestined, not a select few individuals.

            And the plan is not just saying a prayer to receive Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation. That, my friend is just one small facet of the plan. The bulk of the plan is that we submit to God’s loving hand and allow Him to renovate our hearts until we look like His Son. The process of renovations is rarely any fun. But when the project is complete and we stand back to view our hard work, well then it is all worth the blood sweat and tears.

Philippians 1:6 says that He will stick with us until His plan is completed.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6, NLT)

I have often wondered what purpose God could have in some of the deep dark valleys I and others have walked. Death, loss of dreams, divorce, loss of employment and position, loss of friends, etc. But since arriving in the place we now live I am beginning to see a larger plan. Many of our people have struggled with, and are struggling through, similar pains and sorrows and disappointments. Had I not experienced what I have, I know I would still be able to show from scripture that God is good but now I can also say from my own experience that he is good and that he is working on something that can result in something more wonderful that we could ever imagine. But we must cooperate with him in this reno project. He won’t take us where we refuse to go.

God’s plans for you and me are wonderful. Do they hurt? Sometimes. Do I want to go through that again? Not really. Will it be worth it? I have no shadow of a doubt that it will be more than worth it in the end. In several instances it is already worth it. So please do not give up mid-project. Hang in there for as long as it takes. Relinquish control and allow God’s gentle hands to conform you into the person He has dreamed you can become, into someone who looks just like his Son Jesus.