Great Encouragement ~ TO THE CALLED IN CHRIST JESUS

"We know that ALL THINGS work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." —Romans 8:28 [KJV]

A poor sensible sinner would naturally be ready to make one exception here, and say, "How can sin, which I know and feel to be the very worst of all evils, work for any good?" But the Holy Ghost hath not excepted even this. Will any one say, Then let us do evil that good may come? St. Paul makes a terrible application to such, "Whose damnation is just,"—Romans 3:8. Therefore such cannot be the language of a believer's heart, for his salvation is sure, "he that believes shall be saved." Such, and only such, most assuredly know that all things work together for good. They love God, and this love inspires them with hatred to sin. But yet they are sinners, both by original sin and actual transgression; nevertheless, through the all-wise overruling power of a gracious covenant God, even the worst of evils, sin, shall work for His glory and their good. Is the art of a chemist able to extract the most salutary medicine from noxious and poisonous ingredients? and cannot the infinitely wise Jehovah, Who at the beginning spoke chaos and confusion into beauty, and order and darkness into light, make evil to work for good? He hath done it. He will do it. 

Canst thou think of that world of sin and evil which was produced by the fall of man? Dost thou not know the still greater good which it has been made to work for man by Jesus Christ? If man had not sinned the glorious attributes of Jehovah had not been so eminently displayed. As this is true of a world of sin in general, so also of every sin in particular. Sin is natural to man. To make it work for good is the supernatural power of God. Sin should never have entered into the world, nor should it continue in God's people, was it not to magnify His grace and advance the glory of His name. 

Judas delivers Christ to death for gain: the Jews for envy: Pilate for fear. The devil provokes each through enmity. God makes all work for the spiritual good and eternal salvation of His people. Peter's fall shall be made to work for his humility and self-diffidence, and to strengthen his brethren. 'Sin,' saith St. Austin, 'first wrought sorrow, and now godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of, to the death of sin; so the daughter destroys the mother.' "O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out."—Romans 11:33. 

 

Sin for my good does work and win; 

Yet 'tis not good for me to sin. 

My pleasure issues from my pain; 

My losses still increase my gain. 

For all my sins my heart is sad, 

Since God's dishonor'd; yet I'm glad, 

Tho' once I was a slave to sin, 

Since God doth thereby glory win.

 

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)