This past Sunday, we spent some time looking at Romans 8:28-29 where Paul says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” [italics added]

In these verses, Paul tells us that God’s purpose is to “conform you” or to make you more like Jesus.  And when you understand v.29 in relation to v.28 (and the entirety of this section) you realise that God is using all things to make you more like Jesus…Especially the hard things.

Several years ago I had a chance to hear a teaching from John Mark Comer as a part of a residency program I participated in to prepare me to plant Port City Church.  Comer was teaching on Spiritual formation (what we also call sanctification or what Paul says here as “being conformed into the image of Jesus”).  He noted two different approaches to spiritual formation.

Approach #1

This is the approach that has become popularised in the western church.  If we can sit under a dynamic leader (specifically preacher) and then try really hard we can become more like Christ. The problem with this approach is that it is basically a remake of legalism.  In Jesus' day, the Pharisees were the most “dynamic” religious leaders and they spent all their time telling people how to try really hard to keep the rules in order to get to God.  Jesus wasn’t a fan of this approach (read Matthew 23).

Approach #2

The second approach, Comer argued, is the consistent & clearly identifiable approach of the Bible.  In Scripture, the process of becoming more like Christ is never a quick and easy thing.  In fact, it is talked about as slow and difficult.  Paul says to the Philippians, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (1:6).  This is not a microwave meal but formation thrown in the slow cooker.

We know that it is only God’s grace as seen so pointedly in the gospel that changes us and it’s this grace that works itself out over a long period of time in our life (until the day we die and are glorified - see Roman 8:30).  Add to that one of the primary tools that God uses in his spiritual formation arsenal is suffering and hardship.  That’s what Paul is trying to help the Roman readers to see.  God indeed works all things for His glory and our good.  

All things includes the cancer diagnosis, the persecution, the broken relationships, the rejection, the death of loved ones, the exhausting of parenting, the pain of getting fired, the struggle with depression and everything in between.  God wastes nothing in his loving purpose to make us more like Christ.

Lastly, living into this second approach to spiritual formation does two things:

It allows us to be more patient with the process.  Spiritual growth often looks like 2 steps forward and one step back.  When we know God’s speed it allows us to wait on him as he makes us more like Jesus.

Secondly, when suffering or pain comes our way it allows us to go through it instead of running from it.  If we know that God uses all things we can take confidence that he is in it with us (as Paul says in Romans 8:23).  These situations and circumstances will never be easy but we can know confidently that they won’t be wasted either.