TRUSTING IN THE LORD

Rom. 8:28 - “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Trust and Faith are two sides of the same coin, so to speak.

• Trust is to have an assurance of mind of the integrity of someone or something.

o to have a confidence in that one can rely upon.

o This involves the character of God as fully dependable!

• Faith is a belief symptom within us.

o to believe in the truthfulness of scripture and in God’s power and ability

o This involves knowing what scripture teaches and knowledge of who God is.

What does ‘all things’ include when you think of this verse?

It includes:

1) all the good things in life (promotions, successes, opportunities…)

2) all the most pressing problems in life (challenges, stresses, wrong attitudes…)

3) all the bad things in life (tragedy, pain, evil, suffering, heartaches…)

4) all the LARGE things (unexpected or expected events – accidents, weddings….)

5) all the SMALL things (conversations, encounters, incidents…that change your thoughts)

6) all the PEOPLE in your life (think about the story of Joseph or Paul).

What is involved in our ‘knowing’? What promises do we ‘know’ that God has made to us? What is one of the ‘keys’ we’ve been given that will open doors for us?

Rom. 8:22-27, 29-31(NET) – For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. Not only this, but we ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches the hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will. V. 28 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified. What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Jesus, who so loves us, causes us to walk as called out ones, justified ones, and glorified one. He receives glory (as do we through faithfulness towards Him) when we extend our trust and faith God-ward.

Matt. 16:19 – And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be bound in heaven.

Isa. 22:21-23 – I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your belt; I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open. I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, and he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house.

Luke 11:52 – Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.

Here we see the key(s) we’ve been given involve God’s governing power (heaven affects earth) – He reigns in heaven and imparts to us authority to reign upon the earth as His sons and daughters.

o We’ve been placed in a Priestly position to give praise; robed in royal garment of His righteousness and truth (belt)

o Key of knowledge – religiousness is rules-driven and takes this key away; truth and faith in the author of scripture places that key back into our hands.

Psalm 57:2-3 – I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.

o His mercy and truth are also included in the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. We can trust in His mercy and the truth of His word.

o Performs – gamar in Hebrew – means to end, finish, accomplish, perfect, cease, perform, fulfill.

o the idea is that God begins to work out His purposes in the life of His servant and continues His work until it is absolutely and completely done. This is seen through the practical things we experience in life.

Phil. 1:6 – being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. This is a point of trust on our part!!

Ps. 138:1-3 – I will praise you with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing praises to you. I will worship toward your holy temple; and praise your name. For your lovingkindness and your truth; for you have magnified your word above all your name. In the day when I cried out, you answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul!

o Another key – He hears and answers our prayers by giving us boldness and strength within our souls!!

Phil. 2:13 – for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure!

James 1:2-4 – My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials (a putting to proof by experiment of good or of evil by discipline or adversity), knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (cheerful and hopeful endurance); but let patience (cheerful hope with endurance) have its perfect work (maturing process morally, spiritually, mentally), that you may be perfect (of excellent character) and complete (sound; without blemish), lacking (failing in) nothing.

Trials or testing in life are for our benefit to give evidence to the testimony we have in Christ Jesus. He works all things we encounter and experience into good for the purpose He has called us into. We learn through these experiences that He is trustworthy and faithful to His word, His promises.

Let me end with going back to Romans 8 – the last verses 31-39 –

What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded (fully trusting and believing) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.