Redeemed by Grace
For Christians, one of the most beloved and quoted promises in the New Testament is found in Romans 8:28, “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” (NIV). Is this a promise that we, as Christians, can take literally? I believe that we can. My own experience and my observed experience of others has borne it out.
The first thing to note is the qualifier, “those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.” The promise is effective as long as we maintain our love for the Creator and seek to live according to His purposes.
The promise implies that, no matter what our circumstances, God is always working for our good. What this means to me is that God can redeem any circumstance I find myself in no matter how awful or dire. God’s ultimate purpose, as conveyed in the Old and New Testaments, is to redeem and reconcile all of creation to Himself. It only stands to reason that a part of this plan is to redeem each one of us who have responded to God’s call and prevenient grace.
As a young preacher, John Wesley was sent to Georgia as a missionary to the colonists there. He made many mistakes including trying to woo a young lady 15 years his junior. When she chose to marry someone else he took out his anger by refusing to serve her communion. He was returned to England, a failure. But, as we know, the story did not end there. Wesley began seeking a deeper relationship with Christ culminating with his “heart being strangely warmed at a prayer meeting. Wesley learned to love God fully and to open his heart to God’s call in his life. God redeemed John’s circumstances and he eventually started a movement which became the Methodist Church and which reached millions for Christ.
No matter what happens always remember that God’s grace is greater than any circumstance in your life.
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