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Rom. 8:28   			THE CHEMISTRY OF THE CROSS

Intro:  Ill. A trip to the drug store to get a prescription filled.  The druggist will take 

several bottles off the shelf, mix them together and make a medicine.  Some of the 

chemicals he uses may be dangerous and even fatal, but when they are mixed 

together in the proper amounts, they can heal your body.  Have you ever 

considered that this is how God works also?  He takes all our problems, and our 

situations, which look so terrible, and He mixes them all together in the crucible of 

His love and produces something that is very wonderful - medicine for the soul.

	In this great verse, Paul reminds the Roman Christians about the Chemistry 

of the Cross.  This process allows God to take all the circumstances of life, both 

good and bad, both sweet and bitter, and blend them together into something 

wonderful.  He can take all of life and turn it into a situation that works for our 

good and for His glory.

	Allow me to share some of the blessings contained in this little verse as we 

look together at, “The Chemistry Of The Cross.”  As we do, be assured that God 

can take your life, with all of its ups and downs, blend it with His grace, add a 

heaping portion of His love and transform it into a thing of great beauty and 

blessing.



  I.			THE CERTAINTY OF GOD’S PROMISE

    A.  Ill. “We know” - All things will work for good, no questions, no 

	qualifications.

    B.  This is an ironclad promise from Almighty God Himself - Rom. 4:21.  (Ill. 

	His reputation rides on His Word!) (Ill. Al things will work for Good!)

    C.  Ill. F.B. Meyer, “If any promise of God should fail, the heavens would cloth 

	themselves in sackcloth; the sun, the moon and the stars would reel from 

	their courses; the universe would rock, and a hollow wind would moan 

	through a ruined creation the awful fact that God can lie.”  Ill. But never 

	fear!  Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2.



 II.			THE COMPLETENESS OF GOD’S PROMISE

    A.  Ill. Not “most”, not “some”, but “ALL”  Webster - 1.) The whole of, the 

	greatest possible;  2.)  Every member or individual part of;  3.) The whole 

	number or sum of;  4.)  Every;   5:0  Any whatever.

    B.  In fact, every thing in the life of the child of God is working for your good!  

	Even the things you don’t understand, or even like!

    C.  Notice some areas where God is working out our good and His glory.

	1.  Sweet Things Work For Our Good - It is easy to see how the sweet 

     	     things in life work for us.  (Ill. Home, family, health, wealth, salvation, 

	     etc.)  These things are the stuff of life that make it good and make us feel 

	     good about things.  In fact, these blessings from the Lord ought to cause 

	     us to want to be better Christians, Rom. 2:4.  (Ill. We ought to thank and 

	     praise Him for His blessings - 1 Thes. 5:18; Heb. 13:15.)

	2.  Sorrowful Things Work For Our Good - (Ill. A Russian invasion and 

	     many carried off to slavery in Siberia.  Would it be good?  (Ill. There are 

	     several examples in the Word of God where extremely sorrowful things  

	     happened to people and it all worked for their good in the end.  Judah - 

	     Jer. 24:5; David - Psa. 119:71; Joseph - Gen. 50:20; Manasseh - 2 Chron. 

	     33:11-12)  Often the sickbed, the valley of suffering, or the time of 

	     sorrow can out teach the sermon!  When God allows a time of sorrow,  

	     suffering or pain in our lives, it is always for our good and for His glory.  

	     (Ill. He never said we had to like it, but we should strive to be thankful!)  

	     Remember, it is the eye that is washed with tears that sees the best!

	3.  Satanic Things Work For Our Good - (Ill. Paul - 2 Cor. 12:7-10, Ill 

	     Paul endured Satanic attack and affliction.  But, God gave it to Him!)  Ill. 

	     God can even use the devil to work out good things in our lives.  (Ill. Old 

	     widow, no groceries and cruel landlord.)  Even Satanic attack is used by 

	     the Lord to grow us up in his image.

	4.  Sinful Things Work For Our Good - Ill. Christians ought not sin!  

	     When we do, we will suffer, but God can take the suffering brought about 

	     deliberate sin and use it for our good - Ill. Simon Peter - Luke 22:31-34.  

    D.  God uses all the circumstances of life for our good.  May not see the good 

  	right now, but we can still take comfort and rejoice in the completeness of 

	God’s promise.



III.			THE CAUSE OF HIS PROMISE

    A.  The cause is the awesome power of God.  He is all-powerful, all-knowing 

	and He is able to take control of every situation in life.

    B.  It’s easy to forget that God is in control - Matt. 28:18; Eph. 3:20; Luke 1:38; 

	Job 42:2.  When we get our eyes off Him and on our circumstance, we are in 

	for a fall - Ill. Peter - Matt. 14:28-31.  (Ill. Martin Luther and deep 

	depressions.)

    C.  When life closes in, remember this: If you belong to Jesus, God is behind 

	every circumstance you face.  (Ill. Job 1 & 2).



 IV.			THE CONDITION OF HIS PROMISE

    A.  This promise is not for everyone.  Only to those who love God.

    B.  If all things work together for good to the lover of God, the opposite must be 

	true for those who do not love him!  (Ill. Preaching - Blesses the obedient, 

	and bruises the disobedient.)(Ill. If you  went to a physician whom you didn't trust, 

	you wouldn't follow his prescription and treatment and as a result, you wouldn't 

	experience the blessing of healing.  If you do not love God, and trust His widom, 

	you will rebel against Him and refuse to submit to Hill for your life.)

    C.  How can I tell if I really love God?

	1.  Are you saved?  You can’t love Him until you know Him - 1 John 4:19.

	2.  Are you obedient?  John 14:15; John 14:21.

	     (Ill. You have no right to claim Rom. 8:28 unless you qualify as one who 

	      loves Him!)

    D.  Ill. Jesus can be either good or bad.  He is the door - John 10:9.  To the 

	saved, He is the door into the glories of Heaven and eternal life, but to the 

	lost, He is the door into damnation and eternal separation in Hell.  You see, 

	it is vitally important for you to “love God”, so this great promise can be 

	yours now and forever.



 V.			THE CONSEQUENCES OF GOD’S PROMISE

    A.  Ill. This is not a verse designed for your happiness!  It is not to be taken 

	lightly.  Ill. The verses that immediately follow it - 29-30.

    B.  God’s purpose in turning everything to good is not to bless you, make you 

	happy, or make you wealthy.  God is doing all that He does to make you 

	more like Jesus!  God didn’t finish with you at salvation.  He will continue 

	to shape you until you reflect His image perfectly.

    C.  The whole purpose of Romans 8:28 is to teach us that God has an eternal 

	plan and that nothing will ever be able to change that plan!  God is busy 

	reproducing Himself in each of us.



Conc:  Ill. God always saves the best for last - Ill. John 2 - Jesus in Cana.  The truth 

of this great promise is this: One day when all our plans, hopes and dreams are 

gone, we will be like Him!  Ill. Imagine God to be like a great diamond cutter.  

One day, as a result of everything you have endured and enjoyed in this life, He 

will have chipped and chiseled you into His own image.  That, and that alone, 

makes every situation of life worthwhile.  Ill. As God works out His chemistry in 

our lives, we can be assured that we will be the ones who will ultimately benefit.  

Bring all of you circumstances before him this morning and trust His wisdom in 

your life.

Pastor

 

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