What are the "All Things" in Romans 8:28?
Most people read “all things work together for good” as if Paul promised a better tomorrow, smoother circumstances, or quick fixes to today’s problems. But Romans 8:28 is not about your next week. It’s not even about your lifetime. Paul is talking about God’s eternal plan , stretching from before the world began all the way to the glory that will be revealed in us . The “all things” are the entire sweep of God’s purpose for the Body of Christ—past, present, and future—working together toward our final glorification , not our temporary comfort. Before Genesis 1:1, God ordained a hidden wisdom “unto our glory” (1 Cor. 2:7). In Christ, we were predestinated according to the One who “works all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph. 1:11). That means God has been working “all things” for our good long before we existed—and He will continue until we stand in the fullness of Christ’s glory. This is why Paul contrasts: Sufferings vs. Glory (Rom. 8:18) Vanity vs. Hope (Rom. 8:20)...