“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 CSB)
This is one of the most memorized verses in the Bible. It’s a call to trust that God is working for our good. For those that have a saving faith in Jesus’s death and resurrection, He is at work in our lives. And as Philippians 1:6 says it, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” But this begs the question, what is our good? Does our good equate to a lack of hardships and trials? Does our good mean riches and comforts in this life? No, the Scriptures make a clear case that sanctification is our good. Sanctification, or becoming more like Christ, is our good, and it results in God’s glory! Sanctification is not a pleasant process, but it is for our good.
The first verse of our newest song, His Glory and My Good talks about God’s Glory revealed in Jesus, and how the more we see Him in His glory the more we are satisfied. It reminds me of John Piper’s words in his book Desiring God, “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.”
The second verse articulates our trust in the Lord through trials. Even when we don’t understand and even when He doesn’t answer our prayers as we think He should, we follow Jesus in faith because He is always working for His glory and our good.
The third verse of the song articulates how Jesus’s death on the cross was for our good; it was for our salvation, which brings great glory to God!
The final verse is a call to die to ourselves so that Christ might be magnified. I’m reminded of John the Baptist’s words in John 3:30, “He must become greater; I must become less.” The song lyrics say, “Would I gladly be made nothing, that Christ would be made more?”. I love that this line is stated as a question, because every time I sing it, it reminds me of my need to die to myself and carry the cross.
In the chorus of the song, we declare glory and praise to God, and we boast in Him, because we know His glory is our good! You can learn the song at home here.
I look forward to singing this with you on Sunday!
Pastor Kyle