References: Romans 8:28
Introduction
I trust you are familiar with the phrase “multi-tasking.” Basically, it means doing or concentrating on more than one thing at a time. Some people can only focus on one thing, to the exclusion of everything else; they are singly focused. Others are able to divide their attention between several things at once. Then there are people who try to do several things at a time, and shouldn’t, and end up doing none of them well.
When I suggest that God has one single focus, I do not mean God lacks ability. Instead, I am referring to God’s purpose. If He so chose, God could multi-task ad infinitum. This is exactly what God does in His governing of the world: absolutely nothing, down to hairs falling from your head, lacks God’s involvement. Yet in all God does, He works with a single focus on his overall purpose.
That focus has to do with God making known Himself and His glory. “The stars in the heavens declare the glory of God.” Ultimately, God created man in His own image to bring Himself glory. God decided to create a place for man to live life to the fullest, the height of which is fellowship between God and His image bearer. Man, in his rebellion and sin, broke that relationship. Yet God in eternity, focusing on the revelation of His glory, determined to restore and recreate unto Himself a people.
The single focus of God is the salvation of His elect, and in that God is made known in all His glory.
God is not incomplete without us His creatures; it’s not that God needs man. It is not that God needed us to reveal His glory, but God’s Word clearly reveals that in the eternal mind of God, His purpose is the salvation of His people. In that salvation, God’s name is glorified.
So we can say God is singly focused. That doesn’t means He doesn’t bother with anything else; in fact, the very opposite is true. In all things, God is fully engaged. He is absolutely, sovereignly involved in every detail not only of your life, but in the entire creation, with this one purpose, the salvation of His people, your salvation.
Let us look at how this is stated in our confession. First we confess that without the will of my Father in heaven, not a hair can fall from my head. Then based on that truth, we can and do state the following:
“…Indeed, that all things must work together for my salvation.”
But pastor, you say, surely you don’t literally mean “all things”? Yes, but just think what is involved in all things. Would you say there are many bad things which happen in this life, much less in the world, that have nothing to do with my salvation?
Absolutely not. We take seriously the sovereignty of God and His supervision of all things. Yes, that is a lot to think about; we cannot put them all together to make sense to us, but the reality of this truth is fundamentally important as you consider your salvation.
No, you will not find in Scripture exactly how your salvation is tied to that person last week who almost cut you off in traffic, or the inconvenience of a runny nose… I could go on.
But what you will see is how your salvation fits in with God’s purpose.
Blog post content taken from a sermon series delivered by Dr. Maynard Koerner, President and Professor of Ministerial Studies at Heidelberg Theological Seminary.