Romans 8:28 (LSB)

Passage

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

Nearby Context

Romans 8:26 And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

Romans 8:27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:29 Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers;

Romans 8:30 and those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "work together", "for good", "love God", "called", "according to his purpose", and "purpose". It is saying that God is not described as making every event good in itself; the words tie "all things" to a purposeful working "for good" for those who love him and are called.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "and He who searches the hearts knows..." into verse 29's "Because those whom He foreknew He also...", so "all things" and "work together" belong inside that flow. In The Spirit's Help and God's Purpose, the local focus is life in the Spirit, intercession, God's providence, and conformity to Christ.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "all things" and "work together" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.