Romans 8:28 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

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

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Romans 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them 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 that searcheth the hearts knoweth..." into verse 29's "For whom he did foreknow 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.