If we quote only the first part of Romans 8:28 — “All things work together for good” — we are taking a Zen-like mystical approach to problems in life. (“Everything happens for a reason.”)
If we add “to those who love God” we are responding religiously. It suggests that loving God is enough. But if we complete the quote by adding the rest of the verse, we are seeing life’s problems as spiritual opportunities that are under God’s control.
So, why stop at the metaphysical, or the religious, when you can benefit from the meaning of the whole verse? Doing that would be like ordering a three-course meal at a restaurant and being content with only two courses. So, let’s read the entire verse: “All things work together for good for those who love God, for those who [the] called according to His purpose.”
Jesus said, “Many are called but few are chosen.” We know that we are [the] “chosen” because we responded to His call by yielding our lives to Jesus. We now live to fulfil the Divine Purpose for which we were born. Knowing all three parts of Romans 8:28 makes a world of difference to the problems we face in life.
The third part of Romans 8:28 is not an add-on to the first two parts but a necessary qualifier!