Looking at the context of Romans 8:28-39, allow me to suggest the following interpretation: Note that the phrase, “all things” in Romans 8:28 is repeated again in Romans 8:37 (“these things”), and is inclusive of the list found in Romans 8:35,38,39.
God will work out all of our trials, persecutions, and afflictions (those things that are not pleasant) for “good” (our benefit) “if” we “love God” (Romans 8:28), and remain in “the love of God which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:39; cf. Matthew 10:22; Mark 13:13; Revelation 2:10).
The fact that we cannot “see” the good in persecutions, trials and tribulations, does not mean there is not good in them (cf. Romans 5:1-5; James 1:2-3; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:3-7; 1 Peter 4:12-16). Those things that we perceive as not being “good” or beneficial, are brought about for our “good” by God’s providence (Note 2 Corinthians 7:4-7; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:8-18, and Paul’s example in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
The key word in Romans 8:35 and Romans 8:39, is the word “separate.” None of the entities listed in Romans 8:35, Romans 8:38 and the first part of Romans 8:39 can “separate” us from “the love of Christ” (Romans 8:35) or “the love of God” (Romans 8:39).
Only we have the power (see Isaiah 59:1-2 and note the word “separated“ in vs. 2) to “separate” ourselves from the “love of Christ” (Romans 8:35) and “the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39) — nothing else can.
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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