August 4, 2020 WHAT SHALL WE SAY
Romans 8:31-34 “What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also freely give us all these things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
You must read all of chapter eight to see what leads up to the question “What shall we say to these things?” What Paul presents in this chapter is certainly a central message of the gospel and we could spend weeks digesting the truth presented. In a very brief overview of this chapter, Paul begins by reminding us that there is no condemnation for those in Christ because the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. Paul says much about the peril of living according to the flesh and the blessings of living according to the Spirit; those who live in the flesh cannot please God. In verse 13, we are told that if we are living according to the flesh, we must we die-that is, die to ourselves. It is also clear from this chapter that believers will face difficulties and trials, even while living according to the Spirit. We learn that we are children of God and that we are heirs of God if indeed we suffer with Him-but the suffering is worth it because we will see His glory. Even though we have the ‘first fruits of the Spirit,’ we yet have this ‘groaning’ within us awaiting our full adoption of sons. We have been saved and made new, but we still have a hope for what is yet to come. We do not always understand, but God works all things for good to those who are called according to His purpose. We are the elect of God and He is our protector. The above is at the most just a snap-shot of chapter eight. The point for us today is that no matter what circumstances we face, no matter what questions we may have about life and how God is working to bring about His purposes-we can know and rest assured that because God is for us, no one can undo or stop what He is doing in us or hinder His plans. That truth we can celebrate.
Romans 8:37-39 “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, not angles, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, not depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God , to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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