Dear Saints; At the end of his gospel for believers Paul asks a summary question that we need to answer, especially in times of trouble. In Romans 8: 31 he asks, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? The these things he is referring to is all the good news he has given us since the sixth chapter. In Romans 6 we are told that we are dead to sin and alive unto God. In Romans 7 we are told that we are dead to the law and married to Jesus. And in Romans 8 he tells us that we are under no condemnation, given the mind of Christ, and have the indwelling Spirit of God working in us to cause us to act like Christ. Finally, no matter what kind of suffering we must face in this life, we know that God is working all things to our good. Our response to this gospel determines the quality of life we will have on this earth. The natural response of unbelief allows all the false assumptions of our worth as persons to plague us with the negative self-talk convincing us that we are a victim that is losing. Saying to ourselves, I will be worthy if... is really just another way of saying we are worthless. No matter what we fill in the blank with it is a lie according to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Believing these lies will cause us to feel, act, and relate to others in a negative and selfish way. Choosing to believe the gospel, however, we can say to ourselves, I am worthy because of what God has done for me in Christ. The biblical assumptions of our worth are the these things Paul is referring to in his summary question. When we believe them to be true about us we can act responsibly and will feel and relate in a much healthier way. To help us to believe the truth Paul goes on to give us an appropriate response to his question. He assures us that the One who did not spare his only son but offered him up for us all would certainly give us all things in Christ. The greatest display of Gods love for us was the sacrifice of his own son. Loving us that much guarantees that he will also take care of us as his children. Next he asks, Who shall lay anything to the charge of Gods elect? It is God who has justified us in the first place and Christ who is also at the right hand of God to make intercession for us. Finally Paul asks who or what shall separate us from the love of God and explains that no matter what we face, (tribulation, famine, nakedness, the sword) we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. While it may be difficult at times to think of ourselves as winners rather than losers, especially when it looks and feels that way; we are called upon to believe the good news that we cannot possibly lose. When we trust what God says about us in his Word despite our present circumstances we are exercising faith. The writer of Hebrews tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It is precisely when it looks and feels like we are losing that we exercise faith by believing that we are more than conquerors. Exercising that faith provides us access into Gods amazing grace and gives us hope or a joyful confident expectation about our future. The biblical record is full of examples of believers exercising faith in all kinds of troubles and difficult situations in life. Perhaps the most glorious is that of Jesus himself when he trusted the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. In fulfilling Isaiahs prophecy Jesus submitted himself to a shock wave of grief and astonishment as he bore our grief and carried our sorrows. His agony was expressed by the words, Father, if it be possible; let this cup pass from me. But his faith was expressed by the words, nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. His submission to the Fathers will for him (his faith) gave him the joy (hope) to endure the cross, despising the shame, and experience the resurrection into the heavens. It is our faith that produces the hope that frees us to do the Fathers will in loving others despite our own suffering. John
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 11:14:47 +0000
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