The God Who Is for Us!
Intro: 5-year-old Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn’t want to go in alone: “It’s dark in there and I’m scared.” She asked again, and he gave the same answer. She smiled and said, “It’s OK – Jesus will be in there with you.” Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and slowly opened it. He peeked inside, saw that it was dark and started to leave…and then an idea came to him and he asked this question: “Jesus, if you’re in there, would you hand me a can of tomato soup?”
-Life is filled with questions, isn’t it? Some questions make us laugh while others make us scratch our heads. Here are a few that I’ve come across…
1. If you throw a cat out a car window, does it become kitty litter?
2. If corn oil comes from corn, where does baby oil come from?
3. Why do we press harder on a remote when we know the batteries are going dead?
4. When a cow laughs, does milk come out its nose?
5. Why do they put Braille on the number pads of drive-through teller machines?
6. What do they use to ship Styrofoam?
7. Is it possible to be totally partial?
8. How do they get deer to cross at that yellow road sign?
9. If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?
10. Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?
-On top of these really deep questions, you may have some questions about CLC. If you’re new here you may wonder what the next step is for you. Here’s a pathway for you to follow. Start with Sundays and then plug into a Sunday Bible class or a Bible Study group. This will help you connect with others who can encourage and help you grow spiritually. After joining a group, then look for somewhere to serve. We believe that this will help you connect with Jesus and it will equip you to become a growing and faithful follower.
-Some of you may have some questions about our Sunday morning worship services. Why do we do what we do? What does it all mean?
-As we come to the end of Romans 8, Paul fires a load of questions. See if you can spot them as we read the passage.
Romans 8:31-39 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-- more than that, who was raised to life-- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Most of these questions are rhetorical in nature and do not need a response because the answer is or should be self-evident. Here is the main idea that Paul is bringing across in these verses: God is for us, not against us, and there is no person or situation that can separate us from His amazing love!
-Let’s look at the implications of this as Paul spells them out.
1. Because God is for us, the opposition will not win!
Romans 8:31b: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
-There will always be opposition, but who are they in comparison to God? Nobody can stand against God and win! It may look like they are winning sometimes, but that is because we do not see the bigger picture.
-We find some encouraging words in the Bible about God’s people prevailing against their enemies who wish to destroy them.
Joshua 1:5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Isaiah 54:17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.
-Now, here is something to think about. What does a win look like for a follower of Jesus? Does it mean we get the last word in? Does it mean we won’t face disappointment and heartache in this life – some from our enemies? Think about the fact that Paul mentions martyrdom in these verses. And then consider that less than 10 years later, some of these Christians in Rome were burned alive by the madman, Nero, and others were thrown to the lions. Some of them were put to death by the sword. And tradition has it that Paul himself was beheaded under Nero’s cruel leadership. So how could Paul say that the opposition will not win? How could he say imply that nobody would be able to stand against the church?
-Well, the truth of the matter is that even though many stood against the church and against God, they did not win! Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 “…I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Even today thousands of people are killed for their faith around the world. Does that mean that the opposition is winning? They’d like to think so, but death does not spell defeat for a Christ follower! Death is the doorway to heaven for those who have put their trust in Jesus. Death lost its sting and its victory when Jesus rose from the dead!
-Sometimes it’s good to read the ending of the story to remind ourselves that nobody can stand against God. Watch what happens near the end in Revelation 20:7-10 7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth-- Gog and Magog-- to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
2. Because God is for us, He gave us His Son and will give us all things
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
-Earlier Paul spoke about an inheritance (v.17). Since we are God’s children, we are heirs who stand to inherit all that God has for us. God is cool like that! He loves to give! It is His nature to be generous to us.
-His greatest expression of loving generosity was to give us His Son as the payment for our sins. And since that is the greatest gift He could possibly give, it’s a small thing for Him to give us everything else!
-God is for us and loves to give to us.
3. Because God is for us, His approval outweighs all accusations
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-- more than that, who was raised to life-- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
-We will be targeted sometimes, but He has us covered! We will be accused. The devil likes to do that, and he likes to stir up people to do that. Let me just say that we need to be careful about being quick to judge or formulate opinions about others. That makes us look a whole lot more like our enemy than our Savior! Remember God’s purpose for us? To be conformed to the image of His Son Jesus!
-The word Satan means adversary. He is described in Revelation as the one who accused the brethren night and day. Revelation 12:10-11 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
-Satan can try to accuse us, but God’s acceptance and approval of us (based on what Jesus did through His death and resurrection) is more than enough to help us overcome! So don’t listen to Satan’s accusations against you! God alone justifies! Satan cannot justify anyone! He doesn’t have the authority to justify or condemn. There is One judge and it’s not him! His accusations carry no weight in light of what Jesus did for us! So don’t listen to him and don’t be like him by accusing and condemning others who are made in God’s image.
4. Because God is for us, we can overcome life’s obstacles
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
-Paul covers everything here from trouble to being put to death for your faith. Life is filled with hardships, but that doesn’t mean God doesn’t love us. Remember v.28 – “All things work together for good.” And in all these things, all these hardships and troubles we still come out winners because of our connection with Jesus!
5. Because God is for us, nothing can separate us from His love
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Where is the love of God found? It is found IN Christ Jesus our Lord!
-Are you in Christ? Are you in His grace? Are you walking in His forgiveness?
-A lot of crazy stuff can happen to us in this life. Some of it we will not be able to get a handle on. We won’t be able to understand why certain things happen to us or to those we love. But if we are in Christ, we can be certain that regardless of what comes our way, nothing can separate us from His love! Nothing!
-Family problems cannot separate you from God’s love!
-Financial problems cannot separate you from God’s love!
-Health problems cannot separate you from God’s love!
-Cancer cannot separate you from God’s love!
-Grief cannot separate you from God’s love!
-There is nothing on this earth, or above or below that can separate you from God’s love! All the demons in hell cannot tear you away from God’s love if you are in Christ!
-So again, are you in Christ today? Have you asked God to forgive you based on the life of Jesus that He laid down for you? Have you put your trust in Him to take away your sin, your guilt, your shame? Are you right with God?
-If not, He is inviting you to come to Him by faith right now and receive His life! God wants to share His life with you! He cares about you! You can connect with Him by simply talking to Him. He sees your life and knows what you’re thinking. And He listens when you call out to Him in faith. If you have the desire to make things right with God, I’d love to talk with you and pray with you.
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