If God be for Us Who can be Against Us.
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - When you look at the news, read the paper or just look at what is going on in the world around us you must like Marvin Gaye wonder “What’s Going On”. Now that I am approaching the age of Retirement, Social Security, and Medicare I find myself watching the news and listening to what is being said and done in our legislative entities. I find when I turn on my television it mostly goes directly to CNN or one of the news channels because I am always tunning in to see what is going on.
I will be on the computer or my phone and read the headlines of events that are happening around the world. I find myself getting upset often at the seemingly irrational logic of some of the political decisions that are being made. Then we see prices of eggs reaching 8 dollars a dozen, gas prices steadily climbing, the electric company, DTE here in Michigan, raising the rates of electricity during prime hours between 3 pm – 7 pm, then we have an ice storm 2 weeks later and over 500K people are without power some for over 6 days and I must ask what’s going on seems like everything is against us.
Interest rates keep rising talking about this is how they are combating inflation yet people are struggling more and more to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. People have to determine are they going to pay the electric bill or get their medication filled. I was talking with a friend who is a diabetic and they were telling me that the cost of their diabetic medication is astronomical reaching into the thousands per month.
Still, we are struggling with the effects of a pandemic 3 years later. Unrealistic, immoral, and outrageous laws being made by our legal system. We find ourselves being called hate mongers and threatened with your freedom for standing on morals and the Word of God. Republicans against Democrats, Democrats against Republicans, nation against nation, racial tension, police brutality, genocide, and utter disrespect for any and everything Holy is running rampant.
Road rage, mass shootings, it’s not safe even going to the grocery store or gas station the world has turned upside down.
In life all these things and many more are against, but I am determined to stand on the Unadulterated Word of God and believe If God be for us who can be against.
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURE: - Romans 8:31 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us”.
Romans 8 is an awesome wealth of spiritual truth. The first four verses Paul deals with condemnation and how we are delivered from condemnation in Christ Jesus. He says Ten very powerful words. The number Ten means Divine Order. Ten is viewed as a complete and perfect numeral, as is 3, 7 and 12. It is made up of the number 4, which represents the physical creation, and the number 6, which symbolizes man. As such, the meaning of 10 is one of testimony, law, responsibility and the completeness of order. There is a word called Minyan which means in Jewish traditions that 10 people must be present to have a meeting. There are 10 commandments, there were 10 plagues that hit Egypt expressing Divine Order. The phrase “God said” appears 10 times in Genesis 1, which is a testimony of His creative power. Our tithe is a 10th of our earnings and is a testimony of our faith in the Lord.
Paul says there is No condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after Spirit. Listen, this is not saying there will be no accusation against us because that will happen. Just speak the truth of the Word of God and the world accuses you of being a hatemonger, but accusation is thrown out, and the indictment squashed because we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He does not say, there is no cross, no affliction, no hard times, no disappointments, or no displeasure because there will be these things but no condemnation. There may even be times when we are chastened of the Lord, but not condemned with the world. There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after Spirit.
What are you saying Bishop. There will be things in this life that will come against you but as long as we walk after the Spirit we don’t have to worry because vengeance is mine saith the Lord and He will repay saith the Lord.
WATCH THIS:- As we go through the verses of Romans 8, we see there are plenty of forces against us, but nothing can successfully overthrow us who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. We are all sinners none of us our righteous but are sinners saved by grace, we have a sinful nature in us and often find ourselves like Paul said in Romans 7:15-20 says, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me”. There is a battle going on inside of us. We are often being twisted and turned struggling with situations in us and against us because of a sinful nature.
We all must deal with suffering because verse 18 says, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us”.
We all must deal with decay, corruption, and pain verses 20 – 22 says, “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now”.
We all have to deal with being feeble and frailty rather that is physical or mental in some cases, Verse 26 talks about our infirmities “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered”. Then 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. All these things, the world, and the devil is against us.
Then we come to verse 31 which says, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us”.
WATCH THIS: - “If God is for us, who can be against us”. This word “if” does not indicate doubt but is a conclusion, a consequence, an affirmation, or a declaration. If God is for us we already have the victory. If God is for us, we our more than conquerors. If God is for us I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. If God is for us weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning time. If God be for us we already have the victory.
Let me just give some examples of God is for us.
God is for us because He has given us His Son. Verses 3 & 32 says “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things”. Ultimate proof God is for is summed up in John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.
Stop and think for a minute what more could God do than send His only begotten Son into this world to be our Lord and Savior and show that He is for us.
We also know that God is for us because He has settled the question of our sin. Verses 1, 3, 33, & 34 deal with the issue of sin and the penalty or condemnation of it. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”. John 3:18 says, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”. Romans 5:8-10 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life”.
The Devil will accuse you of all manner of stuff trying to condemn you, he will try to remind us of our sins that we have committed in our life and how unworthy we are but verse 34 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. God has justified us once and for all. So it doesn’t matter what the devil, the world or anybody else says about us or tries to do toward us if God be for us who can be against us.
WATCH THIS: - We know that God is for us because He has given us His Spirit and His Spirit dwells in us verse 9 says, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”.
He dwells in us to give us life verse 10 says, “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness”.
We know God is for us because His Spirit dwelling in us guarantees our resurrection verses 11 & 23 says, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body”.
We know God is for us because His Spirit sets us free. Verse 2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”.
We know God is for us because He leads us and we are His sons verse 14 says “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”.
We know God is for us because He gives us assurance that we are His verse 16 says, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God”.
CLOSING: - I want to close with a very powerful declaration that God is for us and if God is for us who can be against. Romans 8:35-39 If God is 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? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
Nothing, no one, or anything in time or eternity, in heaven or on earth, no force of evil, no demon from hell, no politician, no man-made rule or tradition, no lie, N. O. T. H. I. N. G absolutely nothing will ever separate us from the Love of God for He is for us and if God be for us who can be against us.
If God is for us we already have the victory so in the midst of trials and in the midst of tribulations we can rejoice. If God is for us, we our more than conquerors so when the enemy comes against God will lift up a standard against them and fight every battle for us because this battle is the Lord’s. If God is for us I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. If God is for us weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning time, it may have been a long night for someone but God is for us and it is morning time.
Hallelujah God is for us, but let me ask this one question are you for Him? Who is on the Lord’s side?
Joshua 24:15 says, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr
