Romans 8:31-39
The Crown Jewel of New Testament
Welcome!
Would you open your Bibles to...
Rom.
Rom. 8:32 He who did not spare His own son, but delivered Him up for us
all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Rom. 8:33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God
who justifies.
Rom. 8:34 Who is he who condemns?
It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Rom. 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom. 8:36 As it is written:
"For
Your sake we are killed all day long;
We
are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
Rom. 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him
who loved us.
Rom. 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
Rom. 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Pray
Intro
√ The incredible GIFT of God we have in Christ.
New Life in Christ
Freedom from Law
Hope for the future (redemption)
Assurance of completed work
Motivated by God's LOVE for us!
Ex. Gifts can be given for a variety of reasons:
Obligation (they gave you a gift)
Expectation (it's my birthday!)
Guilt (not spending time with the kids)
Apology (please forgive me!)
Points (with boss, etc…)
The best reason for giving/receiving a gift is….
LOVE
Assurance of His love (vs. 31)
Demonstration of His love (vs. 32)
Reality of His love (vs. 33-34)
Perseverance of His love (vs. 35-39)
The Assurance of God's love (vs. 31)
Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against
us?
"What shall we say to these things"
What
things?
· "No condemnation!"
· "Law's requirements fulfilled" on our behalf! Justified
· Filled with the Holy Spirit!
· "Alive in Christ"
· Promise of Resurrection/Redemption
· "Heirs of God!"
· Sanctified by God
· Glorified!
So then, in light of these things…
"If God is for us---who can be against us?!
"If" = literally "since"
That is -it's not a question - it's a statement of FACT.
"Who can be against us?"
Ap. Put YOUR name in vs. 31
"Since God is for Paul Lester"
"Who can be against me?"
Doesn't leave room for that nagging voice in your head that wants to drag you down does it!
The Demonstration of His love (vs. 32)
Rom. 8:32 He who did not spare His own son, but
delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all
things?
√ There are many ways we can demonstrate our love for another-
but the ULTIMATE
demonstration of love is SACRIFICIAL
Ex. John 15:13
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends"
Romans 5:8
"But
God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us."
The Cross
stands forever as the sure sign that God LOVES YOU!
Paul's point in vs. 32 is that since God actually gave up His son to redeem us from Satan…
…then we can be SURE that He will share everything else with us.
Jesus is God's most PRECIOUS GIFT--since He gave us that which is most precious, surely He will share the things, which were not as precious.
Ex. Hand - restored Ford Cobra vs. beater F150 truck
Ap. God has GIVEN His one and only Son in exchange for your life!
All the rest that God has is obviously yours!
The Reality of His Love (vs. 33-34)
Rom. 8:33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God
who justifies.
Rom. 8:34 Who is he who condemns?
It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
√ Perhaps the most difficult aspect of RECEIVING/EXPERIENCING God's love in my life is that I know I don't deserve it.
I know I'm guilty!
I know I'm a sinner!
Satan likes to remind me!
So, while I find it easy to tell others about God's love--sometimes I find it hard to REALLY believe it's true fro me to.
Ö The point Paul is making in vs. 33 and 34 is that it really doesn't matter how guilty I am…or how valid Satan's accusations against me are!
Why?
Because the JUDGE is on our side!
Vs. 33 Satan's accusations are THROWN out of court because the Judge (God) has already declared us RIGHTEOUS because of our faith in Jesus!
Our PRESENT experience
Vs. 34 What about "The Final Judgment" in heaven?
Covered - Jesus has been granted authority to be the Judge at the end of time.
He already has taken our judgment upon Himself!
Our FUTURE experience
Ap. No double jeopardy in heaven - you're FREE!
Don't have to worry about something catching up!
The Perseverance of God's
love (vs. 35-39)
Rom. 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom. 8:36 As it is written:
"For
Your sake we are killed all day long;
We
are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
Rom. 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him
who loved us.
Rom. 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
Rom. 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ö The depth of one's love can be seen, measured, by what one is willing to overcome to express that love.
Ex. NTM women waiting for their husbands.
Yet, for all their love DEATH now separates them.
Ex. Firemen at the World Trade Center-yet for all their love the flames/collapse of the World Trade Center separated them from fulfilling that love.
What about us? Is God's love able to reach us? Is there any power that can keep God's love from rescuing me?
Ex. To perish-unknown-unfound at the bottom of the sea.
Unknown martyrs who perished at the hands of pagan in remote villages-their story never known-their testimony never told-their grave unmarked.
But! The LOVE OF CHRIST cannot be defeated by anyone or anything!
Paul KNEW by experience that God's love was able to reach him in the most difficult of experience.
Ex. Vs. 35-Paul mentions 7 things, which he had experienced.
Any one of which might tempt me to think
'GOD DOESN'T LOVE ME!"
Ö He quotes Psalm 42 to show that God's word establishes the truth that those God loves-do in fact often suffer for His sake.
SO, How should we look at the obstacles in life, which would seek to KEEP US from God's love?
As "MORE than CONQUERORS"
Literally - "to keep on conquering"
or
"to keep on winning"
Over all that is in the universe.
"Death nor Life' Physical barriers (material realm)
"Angels nor demons" Spiritual powers
"Present nor future" Time domain
"Height nor Depth" Space
and just for good measure Paul says…
"Nor any created thing!"
Shall separate us from God's love!
God's love transcends…..
Time
Space
Material world
Spiritual power
…..to draw us to Himself.
Close
What kind of love is God's love?
Ö A love that SEEKS - Luke 19:10
We're all like lost sheep.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd bringing back the lost
Ö A love that SHINES - Luke 19:10
Once found-He saves us from sin and death.
Ö A love that KEEPS - Rom. 8:35-39
All of creation is helpless to stand between God and His love for us!
Ap. Are you walking in His love this morning?
Christian - do you love others like Jesus loves you? If not, it's an indication that you are not truly experiencing His love.
Non-Christian - Why do you wait?!
You are under judgment until you accept his love.