God is for us!

We have been preaching and teaching on Sundays and Wednesdays about sharing our testimonies. Here’s a testimony of one whom God is transforming.

Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” - God is for us!

There is nothing in this world that is as precious as the love of God. God's love is unrestricted; unlimited; unmeasurable. God's love is not accidental; it is not limited by skin tone and social class; it is not constrained by bank accounts and tax brackets. God’s love flies skies without wings; handles seas without a helm; unlocks doors without keys. God's love is never conditional, never random, never bargained, never careless.

You won't find this kind of love everywhere. Many have tried to find it in … money, drugs, people, gov’t, positions of power, things. You won’t find it there.

But there is a love that conquers a world full of counterfeit love. That love is the love of God. God’s love for all humankind is a perpetual, plentiful, permanent love. It is a love that lingers in our liabilities; captures us in our convoluted conduct. This kind of love won't leave you like you were. It is a love that proves to us over and over again that God is for us. No wonder they taught us to sing, “yes Jesus loves me this I know.”

Yes, he loves me; yes, he cares; yes, he gives; yes, he forgives; yes, he soothes sorrow; yes he heals wounded hearts; yes he saves sinners; yes he sanctifies hearts; yes he secures us until the day of redemption; yes he satisfies our souls; yes, Jesus loves me.

This is echoed in the passage before us authored by the apostle Paul and who desired to enlighten the understanding of the Christian doctrine to Christians in the ancient city of Rome that God is For Us. And Paul says to us in two words, that we have the evidence to prove it. With these opening words “we know,” the term comes from the Greek word “eido’” which means to see. In other words, “we know” because we have “seen” God at work. So, Paul opens this section with “we know.” We see God's personality, performance, pity, and prosperity shown towards us. We know he's a helper; we know he's a sustainer; we know he's a keeper; we know he's a deliverer; we know he's a guide; we know he's good; we know he's a companion; we know he's a comforter, we know he's a lifter of our heads; we know he's a fixer of our brokenness; we know he's a mender of our wounded spirits. We see Him working things out for our good and His glory.

Thank God that He is For Us. He's with you when you're up and he's with you when you're down; he's with you when you're good he's with you when you're bad; he's with you when you're right he's with you when you're wrong; he's with you in good times he's with you in bad times; he's with you in death and life. God is For Us.

But the real question before us today is how do we come to the knowledge of “we know?” There are, in the text before us, some hints to highlight which gives us a bit more insight as to how we become so confident in the fact that God is for us.

Whatever it is that has happened to you in your life. It's in verse 28 “for we know that all things work together for good for those who love the lord.” Apostle Paul therefore in this passage references the situation of the saint in the savior. He indicated any scenario of events in the life of the saint is coordinated for our good. That is since Christ’s death on Calvary since his resurrection from the grave since his conquering of death hell and the grave since his victory over sin and Satan and therefore since his meeting the demand of the moral law of God conclude that whatever comes our way is coordinated for our good. It may have hurt; it may have broken some hearts; it may have affected you emotionally; it may have caused some uncomfortable situations, but God coordinated it for our good. Whether it was slavery in Egypt or an overnight stay in a lion's den, God coordinated it for our good. Whether it was a short stint in a fiery furnace in Babylon, God coordinated it for our good. Whether it was slavery and oppression in America in the pitiful pockets of our world, God coordinated it for our good.‌

How many of you know God can bring light out of darkness; joy out of sorrow; life out of death; good out of bad; God coordinated it for our good. Why? Because God is for us.

Then the text reads “all things.” Somebody holla, “all things.” “All things;” then verse 29 “to be conformed to the image of His Son.” So, “all things;” good and bad bright and dark sweet and bitter; “all things” easy and hard happy and sad prosperity and poverty; “all things” health and sickness calm and storm comfort and suffering life and death are working together to conform us into the likeness of Christ. Joseph Fitz Meyer in his commentary on Romans asserts that all such factors in the Christian life are brought into harmony for those who love God because they are all elements of God's ultimate plan of salvation. RH Mounts in his commentary on Romans declares that for those who love the Lord their outcome is always for their benefit. I need to hear somebody shout it was for my own good. They are for the shaping us into the likeness of Christ. The process of transformation from sinner to saint warrants uncommon but supernatural circumstances; to shape our spirit; to harness our habits; to trim our temperament; to defeat our devilishness; and conform us into the likeness of Christ. The Lord has to send us through some things to help us look like Jesus. And biblical history has recorded the moves of God's providence as it worked through uncommon but supernatural circumstances to turn people towards God and his agenda.

It took a burning bush for Moses; it took a strip of fleece for Gideon; it took a horn of oil for David; it took dreams for Samuel; it took a rooster for peter; it took a sunstroke for Paul; it took a God to prophet interview with Jeremiah; it took a promiscuous wife for Hosea; it took a fish for Jonah; it took darkness at the foot of Calvary for a Roman soldier. Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. God is for us, and we know because all things are coordinated for our good to conform us into the likeness of Christ.

But finally, His greatest gift was that he provided for our salvation through his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Look at what it says in verse 32, “who did not spare His own Son.” And since God gave us Jesus we should be assured today that God is for us and that He will not withhold from us any good thing. God gave us His Son Jesus; this is the Lily of the Valley; this is the Bright and Morning Star; this is the Healer of all nations; this is the Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace that we're talking about here. And since God will not keep his son from us Paul proclaims he will give us all things just because we believe. I know you're a believer because you wouldn't have gotten this far if you were not a believer. Mark 9:23 “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

AT&T Switchover - He coordinated all things for our good, to conform us into the likeness of Christ, by providing for our salvation. What more can He do? I’m done when I tell you; verse 33 says who will bring anything in a charge against God's elect it is God who justifies; verse 34 who is it that will condemn us it is Jesus Christ who died for us who was raised who is at the right hand of God and who now intercedes for us. Verse 34 implies the first bonus, that he has assured our righteousness. That is, we are justified. The second bonus is that we have an arbitrator for our affairs. God acknowledged that we have a mediator Jesus Christ who intercedes for us when we make mistakes. Thirdly we have the assurance of our attachment to him. How do you know? Look at verse 35; who can separate us from the love of God? Hardship can't do it; distress can't do it; persecution can't do it; famine can't do it; nakedness can't do it; peril can't do it; no kind of human contaminants can do it; none of these things can separate us from the love of God. Should I keep reading? Verse 38, death can't do it; life can't do it; angels can't do it; rulers can't do it; things present can't do it; nor things to come can do it; nor powers that be can do it. Should I keep reading? Check out verse 39, I can't do it; death can't do it; and anything and all of creation can’t do it. My brothers and sisters none of these things will be able to separate us from the love of God. Right, he still loves me; wrong he still loves me; good he still loved me; bad he still loved me; wrong track he still love me. These are the bonuses we have just by believing in Jesus and that God is for us.

Whatever it is the God I serve will stick by your side. He walks with me he talks with me and he tells me I am his owner and the joy we share as we tarry there none other has ever known.