Did You Mean It When You Said It
God Meant It.
Romans 8:35-39
Given the right situation, a person will say anything. Placed in the right atmosphere a person will promise you they will die for you. A person in jail will promise the Lord they will change if He just get them out. A child when getting a whipping cries, “Momma I’ll be good from now on.” When a couple walks down the isle they promise before God & man for better or for worse, till death do us part. Yet the question is did they mean it when they said it.
You see as soon as the one gets out of jail he forgets all about the promise he made to the Lord. As soon as the whips stop stinging the child is right back at it, as soon as that marriage hit a rough spot, somebody is ready to run to divorce court.
Ye man will promise you anything then turn right around & do just the opposite. Somebody here today, promised the Lord they would be faithful over the little things, but I want to know… did you mean it when you said it. I’m so glad God is not like man. I’m so glad His ways are not our ways. I’m so glad God meant every thing He said.
Paul was not writing to just the church at Rome, for in chapter 1:7 he says, “To all that be at Rome, to the beloved of God, to those that are called to be saints. This word from God is not just for those of us here at Bethlehem, but if there be any visitors, any friends this is a word for you as well.
This text deals with the faithfulness of God. It reassures us that now that we have been redeemed our salvation is secure in Christ Jesus. . In verse 32 Paul proves that God is faithful. Paul says that God gave us his only begotten son Jesus. Then Jesus turned around & faithfully did the father’s will. Jesus is all about being faithful. Matter of fact he said, “Not my will but thine be done.” When God the son, told God the father, “Prepare me a body &I will go down & redeem man unto us, He meant it.
It was no accident Jesus was born in a stable, laid in a manger, wrapped in swaddling cloth. It was no accident that they whipped Him all night long. It was no accident He went to Calvary, hung, bleed & died. Because he promised the father that that was what he would do.
The bible says in Hebrews 10:23, He is faithful that promised. Because he is faithful Paul goes on to encourage us to hold on the faith that we profess to have. Since I know the word of God to be true, I know it was no accident that he was despised & rejected, a man of sorrow & acquainted with all our grieves.
Whatever God says, whatever God does, that is what he meant. And since He meant it, “By his strips we are healed.” Yes God is faithful & all His promises are “Yea & Amen.” For the bible says, “ God is not a man that He should, nor the son of man that He should repent.”
Jesus would not & will not let anything, (I said anything) separate us from His love. On the other hand how faithful are you? Somebody here said, “For God I’ll live &for God I’ll die,” but did you mean it when you said it.
I don’t want you to answer to fast now. For the simple fact that life has a way of testing that statement, Satan want to test your faithfulness. The moment you said, “Yes Lord,” the moment you said I do, Satan said you won’t & he has set out to prove that you simply spoke with your mouth & not with your heart.
Somebody here today may be going through some rough times, & because of what you are going through today you may be wondering if God is still on your side. God says to you today, “I have not left you & I never will.” I want to remind you today that no power in heaven above nor earth below can separate you from God’s love. I’m not talking about your love for God, but His love for you.
Man’s love is predicated on what he can get out of it. Children why do you love your parents? Husband’s why do you love your wives? Wives why do you love your husbands? If you were honest with yourself it’s because of what they do for you in one-way or another. If you were real with me, I will be real with you. We wouldn’t even love God if there was not something in it for us. What did john say in 1st John 4:19, “We love Him because He first loved us,”
You see there are some things in this life that can make Christians fall out of love with folks. Why else would the divorce rate in our country be the highest amongst believers than none believers. When God loves you, He loves you & nothing can separate you from that love so you can rest easy knowing that come hell or high water God will always love you.
You may stop loving Him, but he will never ever, ever stop loving you. God’s love is agape love. As long as you give me what I want, I love you. God’s love is not shown in doing what we desire Him to do, but His love is shown in doing what He knows we need done.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Not because we wanted Him to but because He knew that was what we need. Before we can truly love God, we must first recognize His love for us. For only God loves is unconditional. When God said He loved you, He meant it I don’t know about you but I sleep better at night knowing that no matter what, God loves me.
So here in our text Paul ended his discussion on the believers’ safety in Jesus Christ & the certainty of their sanctification with a positive declaration—For I am convinced “I stand convinced” that nothing can separate believers (why don’t you put your name in there) from the love of God. God’s love for you not your love for God.
Paul list 10 things begins with death, this list picks up where verse 35 leaves off. These elements these situations in God’s universe include the internal & external extremes of life: (1) death & life. We all have to die, that’s a fact. But the good news is that death can’t separate up from the Love of God.
I know the bible says, we all have sinned & the wages of sin is death. But I read in another place that Jesus has already taken the sting out of death. The grave has no more victory. 2nd Corinthians 5:8&9 Paul says, “To be absent from the body & present with the Lord. What Paul is saying here is in whether alive or dead we as believers are in God’s presence.
In another place the psalmist said, where shall I go from this spirit, or where shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven thou are there. If I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning & dwell in the uttermost part of the sea…even there. When God said he would never leave you nor forsake you, He meant it!
Then he goes further & says there are something outside of ourselves that wants to separate us from God, the created things of this world, angels & demons. Angels won’t matter of fact the bible says the angels rejoice over one sinner that comes to repentance. Demons can’t, because we don’t belong to them. I heard the Lord say, “All souls are mine.” We are God’s property & nothing will separate us from His love.
Not even the extremes of time can separate us from God’s love. The present & the future. There is nothing that you will face today that will make God stop loving you. There is nothing you will do today that will stop God from loving you.
You may have great plans for the future, but none of us know what we will do when we leave here today. Yet God knows what you will do & whom you will do it with, but no matter the future hold for you & I, it cannot separate us from God’s love. I want to you to leave here assured today that nothing can separate you from the Love of God.
Young people listen up! As you grow into adult hood as you become young adults there are some things that you are going to do that will not please God. You may go some places do some things that you know in your heart is not right. When that happens, not if that happens repent & do it in a hurry. Here’s the reason why.
Satan wants you to feel like God has turned his back on you. He wants you to feel like you cannot go to God in prayer. He will say to you in your mind you might as well kill yourself. But Satan is a liar & the father of it. The bible says, in 1st John 1:9, “if I confess my sins that God is faithful & just to forgive me & cleanse me from all unrighteousness.” Don’t let nobody tell you that God don’t love you.
Then Paul talks about the spiritual enemies: powers & principalities did you not know that we wrestle not against flesh & blood, but against principalities against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places.
Somebody may do you wrong, maybe mother, father sister or brother, but remember it’s not the person, but it is the evil spirit that is within them. Yet no matter what they do, no matter what they say remember you are a child of the King.
Then there are the extremes of space, height & depth nothing overhead or underneath can suddenly come swooping down or up to snatch you out of God’s care. Somebody told me, He got the whole world in His hand. So you see there is absolutely nothing in God’s created universe that can change God’s purpose for your live. Matter of fact Paul said all things work. Somebody ought to be excited about this! What a way to celebrate the certainty of salvation.
As I hurry along God says to you today, in order to remain faithful you got to understand why you go through (I said through) what you go through. Number one: God does not shelter us from the difficulties of this life. Matter of fact Jesus said, “In this world you shall have tribulation,” but that is no reason to turn around now. For Jesus went on to say, “Be of good cheer, for I have already over come the world.”
Somebody said, that sounds good preacher, but what should I do when it’s raining pain in my life, what should I do when not matter how hard I try it seems like it’s one problem after another. What do I do when old man death comes to visit my family and me? I’m glad you asked. Paul says in Romans 5:3-5, that we are to “Glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, & patience experience & experience hope.”
You see every trial has a purpose. No matter what it may be, sickness or disease, poverty or problems, not matter what the trial, no matter what the test, the bible says in Romans 8:28,”All things work together for the good of those that love God & are called according to His purpose.” So I want to know, “Did you mean it when you said it, or has life made you weak.
If you are going to be faithful there is something else to keep in mind… IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU! Notice what the word says in verse 36, “For THY, not my sake we are killed all the day long. Paul said in another place, “It’s no longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me.”
When Jesus went to Calvary, it wasn’t about Him. For I heard Jesus say just the other day, “Not my will but thine be done.” When Job went through his test he realized that it was not about him, matter of fact Job was so faithful, Job was so persuaded, I heard him say, “Tho He slay me, yet will I trust him.”
It’s not about how bad people treat you. It’s not about problems you have in your life. When you said, “I will bless the Lord at all times, did you mean it?” you see if we are faithful to God, God will, I said God will be faithful to us, even when death makes a house call. Somebody tell me, did you mean it when you said it?
If you are convinced, if you are trusting God, you can say, “Old death where is your sting, old grave where is your victory.” If you meant it when you said it, then like Job you can say, “I know that my Redeemer lives & that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though my skin worms destroy, this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for myself.”
You see Sometimes life can get so rough until you may feel like old man Job, &Satan will come around & whisper in your ear, “Why don’t you curse God & die.” But somebody ought to be persuaded in here. When your health is failing are you persuaded? When your family has turned their back on you, are you persuaded?
When you got more bills then you got money, I want to know, are you persuaded. I want to know did you mean it when you said it. There will come a time in all our lives when the rubber must hit the road, when our faithfulness to God will be put to the test. You see Satan temps us to destroy us, God test us to prove us.
I knew you would believe me. Come here Abraham. You know Abraham had a son names Isaac, and the Lord tested Abraham’s faithfulness to him. Abraham at the voice of God took his son of promise up to the mountain to offer him up as a sacrifice unto God. The lad said to Abraham, “Father I see the wood and I see the fire, but where is the lamb?” Abraham had faith in God. So he told the lad, “God will provide.”
I don’t know about you today, but I am persuaded, I am convinced, I am trusting in the Lord. Because He loves me, & I love Him… I can’t be bought, because Jesus already paid for me. So I won’t compromise, I won’t be detoured, I won’t be lured away.
You see I have come to far to turn around, Satan may try to detour me, but I am persuaded, I won’t faint in the face of frustration. I won’t ponder at the pool of popularity. I won’t give up and I won’t give in. I won’t shut up, let up, or dry up until I have prayed up, praised up & spoke up for the Lord.
Our victory is complete in Christ Jesus. We cannot be separated from His love. No condemnation! No obligation! No frustration! No separation! If God be for us, who can be against us! Yea when Jesus said come unto me all you that are weary & heavy laden & I will give you rest, he meant it.
When Jesus said come let us reason together, though your sins be scarlet, I will wash you & make them whiter than snow he meant it. When Jesus said he who comes to me I will in no wise cast him out he meant it. When Jesus said lo, I’ll be with you until the end of the earth, he meant it.
Let trouble come, God loves you! Let hard times rain, God loves you! Not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture can separate us from God’s love toward us.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us & God’s love.
When He came down through 42 generations, He meant it. When He got off in a little town called Bethlehem, He meant it, when He was lead from judgment hall to judgment hall, He meant it.
When He went to Calvary, I said when He went to Calvary He meant it, When He told the thief on the cross, “Surly, Surly this day you shall be with me in paradise. God meant it. When He said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do,” He meant it.
The One who died for us—who was who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. There is nothing that can & nobody that drive a wedge between us & Christ’s love for us? There is no way!