God Assures Deliverance(Freedom) from Struggling and Suffering

Scriptural Text:

PROVIDENCE

AN old authority assures us that “the Jews fancy, concerning the cloud that conducted Israel through the wilderness, that it did not only show them the way, but also plane it; that it did not only lead them in the way which they must go, but also fit the way for them to go upon it; that it cleared all the mountains and smoothed all the rocks; that it cleared all the bushes and removed all the rubs.”

Feathers for Arrows Providence

PROVIDENCE

AN old authority assures us that “the Jews fancy, concerning the cloud that conducted Israel through the wilderness, that it did not only show them the way, but also plane it; that it did not only lead them in the way which they must go, but also fit the way for them to go upon it; that it cleared all the mountains and smoothed all the rocks; that it cleared all the bushes and removed all the rubs.”

What is probably a mere legend as to the type is abundantly true of the providence of God, which it so accurately represents. Our gracious God not only leads us in the way of mercy, but he prepares our path before us, providing for all our wants even before they occur.

What is probably a mere legend as to the type is abundantly true of the providence of God, which it so accurately represents. Our gracious God not only leads us in the way of mercy, but he prepares our path before us, providing for all our wants even before they occur.

The glorious message of Romans is that God assures deliverance (freedom) from struggling and suffering—through Christ. This is the whole point of all that has been written before. Man desperately struggles against the pressures and forces both within himself and alien to himself. He struggles against the weight and discouragement of trials; against the pollution and corruption of life; against the relentless accusations and bombardments of conscience and law; against the pain and decay of his body; against the striking fear and hopelessness of an eternal judgment hereafter. He struggles against the unknown and against pain, hurt, sorrow, loneliness, alienation, aging, death, and hell (cp. ). And somehow, through his suffering and struggle throughout life, he feels that his suffering and struggling are due to a wrong relationship with God. Therefore, man views his many problems as really being one supreme problem: how to get right with God. If he can establish the right relationship with God, he feels sure God will help him through his trials and take care of his future hereafter. This is the very message of Romans. Man needs to get right with God, for he is under the condemnation and wrath of God (). Man needs a right relationship with God; he needs to be justified, that is, declared righteous by God (). Man needs to be freed from the struggle of sin, for sin corrupts and leads to death (). Man needs to be freed from the bondage of law (spiritual legalism); for the law enslaves, accuses, condemns, and strikes hopelessness within the heart ().

the glorious message of Romans is that God assures deliverance (freedom) from struggling and suffering—through Christ. This is the whole point of all that has been written before. Man desperately struggles against the pressures and forces both within himself and alien to himself. He struggles against the weight and discouragement of trials; against the pollution and corruption of life; against the relentless accusations and bombardments of conscience and law; against the pain and decay of his body; against the striking fear and hopelessness of an eternal judgment hereafter. He struggles against the unknown and against pain, hurt, sorrow, loneliness, alienation, aging, death, and hell (cp. ). And somehow, through his suffering and struggle throughout life, he feels that his suffering and struggling are due to a wrong relationship with God. Therefore, man views his many problems as really being one supreme problem: how to get right with God. If he can establish the right relationship with God, he feels sure God will help him through his trials and take care of his future hereafter. This is the very message of Romans. Man needs to get right with God, for he is under the condemnation and wrath of God (). Man needs a right relationship with God; he needs to be justified, that is, declared righteous by God (). Man needs to be freed from the struggle of sin, for sin corrupts and leads to death (). Man needs to be freed from the bondage of law (spiritual legalism); for the law enslaves, accuses, condemns, and strikes hopelessness within the heart ().

"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (). "I thank God [that] Jesus Christ our Lord" shall free me from struggling and suffering (; cp. ).

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

Those who love God and are called by Him will definitely be freed from the bondages and corruptions of this life and ushered into glory. God assures this. Nothing, absolutely nothing, shall prevent God's settled plan and purpose from coming about in the life of the believer. Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

1. Assurance 1: God works things out for those who love Him (v.28).

The believer's position and behavior are both involved in the call of God. ⇒ Positionally, God chooses the believer by setting him apart through the Holy Spirit and through belief of the truth. "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (). ⇒ In behavior, God calls the believer to a life of purity and holiness. "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness" ().

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (). "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all" (). "Fear thou not; For I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (). Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

2. Assurance 2: God has determined to fulfill His purpose for the believer (v.29).

"Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world" ().

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" ().

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will" (). "According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom [Christ] we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him" (). Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

3. Assurance 3: God has set the glorification of the believer—once-for-all (v.30).

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (). "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (). "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (). "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (). "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (). "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" ().

"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" (). "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (). "[That ye may know] what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (). Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

4. Assurance 4: God has acted for the believer, not against him (v.31-33).

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" () "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (). "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" (). "Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father" (). "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" ().

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?...But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (, ). "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (). "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (). Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (). Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

5. Assurance 5: Christ does not condemn the believer (v.34).

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?...But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (, ). "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (). "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows" (). "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (). Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

6. Assurance 6: Christ protects the believer from the severest circumstances (v.35-37).

⇒ Christ meets all the material necessities of life. "Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?...But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (, ). ⇒ Christ gives us rest. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (). ⇒ Christ gives us peace. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (). "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (). ⇒ Christ provides an escape from temptation. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (). ⇒ Christ comforts us through all trials. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (). ⇒ Christ supplies all our needs.

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

7. Assurance 7: Christ protects the believer from the most extreme experiences and forces (v.38-39).

⇒ Not death: confronting death and leaving this world cannot separate us from Christ and His love (). ⇒ Not life: no trial or pleasure or comfort of life, not any person nor any thing in this life can separate us from Christ and His love. ⇒ Not angels, principalities, or powers: no heavenly or spiritual creature, no being from any other dimension can separate us from Christ and His love. ⇒ Not any thing present or any thing to come: neither present events, beings or things, nor future events, beings, or things—absolutely nothing in existence or any thing in future existence—can cut us off from Christ and His love. ⇒ Not height or depth: nothing from outer space or from the depths of the earth can separate us from Christ and His love. Note the grand finale: if there be any other creature than the ones named, that creature cannot separate us from "the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing" (). "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" (). "At that day [after Jesus' ascension] ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God" (). "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (). "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)" (). "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not" (). Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.

Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Romans.