Encouragement part 2 - Romans 8:31-39
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Encouragement for Believers
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:26-39, I see four incredible truths within our relationship with God that is a great comfort for believers and gives great confidence in our lives in this world.
Holy Spirit Helps us in our weakness (26-27)
God works all things for the Good. (28-30)
God graciously gives all things needed. (31-34)
Nothing can separate us from God’s love. (35-39)
Live in security in our relationship with God in this time of suffering awaiting glory.
God is for us (31)
God is for us (31)
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
“These things...”
What has been said previous. (ch 8)
“If...”
“Conditional Statement (First Class) - This construction consists of ει followed by a verb within the indicative mood in the protasis with an apodosis containing a verb in any mood and any tense. It provides a semantic value of either “simple condition” or “assumed true for the sake of argument.” (Greek Grammatical Constructions Documentation.)
“God is for us, who can be against us?”
God is for us
Great comfort for those with God. (defensive - Shield, refuge, strong tower)(Offensive - deliverer, king)
Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
Holy Spirit given to us.
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
We are living in a peaceful relationship with God.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Christ died for us (32)
Christ died for us (32)
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
“Did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all...”
Look at what God has done
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
God gave his Son to provide salvation and demonstrate His love
“how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
Graciously give - to give graciously v. — to give something as a sign of one’s beneficent goodwill toward someone. (Sense)
Jesus in the “Sermon on the Mound”
Do not Worry (Matt 6:25-34)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Jesus used this same argument when He tried to convince people that it was foolish to worry and fear. God cares for the birds and sheep, and even for the lilies; surely He will care for you! God is dealing with His own on the basis of Calvary grace, not on the basis of Law. God freely gives all things to His own!” (Wiersbe, Warren W.)
God has justified us (33-34a)
God has justified us (33-34a)
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Questions
“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?” (33), “Who is to condemn?” (34)
Charge - to accuse v. — to bring an accusation or level a charge against, whether in a legal or ordinary social setting; perhaps with an emphasis also on the adversarial relationship involved. (Sense)
Condemn - to condemn (declare guilty) v. — to pronounce guilt and a punitive sentence on someone in a legal context. (Sense)
Answer: No one.
Condemn pointing back to vs 1.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Judicial language also points the final judgment.
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
Why: God justifies through Jesus
God justifies (3:21-5:25)
Jesus died and rose again.
“Understanding the meaning of justification brings peace to our hearts. When God declares the believing sinner righteous in Christ, that declaration never changes. Our Christian experience changes from day to day, but justification never changes. We may accuse ourselves, and men may accuse us; but God will never take us to court and accuse us. Jesus has already paid the penalty and we are secure in Him.” (Wiersbe, Warren W.)
He is seated on the right hand of the Father
Right hand - place of honor ⇔ right n. — a position of great status; conceived of as being to the right of an honorable person (such as a king). (Sense)
The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Christ intercedes for us (34b)
Christ intercedes for us (34b)
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Intercedes
to intercede (petition) v. — to petition someone in authority (like God) in behalf of someone else. (Sense)
Jesus and the Spirit intercedes.
And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Jesus intercedes for sin.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Jesus is our great high Priest
Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
God Loves us (35-39)
God Loves us (35-39)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Question
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
List of suffering.
“Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”
Tribulation - “trouble involving direct suffering” (Louw-Nida)
Distress - “a set of difficult circumstances, implying certain restrictions” (Louw-Nida)
Persecution - “to “persecution” that comes upon a new “convert,” causing him to fall away from the faith.” (EDBW)
Sword - “death by violence or execution” (Louw-Nida)
Quote - Psalm 44:22
Sufferings in life from situations around us (famine, nakedness, dangers). Also, sufferings against us by others. (tribulation, distress, persecution, sword)
Will any of these thing cause God to no longer love us? NO.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
More than conquerors
to defeat surpassingly v. — to utterly defeat beyond the norm. (Sense)
“literally, “we are superconquerors”” (Wiersbe, Warren W.)
“If more than simple emphasis is intended, perhaps Paul wants to emphasize that believers not only “conquer” such adversities; under the providential hand of God, they even work toward our “good” (v. 28). But the victory is not ours, for it is only “through the one who loved us” that it happens.” (Moo, Douglas J.)
Extended list
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Terms
death and life - What they are.
Angels - angel n. — a supernatural being created by God to serve Him; often functions as a messenger. (Sense)
Rulers - “an authority figure who initiates activity or process, ruler, authority —Also of angelic or transcendent powers, since they were thought of as having a political organization” (BDAG)
Things present or future - Situation happening now or future. Could be addressing present time and future glory.
Powers - ruler ⇔ power n. — any influential, governing authority understood in terms of physical strength; including both human and preternatural authorities. (Sense)
Height nor depth - Heaven or hell
All creation - all things created by God
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
“Nothing in the course of time, nor in the expanses of space, nothing in the whole universe can sever the children of God from their Father’s love, secured to them in Christ.” (Bruce, F. F.)
Takeaways
Takeaways
Sanctification
Grace is not a license to Sin, but a license to live for and with God.
Godly living is not through legalistically obeying the Law.
Godly living is through living in accordance to the Spirit with our minds set on the Spirit.
Living out our lives in this World with Sin
Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.
God will work all things out for our good because God is faithful.
God will give us what we need.
Nothing will ever separate us from the Love of God through Jesus.