Lent Means Victory for God's People

Intro: When we think of Lent, probably the first thoughts that comes to mind are of Jesus’ suffering and death. He certainly had to struggle to meet that suffering head on. He met it and overcame it. But Lent is not only about Jesus’ struggle, it’s also about ours. The struggle of life in this world lies before us. It is filled with countless opportunities for suffering, and at the end of the road lies death, waiting to do its worst.

As God’s people, that suffering presents special challenges. It can cause us to question whether Jesus really won his own struggle. It can cause us to question whether that really means anything at all for us. But in the letter to the Romans, Paul shares words of enormous power and comfort. He shows us that Lent Means Victory for God’s People. Why? Because Lent shows us that God is for us, and it shows us that nothing can separate us from his love. We read from Romans 8:31-39:

The New International Version Chapter 8

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” g

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I. God is for us – consider what that means

a. “These things” - Paul wrote about how God chose us from eternity and worked out his purpose in the course of history

Paul starts with a question: What shall we say in response to these things? What things? He’s talking about what he wrote in the verses just prior to our reading, where he talks about how God chose his people from eternity, then worked out that choice through events in human history so that those chosen would also be saved, called to faith, and finally glorified. What God decided from eternity and his carrying out of that decision is proof that God is on our side.

b. The gracious God is on our side

Paul then asks, “If God if for us, who can be against us?” Of course, the answer is no one. Who could possibly oppose the Almighty and his purposes? But to make it even clearer, Paul refers to actual history to show how God acted on our behalf. He refers to Jesus’ sacrifice.

i. He gave his Son for us – Jesus took up our struggle and overcame

In our first lesson, we read about Abraham’s test of faith as God asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Though Abraham seemed ready to do so, in the end God didn’t allow him to go through with it. It was only a test. Yet, the thing he relented on with Abraham, he did not relent from doing himself. God did give up his Son—how he did that is our focus during Lent. Could there be any clearer testimony that God is for us, on our side? He sent his Son to experience all kinds of suffering at the hands of sinful people and Satan himself, and finally to suffer the wrath of God against sin and spend his life as the only payment that remove the guilt of sin from every human heart. If God weren’t on our side, why would he do such a thing? Because he is on our side, he was willing to do whatever it took to bring about salvation for the people he loves.

ii. If he did that, won’t he also give everything he promised to give through his Son?

Since God did the hard thing of sacrificing his Son for us, do you think he would suddenly renege on all the wonderful blessings that he has promised us through his Son? That would be like going through some major effort to get a great gift for someone, and then decide at the last moment that you don’t want to give the gift after all. It wouldn’t make any sense! Paul tells us that God will surely by his grace give us all the things he has promised are ours through Jesus’ life and death. We have a gracious God who keeps on giving.

c. The just God is on our side

He’s also a just God. In verses 33-34 Paul sets up a courtroom scene for us. He asks the question, “Who can bring a charge against us?” Well, a lot of people, you might think. I’ve done plenty wrong! I can bring countless charges against myself! But Paul implies that no one has the right to accuse us of anything. Why? Because of God’s verdict.

i. He has already declared us “not guilty”

You see, he’s already pronounced us “not guilty”. Think for a moment about our court system. You have a defendant on trial with his defense. You have the judge and perhaps a jury. The prosecutor presents his case and the defense present counter arguments, and after all has been heard, the judge or jury renders the verdict. What’s significant here is that whatever the judge or jury decides, that becomes reality for the defendant. The judge may declare “guilty” when in fact the person in question is really innocent, or vice versa. Well, our Judge has declared us not guilty, or justified, even though we are in fact guilty of countless deeds requiring punishment.

1. Because of Christ’s payment for sin with his death

But God isn’t making a mistake with his verdict. He’s not a blubbering fool of a judge who just can’t get the facts right. He is perfectly wise and just. It’s just that the most significant evidence at play is that someone has already paid the price for the crimes we committed. Jesus paid for your sins and mine. They cannot be paid for again. Christ gave his life so that yours and mine would be saved.

2. His resurrection is even stronger evidence for the verdict

Paul goes on to say how we can be sure of this. Yes, Jesus died, but how do we know that God accepted this as payment for our sins? V. 34 - Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Jesus rose from the dead, and this, Paul says, is even stronger evidence than his death that we have been declared innocent in God’s eyes.

ii. Who could overturn his verdict?

1. The one who died and was raised for us now has all the authority and power that is his by right

Then he paints a wonderful picture for us—God’s Son, sitting at the right hand of the Father, wielding all authority in heaven and earth as our Savior,

2. He uses that power and authority to intercede for us

reminding his Father day and night of his life and death in our place, so that there is no chance at all that God could forget or change his mind. Paul impresses on us that this verdict is final. There can be no doubt—God is on our side.

II. Nothing can separate us from his love

So we can feel secure in God’s verdict and know that he is for us, but isn’t there still danger in the struggle we have to endure?

a. We are like sheep to be slaughtered – this is the reality we live everyday

Paul suggests the possibility that maybe we could be separated from the love of Christ.

i. Existence in this sin-corrupted world means facing non-stop danger

After all, there are dangers all around. Paul mentions some—trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword. We could no doubt add to the list. Insert horrible life-circumstance here. There is no end to the possible list of troubles that may find us in this world.

ii. These things are real, and they can produce real crises of faith for us (they lead to death)

We don’t want to minimize the danger these things pose. They can produce real crises of faith for us. Last week we just heard about Elijah. Remember how this happened in his life? He had a crisis of faith, thinking that he was the only believer left in all Israel and everyone was out to kill him (what makes this even more surprising is how this happened right on the heels of the glorious victory on Mt. Carmel!). He just wanted to give up and die. Or remember Abraham in our other reading. Asked to sacrifice his only son, the son through whom God had promised to make him into a great nation, the son through whom God had promised to send the Savior and so save Abraham himself! How he must have struggled on the 3-day journey to the mountain where he would sacrifice Isaac!

There are times in our life when we feel like Elijah and Abraham, like we’re the only left doing what God wants us to do, or like God himself is the cause of all our problems. It certainly feels like we’re just sheep waiting to be slaughtered, like punching bags for a sin-filled world. All of this threatens to tear us away from our God and reject him.

b. There is a deeper, more significant reality

i. Nothing in all creation is stronger than our God

But Paul brings us back to reality and reminds us that nothing can beat our God. God reminded Elijah and Abraham of the same. He told Elijah that he wasn’t the only one left and filled him in on details for his plan to continue extending his kingdom. He showed Abraham that he never breaks his promises when he stopped the knife from coming down on Isaac. Paul brings us back to that same reality—God has a plan that no one can disrupt. God’s promises are unbreakable. We are and will forever remain his people.

ii. We more than conquer any and all opposition through him who loved us

So Paul comes to the conclusion that these things cannot separate us from Christ’s love. Why not? Because Jesus simply won’t allow it. He has conquered them all. By his victory, we are also victorious. And notice—Paul says the battle isn’t even close. We are “more than conquerors” he says (not more in the sense of “we’re conquerors and something else too” but we conquer by a long shot). These things had no chance!

1. Notice Paul doesn’t say these things will go away (not yet, anyway)

When suffering comes our way, it often doesn’t feel that way, does it? We should note that Paul doesn’t say our conquering through Jesus means these things will go away. He doesn’t say that at all. He acknowledges the presence of all these things. They’re going to be around for as long as this world is.

2. Instead, he says that these things can’t affect Jesus’ love for us

But, they have no power to harm our reality. What reality is that again? That we have a Savior who loves us. That he rules over all. That he has a plan that started before time began and was implemented in history, a plan that has succeeded in every way up to this present day. That because of him, we have been declared innocent of all sin in God’s sight. That he’s going to make good on all his promises to us. And that nothing in all the world, physical or spiritual, good or evil, can change that reality.

So, during this Lenten season, remember that Lent doesn’t only mean Jesus struggled and suffered, remember also that it means he won. And if Lent means Jesus’ victory, Lent also means victory for God’s people! Ask your Savior, then, to help you overcome in your own struggles to firmly believe in the new reality in which he has placed you and in which he will keep you, forever. Amen.