Victorious Through Love

Intro

Saint Augustine, one of the great African fathers of the faith, once said: “God loves each of us, as if there was only one of us”. Which is to simply say, that God has a special kind of love for all His children. Romans chapter 8 masterfully defines and describes the love God has for us, through Christ Jesus.

In verse 31-39, Paul reveals that it is this love, which makes us victorious in this life and the next. Victory. Isn’t that a promising truth to cling to in the midst of so much turmoil? What an encouragement to the human soul and identity, to know that even against the seas of adversity, we have victory.

A victory that cannot fade

A victory no one can take away

A victory that has been won on our behalf, by the love of God through Christ.

In v31, Paul begins by lending to us:

The Vocabulary of Victory (31)

And within this vocabulary of victory, we have a Puzzling Proposal followed by a Powerful Proposition. In verse 31, Paul answers his own question with a question. The initial question comes in the form of a Puzzling Proposal:

“What then, shall we say to these things”.

What words can we muster. What paragraphs can we put together to give response to these things? It’s a puzzling proposal, because what do we say to these things?

The “these things” mentioned in v 31 is a direct reference of what Paul talks about in v 18-30. V 18-30, chronicles how God transforms our suffering into glory. Here are the these things highlights of v 18-30.

We’ve been delivered from bondage & corruption (21)

● We have the 1st fruits of the spirit (23)

● We have the promise of the redemption of our bodies (v23)

● We have help in times of weakness (26)

● All things are working together for our good (28)

● We’ve been predestined to be like Jesus (29)

● We’re called, justified and will be glorified (30)

In light of versus 18-30, Paul asks, what shall we say to these things?

Paul then quickly shelves his puzzling proposal and extends a Powerful Proposition. What do we say?

“If God is for us, who can be against us?

This is our vocabulary of victory; God is for us! Paul says this is all the vocabulary of victory we need, God is for us.

● When sickness shows up -

● If COVID shows up

● Through the highs and lows of our existence

This vocabulary of victory lifts the spirits of the broken and renews the confidence of the despondent.

One day a dark cloud of despair hung over the whole Abolition movement. One day Freddrick Douglass, one of the leaders of the movement, was speaking to great crowd when it seemed as though the troubles of racism and white supremacy would triumph over freedom. As Freddrick Douglass stood before the crowd, he spoke with doubt and despairing words about the future of the movement and the end of slavery. But suddenly, a black woman stood up in the front row! Her name was Sojourner Truth. She pointed towards Douglass and cried: “Freddrick is God dead?” Is God dead Freddrick?

Dearly beloved, God's not dead! He’s still alive. We don’t have a vocabulary of defeat. We have a vocabulary of victory!

The Vision of Victory (32-34)

Paul gives us a vision of what God is doing, while on our side.

V32 He Assigns Provisions (Victory over Scarcity) - Here Paul tells us that we build our faith on what God can give, based on what He gave at Calvary.

If he gave his Son for our sins -

He’ll give us strength in times of weakness

He’ll give us sanity for our confusion

He’ll give us peace in the face of chaos He Assigns Provisions!

V33: He Aquits The Penalized - (Victory over Sin)( Read) Justified- God has dropped every charge against us through the love of Christ for us.

But you won’t appreciate the acquittal of the penalized until you see the next part of the vision in verse 34, where He:

Absolves the Pardoned (read)

In verse 33 he asks, who can bring charges?

In verse 34 he asks who can condemn?

In verse 33 he renounces the charges

In verse 34 he removes the condemnation

You know how presidential pardons work. Once the president pardons you, the charges are dropped and the sentence is expelled. But God goes a step further than the president. Not only does he pardon, but through the blood of Jesus he absolves us of all guilt.

He aquits the penalized, that's victory over sin. But when he absolves the pardoned, that's victory over satan! Because we’ve been washed in the blood of the Lamb!

He Assigns Provisions

He Aquits the Penalized

He Absolves the Pardoned

B-clause of v34 says He Appeals for His People (Victory in the Spirit) Read-

In difficult moments of life, we have an intercessor! Only reason we have victory in difficult moments on earth is because somebody is fighting for our victory in the heavens!

● It aint big mama

● It’s not an ancestor

● Its Jesus praying and pushing us through!

Shout Victory!

The Villain of Victory (35-36)

Oh, whenever God’s children are experiencing the joy of the Lord, the villain is always up to something. Although, satan the villian, has been defeated. He’s always looking for footholds in our lives. He’s constantly seeking access to annihilate the adopted.

V35- The Villain wants to Separate us from the love of the Lord (read)

He wants to use:

Tribulation & Distress - Hardship

Persecution - Hostility

Famine - Hunger

Nakedness - Humiliation

Danger & Sword - Havoc

Not only does the Villian want to separate us from the love of the Lord in v 35

But he wants to Slaughter us from the Land of the living in v 36 (read)

Paul’s point in these 2 verses is that God’s love for us doesn’t release us from the reality of earthly devastation! We will:

Experience hardship

Sojourn through the valley of uncertainty

Be troubled on every side

Make frequent trips to the store front of the slain

Oh, but we don’t have to become slaves to the Villian of victory who brings Terror. Because we have the Victor of Victory who brings Triumph!

V37-39 tells us, we have a CHAMPION. A VICTOR! Who gives us the Victory!

Here’s what Paul says about the Victor of Victory:

We are ENABLED to conquer through His Love (37)

A. We can't be DEFEATED

Flesh, negativity, political agendas, structures of injustice, obstacles, things outside of our control can't defeat us. Because we’re enabled to Conquer. To be more than Conquerors through HIS LOVE.

We are ETERNALLY connected to HIS LOVE. (38)

B. We can’t be DETACHED (READ)

It can’t separate us. It can't defeat us. It can’t detach us. WE ARE VICTORIOUS THROUGH HIS LOVE

JESUS LOVE ME THIS I KNOW...

THE SONG WRITER SAID: LIVING HE LOVED ME…

SOMEBODY SHOUT I GOT THE VICTORY!

WALK, TALK, LOVE, LIVE

BE NOT DISMAYED…