God Answers the Most Important Questions
Romans 8 • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 10 viewsNotes
Transcript
A Psalm of Paul
A Doxology of Glorious Praise
Romans 8 begins with no condemnation and ends with no separation. In Romans 8 we see that we are spiritually dead, morally dead, and mentally dead to the life that could be ours through Jesus Christ. We are completely unable to please God.
The Holy Spirit however, has opened our minds by making us born again. It is this work of the Spirit that gives us faith, what we might call the opening of our eyes to the truth of God - his holiness and our great sinfulness. By being born from above by the Holy Spirit our minds our now set on the things of the Spirit and we now have new life and peace with God. Even though we still struggle in a sinful world we are now in union with Christ and through the Spirit Jesus is transforming us each and every day.
Those who have experienced the life changing work of the Holy Spirit are fully aware of imperfections and struggles. In Romans 8 Paul wants us to also know that we are children of God. In the midst of struggles we know that there is a future glory awaiting us. And as we wait for the return of Christ we are comforted by the Holy Spirit who helps us in our weaknesses and who is praying for us and asking the Father to finish his perfect work in us.
What God started in eternity past he is continuing to do right now in your life and he will continue to do this until we are with him in eternity.
And now Paul says this:
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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? 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. 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.
Let’s turn to Psalm 15 for one moment:
O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
Notice how the writing of the Psalms, this poetry, is different than other parts of your bible. This is how Romans 8 should be written.
Romans 8:31-39 is more than the final verses of a chapter. It is a Psalm of Paul. It is a glorious doxology of praise. The Holman Christian Standard Bible treats these final verses like poetry. And like many of the Psalms, these verses proclaim God's greatness in a way that causes us to enter more deeply into worship, praise and thanksgiving. The chapter that began with no condemnation now ends with no separation. The Psalmist once asked, Who can dwell on the Lord's holy hill? The apostle Paul now writes, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Those who have been called to stand with God on his holy hill can never be removed from that place. There is no separation from all that God has given to those who are in Christ. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
One of the most amazing things about these final verse is that through the Holy Spirit Paul asks 7 of life’s greatest questions. Paul is asking the Questions and then through the Holy Spirit he gives us God’s answer. Let’s look at each question.
Questions 1 & 2
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
The golden chain of salvation. What God has begun he will finish.
How should the believer respond?
Question 2 is the beginning of that response
Realize that God plus you is enough.
Question 3
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?
Look to Christ. Look to the generosity and grace of the Father. Meditate on how much God loved the world and you are part of that world.
What are the all things? Woe to the person who is so shallow that they think only in earthly terms. All that will burn and perish. We are being given heavenly, spiritual things that are eternal.
Question 4
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
The enemy of your soul casts doubt. The world wants to divide your loyalty. The world and the flesh and the devil
Question 5
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.
After all that Paul has written he still sees the need to reassure the believers in Rome that there is no condemnation.
Not only is the Holy Spirit interceding for us, Jesus is himself praying for us.
Questions 6 & 7
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Question 6
This is the who
Question 7
This is the what
As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
v36 Ps 44:22
The Epistle to the Romans 6. The Christian’s Triumph Song, 8:31–39
The words in the original psalm express the perplexity of the people of God in the face of inexplicable suffering. But Paul cites them to bring out the truth that for God’s people there is real risk and a call for real devotion. Christians might be tempted to think that because the love of Christ is so real and so unshakable they need not fear that they will run into trouble. Scripture shows that, while the love is sure, so are troubles.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
v37 The affirmation: we are more than conquerors. The greatest military strength in the world was the Roman army. Paul says that we are more than conquerors. We are children of God, we are heirs with Christ.
After these questions have been answered, what is our response?
The certainty of our salvation, the certainty of our hope:
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.
Nothing can separate you from the love of God if you are in Christ. Are you in Christ?