God's Graduation Speech

Here are notes from my message today at Hesston MB:

Read Romans 8:31-39

God is for us! vs. 31-34-

• This is my favorite verse in the Bible.

• Vs. 31-Today’s passage has a total of 6 questions with three in 31-32 & three more in 33-35.  If God is for us, who can be against us? What’s the answer? No one. It is a rhetorical question.  In the Greek, it could better be translated “since” instead of “if.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary). The answer is obvious.  God is for us.  God is for you. However, Paul knows how we think so he clarifies it more in the next verse.

• Vs. 32-God gave us Jesus.  This Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again.  God did not spare His own Son.  Since we know this to be true, if He gave us Jesus, why would He not give us all things.  This amazing statement reinforces the previous verse.  God giving us Jesus is evidence that God is for us. (Romans Commentary, Toews) Paul continues to prove the point.

• Vs. 33-Begins set of three more questions.  Picture a courtroom drama. Question: Who will bring a charge against us?  Answer: No one- Believer’s Bible Commentary suggests a better translation is “No one because”    He justifies.  

o   Definition of justify both “just as if I never sinned” and “to declare righteous

o   2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

o   Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. . .

• Vs. 34-Another question: Who is he that condemns?  Answer: No one.  Why?  Jesus-The one who died, raised, is praying (or interceding for you).

o   See Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. . .”

·         Quote from Judah Smith-read it and have congregation reply with underlined words.

o   God is with us, and he is for us. This is the gospel. So no matter what I go through, he is with me and he is for me. Even if it doesn’t make sense, he is with me and he is for me. Even if I can’t cross every t and dot every i, he is with me and he is for me. No matter what anybody says, he is with me and he is for me. No matter what my emotions tell me, no matter what my bodily aches and pains tell me, no matter what my bank account tells me, he is with me and he is for me.He is on my side.  I hope this is good news.  We need to be sharing it with others.

God loves me! vs. 35-39-

•  Vs. 35-Also begins with a question. Answer is  No one or nothing. Paul shares some possible answers.  Are these random?  I don’t think so.  I think God revealed to Paul that humans (including Paul himself) when faced with difficulty or hardship or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or death (sword image of execution) are going to question God’s love.  

• When 9/11, Boston bombings, West Texas explosion, natural disasters, death, accidents, sickness, how does a Christian typically respond?  Why, God? Why do we blame God for these. 

o   I was sharing this thought with two different individuals one Tuesday morning.  I was asking them why do we attribute these bad things to God.  I posed this question: Do we do the same thing with good?  I am alive another day. Why, God?  I have a house, food, clothes, job, family, friends. Why, God? I think you get what I am saying.  But God used both of these ladies in an amazing way that Tuesday.  Both of them told me, you need to go and read Isaiah 54:15. One had read it that morning in her devotions and the other said she often returns to this verse.

§  Isaiah 54:15 says, “ If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;”

§  What’s the point?  God loves you and is for you.

o   Illustration of child skinning a knee-typical response-run into their parents arms

o   When bad things happen around the world or personally, let’s start from God loves me and is for me rather than God is against me or out to get me or to teach me some lesson.

• Vs. 37-What should be our response to these things?  We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  Notice we are not survivors,  but we are conquerors.  No it is more than that, we are more than conquerors.  Vine’s Dictionary defines this phrase as “to gain a surpassing victory.” Why?  Because of us.  No, because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and through his resurrection, but also because of the Holy Spirit within us.  This is good news.

o    1 John 4:4 “Greater is he who is in you than He who is in the world.”

• Vs. 38-39-Paul wants to drive his point home.  He says, “I am convinced” He again lists pairs that might keep us from God’s love in Christ Jesus.  Death/Life (human condition), Angels/Demons (Supernatural Realm), Present/Future (Time), Any powers, Height/Depth (Earth above, earth below), Any other creature (anything else).  God’s love will not be taken by any of the things because of what Christ did for us.   

So, are you convinced?