Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)
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.
Paul, who spent quite a bit of time in prison, did not see himself as a loser, but as a conqueror. In sports they talk about the swagger of a team or an individual that has done well in their field. The conversation usually turns to the fine line between pride and confidence. They would say if Tiger Woods or Michael Jordon, in his day, would say something about winning it was not pride, but confidence because they have won championships. Is Paul bragging or does he just have some swagger because he has seen what the Lord can do through a life that is yielded to Him? Paul's confidence came because of his experience and his knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul knew from experience that the Lord was with him in the bad times and the good times. As you read verses 38 and 39 you can tell that this was not a contrived confidence, but a real belief that God and Jesus are real and are present. God was present with Paul and is now with us as well, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The connection for Paul was the love of God. In verse 37 and 39 Paul brings it down to God's love for us and nothing will separate us from that love. Does God love you? If God loves you would He abandon you? Is that not one of the reasons that this chapter is on the Holy Spirit? To help us understand that the Spirit has been given to help us experience His presence and His power? Who are you? No really, take a little time today to reflect on this question and let God speak to you.
Our confidence in Christ does not make us lazy, negligent, or careless, but, on the contrary, it awakens us, urges us on, and makes us active in living righteous lives and doing good. There is no self-confidence to compare with this.
Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531)
Friday, June 4, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Romans 8:29-30 (MSG), Romans 8:31-36 (NIV)
Romans 8:29-30 (MSG)
29 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.
30 After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
These verses were covered earlier, but I thought it would be good to read them in The Message. I like how verse 29 reads when he says, "to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son." For the follower of Christ the issue is that of becoming like Christ. God is using everything to help us to become like His Son. We are being shaped into the likeness of Jesus Christ. This process goes better when we are on board with that goal of what God wants to do in our life. We must be careful not to tell God how He could do a better job if He did it this way or that way--you know the backseat driver syndrome. We must trust Him in this process of becoming like Christ.
Romans 8:31-36 (NIV)
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? 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 is he that condemns? 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."
When I read verses like these my response is, "What a great God we serve!" The Lord gave us His Son. Will He not graciously give us all things? Yes! God will give us all things, because the greatest gift has already been given. We are set for eternity, not just in this life. This would be a good day to lift up the name of Christ, to praise Him in all things. Amen.
29 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.
30 After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
These verses were covered earlier, but I thought it would be good to read them in The Message. I like how verse 29 reads when he says, "to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son." For the follower of Christ the issue is that of becoming like Christ. God is using everything to help us to become like His Son. We are being shaped into the likeness of Jesus Christ. This process goes better when we are on board with that goal of what God wants to do in our life. We must be careful not to tell God how He could do a better job if He did it this way or that way--you know the backseat driver syndrome. We must trust Him in this process of becoming like Christ.
Romans 8:31-36 (NIV)
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? 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 is he that condemns? 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."
When I read verses like these my response is, "What a great God we serve!" The Lord gave us His Son. Will He not graciously give us all things? Yes! God will give us all things, because the greatest gift has already been given. We are set for eternity, not just in this life. This would be a good day to lift up the name of Christ, to praise Him in all things. Amen.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Romans 8:28-34 (NIV)
Romans 8:28-34 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? 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 is he that condemns? 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.
You can read all the verses above, but pay special attention to verse 30. People ask me if I believe in once saved always saved and I say yes if the person is really saved then they will stay saved. The key is if they are saved and in the end only God knows and that person, but surely not us. A principle that is used in interpreting the Bible is that a person should always take the clearer passages over the more obscure ones. I am aware of the other passages that seem to lend themselves to losing your salvation, however upon a closer look at those passages you will see that most of them are written to the Jews who had converted to Christ. The Jews had special issues in coming to Christ. They wanted to bring Old Testament practices with them while following Christ. When you read chapter 8 of Romans, especially from verse 28 till the end, it is so clear that when God has you in the Body of Christ that He does not remove you. Look at verse 30 again and you will see that all of this salvation work is His work and it is completed. God already sees us as glorified--period. I do not find a clearer passage on this subject of eternal security. My joke is that God does not write our name in the Lamb's book of life in pencil. Look at the implications in the following verses of 31-34. Our response to this truth is one of security, because if God is for us who can be against us?! No one or nothing can be against us. We are free to move about the cabin--amen.
It is not your hold of Christ that saves you, but his hold of you!
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? 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 is he that condemns? 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.
You can read all the verses above, but pay special attention to verse 30. People ask me if I believe in once saved always saved and I say yes if the person is really saved then they will stay saved. The key is if they are saved and in the end only God knows and that person, but surely not us. A principle that is used in interpreting the Bible is that a person should always take the clearer passages over the more obscure ones. I am aware of the other passages that seem to lend themselves to losing your salvation, however upon a closer look at those passages you will see that most of them are written to the Jews who had converted to Christ. The Jews had special issues in coming to Christ. They wanted to bring Old Testament practices with them while following Christ. When you read chapter 8 of Romans, especially from verse 28 till the end, it is so clear that when God has you in the Body of Christ that He does not remove you. Look at verse 30 again and you will see that all of this salvation work is His work and it is completed. God already sees us as glorified--period. I do not find a clearer passage on this subject of eternal security. My joke is that God does not write our name in the Lamb's book of life in pencil. Look at the implications in the following verses of 31-34. Our response to this truth is one of security, because if God is for us who can be against us?! No one or nothing can be against us. We are free to move about the cabin--amen.
It is not your hold of Christ that saves you, but his hold of you!
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892)
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