Life in the Spirit: New Fortitude #18 Romans 8:31-39

·  Romans is relational 1-11 w/God. 12-16 w/others (2 Kinds Leaders)

·  Relationships: Best & Worst of life. Death.Betrayal. Abandonment. Rejection.

·  Relational loss/trauma = guarded relationships

·  Rom 1-8 =God’s love, forgiveness, grace, adoption ? anyone/thing ruin  relationship

JSB “God loves us with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.”

  • Scholar  one of “the most stunning pieces of rhetorical art in the NT”

=Teach. Answer Objections = 4 Questions Answered

1)    If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say 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 with him graciously give us all things?

  1. When the Almighty is for you, it does not matter who is against you
  2. God the Father disowned His Son to adopt you
  3. If Father gave Son to save you, there’s nothing He won’t give or do to keep you!
  4. God Father always for you – “give us all things” full inheritance

Abraham & Isaac

·         1. Promised Son 2. Long awaited 3. Firstborn 4. Jesus line

·         Isaac was between his teens & thirties

·         The test was not for Isaac’s life but Abraham’s heart

·         Canaanites sacrificed children, murder – 6th Comm. (1/3 abort)

·         50-mile journey – time to waver or flee

·         Isaac carried his own wood, and laid himself down willingly

·         Abraham named place “The Lord will provide”

·         THE Angel of the Lord speaks to Abraham the last word from God promising JC

·         Mount Moriah renamed Mount Calvary 1000 yrs later when Jesus died

Zac/Calvin/Gideon – Father “did not spare his own Son”

2)    Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?

Romans 8:33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

  • Only God can bring a charge against you, He already dealt with it on the cross
  • Once you are justified, you cannot be unjustified (Double Jeopardy)

Woman caught in adultery story

 

3) Who is to condemn?

Romans 8:34 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.

Ps. 110:1 The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand…”

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

  • Condemners = critics, enemies, own hearts, demonic realm (technology/social media)
  • Sinned against? 1. Condemn (no relationship) 2. Intercede (forgive & seek to bring help)
  1. Spirit intercedes for us – Rom. 8:27 “the Spirit intercedes for God’s people”
  2. Jesus intercedes for us – Rom. 8:34 “Christ Jesus….is interceding for us”

A mom having a conversation with dad about a kid

4. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

  • Quotes Ps. 44:22

Categories

  1. Tribulation – trouble that brings anxiety
  2. Distress – stressful circumstances
  3. Persecution – religious harassment (school story)
  4. Famine – physical weakness & neediness
  5. Nakedness – total poverty & disgrace
  6. Danger – credible threat of harm
  7. Sword – attempt to kill

These things might tempt us to turn from God, but do not turn God from us

We are marching forward in faith

Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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.

Love

  1. Love cannot be understood or experienced apart from Jesus Christ
  2. God’s love is the most powerful & precious thing in creation
  3. God’s love is active, not reactive
  4. God’s love is one way
  5. God’s love is given to us, &given through us

Rom. 5:1 God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the HS who has been given to us

People were made to be loved, things were made to be used. We use people & love things

 

Midway Romans = worship

  1. life/death – ?
  2. angels/rulers/powers – angels/demons?
  3. present/future – today/tomorrow?
  4. height/depth – Heaven/Hell?
  5. anything else in all creation – someone/something?

Stages of Grief (Elisabeth Kubler-ross “On Death & Dying”)

  1. Denial
  2. Anger
  3. Bargaining
  4. Depression
  5. Acceptance
  6. CONQUER ????? YOU! “in Christ Jesus”

superconqueror, overwhelmingly-conquer, complete victory, completely victorious, overwhelming victory, more than winners, always taste victory, more than victorious, triumphantly victorious

History Channel vs nightly news

Winning Team throws victory parties & we do every week

1 Year Ago closed Good Friday/Easter! (PLEDGE)

For I am convinced that neither

  1. pandemic or no pandemic
  2. death from Covid or life with Covid
  3. Nor a Republic or Democratic Presidency
  4. Nor stimulus check or no stimulus check
  5. Nor mask nor no mask
  6. Nor open nor closed governor decree
  7. Nor bull or bear stock market
  8. Nor closed or open church

In this sermon from the end of Romans 8, Pastor Mark preaches on four questions posed in the text on our security in Christ and finishes with the fact that we march forward in faith, not fear.

TRANSCRIPT

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