If God Is for Us?
Opening Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that You are, and always will be, “for” me. I know I can always count on You.
Read ROMANS 8:31-39
[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.” [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. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
Why need we never feel alone or "condemned"?The “if” Paul begins with is crucial. Deep down we wonder, “Is God for me, and how might I know?” We know God is for us, because “he did not spare even his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (32). Everything Paul has written is expressed in this one sentence. We know beyond a shadow of doubt that God is on our side and is acting to restore us because of this one, amazing, undeniable fact. God gave Jesus, the person who matters more to him than anything else. So now, Paul asks, who in the universe will condemn us (34)? Jesus won’t. He died for us, was raised for us, and now constantly prays for us.
Therefore, declares Paul, there is nothing in the whole universe (39) that can ever separate us from Christ’s love (35). It’s true that many bad things still happen—trouble, hardship, persecution and danger (35). But if God is for us, and God really is God—the most powerful being in all creation—then even terrible things won’t separate us from his love. We may find v. 39 hard to grasp, yet it should be engraved on our souls!
Apply
Start by writing v. 39 on a sticky note and keeping it by you until you know it by heart.
Closing prayer
Lord, whenever I feel lost and cast aside by the world, remind me that I’m more than a conqueror through Jesus.
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