Romans 8
Romans 2020, Important Chapters of the New Testament • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
Introduction:
There was once a New Father
Mothers day arrived, but mother had to work - nurse
Couldn’t celebrate at home
Put his son in a car carrier
He took mothers day to her
He surprised her with cake, flowers and balloons “World’s greatest mom”
After the celebration - upset at his wife having to work
Packed up the flowers and the balloons and headed home
On the way home - people honking / flashing lightsHit 55 mph and heard a scraping sound on the roof
A loud thump
Watched in horror in the rearview mirror as the baby carrier bounced off the trunk onto the highway.
Screeched to a stop and ran to the baby carrier.
His son was okay and he collapsed and began to sob.
The police wrote him up and the papers ran stories about him.
A reporter interviewed the mother, who showed amazing understanding.
She said, "It’s so unlike him. He really is a good father."
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A part of us says, "How could he?"
A part of us says, "How could he?"
Another part of us relates to him.
Another part of us relates to him.
We recognize all the mistakes we have made, the dumb things we have done out of hurry and frustration mixed with distraction.
We know that we could also be guilty of terrible things.
It’s all part of being human.
The eighth chapter of Romans begins with one of the greatest promises in all the Bible.
Let’s read it … “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”
The significance of that fact … that in spite of our sin, if we are in Christ God doesn’t condemn us, … is overwhelming in and of itself.
But the truth of the matter is, when you read that verse in light of chapter 7, it’s not just amazing, it’s invigorating.
You see, chapter 7 is one of the most powerful statements about struggling with sin in all of the Bible.
What makes it so powerful is, that it is Paul providing us a glimpse into his own struggle.
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You know … For me, that is encouraging.
You know … For me, that is encouraging.
Often when I think of the apostle Paul, I think of somebody who is the ultimate Christian.
Often when I think of the apostle Paul, I think of somebody who is the ultimate Christian.
He was bold, standing up and defending his faith in Synagogues, before the Sanhedrin and even in front of the Roman Governors … even the Emperor!
He went on great missionary journeys all over the Roman empire.
He planted churches and then went from church to church encouraging them in the faith.
He wrote letters of instruction to the churches, instructing them on how to be faithful.
He even raised up other leaders such as Timothy and Titus and taught them to remain true to their calling.
I would imagine that most of us have put Paul on quite a pedestal.
But last week, in the 7th chapter of Romans, we got a look behind the eyes of the Apostle, and he is just as human as you and me.
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Paul is a fellow struggler.
Paul is a fellow struggler.
He said:
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
Paul is honest enough to recognize within himself the propensity to get caught up into sin.
Paul is honest enough to recognize within himself the propensity to get caught up into sin.
And understand that this is not Paul talking about the way he USED to be sinful before he became a Christian.
This is Paul saying, “I still struggle with sin, and not just me … it happens to us all.”
Earlier in this letter … in chapter 3 … he quoted King David, saying, “There is none righteous, no not one.”
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As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
Later in that same chapter, he stated in a very matter of fact way, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
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for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
But in chapter 7 he stated it even more personally.
And, he didn’t just say it … he expressed his own frustration with it.
It seems to break through to the surface as Paul proclaims, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
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In 1991, LA Police were videotaped beating Rodney King.
Later, the police that were obviously guilty were acquitted.
With their acquittal, rioting broke out in the city.
With what happened in Ferguson, and of course the more recent events of the past month and a half … You may freshly remember the riots that occurred in Central LA in ’92.
In those riots, a man named Reginald Denny accidentally made the news AND he accidentally changed some lives.
Reginald was a truck driver.
He made a wrong turn and ended up in the rioting.
With news helicopters overhead, what happened next was seen by millions of people.
The windows in his cab were smashed and Reginald was dragged out by two men.
The two men proceeded to throw bricks at him and beat him with a broken bottle.
They kicked him in the face until he was unconscious.
He somehow survived, but the beating left him permanently damaged.
When the case came to trial …The two men who beat him were calloused, antagonistic, and uncooperative.
They showed no remorse at all.
Reginald’s face was still terribly swollen and disfigured from the beating.
It was at that trial that the nation saw something they never expected.
Reginald got up and walked over to the mothers of those two men.
He hugged them and told them he forgave their sons.
They returned his hug and one said that she loved him.
Many in this nation were changed by this, but we don’t know if his attackers were.
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I bring this up because it is such a great illustration of what God has done for us.
I bring this up because it is such a great illustration of what God has done for us.
The Bible calls it “GRACE.”
The Bible calls it “GRACE.”
Those men did not deserve forgiveness.
They did not ask for it, and they had done nothing to deserve it, but it was offered without condition.
In the same way, the world mutilated Jesus.
Not with bricks, but with fists … with a scourge and on a cross, He was disfigured.
His body endured the violent anger of man and He died by the torture of the cross.
In violence, the world expressed its hatred of God.
At the same time His arms were open wide with the offer of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Before we ever thought of God, he was walking toward us in an effort to embrace us and give us his forgiveness.
The Bible puts it like this:
And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
About God, the Bible tells us He, “Demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
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But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
This is the quality of GRACE:
“Forgiveness and love that are given to us though we do not deserve them.”
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And, though we may now be Christians, we still don’t deserve it.
In fact, we will never deserve it.
Yet grace means that God has forgotten about my past sin, … and so should I.
God’s grace is amazing:
1. First, because His grace is free
2. Second, because we do not deserve it.
We may conclude that the last of these two, “Because we do not deserve it,” is greater than the first.
In extending salvation to us, God has given us His hand of mercy.
We must have it, but don’t deserve it.
Both the fact that God’s grace is freely offered and given, and the fact that we don’t deserve it, yet again, it is made available are amazing!
No matter how we have sinned, His grace is free, without having to work for it.
God’s grace is a hope that grows brighter and brighter as it shines over the depths of the darkness.
Paul wrote: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”
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This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
God’s grace extends - it reaches to the deepest depth of offense and the greatest hight of sinful pride.
It’s deeper and wider than the desperate sea of people, all people … we all need forgiveness.
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The key verse for our study this morning is the first.
The key verse for our study this morning is the first.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
The goal of our study is to come to terms with how we may live, being that we are not under condemnation.
The goal of our study is to come to terms with how we may live, being that we are not under condemnation.
Some would say that means a life of melancholy so we can prove to God just how grateful we are.
Grace is: “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”
Since it came at the expense of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, and since we are most certainly not worthy of Him, we may feel that we must somehow strive to deserve or try to continually earn His grace.
Or that we can lose our standing in Christ because of something we have done or do not do.
But that is legalism … believing that God’s grace requires maintenance or the continuation of it our support and THAT by our works.
Grace means that forgiveness and reconciliation with God have come, not based on what we have done, but on who God is.
So, what does free grace mean for us and how do we live in God’s grace without abusing His grace?
You are a new creation in Christ and you are free to live in righteousness, no longer enslaved by the carnal but in Christ finding life and peace.
And as we observed a few moments ago, we have this struggle between flesh and Spirit raging within us.
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Let me ask you, how many times a week could you just kick yourself for failing?
Maybe you are trying to be patient with you kids and you just lose it.
Maybe you are trying to be forgiving to a forgetful spouse, but frustration just bubbles over?
How many times do you say words that come out of anger or frustration, doing damage before you even know it?
Perhaps you thought you had finally broken out of the grip of habitual sin, but in one moment of weakness, you fell and now you feel like a failure?
Time and time again you have tried in a thousand different ways to live rightly, but you just do something stupid and feel like you’ve blown it.
Now all you feel is stupid, filthy, and wretched … to use the language of Paul.
Now all you feel is stupid, filthy, and wretched to use the language of Paul.
But hear where Paul goes from here.
But first, let’s pray:
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for this new morning, the breath that you have placed in our lungs, the beats of our hearts … You are truly the Living God Who is compassionate and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. We ask that as we enter into our study of Your written Word that You would give us wisdom and understanding. We pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
BODY OF MESSAGE PART 1
BODY OF MESSAGE PART 1
V1-2
V1-2
When God redeemed us through Jesus’ death and resurrection, He knew sin would remain in the flesh.
When God redeemed us through Jesus’ death and resurrection, He knew sin would remain in the flesh.
He could have handled that problem by the immediate judgment of sinners.
He could have handled that problem by the immediate judgment of sinners.
But God instead empowered us with the ability to resist the sinful longings of the flesh.
He gave us His Spirit to dwell in us.
It is through this indwelling relationship that He enabled us to live in humble submission.
For us to live in obedience to God, we had to be:
(1) free from our slavery to sin and
(2) free from the penalty of sin.
That’s the foundation we live on by actively submitting to the Spirit’s ministry in our lives.
God’s indwelling Spirit enables us to be “saved by His life.”
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For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
His life is lived out through us as His instruments for righteousness.
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Paul admits that there is a struggle going on within every human being, a wrestling match … and when we try to win on our own strength we often find ourselves pinned to the mat.
Paul admits that there is a struggle going on within every human being, a wrestling match … and when we try to win on our own strength we often find ourselves pinned to the mat.
But the greatness of God’s grace is that when we fail - not just once, but even again and again, - there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
But the greatness of God’s grace is that when we fail - not just once, but even again and again, - there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
There is security in our relationship with God.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”
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My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
If we are in Christ, we don’t need to wonder if God is angry with us.
If you have a personal relationship with Jesus, you don’t need to fear God’s wrath.
When Jesus saved you, He saved a wretch.
But now, when God looks at you, He doesn’t see a wretch, He sees a son or daughter.
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You remember the story of the prodigal son.
You remember the story of the prodigal son.
The boy disregarded his father, and then disgraced himself in every way possible.
The boy disregarded his father, and then disgraced himself in every way possible.
J. Vernon McGee observed, “Do you know the difference between the son in that pigpen and the pig? The difference is that no pig has ever said to himself, ‘I will arise and go to my father.’”
He’s right, … a pig cannot … but a child can do that.
And when that dirty, stinking boy came within eyesight of home, His dad went to him, welcomed him, clean him up and celebrated him.
If you have not received Jesus, then you are still in the pigpen, but God is just as anxious to throw His arms around you.
“There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
This is very important to understand. — Why?
Because there is sometimes condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
But it never comes from God.
It comes from Satan.
When we say “satan” we are speaking Hebrew.
Do you know what “satan” means in Hebrew?
It means Accuser!
And Satan loves to manipulate us into believing that we are condemned.
He wants to trap us into believing that God’s grace is limited and we have pushed the limit.
Satan wants us to think that we have become once again wretched to God.
He wants us to be like Adam and Eve in the garden after they sinned.
All they wanted to do was hide from God!
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We’ve all been there.
We’ve all been there.
We’ve all felt like a failure, kicked ourselves, and allowed ourselves to feel condemned.
We’ve all felt like a failure, kicked ourselves, and allowed ourselves to feel condemned.
And we have all, because we felt condemned, hidden ourselves from God, and turned away, not because we don’t love Him, but because we are ashamed.
We have felt like a wretch, and we have listened to Satan tell us that God has condemned us for our sin.
But if we were in Christ at the time, then we were wrong.
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The first point I want you to understand today is this:
1. Grace is the defining element of the Christian faith.
Many years ago, a symposium was held in Britain Debating whether any belief was unique to Christian faith.
They compared incarnation and resurrection.
And they noted that other religions spoke of gods in human form as well as life after death.
C.S. Lewis came in and asked what they were discussing.
Upon hearing that they were debating the uniqueness of Christianity he said the answer was easy, “It’s grace” and the others had to agree.
The idea that God’s love comes to us freely, that there are no strings attached and that He asks nothing in return, … seems to go against what was taught in all the other man-made religions of the world.
The Buddhist’s eight-fold path was a religious walk based solely on the individual’s performance.
The Hindu doctrine of karma with its successive phases which determine a person’s destiny was based on certain things a person accomplished.
The Muslim’s have the code of the law which must be followed precisely in order to enter into paradise.
All of these are ways which a person must work to earn approval.
Christianity alone is God’s love and acceptance.
It is something which is offered to undeserving people without cost or condition.
It cannot be earned, it only comes as a free gift.
The Bible says:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
REDO
All the other religions with their many gods and goddesses do count people’s sins against them, even those who they consider to be “in.”
Reconciliation is a difficult, treacherous, if not impossible, climb for them.
But Christians understand that the True, Living God, … The Creator, who doesn’t change, is full of compassion and mercy.
The God of the New Testament and the God of the Old Testament are one and the same.
God said, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
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And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
God wants to be reunited with us more than we want to be reconciled with him.
And the cost of this reconciliation is free — paid for by the offended party.
This is the central and defining element of the Christian faith.
God’s love and forgiveness cannot be earned — it comes as a free gift.
BODY OF MESSAGE PART 2
BODY OF MESSAGE PART 2
V3-4
V3-4
God never intended the law to save us from sin and death.
God never intended the law to save us from sin and death.
It could not, because of the weakness of our flesh.
It could not, because of the weakness of our flesh.
God accomplished by Jesus’ work on the cross that which we could not do in the flesh.
Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law in us and put sin to death, once and for all.
The power and enslaving chains of sin and death were broken by Jesus.
The second point which is important for you to understand is:
Grace means that you no longer have to try to be perfect.
Author Philip Yancey, tells the following story … and this is a direct quote from him:
“A vagrant lives near the Fulton Fish Market on the lower east side of Manhattan. The slimy smell of fish carcasses and entrails nearly overpowers him, and he hates the trucks that noisily arrive before sunrise. But midtown gets crowded, and the cops harass him there. Down by the wharves nobody bothers with a grizzled man who keeps to himself and sleeps on a loading dock behind a Dumpster.
“Early one morning when the workers are slinging eel and halibut off the trucks, the vagrant rouses himself and pokes through the Dumpsters behind the tourist restaurants. An early start guarantees good pickings. He eats what he can stomach and stuffs the rest in a brown paper sack.
“When he sees the ticket from last week’s lottery lying in a pile of wilted lettuce, he almost lets it go. But by force of habit he picks it up and jams it in his pocket. In the old days, when luck was better, he used to buy one ticket a week, never more. It’s past noon when he remembers the ticket stub and holds it up to the newspaper box to compare the numbers. Three numbers match, the fourth, the fifth_all seven! It can’t be true. Things like that don’t happen to him. Bums don’t win the New York Lottery.
“But it is true. Later that day he is squinting into the bright lights as television crews present the newest media darling, the unshaven, baggy pants vagrant who will receive $243,000 per year for the next twenty years. A woman shoves a microphone in his face and asks, “How do you feel?” It has been a long time, a very long time, since anyone has asked him that question.
“He feels like a man who has been to the edge of starvation and back, and is beginning to fathom that he’ll never feel hunger again.”
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What did that beggar do to deserve receiving several million dollars?
What did that beggar do to deserve receiving several million dollars?
Absolutely nothing!
Absolutely nothing!
He had not even bought the winning ticket.
All he did was pick it up and cash it in to receive his prize.
Someone else had thrown it away as though it was useless, but he saw its potential worth.
He had not worked for a long time.
He did not earn the money.
The check was given to him as a free gift, without conditions.
He did not have a job or an education.He had no silver spoon pedigree.
He did not have to do anything but accept the check.
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Having a relationship with God does not depend on how well we do or how perfect we are.
Having a relationship with God does not depend on how well we do or how perfect we are.
It is based solely on the mercy and grace of God.
It is based solely on the mercy and grace of God.
This is great news for us failures.
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Here is the unique message of the Christian faith.
As it says in 2 Corinthians: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”
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that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
This frees us from guilt.
It also frees us from trying for legalistic perfectionism.
We may understand that we can never be perfect and that our relationship with God is based solely on grace.
We love God and desire to be pleasing to God, and through Christ we can.
Through the flesh we cannot … through Christ we can.
God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.
Philip Yancey writes, “Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more.... And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.”
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The guilt and condemnation is gone.
We can have peace upon our hearts.
Because we don’t have to do anything to gain God’s acceptance - in Christ, we already have it.
Our relationship with God is not based on how good we are, but on the character of a gracious and forgiving God who loves us more than we can ever understand.
BODY OF MESSAGE PART 3
BODY OF MESSAGE PART 3
V5-8
V5-8
The sinful flesh is under judgment and the mind that is set on the flesh cannot serve God.
The sinful flesh is under judgment and the mind that is set on the flesh cannot serve God.
Now, remember that Paul is speaking to believers here and so redemption is assumed.
Now, remember that Paul is speaking to believers here and so redemption is assumed.
He wants us to understand that what we focus our minds on has direct ramifications for how we live our lives.
The third point which is important for us to understand is: Grace inspires us to no longer live in sin.
God’s desire for His people is that we live as redeemed people and not as those who are under judgment.
But He doesn’t guilt us into it.
Guilt is a poor motivator.
Guilt might work for a little while, but soon enough it causes a falling away or disassociation … rather than a pressing in.
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God also does NOT use condemnation as a tool.
God also does NOT use condemnation as a tool.
Some people are afraid to talk too much about grace out of fear that people will no longer think obedience is important.
Some people are afraid to talk too much about grace out of fear that people will no longer think obedience is important.
There are many ways to get people to do what you want them to do.
What about force?
Well, you can force children to obey your rules, but force will not make the rules stick.
We are rebellious at heart.
What about fear and intimidation?
You can motivate people through fear and intimidation, but you will find that they will do only what is absolutely necessary, … and they will resent you.
How about humiliation?
Well, pointing out faults - even doing it in front of the public, may produce results, but it’s also a great way to dishearten someone.
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But begin to let people know that you believe in them … Let them know you appreciate them … Let them know that even if they fail you still love them … and see what a difference grace makes.
But begin to let people know that you believe in them … Let them know you appreciate them … Let them know that even if they fail you still love them … and see what a difference grace makes.
Guilt, force, fear, intimidation, humiliation … these all motivate outwardly.
Guilt, force, fear, intimidation, humiliation … these all motivate outwardly.
But love motivates us inwardly, from the heart, to do our best.
Paul wrote that, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
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who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
He said, “Christ’s love compels us.”
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For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
We want to serve.
We want to do our very best, because we are moved by grace and motivated by love.
The Christian life is a relationship with God.
That relationship is marked by love and trust.
We discover that we are accepted by God and our hearts respond with love and dedication.
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Some people cling to the “false god of the gotcha … gonna getcha” — a God who is always out to get you for something you have done wrong.
Some people cling to the “false god of the gotcha … gonna getcha” — a God who is always out to get you for something you have done wrong.
The “false god of the gotcha gonna getcha” tells us that we never quite measure up.
Even when we do something good we are made to feel we could have done it better.
People who live with this kind of God in their brain may serve him, but they do it with cringing and they harbor resentment.
Rebellion is never very far away.
But we serve a God who loved us when we were still sinners.
We were unlovable, but he loved us anyway.
This grace changes us.
Augustine said, “Who can be good, if not made so by loving? . . . Love God and do as you please.”
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He could say that because he knew that when you love God, what pleases you will be what pleases God.
Grace has put us in touch with the love of God and His love has changed us.
Christians have not lived up to it very well.
We understand that we have been saved by grace, but then we act as though the rest is up to us.
Some have even taught that we are forgiven at the time of our salvation, but if we mess up after that there is no hope for us.
But I’m here to tell you that scripture says we live by grace every moment of every day.
BODY OF MESSAGE PART 4
BODY OF MESSAGE PART 4
V9-11
V9-11
There was once the daughter of a royal family in Europe who hated her nose … it’s size and shape made her feel ugly.
Her father hired a plastic surgeon to fix her nose.
Finally it was time for the bandages to be removed.
The doctor saw that the operation had been a total success.
When the incisions healed and swelling went down, she would be beautiful.
But this girls image of herself as being ugly was deeply ingrained.
She couldn’t see any change and she broke into sobbing.
It took six months before she finally accepted that she was changed.
And from that moment on, her whole behavior began to change.
The idea is that we act according to what we know we are … and that is a truth that Paul understood.
If we are deceived into thinking that we are not what God says we are, then we are going to keep on acting that way.
That is why the way to break the power of the most vicious and evil habit is to see yourself as God sees you.
Then you begin to act that way.
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How many of you believe the Bible to be true?
How many of you believe the Bible to be true?
When you say the word "Amen" you are actually saying a Hebrew word that means “Truth, reliability, acceptance, and agreement.”
When you say the word "Amen" you are actually saying a Hebrew word that means “Truth, reliability, acceptance, and agreement.”
It is not supposed to be the word we all wait on to know we can dig in to the meal.
Instead, it is a word that acknowledges truth and agreement.
God’s Word says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Can you say amen to that?
If you are a believer, and you know it’s from God’s Word, then you certainly can say “amen” to it.
However … The challenge that we face, is not to just say that we believe it, but to live like we believe it.
Don’t let anything that you have ever done, or will ever do to separate you from God.
A little later in Romans 8 Paul asks a very important question that at one time or another is on the mind of every Christian.
He asks … and I’m paraphrasing verse 35, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?”
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Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
And then Paul answers the question a few verses later:
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You see, none of those things can separate us from Him.
But when we are foolish and fail, our tendency is to turn away in shame.
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Next week we’ll also be in Romans 8 … the 2nd part of the chapter … looking at the Good News about being a Christian.
Next week we’ll also be in Romans 8 … the 2nd part of the chapter … looking at the Good News about being a Christian.
Nothing else I can say could be more important than what Paul begins this great chapter with.
Nothing else I can say could be more important than what Paul begins this great chapter with.
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Christian, there is never a time when you will turn toward God and not find his arms extended, waiting for your return.
Why would we ever want to turn away?
The final point which is important to understand is this: Grace must be received.
I can hold out to you the greatest gift in the world.
But if you refuse to receive it, … it is never yours.
If you cannot admit that you need grace, you can never receive it.
If you never admit that you are guilty you can never receive forgiveness — you will not understand your need of it.
C. S. Lewis said, “St. Augustine says ‘God gives where He finds empty hands.’ A man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a gift.”
Grace means that God’s love and forgiveness come to us free and without cost.
But there is one catch: The necessity of admitting that we are “sinful, wretched, pitiful, poor, weak and blind.”
We cannot earn our salvation, but we do have to accept it.
It is ours to have if only we are willing to receive it.
That means facing the truth about ourselves.
Have you done that?
Have you faced the truth about yourself so that you can receive the fullness of God’s grace?
For heaven’s sake, if not, then do it now.
Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your love. How immensely thankful we are for Your grace and Your mercies that not only endure forever, but are new with every morning. Your name is holy in our hearts and we pray that Your name would be holy in all the world, to all people and in all nations. We desire Your kingdom and we seek to do Your will. You have provided, and we know that You will continue to provide according to our needs and we thank You. As You love us, teach us to love one another. And as You have forgiven us, help us to forgive one another. Lord, help us to have our treasures in heaven, rather than seeking after our selves here on earth. We ask that You would establish us in all good things. We ask that You would guard our hearts and keep our hands from evil and that You would protect us from the deceptions of our enemy the devil. Thank You for the trials that You graciously see us and grow us through. May You be glorified in our trials. Thank You for being our Great High Priest. Lord, we place ourselves before you to do Your will. Lead us in victory, and use us to spread knowledge of Jesus Christ to the unsaved world.