Lesson 5 - Romans 8, What Difference Will It Make?

From the first lesson, if you recall, the Key Verse I used was from none other than Romans 7!

Romans 7:24-25  24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Then in the next lesson we saw GROANING WITH CREATION – Romans 8:22-23  22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

And now, this third and final lesson in this study of Romans 8, I asked you to reflect and meditate on verse 32 – He who did not spare …

Like last time, I want to simply show the whole passage of 9 verses at the end of Romans 8 and then we will comment a bit on each -

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 delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.  35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

 
      “ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
       We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 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.

Let’s begin with verse 31

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

What are “these things” to which he refers? Does this two part question really need an answer?

Well, when you go back and read it in context, it seems clear. After all these things he has written up to this point in Romans 8, he asks "what then shall we say?" Obviously people can be physically, emotionally, even spiritually against us, so what does he mean?  Simply, based on all he has written, and all he knows, that NO ONE can be against us; no one WHO MATTERS anyway!

Interesting?  Do we believe that?  If God is for us, NO ONE WHO MATTERS can be against us in any MEANINGFUL way.

 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

He gave up His Son for us – does anything else even come close?  And so why would He withhold anything else that is good for us?  He would not and does not - period. We who believe already absolutely know this truth to be so. Those of you who do not yet believe, even you can count on this truth.

 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

THE GOSPEL, summed up in just a couple of verses.  Sinners, elected by God, justified by God, forgiven by God, without condemnation because Christ died, rose and reigns at the Father's right hand. 

And as if dying for us, and rising again, was not enough - get this point - Jesus INTERCEDES FOR US! That's right, Jesus, Savior, King, Lord of all Creation, very God of very God, the Son, is interceding for you and for me, even now. It almost takes my breath away to consider this.

By the way, in our last lesson we also saw that the other Person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, intercedes for us with words, groanings, which cannot be uttered, in perfect conformity with the will of God the Father. 

Jesus AND the Holy Spirit interceding for us - truly who can stand against us?

 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

      “ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
       We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Tribulation – ups and downs of life.  Distress – major events that hit us.  Persecution – for the sake of Jesus.  Famine – periods of drought.  Nakedness – periods of little or nothing.  Peril – real danger.  Sword – even injury or death.

Can any of this at all every separate us from the love of Christ? In one of the most glorious statements of God’s assurance that once we are His, there is NOTHING to ever separate us from His love, Paul concludes this chapter 8 -

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 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, he wants to be clear and make this point. If you are rescued from eternal damnation by Jesus Christ there is NOTHING anymore that can separate you. You were saved, you are being saved and you will be saved forever. He is yours and you are His. None of this "life on earth" stuff can get in the way and any that does just DOES NOT matter.

Don't miss this - this truth is why people, soldiers of the faith, like the Apostles or Luther or Calvin or Spurgeon or Bonhoeffer or Carey or Jim Elliott or countless others have given themselves over to Him completely, and been willing to die for the cause of His Glory and the Gospel. It is why we an let ourselves go completely turned over to Him as well.

And so, my question for all of us is this - What difference will it make?

500 or so years before Jesus lived, there was a prophet who beheld the Lord’s Glory and in him it made a real difference. In Isaiah 6 when the Lord asked “who will go for us” his answer was “Here am I, send me”.

Is the Lord asking you, after hearing and seeing His truth, His glory, through prompting and intercession by His Spirit and His Son, is the Lord asking you – “who will go for us?”  What is your answer?

Right now, as we study here, throughout the community of faith all around the world during the week there are brothers and sisters giving up themselves for Jesus because they know that nothing will every separate them, and He is worthy of our service. They are meeting, growing, sharing, encouraging, equipping and serving in the name of Jesus.

I know of one couple who was lukewarm.  They attended church, went to Sunday school and even once in awhile volunteered for something, but there was no passion.  Then the Lord got hold of them.  They realized there was more to it, and that it wasn’t about their comfort or convenience or even their growth – it is about God.  Powered by the Spirit they started soaring and the Lord was pleased.  He began to grow their talents and bless with abundance.

You see, that is what happens.  And God gives us stern warnings for leaving our talents unused. Remember the servant in Matthew who, instead of employing the talents given, put them in the ground to protect them. He was called out by His Master and the talents were taken away.

CAUTION – we need to use what the Lord have given us.

Further, Matthew 10 tells us the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Pray to the Lord for more workers.

You see, it is not about the work, but it is about the workers, and about our hearts. It is not about clenching to things that do not matter, but instead clinging to Him who matters most. As Jim Elliott told us "he is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose".

I’ll close with one more story – this one about a young man I know and for him these glorious truths have made and are making an eternal difference.

PB was in a Christian high school, rolling along, living a sheltered life and having a pretty good time. He was a believer, but not very engaged. But that started changing. He was regularly attending church and Sunday school, and over time the real, deep, convicting, life changing truths of scripture starting penetrating his heart.

Convinced that God had more for him than sports and friends, he asked to transfer to a school with more diversity. In this place, most any belief existed, and people said so openly! He prayed fervently, saying to God "here I am, use me". And our God heard his prayer.

In a matter of weeks, PB saw a ministry opportunity open up. He started making connections with faculty and arranging for space. Then he simply started inviting students to come by, after classes, to share time together. During that time they laughed, played games and also shared real truth from the Bible.

Over the next two years, hundreds of students attended these meetings, By the grace of God some even came to believe! Further, PB was so encouraged and empowered by the amazing power of God displayed in such an unlikely place, that he launched into his college career with momentum that still carries him in ministry to this very day.

You see, PB understood, that once he had been touched by God through Jesus Christ, and then powered by His Spirit, that nothing could stop him from being fruitful for the Lord.

And so, my closing question to you is the same one we started with some time ago – now that we have studied together – in this case Romans 8 – and seen that there is no condemnation, that we can live by the Spirit, that we are God’s children and heirs with Christ, that the sufferings of today are nothing compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us, that we have not yet seen our final HOPE, that the Spirit and Jesus are interceding for us, that God has chosen us, justified us and glorified us, and will glorify us fully in heaven, that He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all will freely give us all other things, and that NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now that we have seen these glorious truths –

What difference will it make IN YOU?