Romans 8 (We are more than conquerors)

28 We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. He appointed them to be saved in keeping with his purpose. 29 God planned that those he had chosen would become like his Son. In that way, Christ will be the first and most honored among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those God has planned for, he has also appointed to be saved. Those he has appointed, he has made right with himself. To those he has made right with himself, he has given his glory.

We Are More Than Winners

31 What should we say then? Since God is on our side, who can be against us? 32 God did not spare his own Son. He gave him up for us all. Then won’t he also freely give us everything else? 33 Who can bring any charge against God’s chosen ones? God makes us right with himself. 34 Then who can sentence us to death? No one. Christ Jesus is at the right hand of God and is also praying for us. He died. More than that, he was raised to life. 35 Who can separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or hard times or harm or hunger? Can nakedness or danger or war? 36 It is written,

“Because of you, we face death all day long.
We are considered as sheep to be killed.” (Psalm 44:22)

37 No! In all these things we are more than winners! We owe it all to Christ, who has loved us. 38 I am absolutely sure that not even death or life can separate us from God’s love. Not even angels or demons, the present or the future, or any powers can separate us. 39 Not even the highest places or the lowest, or anything else in all creation can separate us. Nothing at all can ever separate us from God’s love. That’s because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done.

 

Paul has been writing to the Roman Church here is what is said in chapter 8 so far …

●     There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus because we are under grace not the law.

●     We are free from Sin and death so live according to the Spirit because under sin is death, in the spirit is life

●     We share in the suffering of God then we can receive what is his.

 

In continuing to talk about the suffering we are going to receive mainly because of faith, not so much because of the nature of the sinful world we live in although that plays a part in their lives. Paul then says it's not all bad news ( Verse 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”

 

To break this down a little bit…..

-      Work takes time

-      Love is keeping his commandments as the spirit is in you

-      Being called means there has to be a response. What is yours?

 

Important to note: God not only works, but it is not everyone who's bad situation turns around for good, only to those who love him!” How do we know who loves him?   Well John 14 says..


“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— …. for He abides with you and will be in you.”

 

Paul speaks on a very deep topic of Predestination

 

Or in Greek as Paul spoke proorizō (praw-aw-RI-zoh) means to decide beforehand .

-      God decided who would respond to him saying YES I will follow you, he is not mean and controls us like robots, he has no favs but if he is God then he knows the hearts he formed, the choices they will make and the result of sin harding hearts to the point of constant rejection.

-      IT HAS A PROCESS, meaning it has a start and end product what is the result of it?

-      HE CALLED US (yes), he Justified ( us being saved by grace) and glorified ( when we die we are made with a new body and new nature that glorifies God but we can and do glorify him with how we live by faith in a walk continuing forever, we never stop walking with God)

 

Why did Paul mention that we are called to glorify him? BECAUSE he wants us to respond this way to our flesh nature, the one that sins and causes us to stumble, as Christians together we say “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

We respond in a way that allows us to remember who we are, that the called will be equipped to live a life of glory to God and in a way that says people, sin and the devil can throw anything at us we know READ VERSE 37 onwards

 

Do you believe that? Is that a promise you hold onto?