Hi and welcome back. In our previous episode we were discussing how God knew us before creation. Before anything came into existence He knew everything about us. Nobody on planet Earth knows us that intimately.
Sometimes our friends can be shocked by the way we act or the things we say.
Your friend might say, I thought I knew you better than that. But your heavenly Father truly knows you and nothing you can say or do will surprise him. You will never hear Him say, I thought I knew you better than that. Because he does know you better than that. Our relationship with Jesus should push us to get to know Him as intimately as He knows us.
So let’s just review the previous verse from last week.
Romans 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
So not only did God know us, He foreknew our destiny with Christ, that we would be conformed to His image.
It is that fore-knowledge that insures that we will one day repent and believe. Again when we speak of the image of Christ we are speaking of spiritual morality and not a physical likeness to Him. Now let’s take a look at,
Romans 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
He has called us to Himself.
Many may hear that calling, but few respond. Those who respond are justified. In other words they have a righteous standing before God. Your justification does not come from good works and keeping the law. It is only through the work of the cross that we can be justified.
Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
If you are trying to justify yourself, then you are not looking to the cross.
You are not living by faith. In this verse it says God is revealed from Faith to Faith. This could be interpreted several ways, but I believe that it is the faith that we exhibit from now till eternity. Again if you are not looking to the cross then you are looking to your own self-righteousness, and that has no place in the presence of a holy God. Through our justification we are glorified. That glorification is yet to come, but we live with the foreknowledge that glory awaits us.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The next verse is really powerful. We should all live in the knowledge of this verse.
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
These things, as Paul says, are what separates us from the rest of the world.
We have been predestined, called, justified, and we will be glorified. So indeed, if God is for us who can be against our omnipotent God.
We need to live our life knowing that God will make a way.
We should stand fast in the promises of God. When Moses was ready to lead the Israelites into the promised land, there was fear and trepidation among the people. If they had their way they’d rather be back in Egypt in bondage. How soon they forgot the power of their omnipotent God.
Numbers 14:9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.
Always walk in the promises of God.
Romans 8:32 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?
God gave us the greatest treasure he had, His only Son.
If God didn’t hold back giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins, then it is reasonable that God would not hold back a gift of lesser value.
When we pray, we should pray believing, based on what God has already done for us. The very fact that He gave his Son for us should strengthen our prayer life.
Romans 8:33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
Who indeed could, because we have been justified. It is a statement of fact. We have been made right before a holy God by the blood of Jesus Christ. No one can snatch us out of His hand. We are justified by faith. No charges will stick in God’s Court. We are God’s elect, His chosen people.
Even Satan’s accusations have no merit before our God.
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
So never doubt whose you are.
Satan is throwing out accusations left and right, day and night. Satan has no power in God’s Court, no one on earth can bring any charges against you before God.
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.
Again remember what we read at the beginning of this chapter.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Christ is interceding on our behalf. His intercession ensures that there is no condemnation.
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?
Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
No matter what we’re going through, Christ’s love is there. Just because we are going through these things doesn’t mean He doesn’t love us. He loves us and he will see us through it.
John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
It shouldn’t take us by surprise when hardships come.
Many a Christian has been martyred for the glory of God.
Romans 8:36 As it is written, For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
Of the original 12 disciples, only John was not killed for his faith.
How strong is our faith? Would we be willing to die for Christ and not deny Him? It’s easy in the United States to say yes I’m willing to die for Christ. Many can say that now, because they believe that they will never have to endure such things. But the times are changing in this country. It’s not hard to visualize Christians being persecuted and put to death for their beliefs. We need to reevaluate our faith and contemplate who or what we are living for. If we are truly looking toward things of eternal value, then we can just let go of the things of this world and look toward a glorious future with our Lord and Savior. For a Christian death is not the final frontier.
Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Despite all that life throws at us we can overcome it because we are part of God’s family.
Nothing in this life can separate us from the love of Christ. The last two verses of chapter 8 emphasize that love that surpasses all others.
Romans 8:38-39 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.
This concludes today’s episode. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Just remember every day is a day of Thanksgiving when we realize all that the Lord has blessed us with.
I’d like to thank you for listening and as always may you have a week full of opportunities to share this good news with those that need to hear it.