We will begin this lesson in chapter 8 V-31 “What shall we then
say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?”
We read in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 12, “But when ye sin so
against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against
Christ.” God fights for us and gives us the victory. God causes even
our enemies to live at peace with us, if we are Christians. Those who
are opposed to God’s people are really opposed to God.
Romans 8:32 “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up
for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
The hardest thing for the carnal mind to understand is why God
would sacrifice His Son for a bunch of sinners. We read in Romans
Chapter 5 V 8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The amazing thing is that
God loves the worst sinner. God provided through His Son a way out for
all. Jesus died for all sin. The way out is through the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. The problem is that many will not accept
this way out and therefore will die in their sin. The beautiful story
in Genesis in the O.T. of Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac, is
a type and shadow of God sacrificing His Son for all of mankind. A
type or shadow is not exact in every detail, but makes you think of
the happening it is shadowing. Both Abraham and God were about to
sacrifice the one who meant the very most to them. In the case of
Abraham, God stopped him and gave him a substitute. In God’s case,
there was no one greater than Himself to stop Him. Jesus Christ (the
only begotten of the Father) was the substitute for all mankind. The
greatest gift of love in all time was God loving us enough to give His
Son to save us. We deserved to die on that cross, but God the Son took
our place for us. He was our substitute. We read earlier in Romans Ch.
6 V-23 “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is]
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” In Corinthians ch. 15 V-
45 “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul;
the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit.” God has given us life
in Jesus Christ. What more can we ask?
Romans 8:33 “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s
elect? [It is] God that justifieth.”
Some young children learned the hard way not to insult God’s
elect in 2 kings Chapter 2 V 23 and 24. They had made fun of Elisha’s
bald head. Elisha cursed them in the name of the Lord and 42 of them
were torn of she bears. It is a very dangerous thing to say bad things
about God’s elect. Another example of how God will not allow this is
when Miriam spoke against Moses and became leprous. She was cleansed
when Moses prayed for her. Numbers Chapter 12 V-10. These 2 instances
remind us not to come against God’s elect. God fights their battles
for them. We who are God’s are not justified by our own deeds, we are
justified because we have been cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus
Christ. We are justified, because we have taken on the righteousness
of Christ.
Romans 8:34 “Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that
died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
In Matthew Chapter 25, we see that all the people of the world
will stand before Jesus to be judged. Beginning with v-31 read the
rest of the Chapter. Jesus separates them into sheep on the right (His
followers) and goats on the left. The lost and saved are spoken of in
v-46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal.” We also take note of what we believe
about Jesus in verse 34 chapter 8 of Romans. It gets into real
specifics about what we must believe. 1. Christ died for our sins.
- He rose again. 3. He sits at the right hand of the Father. 4. He is
constantly reminding God that He died to pay the cost for our sins.
(intercessor).
Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
[shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
This is a very interesting question. In the parable of the sower
in Matthew the 13th chapter, beginning with the third verse, we read
about how different people were affected by the cares of the world and
turned aside from the love of God. One did not understand the Word
(love) he had received, and the evil one immediately took it away. In
verse 21 of Matthew 13, we read of another who was slightly stronger
than the one mentioned, but in the face of tribulation and persecution
lost out. V-22 of Matthew 13 tells of someone who the cares of the
world and the deceitfulness of riches caused to fail. Out of all of
the seed (word or love) sown, there was one who received it and
nothing or no one could take it away. This person was not only not
shaken by all the problems that came, but actually went out and
brought others to the Lord. Problems did not stop this person, it just
made him stronger and more determined to do the will of God.