Romans 8:28-39
My favorite passage; full of assurance; remarkable and powerful.
When I need encouragement, I pick up my Bible…
Christians will have hardship and opposition (35-36).
The difficulties, which may occur to all – bereavement, death, sickness and war.
Persecution
1. II Tim. 3:12
2. The more devoted, the more opposition.
3. There will be misunderstandings, unkindness, and business loss, treated as different.
But we are assured victory through God (37).
A. "More than conquerors" – Hypernikomen, hyper – conquerors or super conquerors.
1. Not a minimum but a maximum.
2. Mk. 10:29-30
B. The key is the love of God.
1. Not skill, not luck, not merit but the love of God.
2. The Christian life begins and ends in this love.
The particular assurance of this passage.
C. Verse 28
God can take the worst tragedy; make it a stepping-stone to greater blessings.
We do not need to be very old to look back on life and see that things that we thought were disasters worked out to our good; things that we thought were disappointments worked out to greater blessings.
We can look back and we can see a guiding and directing hand in it and through it all.
a. If a man loves God, he will trust God, he will feel and know, and be convinced that God is the all wise and all-loving Father, he will humbly accept all that God sends his way.
b. Illus – A man may go to a Doctor and that Doctor may prescribe a course of treatment, which at the time is unpleasant or even painful; but the man trusts the wisdom of the man of skill and accepts the thing that is laid upon him.
c. So it is with us, if we love God. But if a man does not love and trust god, he may well resent what happens to him; he may well fight against the will of God; he may well find that the pains and the sorrows and the trials of life move him to anger and rebellion.
"Not lived long enough, not enough time or maybe it will even take heaven, but verse 28."
Providence!
"Them that love God" _ a requirement but something more, an attitude.
D. The historical evidence (29-30).
Note the past tense.
With God nothing happens by accident, nothing sneaks up on Him.
God took care of Abraham, Moses, et al. This is evidence of His care for us.
The more a Christian thinks of his experience the more he becomes convinced that he had nothing to do with it and all is of God.
Jesus Christ came into the world, He lived, He went to the cross, and He rose again. We did nothing to bring that about; that is God’s work.
E. This leads to the wonderful conclusion of verse 31.
God is on my side – "Who?"
Heb. 13:5
II Kings (Elisha – Syria)
F. God’s obvious care is seen in the gift of Christ (32).
An argument from major to minor.
If He gave His son will He not give us other things we need. The cross proves the generosity of God.
Just as Abraham was so loyal to God that he was prepared to sacrifice his dearest possession for the sake of God, God is so loyal to mankind that He was prepared and then carried out the sacrifice of His only Son.
If fully convinced of the cross, easy to accept all else.
It will not be a problem to believe:
a. God answers prayer.
b. God will give us what we need.
c. There is indeed a heaven.
Does God want me saved? Does God want you saved?
The beautiful emphasis of verses 38-39 (Nothing!)
G. Justification through Christ overrules any condemnation (33-34).
Court scene
a. God is the Judge.
b. Jesus is our Advocate.
c. Devil – "The accuser of the brethren."
If He can handle the Devil, He can handle and we can handle what others do to us.
Sum it all up.
a. Verses 28-30 - - Five undeniable affirmations of the love of God and His care (He foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified.)
b. Verses 31-39 - - Five unanswerable questions! Challenging any creature in heaven, earth or hell to answer them or deny the truth that is contained in them. But there is no answer that comes back. Nothing but silence!
God is for them who are for Him.
c. (28) "Love God, Called."
d. (33) "Justifieth" – Rom. 5:1
Jim Pharr
Lenoir, NC