Doubting God

It's a challenge that we all face. It is a tactic of the satan to make us stumble, to not stand firm and trust in the God who died for us.

When do you doubt God? I'll hold my hands right up now and say that the temptation for me to give up has been very close in the past few days.

Surprised? I am. The wedding is back on, lots of people can make it, and God is in control of our trials.

Yet our sinful natures don't like that phrase 'God is in control.' Of course, as the Bible tells us, He is, and that is awesome and amazing (Romans 8). But when we doubt, we doubt that truth.

I mean, that is what I was doing yesterday when life overwhelmed me and, through a very tearful phone call with Jo, admitted to myself that everything in my life was destined to go wrong, that was my default. Yes, a lot has gone wrong, very frequently, so my logic was to label everything as going wrong, full stop, forever.

In fact, I was very much like a man of the Old Testament named Asaph.

Now Asaph, according to 1 Chronicles 6:39, was of the tribe of Levi, and a psalmist.

He wrote Psalm 77. Why not read it to yourself now as we look at it. If you don't have a Bible handy, use this link: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2077&version=ESV

The first half of this passage has the writer in doubt of God. He seeks God yes, in verse 1-2, but "his soul refuses to be comforted" and he moans at remembering God.

How often have we felt like this? As Christians, we know it is right to seek God and trust in Him, but how much of that is empty words? When we are so troubled that we cannot speak, what are our thoughts of God?

Well Asaph doubts. In verses 7-9 he questions many of God's characteristics: His gracious election, His unfailing love, His faithfulness to His promises, His mercy and His compassion. These are characteristics that the whole Bible continues to proclaim about God, see how God describes Himself in Exodus 34:6-7, see Him make His promises to Abraham of land, people and blessing in Genesis 12 and 15, see Him promise to cleanse His people from their sin so that these promises can be accessed in Ezekiel 36 and 37, and see Him ultimately fullfill them in Christ Jesus.

This is what we must ask ourselves, has God forgotten us? Are our trials and tears to overwhelm us? Has God shut up His compassion?

What does Asaph do in verse 11? He focuses His mind, to remember the deeds of the Lord, to remember that God has worked and will work.

God is in control. We see that in verse 16 as the waters tremble before God, and in verses 19-20 as God parts waters in leading His people, His flock, through the turbulence. Anyone else reminded of the Exodus, as God parts the waters to let His chosen people through? Well, have a look at how those people were feeling prior to that great rescue:

"¹⁰When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD. ¹¹They said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? ¹²Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." ¹³And Moses said to the people,^D)"> "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. ¹⁴ The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.""

If God can do that, indeed, if God can do a greater salvation, the death and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, then surely He will not abandon us. See how Paul puts it in Romans 5:10 "¹⁰For if^A)"> while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life."

So what to do when we doubt. Whatever we do, we must fight, fight the satan. And what is our weapon, God's Word. God's living and active word, the gospel, His salvation plan that involves us, us who He allows to trust in Him.

For He is a trustworthy God, who has proved that so many times. And we need to force ourselves to remember that, even when it seems the entire world is falling apart around you: plans not going ahead, people moving away, you moving away, watching people battle around you, even when you are having a completely crap time, God never changes. He is indeed in control, open up the Bible to see that. For we have that gospel that He gives, indeed, as Jesus says in that often quoted but not always thought about verse: "For^A)"> God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Keep reminding youself, and others, of the gospel. Force yourself, and remember God is at work.

There's a great kid's song that I think sums this up well, it's called Powerful Love:-

Let’s give thanks to our God
our God is so good
he’s the God of gods
and Lord of lords
he made the heavens above
he made the land and the water
he made them just by
speaking his powerful words

His powerful love goes on
his powerful love goes on
his powerful love goes on and on forever

God struck down the Egyptians
but saved his special people
with his mighty hand
and his mighty outstretched arm
he split the sea in two
and destroyed the Egyptian army
but his special people
walked through without harm
because...

His powerful love goes on
his powerful love goes on
his powerful love goes on and on forever

Jesus Christ is God
our mighty, powerful God
he struck down all our enemies:
death and sin
and he defeated Satan
he crushed him on the head (ouch!)
he did it when he died
and rose again
because...

His powerful love goes on
his powerful love goes on
his powerful love goes on and on forever



Are you feeling doubtful of God's work in your life and situations therein? Don't feel guilty, look to the cross, force yourself to, remember the grace shown most in the gospel. For God's love, powerful love, does indeed go on and on forever.

Know anyone feeling doubtful? Why not pray for them to remember the awesome truth, and why not give them a call too?

Grappling with guilt

"6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

We are given a chance to escape the wrath of the God of the Universe, which we deserve, by trusting that Jesus died for us on the cross, which we do not deserve. There is nothing we can do to escape the reality that we are rebels against God. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves from that wrath. All we can do is completely surrender ourselves, our sinful, rebellious natures, and nail them down to the cross with Christ Jesus, who took the punishment for that very nature by dying a death He did not deserve. The guiltless made guilty, making the truly guilty completely guiltless. It is all God's doing, His salvation in Christ, nothing to do with us. It is for the glory of God to fulfill His plan in bringing His people under Him as God, we are a part of that plan because God wants us to be, nothing at all to do with us at all.

So why do we feel guilty?

If we think this through, it is thoroughly illogical to feel guilty now, because Christ died for us. He took that punishment, so that we can be free. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" says Romans 8:1. We are free, not because we deserve to be, but because Christ conquered sin and death by dying Himself, and later rising again as endorsement from God, that victory assured and complete.

Yet, we still feel guilty. I feel guilty. In fact, it's something I can greatly struggle with. Guilt is a very dangerous feeling, a redundant feeling, yet not one we can simply brush under the carpet and dismiss anyone feeling guilty as a weak person who needs to read the Bible properly. We all fall into THAT category!

Guilt is a tool of the satan, the accuser. Defeated at the cross of Jesus forever, the satan now seeks to undermine the progression of God's Word in the world by attacking the most vulnerable point, us. We know our grace is utterly undeserved, and we are not led to forget that. Unfortunately, the accuser sends us the other way. We feel responsible for the death of Christ, and when we mess up again and again as people under that grace of God, our thoughts of remorse and guilt consume us. We forget that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. While it is of course a right response to recognise our sinfulness, it is dangerous to neglect the flip side of the coin, that though we are sinners, we are washed clean of our sin by the blood of Jesus. He died so that we may live, and one day be made righteous and perfect with God (Ephesians 1:3-10), and nothing we do changes that.
If we adhere to the Biblical truth that God set us apart before the creation of the world, in order to be one day made holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4, 5, 11, 2:1-10, Romans 8:28-39, Romans 9:14-29; Acts 13:48; John 6:44), we find great comfort in many facts:

Firstly, the Sovereignty of God, who saw fit to unite His people, sinners as they are, under Him, to be made Holy and blameless, achieving this by the cross of Jesus Christ and that alone.

Secondly, the cleansing of God's people. Sinners though we are and will continue to be until the New Creation (Revelation 21-22), the blood of Christ has cleansed us from our sin. We are not perfect now, but we are forgiven now.

Thirdly, the permanence of the truth. Jesus died once, and for all "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God" says 1 Peter 3:18a. This death was not a case of dying for specific sins, and some being outside of it. This death was for the forgiveness of sin, past, present and future. You can't commit a sin and not be saved by the blood. If you commit something on purpose and do not repent, then you are not trusting in God and are outside of the promise anyway. You would not do that if you knew the score, for, as Romans 8:38-39 states: "38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor 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."

So we see, we need not feel guilty, for Christ has borne our punishment, permanently, as part of God's Sovereign and merciful plan in uniting us under Him, which He decided before we existed. What I am NOT saying however, is that this is an excuse to sit back and dismiss the active sin in your life. It is important to maintain a balance in this case between focusing on the grace, and always repenting. If we trust in Christ, then naturally we will want to live for Christ. Don't let guilt be a stumbling block. Keep repenting out of love for the God who died for you.

I often struggle greatly with guilt. For me anyway, part of it is indeed a pride issue, wanting to do the right thing, say the right thing, be righteous, basically. What a wrong attitude though. All we do is tainted with our sinful desires and motivations behind it. We are imperfect made worthy by Christ's blood alone.

Thinking back to a time about half way through my third year of university, I was greatly struggling with guilt, of how rubbish I was, and worthless, not deserving to be counted amongst the saved. At the time I was attending a conference on the cross of Christ, a subject so key to our understanding of what we believe, and yet a subject I had not given much time and study for. Being refreshed on the doctrine of the cross, there came a most wonderful feeling of relief that rushed over me as I was again reminded that Jesus died for me, and took my guilt and shame away. What a love, what a cost! (For further reading I fully and warmly recommend my favourite Christian book outside of the Bible, The Cross of Christ, by John Stott)

If you struggle with guilt, I urge you to take time to sit down, take a deep breath, and reflect on the truth of the Bible. We are all sinners, you are not alone. Those feelings of worthlessness and that you are the worst Christian around are echoed by many others, me included. Yes we are rubbish, but not worthless, for Christ Jesus died for us to make us worthy. Yes we are undeserving, but yes we are made righteous, more than conquerors by the sacrifice of Christ, and Christ alone. Reflect on the passages in this section, and pray to our Heavenly Father, in the name of the Son, by the Holy Spirit to guard you against guilt, keep you repentant and keep you focused and reminded of the awesome truth of the gospel, that while we were still sinners, Christ did die for us. And that grace never ends because you keep slipping up. Keep recognising and repenting, keep trusting, keep fighting, for one day you will see perfection, by Christ.

If you know someone struggling with guilt, get alongside them and love them. Remind them of your own sinfulness, as well as every single person on earth's, and keep gently pointing them to the truths of the gospel. Any of the passages here will be good places to point them towards, and gently remind them of that grace that we put our trust in.

Keep praying, keep fighting, keep trusting in God.

Luke-the true Nativity

Now I hate Christmas. It's a sad fact of life, but it's something I'm known for. When I first became a Christian, Christmas, with all of it's commercialisation-the xmas generation, really, really gets on my nerves. Even to a point where this year, I exlaimed aloud how early decorations were being sold (SEPTEMBER-CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!).
The fact that my parents split up on Christmas day 2006 kinda puts a damper on things as well, I'll be honest.
Moorlands puts on a Carol service every year, which I do love, but I'll admit, it's the first time I'll hear carols in a year, and I do get very emotional to a point.
This year, I think I'm starting to love Christmas, what it's actually about at least.
In my daily Bible reading at the moment, I've just started reading Luke's gospel, a gospel I have not read in depth for a long time, and of course, the first two chapters concern the birth of Jesus, which we traditionally celebrate around Christmas time.
It's awesome going into a story I have known since a young age, a story that I have taken part in re-enacting for many years (my last nativity play was when I was 17!), but a story that is more than just kids in tea towels getting stage fright.

For it concerns the God of the Universe reversing the effects of our own rebellion against Him, by stepping into history as a human, Jesus Christ. A boy born of a virgin, therefore most likely classed as illigitimate by those around Him, a boy born in a manger, not in a room. A boy born to die.
Jesus is described, before He is even born, by the angel Gabriel as "the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." (Luke 1:32-33).
To explain where we are in the Bible at this point. Since Genesis, the beginning, God has promised to send someone to sort out our rebellious mess (Genesis 3), which He has expanded upon by making three promises to a man called Abraham, promises of land, for a people of God, who will live under God's blessing (Genesis 12). God's people grew out of Abraham's family, called the house of Jacob, or Israel, who after being rescued by God from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 1-15, particularly looking at chapter 12) settled in a land. They were given God's Law to live by, as a way of standing out as God's people (Exodus-Deuteronomy) and a way to live under God's blessing.
They still rebel, again and again, and we see judges and kings established by God. (Judges-2 Chronicles) Some obey God, and others do not.
One of these kings was David, who did listen to God, and God promised that David's line would continue as kings forever. People thought that this promised one God would send would be like David.
Israel as a nation would become split in two, conquered and exiled from their promised land as part of God's judgement, but God would bring them back as the Old Testament closes.
Now God has been silent for many years, Israel has been conquered again, by the Roman Empire, and they still await the sending of God's promised one, who will be from David's line, and will be king forever.
Jesus is born, from the line of David. Jesus is described in Luke 2:29-32, by a man called Simeon, one who was promised to see God's Christ (Messiah, Saviour, the title that Jesus has always been associated with). This man sees Jesus the child, and proclaims thus: "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."

To explain. Jesus is the one whom God has sent, whom the world has waited for, the one whom God will use to reverse the effects of our rebellion against God; to die on a cross for us. This for all, not just Jews, for Gentiles are anyone who is not of Jewish blood.

This is what Jesus came for, to die for us. And here we see the origins, the beginning of the end. When I appeared on songs of praise, I described Christmas as "not about the presents...it's the beginning of our salvation [through Jesus' death], and that is what we should be celebrating."

This is the story of the Bible, the culmination of God's salvation plan for His people, a plan made before the world, the sacrifice of Jesus. Christmas is the beginning of the end of that glorious plan. THAT is why it is awesome.

Perspective on a bad day

I'm listening to an one of my all time favourite songs at the moment. It is called 'There is a Hope' by Stuart Townend, and it is a song based on two chapters in Romans: chapters 5 and 8. Chapter 5 talks of the gospel, what Jesus has done for us on the cross (taking our sins upon Himself and dying a death He did not deserve). And chapter 8 talks of the awesome privelidge and hope we have as Christians because of that gospel. (For more thoughts on chapter 8, and the lyrics to 'There is a Hope', see my eariler post (http://storytimewithaled.blogspot.com/2009/09/some-thoughts-on-romans-8.html)
The past 24 hours or so have been some rough ones. Two job rejections, and a possibility that I have been wasting my time on the boom i have been writing. Prayers about those would be ace!
In the midst of all this though, when times are hard, it is imperative to be reminded of the gospel, that hope we have thanks to the grace of God.
I have (to my complete surprise) recently joined Twitter, and I am currently following the ESV daily (http://twitter.com/esvdaily). Just as an aside, the ESV is the English Standard Version, a very literal translation of the Bible that I fully and warmly recommend to use.
Todays verse that came up on my screen, just as I was feeling so awful and sorry for myself, was the following: "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."-Romans 5:8.
And it's just hit me. No matter how many hard times we face, no matter what is thrown at us, while we were still sinners, that is, active rebels against the God of the Universe, He sent Jesus who is God and man, to die for us.
That is the gospel, the hope that the song reminds us of. As Christians who face hard times, we need to keep that everlasting, non-changing hope in mind. God's truth does not change just because our circumstances do.

Some thoughts on Romans 8

As a Christian I believe the following:

1. The world was created by God, and we were created to rule the world under God
2. We did not like God being in charge, so rebelled. We want to be God.
3. God's just response to our rebellion, also called sin, is to want to get rid of sin. He hates it. Therefore, the consequences of our rebellion is our death and judgement.
4. HOWEVER-while we were still sinners, God stepped into the world as Jesus. Jesus was perfect, yet He died on a cross, taking the punishment of our sin and rebellion upon Himself. This was God's rescue plan for us.
5. Jesus rose from the dead three days later, endorsing the fact He was God, and will come again to judge.
6. We owe our lives to Jesus, and we should therefore be looking for ways to glorify Him, accepting God as Lord of our lives, and living for Him by doing good works. These good works do not save us. God has saved us by His grace by sending Jesus. We do good works as a grateful outpouring.
7. All this is written in the Bible, which is the word of God given to us.

In light of all this, here is some thoughts on chapter eight of Paul's letter to the Romans:


Romans 8 (English Standard Version)
Romans 8
Life in the Spirit
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Heirs with Christ
12So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Future Glory
18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For 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. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
God’s Everlasting Love
31What 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 gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who 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. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor 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.










So, there’s obviously a lot to unpack!
Awesome grace (1-5)
One of the first things Paul says is that we have “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (verse 1). He is saying this as a continuation from chapter 7, which talks of being released from the law and of course, being saved through God’s grace: “Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.” (Romans 7:4). What a great delight this is! That if we were justified by our works, we of course stand condemned. But God in His grace has justified us by His work, His grace in sending Jesus Christ to die for us. Paul reiterates this in verses 2-5 “2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
So this is the background to this section I think, the fact that by God’s grace we are saved, not by what we do. If it was vice versa we would be scuppered wouldn’t we? We are saved by the grace of God alone. As Paul exclaims towards the end of chapter seven “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).
Awesome Spirit-living (verses 5-11)
We live in the world around us...and no, I’m not about to accept the prize for the most obvious statement of the year! The world we live in easily influences our behaviour. For the Christian, it can be all too easy to follow the crowd, live in the flesh as Paul puts it. Living for today, letting the worries of today, and even tomorrow take priority sometimes over what really matters. But what does Paul say here, have a look at verse seven “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”
Now this I think is mostly applied towards worldy thinking. Our minds quickly jump to pleasures; sex, drugs and rock and roll...whatever floats your boat really. I personally think (therefore may not be correct) that this can also be applied to worldly thinking in terms of ‘religious’ lifestyle, and also in terms of focusing too much on money and such things. Seeing as Paul has spent the last chapter on the subject of the law, and how it is grace NOT works that save us, I think there is room for this in Paul’s writing here.
For the mind of the Christian, these need to be denied, nailed to the cross with Christ, so we can pick up our own and follow Him. Be encouraged that you are saved by Christ’s blood, and deny those temptations to be worldy; “but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” as Paul says in verse six. Live for the God who has saved you, not for the worldy worries that surround you. In the world, not of the world. For as Paul says in verse nine, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Saved by grace, in the Spirit of God being regenerated and renewed, as promised back in Ezekiel 36:22-37 (Have a read of this, be encouraged how God has promised to change us and live with us as God, going back to the promises to Abraham in Genesis 12!)
In our passage here, in verses 10-11, there is great comfort to be seen. Our bodies are dead to sin, but made righteous in Christ. And that same Spirit of God, who raised Christ, that same spirit is at work in us: “he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
How amazing is that? Though our trails seem overbearing, God Himself by His Spirit, the very same Spirit who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead, having died to make undeserving sinners righteous, is at work in us, giving life to our mortal bodies. God is strengthening us for trials ahead. What an encouragement. What a God!

Awesome Father (verses 12-18)
So, as Paul has explained, and summarises here, we are indeed to live not to the flesh, for that leads to death. We are to put to death those deeds, by God’s Spirit. Again, we see it’s not by our strength, but by God’s Spirit. Take courage, God is most certainly in control, and indeed, has our best interests at heart? Why? Have a look at verse fourteen: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
We are sons, and indeed daughters of God. Thanks to God in Jesus, we are made righteous. Thanks to God in His Spirit, we are being changed, as we see in Ezekiel. Thanks to God, we are dead to sin, but made alive in Christ. We are co-heirs with Christ as children of God. Millions around the world who have placed their God-given trust in Jesus are sons and daughters of God. So are you. You, Joanne Marie Muckle-Jones, are part of this new Spiritual family in Christ. We have the Spirit of God Himself inside us, working in us, making us more like Christ, strengthening us for suffering, and there’s millions out there, brothers and sisters in Christ. How awesome is that?!
Have a gander at verses 15, 16 and 17: “15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” We can cry Abba, which is a word as intimate, if not more so, than ‘daddy’, to the God of the Universe! God’s Spirit testifies we are God’s children! So do not fall back into worldly fear, the way of the flesh, but be remembering that jaw dropping awesome grace of our God.

Awesome future (verse 18-26)

When thinking about what we are going through at the moment, it’s hard. I don’t need to remind you of that. Thinking of all this rubbish times we have, keep verses eighteen and nineteen in your mind. “18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”
Ok, so this is coming from Paul, a man having given up the stable security of a career, and a family to go out and preach the gospel. This is the same Paul who was beaten up, flogged, jailed, stoned, ship-wrecked, bitten by a snake and eventually beheaded for the gospel. Yet he can still write this passage. It really puts things in perspective doesn’t it? Though we may have the hardest times of our lives at the moment, and indeed, many more to come. Yet no matter how rubbish it gets, it’s still absolutely nothing in comparison with the glory that we will see; the glory of God in the New Creation. Just for a taste, have a read of Revelation 21 and 22! We are going to see God’s glory, as God’s child, because of God’s grace in the cross of Christ, and the sending of His Spirit on every believer, who only believes because God has given them that belief, having predestined them before they even existed! It’s utterly mind blowing and absolutely amazing!
The world awaits for this, knowing the state of sin and corruption. We as Christians, as Paul puts it “23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Life is going to be hard, whatever decision we end up making, we live in a fallen world yearning for Jesus to come back and all things be made new. We don’t know when that will happen, but praise God for that future, that we unworthy, but not worthless, thanks to Jesus, will one day see it, and indeed live in it, with God as God, pain and suffering forgotten, forever. And don’t let the fact that we cannot see it get you disheartened. Read verses 24 and 25 “24For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Awesome truth (verses 26-31)
Paul again in verse 26 returns to the awesome truth of God’s Spirit at work in us. We’ve seen we can do nothing ourselves, hence Jesus. What a comfort it is how we read of God at work in us continually: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
We see God’s Spirit interceding for us in prayer, that intimate chat we have with our Father, who by His grace we call Him Father, and pray at all. And the Spirit turns our feeble prayers into:“groanings too deep for words.”
Again, how awesome is that?!
Verse 27: “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” God searches our hearts, knows our hearts, having made our hearts. We are the saints, the Christian believer, saved by God, and by His grace the Spirit intercedes for us according to the God of the Universe! It doesn’t get any better than this!
Then we come to one of my favourite passages in the Bible. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Now, we have seen how awesome God is: He has made us righteous, though we are rebels, by the blood of Christ Jesus on the cross, NOT by our sinful works. He has made us co-heirs with Christ, sons and daughters of God, with God’s Spirit in us, in order to live for Him, not for the flesh. He is changing us by His Spirit, until that day which we long for, the day He comes in glory, that by His grace we are allowed to see. We see in this verse that for the Christian, God makes all things work together for good, for those who have been called, according to His purpose.
What a comfort! The God of the Universe has called us, as we shall see later, and He makes everything work together for good for us. This is for His glory, and He lets us glorify Him as He works in our lives. God is ultimately sovereign, ultimately loving, ultimately just, ultimately merciful, and ultimately awesome! When we suffer, it is for God’s glory. What a comfort, that suffering is not meaningless, and that God is constantly at work in our lives, by His Spirit, for His glory, and therefore our good.
God calls us, says verses 29 and 30. We may often think, and are indeed encouraged to think that we are a totally insignificant, random aspect of a random series of events that are ultimately leading to absolutely nothing. Captain Jack Harkness sums up this frankly depressing ideology in Torchwood when he says, in response to being speculated too that the latest alien threat may in fact be the end of the world in Biblical terms: “You people just fail to see the randomness of creation.”
Well here we see something different don’t we? “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,” says verse 29. Though we may feel insignificant and random, we’re not as far as God is concerned. We’ve reflected on already the awesome grace of God in sending Jesus to die for us, to save us from sin and death. Here we see a shocking twist in the plot of this chapter. God has predestined us. He knew, before we even existed, that we would exist, and that Jesus would die for us. We are to be shaped into the image of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. We have seen we are co-heirs with Christ, with the Spirit of God at work in us, changing us. We who are unworthy, but not at all worthless. God chose for us to be saved by His grace before we were created. Still think you’re a random creation of nothing? Like Jesus before us, we are raised to life, our death crucified with Christ, our sins forgiven, co-heirs, brothers and sisters with Christ, the new Adam, firstborn among many brothers in the glory of His resurrection. Verse 30 highlights just how loved by God we are, and all of this is done in Christ on the cross. “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
Awesome Love (v31-39)
Verse 31 is a very-often quoted passage in scripture. Indeed it can be seen as an encouraging stand alone sentence, but, read it again, with everything we have seen so far in mind “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
What a love! God hand picking us out before Creation, coming down into human history as Jesus Christ, dying a horrific death, conquering death itself, saving us from our rebellion against God, using our trials, which are nothing compared to the glory we have the privilege of seeing, for His glory, placing His Spirit in us to work and change us, to mould us into the likeness of Christ, our Saviour and co-heir, choosing to work in us for our good because He has enabled us to love Him. All this, and so much more in mind then, NOW, as Paul asks, what can we say of these things? The natural and logical conclusion: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
This same God, who gave up His Son for us, also gives us graciously all things, says verse 32. We’re set. I can end right here, God has given to us Christ, our life, by His grace, along with all things. What all these things are I cannot list, but looking back over what this one chapter of this letter says so far the list is pretty extensive!
Because of God’s grace, who can bring a charge against us? Yes we do wrong, quite frequently. I can bring some pretty shocking things to mind. But I’m forgiven, Christ has died for me. I’m free from the law, saved by God’s grace, the blood of Christ, just as verse one says “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The same is true for you, selected by God long ago, saved by the blood of Christ, not your own merit, so you are free from death, enabling you to live for Him, and He being a work in your life for His glory, and therefore your good. This again is not by anything you have done, will do and can do, after all, as this chapter, and indeed the entire Bible says all the way through: “It is God who justifies.” (verse 34).
It is God who justifies, God who died in Christ, God who rose in Christ, and God who intercedes for us still says verse 34. It is God alone. We are but human sinners, washed by Christ. Be encouraged the next time you feel guilty. There is no condemnation. God graciously gives us all, including chance after chance, even at the last minute, to repent.
This love of God, this jaw-dropping, mind blowing, overwhelming awesome love of God, is of course, unconditional, it is permanent. As verse 35 says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Shall it be trials, or suffering, as Paul goes on to say. We know already God is at work in our trials, for the sake of God we are being killed all day long, sheep to be slaughtered. We face many, many trials that feel as if they will break us, will they break us? Will they separate us from the love of God, who died for us, equips us every day for battle, saving us by His grace not our works, and works in us always for our good, having predestined and called us for this?
Read verse 37, and take a deep breath at this: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Wow. That’s my initial response. Wow.
The answer, joyously, is no. We cannot be separated from God’s love, let alone by trials we face. Paul has already said in verse 18 that he considers his present sufferings, and there were a lot of them, NOTHING, compared to the glory he would later see. And now, here we see that awesome truth. We are more than conquerors, more than overcomers. We smash down those trials. Not because we are good or have a special superpower to crush suffering into dust. No, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. We cannot deny the love of our God, our Abba in this passage, nor indeed in the whole Bible. This truth is affirmed, God sent Christ to die for us, and is at work in us now, by His powerful love and glorious grace, He works us in us, calls us to overcome. For how will we see His promises fullfill if we do not overcome? We do not overcome alone, we cannot. God takes us through it, though many times we just sit down and sulk. God takes us by the hand and drags us through, drags us through everything, so we may overcome and see the glories on the last day, which will knock the worst and indeed best times we have been through out of the park.
This is love, and this is truth. To recap. This passage is about the grace and merciful love that can come only from God Himself. This is God, He who deemed us worthy before we existed, He who stepped into history in Christ, to die for us, wash us clean by His blood, rise again the first-born of many-us, co-heirs sharing in the resurrection. He who set us free from ourselves and our failure to live for God, and therefore from the just condemnation of the law, He who puts His Spirit, His breath in us, to enable us to live for Him, making us more and more like Christ, interceding for us in prayer, He who takes us through any trial we face, and uses that trial for His glory, and our good, and therefore be always at work in our lives for our good, though we do not deserve it and do not see it as we ought to. This is awesome love and awesome truth from our awesome God, who permits us to call Him Abba, and too, finally, in verses 38 and 39 of this amazing passage, we see this love affirmed greater still. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 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.”
We have this love, and by God’s grace, it isn’t going anywhere.
Let me ask you a question, how can you now feel guilt or fear? For the love of God permanently holds you fast and strong forever. But you are human, you will feel guilt and fear. But never feel hopeless. As times are hard, as we face times of great trouble, remember the truths of this passage. As an application question:- How can you apply what you have learned today in your attitude towards suffering and trials?
One final thought to leave you with:-God is sovereign, He is in control, He died for us, and is at work in us, always for our good. This love He has shown since before you first opened your eyes has not stopped, nor will it ever, not ever.

Two songs come to mind, one is written around this passage, in conjunction with another great chapter, Romans chapter 5. The second song I came across while searching for the first one. Be encouraged, remember the truth of the gospel, the everlasting love of God, shown for us on the cross, our hope, our foundation.


There is a hope that burns within my heart;
that gives me strength for every passing day;
a glimpse of glory now revealed in meagre part;
yet drives all doubt away;
I stand in Christ, with sins forgiven; and Christ in me, the hope of heaven;
my highest calling and my deepest joy;
to make His will, my own;
There is a hope that lifts my weary head;
a consolation strong against despair;
and when the world has plunged me in it’s deepest pit;
I find the Saviour there;
through present sufferings, future’s fear;
He whispers “courage” in my ear;
for I am safe in everlasting arms;
and they will lead me home;
There is a hope that stands the test of time;
that lifts my eyes beyond the beckoning grave;
to see the matchless beauty of a day divine;
when I behold His face;
When sufferings cease, and sorrows die;
and every longing satisfied;
then joy unspeakable will flood my soul;
when I am truly home;

How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he has said
to all who for refuge to Jesus have fled.

In every condition - in sickness and health,
in poverty’s grip or abounding in wealth,
at home or abroad, on the land, on the sea -
as days may demand shall your strength ever be.
Since Jesus is with you, do not be afraid:
since he is your God, you need not be dismayed;
he’ll strengthen you, guard you, and help you to stand,
upheld by his righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters he calls you to go,
you will not be drowned in the rivers of woe;
for he will be with you in trouble, to bless
and work for your good through your deepest distress.

When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie,
his grace all-sufficient shall be your supply;
the flames shall not harm you: his only design
your dross to consume and your gold to refine.

The soul that in Jesus has found its repose,
he will not, he cannot, desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,he’ll never, no never, no never forsake!