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 Mark |
Reflect on the words of AW Tozier "Let a man set his heart only on doing the will of God and he is instantly free. If we understand our first and sole duty to consist of loving God supremely and loving everyone, even our enemies, for God's dear sake, then we can enjoy spiritual tranquility under every circumstance."
Read: Romans 8:28-39 -link-
Response: Romans 8 moves from ‘no condemnation’ to ‘no separation’. If you’ve absorbed things so far, you should be speechless (v 31). If you’re not, you haven’t fully understood the gospel! Paul argues from the greater to the lesser. Our eternal security is God’s work, and nothing can undo it. God never will. If God was against you, then no one could be for you. But if God is for you, does it matter who isn’t (v 31b)?
I love the imagery of v33 on. Who could successfully prosecute you, when it is God himself who’s acquitted you? The charges would be thrown out of court for lack of evidence (v 33). Christ stands at ‘the bench’ for your defence. God won’t even give anyone else a hearing, let alone issue a warrant for your arrest and return to ‘death row’ (v 34)!
There may be trouble ahead…don't forget that Paul wrote this from prison and the Roman christians of the day faced all sorts of persecutions (dont forget this letter is written in the day of the Emporer Nero)...so the Christian life never promises to be trouble free, you could face accident, illness, hatred or murder. Deprivation, hunger or cold are all possible. These things happen to believers. But neither wicked men nor devils will ever finally win. Christ is our 'covenant' Protector; he won’t let you go. In Christ, spiritual ‘hypochondriacs’ become ‘hyper-conquerors’ (v 37)!
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