Rom. 8:32-37
He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. As we start our studies today, we begin by seeing a perfect picture of God Almighty, and just where He stands in all of these things. God was the one who didn't spare His son. He knew what had to happen in order to redeem to Himself a new family. Because of our sins, we were bound by the requirements of God's law. And according to that law:
"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."
Heb. 9:22
Heb. 9:22
There had to be a sacrifice. And that sacrifice had to be equal to the challenge of covering the sins of an entire body of people. Animal blood was not up to this challenge, or else sin would have been erased from the Jewish people back in the Old Testament days. It had to be human. But, it also had to be unblemished. And every human that was directly descended from Adam had an innate sinful nature passed down from generation to generation. So, the only method of forever releasing people from bondage to sin required a human that was not only part of the human lineage, but separate from that lineage. That required a man to be born of a Jewish woman (part of the human line) yet without a human father (separate from the bloodline of sin.) The only answer to this problem was God's own Son, Jesus.
So, God did not spare His Son. Instead, He delivered Him up. In Greek, the word root that is translated "delivered" is παρεδωκεν, which means to surrender. Jesus was not forcibly taken. He was willfully surrendered to the sacrifice by God. And for whom was He sacrificed? For us all. Now, here is an interesting point for defining our doctrine. Many people use this as a verse showing that Jesus was an atonment for all mankind. But, when we look at the context, we know that this is part of the passage that was talking to those that were adopted into the family of God. In other words, "for us all" is in referrence to those adopted children. And we know from our earlier readings that those children were called out from their existance of hatred towards God. Jesus died for those that are called to be His joint heirs. Every person that is to belong to Him WILL be saved.
The last part of verse thirty-two has an unusual translation. This is because of the tense of the word χαρισεται (Greek: charizomai, to grant as a favor.) Another way to read this verse could well be:
So, God did not spare His Son. Instead, He delivered Him up. In Greek, the word root that is translated "delivered" is παρεδωκεν, which means to surrender. Jesus was not forcibly taken. He was willfully surrendered to the sacrifice by God. And for whom was He sacrificed? For us all. Now, here is an interesting point for defining our doctrine. Many people use this as a verse showing that Jesus was an atonment for all mankind. But, when we look at the context, we know that this is part of the passage that was talking to those that were adopted into the family of God. In other words, "for us all" is in referrence to those adopted children. And we know from our earlier readings that those children were called out from their existance of hatred towards God. Jesus died for those that are called to be His joint heirs. Every person that is to belong to Him WILL be saved.
The last part of verse thirty-two has an unusual translation. This is because of the tense of the word χαρισεται (Greek: charizomai, to grant as a favor.) Another way to read this verse could well be:
"Along with Him [Jesus], how could He [God] not [now and from this time onward] freely give to us [the adopted children] all things?"
Sometimes, Greek into English just don't go! But, the verse ends by making the point that there's just no way that God wouldn't be just as willing to give to the adopted children everything that He would give to Jesus. And this shows harmony with what we've already seen about us being joint heirs with Jesus through our adoption.
Verses thirty-three, thirty-four and thirty-five are a series of challenges and answers. In verse thirty-three, Paul asks (to paraphrase):
Verses thirty-three, thirty-four and thirty-five are a series of challenges and answers. In verse thirty-three, Paul asks (to paraphrase):
Q: Who can lay a charge against those that were called by God Himself?
A: Nobody can, because it was God Himself that brought about our new innocence from sin.
Here is the first "My Dad is bigger than your dad." There is no creature in all of God's creation that can call us accountable for our sins, because God, through the work of Jesus on the cross, has caused each of His new kids to be reborn as clean, innocent people. And, let's face it, if God makes something clean, it is clean indeed!
Verse thirty-four continues with:
Q: Who is able to condemn the actions of these new children?
A: Nobody can, because Jesus (who died and rose again to stand alive at the right hand of God) will intercede on the behalf of those people.
Even when we do something sinful AFTER we have been born again, Jesus is there, standing up for us in the audience of God Almighty. Let's take a quick look at an example of what goes on in the Audience of God....
A: Nobody can, because it was God Himself that brought about our new innocence from sin.
Here is the first "My Dad is bigger than your dad." There is no creature in all of God's creation that can call us accountable for our sins, because God, through the work of Jesus on the cross, has caused each of His new kids to be reborn as clean, innocent people. And, let's face it, if God makes something clean, it is clean indeed!
Verse thirty-four continues with:
Q: Who is able to condemn the actions of these new children?
A: Nobody can, because Jesus (who died and rose again to stand alive at the right hand of God) will intercede on the behalf of those people.
Even when we do something sinful AFTER we have been born again, Jesus is there, standing up for us in the audience of God Almighty. Let's take a quick look at an example of what goes on in the Audience of God....
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath [is] in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Job 1:6-12
Even to this day, satan still goes before God to accuse and condemn. But, now satan has to contend with our Most Excellent Councilor, Jesus. In this circumstance, we might well see something along these lines take place:
Satan says, "God, this person, Joe Somebody, claims to be your child. But, he just stole money from his business and cussed out another person on the street. These are offenses that, by Your own law, require him to condemned to eternal death.
Jesus says, "Father, this same person was given by You to me. I shall lose none of my own, because I shed my blood to pay for all of his sins. He is, therefore, justified in Your sight as am I.
God's verdict, "This man belongs to my Son. He is guilty of those charges, but the punishment has already been rendered onto my Son. He shall not suffer eternal death, but because he is not submitting himself to my will, he is not entitled to the peace and life that would otherwise be his.
Now, of course, this is just one way that this could have turned out. But, the example is clear of how Jesus now comes to the defense of His people in the sight of God. Jesus is the ONLY one able to do this. There is no room for Mary to get involved, no old dead saints...Jesus only! As it is written"
Satan says, "God, this person, Joe Somebody, claims to be your child. But, he just stole money from his business and cussed out another person on the street. These are offenses that, by Your own law, require him to condemned to eternal death.
Jesus says, "Father, this same person was given by You to me. I shall lose none of my own, because I shed my blood to pay for all of his sins. He is, therefore, justified in Your sight as am I.
God's verdict, "This man belongs to my Son. He is guilty of those charges, but the punishment has already been rendered onto my Son. He shall not suffer eternal death, but because he is not submitting himself to my will, he is not entitled to the peace and life that would otherwise be his.
Now, of course, this is just one way that this could have turned out. But, the example is clear of how Jesus now comes to the defense of His people in the sight of God. Jesus is the ONLY one able to do this. There is no room for Mary to get involved, no old dead saints...Jesus only! As it is written"
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 14:6
For over two-thousand years, the children of God have endured these things. There is no doubt that, until the rapture, even more of our brothers and sisters will be subjected to such. After all, Paul quotes Psalms 44:22 in the next verse:John 14:6
In verse thirty-five, the question asked is:
Q: Who can separate us from the love of Jesus Christ?
A: No one, no thing can! Nothing!
Not even WE can do it. If we are part of God's family, a member of the bride of Jesus, sealed by the presence of the Holy Spirit, after all the work that God has done to get us into His family, there is not a single thing in God's creation that can take us away. It is more than just an adoption, but a joining of the same type as marriage (since we ARE the bride of Christ). And, it has the same restriction place upon it:
Q: Who can separate us from the love of Jesus Christ?
A: No one, no thing can! Nothing!
Not even WE can do it. If we are part of God's family, a member of the bride of Jesus, sealed by the presence of the Holy Spirit, after all the work that God has done to get us into His family, there is not a single thing in God's creation that can take us away. It is more than just an adoption, but a joining of the same type as marriage (since we ARE the bride of Christ). And, it has the same restriction place upon it:
"What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
Mark 10:9
Mark 10:9
That being said, however, doesn't mean that we are going to just skate through this life untouched. Remember, we have surrendered our life to Jesus. And Jesus, even as the Son of God, was yet executed on earth. We are no better than Him, and we must expect that, at any time, we may be called upon to face pain and death.
Paul makes that clear, by showing some of those things that might befall us. But, he instructs us in this as an example of just how powerless those things are to remove us from our God and Savior:
Paul makes that clear, by showing some of those things that might befall us. But, he instructs us in this as an example of just how powerless those things are to remove us from our God and Savior:
- tribulation - θλῖψις (thlipsis), pressure or burdens
- distress - στενοχωρια (stenochoria), calamity, anguish
- persecution - διωγμος (diogmos), such as pursued for punishment
- famine - λιμος (limos), hunger, scarcity of food
- nakedness - γυμνοτης (gumnotes), nudity, either absolute or as in lacking something
- peril - κινδυνος (kindunos), danger or threat
- sword - μαχαιρα (machaira), either war, or harsh judicial punishments
"Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter."
Does this mean that we are hopeless? Are we too insignificant to be of concern to God? Is Jesus too weak to protect us? Is there really a sealing of the Holy Spirit in us, or is it just our imagination?
God forbid! The mere seconds that make up this physical life are but an eye blink in the grand scale of eternity. Yes, we may suffer here. But, this life passes. We might be forced to submit to a horrible, tortured death for His name. Or, we might be predestined to live a long, easy life followed by a peaceful death in our sleep. It really doesn't matter. Because, if we are His people, then we will enter eternity as members of the royal family of God! We can rest assured that He will see to it that we will win our victor's crown at the end of this race. So, should we be worried about ANYTHING of this life? I'll let Paul answer that question:
God forbid! The mere seconds that make up this physical life are but an eye blink in the grand scale of eternity. Yes, we may suffer here. But, this life passes. We might be forced to submit to a horrible, tortured death for His name. Or, we might be predestined to live a long, easy life followed by a peaceful death in our sleep. It really doesn't matter. Because, if we are His people, then we will enter eternity as members of the royal family of God! We can rest assured that He will see to it that we will win our victor's crown at the end of this race. So, should we be worried about ANYTHING of this life? I'll let Paul answer that question:
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."
Rom. 8:37
Rom. 8:37
Conquerors. Let's look at that word in Greek. It's υπερνικωμεν, which means, to vanquish beyond, or to gain a decisive victory. It isn't just winning the battle by the skin of our teeth. It's total victory, where the enemy is in ruins. We don't just cross the finish line according to this, but we shoot across, leaving all others behind, eating dust. And how do we accomplish this amazing, astounding victory over all of our enemies?
There just really isn't anything more to be said. That covers every single aspect of what Christianity is all about.
Next time, Paul delivers his closing argument.
Grace and Peace....
Through Him that loved us.
There just really isn't anything more to be said. That covers every single aspect of what Christianity is all about.
Next time, Paul delivers his closing argument.
Grace and Peace....
