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weekly sermon 10-11-09
For God So Loved The World
Last week we talked about time and what role time played and how to appreciate time. This week I want us to talk about Love. I want us to talk about an unconditional love, a love that can not be measured.
Turn with me if you will to Romans 8:31-39, "What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us? (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? (33)Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? [It is] God that justifieth. (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. (35)Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36)As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37)Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
If we look at the questions being asked here, we can only conclude that God is for us and will freely give us all things; that God alone is our judge; that Christ and the Holy Spirit are our helper; that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ; and that we are more than conquerors over all enemies through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Think about the first question just for one minute; "If God be for us, who can be against us?" To really discuss this question we would have to go all the way back to Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." This should pose another question in our minds. If God created the Heavens and the earth, then would He not be the dominator over all things? This would then bring us to another question. If God created all things and is the dominator over all things, then does this not mean that anything that came against Him would be something He created? Since God created all things and He is the ruler over all things, then there is nothing that could come against God that He would not have power over. Thus, since God has power over all things then nothing can rise against God, for He is the controller of all things. This now answers our first question; nothing that comes to us can be against us if God is for us.
The next question asks us if God would freely give us all things. The answer to that question is stated within the first part of the same verse. If you can take your only child, one that you cherish more than life itself, and send that child out to die for all the world, then you can understand that anything else you would give is trivial. God gave His ONLY son that we might have life. All other things that God would give to us would be nothing compared to His very own son. Before we were born God gave us the most valued gift He could give, His son. Anything else He gives us is just simple things to give. I would think it would be hardest to give your only son, flesh of your own self than to give anything worldly.
The next question asks, "who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" First we need to ask, who are God's elect? Searching in the Bible, there are 4 elects of God. 1. Christ 2. All Christians 3. Israel and 4. Angels. Anyone chosen by God at anytime, Jew or Gentile, is the elect of God. All men are called to become the elect of God as long as they choose God. If all men are called to become the elect, then that tells me that all men can receive all that God has to offer, if they so choose to give their all to God and become the elect.
The last question I will discuss in this passage of scripture is, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Remember it says here WHO and not what. There are many whats, listed in that verse, that can separate us from the love of Christ, tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword. Now remember, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ. Yes, I know that it sounds like I contradicted myself, but we must understand why I said it like I did. First there is NOTHING that can take Christ's love for us from us, as Christ always loves us, nothing can change that; but if we choose to follow the things listed above we will become separated from God and hence the love of God. If we choose to follow tribulation or succumb to persecution or even succumb to nakedness, then we will no longer be considered the elect of God and hence not be given all the things God has promised.
If you look at the the last part of that same verse, you will see that we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. This tells us that all the things that come against us that are not of God, being sin, tribulation, temptations, evil, we are to resist daily to remain the elect of God. We are to kill our flesh, as it is sinful, daily and renew ourselves in the eyes of God as the elect working and striving always to be like Christ. Once we do these things we will fully understand the questions posed in these passages and the answers. We will see that there is nothing that can come against us because God is all for us, that God honestly wants to give us all things, including His only son, that we will be the elect of God, and that there is no way we can be separated from the love of Christ.
To fully understand this message you must first be a saved born again Christian. To become a born again Christian, living for God, all you need to do is repeat a simple prayer after me.
Say this simple prayer with me, Dear Lord, I want you to be the Lord over my life, forgive me of my sins, and give me the gift of everlasting life. Amen.
If you have said this simple prayer, then we believe that you have received salvation. We would love to rejoice with you, so please drop us a note, in our link, to let us know and confess Jesus before man, so that we may send you a few things that we hope will help you in your new Christian walk.
With Love in Christ,
Pastor Stone
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