Speaker 1: Have you ever felt trapped not by iron bars, but
Speaker 1: by something inside yourself? Paul understood this internal battle in
Speaker 1: Romans seven. He described this inner struggle, that feeling of
Speaker 1: wanting to do good but ending up doing the opposite.
Speaker 1: It's like there are two forces pulling us in opposite
Speaker 1: directions within ourselves. But then comes Roman's eight, A ray
Speaker 1: of sunshine after a storm. This chapter opens with incredible news.
Speaker 1: There is a way to be set free. And this
Speaker 1: freedom doesn't come from our own efforts or from following rules.
Speaker 1: It comes through the spirit of God, who now lives
Speaker 1: in us. Let's explore together how this freedom happens and
Speaker 1: what it means for our lives to day. Paul opens
Speaker 1: Roman's eight with a game changing statement, Therefore, there is
Speaker 1: now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Speaker 1: That therefore ties directly to the previous chapter where he
Speaker 1: described his struggle with sin. Now, Paul announces a turning point.
Speaker 1: Those who are in Christ are no longer under condemnation.
Speaker 1: Imagine someone in court waiting for the verdict after committing
Speaker 1: a crime they are guilty of. Suddenly the judge bangs
Speaker 1: the gavel and says no condemnation, the relief would be overwhelming.
Speaker 1: That's exactly what Paul is saying. If you are in Christ,
Speaker 1: the verdict has already been given and it's innocent. This
Speaker 1: scene reminds us of the story of the woman caught
Speaker 1: in adultery in John eight. The religious leaders dragged her
Speaker 1: before Jesus, quoting the law that said she should be stoned.
Speaker 1: They were trying to trap Jesus either force him to
Speaker 1: condemn her or go against Moses law. But instead Jesus
Speaker 1: knelt down and began writing on the ground. Then he said,
Speaker 1: let any one of you who is without sin be
Speaker 1: the first to throw a stone at her. One by
Speaker 1: one they walked away, convicted by their own conscience. Jesus
Speaker 1: then asked her, woman, where are your accusers? Has no
Speaker 1: one condemned you? She replied, no one, Lord, And Jesus said,
Speaker 1: neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your
Speaker 1: life of sin John eight, ten eleven. This is the
Speaker 1: same message Paul is sharing in Christ. There is no condemnation.
Speaker 1: Paul explains this freedom by referring to two different laws.
Speaker 1: In Romans eight too, he writes, because through Christ Jesus
Speaker 1: the law of the Spirit, who gives life, has set
Speaker 1: you free from the law of sin and death. These
Speaker 1: laws aren't legal codes. They're more like spiritual principles that
Speaker 1: govern how things operate. Under the Old Covenant, God gave
Speaker 1: the law through Moses. It was good and holy, but
Speaker 1: the problem was that we couldn't live up to it
Speaker 1: because of our sinful nature. So instead of bringing life,
Speaker 1: the law ended up exposing sin and leading to death.
Speaker 1: It's like the law says, don't step on the grass,
Speaker 1: and suddenly all you want to do is step on
Speaker 1: the grass. This takes us back to the story of
Speaker 1: Adam and Eve in the garden. God gave them one command,
Speaker 1: don't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good
Speaker 1: and evil, but the prohibition seemed to spark a desire
Speaker 1: in them. The serpent took advantage of that, suggesting God
Speaker 1: was holding something back. When you eat from it, your
Speaker 1: eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
Speaker 1: knowing good and evil Genesis three five. This is the
Speaker 1: nature of sin, turning something good into an opportunity for rebellion.
Speaker 1: The law, while good in itself, brought death because of
Speaker 1: our fallen nature. But under the New Covenant we have
Speaker 1: something different. Paul calls it the law of the spirit
Speaker 1: of life. It's not something external like tablets of stone.
Speaker 1: It's the very spirit of God living within us. Instead
Speaker 1: of just showing us what's right, the spirit empowers us
Speaker 1: to actually live it out. It's like the law of
Speaker 1: gravity versus the law of aerodynamics. Gravity always pulls things downward,
Speaker 1: like the law of sin and death, but when a
Speaker 1: plane operates under the law of aerodynamics, it can soar
Speaker 1: overcoming gravity. In the same way the spirit lifts us
Speaker 1: above the power of sin. Paul summarizes this freedom plainly,
Speaker 1: the law of the Spirit of life. In Christ, Jesus
Speaker 1: has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Speaker 1: Notice the Word has set you free. It's past tense.
Speaker 1: This isn't a promise for the future or something that
Speaker 1: will happen if you try harder. If you are in Christ,
Speaker 1: you are already free. The prison door is wide open now.
Speaker 1: Paul goes on to explain why we needed this new approach.
Speaker 1: In Romans eight three, he writes for what the law
Speaker 1: was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh.
Speaker 1: God did by sending his own son in the likeness
Speaker 1: of sinful flesh, to be a sin offering, and so
Speaker 1: he condemned sin in the flesh. The law itself was
Speaker 1: good and perfect. The problem was us. Paul uses the
Speaker 1: word weakened to describe the law, but really the weakness
Speaker 1: was in our flesh, our fallen human nature. It's like
Speaker 1: handing someone without legs a perfect guide on how to
Speaker 1: climb Mount Everest. The manual might be flawless, but the
Speaker 1: person lacks the ability to follow it. This reminds me
Speaker 1: of the Israelites in the wilderness. After God rescued them
Speaker 1: from Egypt with a mighty hand, they came to Mount Sinai.
Speaker 1: There God gave Moses the law. It was holy and just,
Speaker 1: but even before Moses could come down the mountain with
Speaker 1: the tablets, the people were already worshiping a golden calf.
Speaker 1: The law didn't have the power to transform their hearts.
Speaker 1: Moses was so furious he smashed the tablets, a powerful
Speaker 1: symbol that the people had already broken the law. This
Speaker 1: pattern repeated throughout Israel's history. God gave the law, the
Speaker 1: people promised to obey, and then quickly returned to their
Speaker 1: old sinful ways. The law revealed the standard, but didn't
Speaker 1: give the power to live by it. So, why does
Speaker 1: the flesh weaken the law? Because our sinful nature fights
Speaker 1: against God's commands. Even when we want to do good,
Speaker 1: we feel an internal resistance. Paul already described this struggle
Speaker 1: in Romans seven twenty two to twenty three. For in
Speaker 1: my inner being, I delight in God's law, but I
Speaker 1: see another law at work in me, waging war against
Speaker 1: the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner
Speaker 1: of the law of sin at work within me. Faced
Speaker 1: with this seemingly hopeless situation, God did something radical. He
Speaker 1: sent his own son. Notice how Paul describes Jesus in
Speaker 1: the likeness of sinful flesh. Jesus came as a human,
Speaker 1: just like us in every way, with one crucial difference.
Speaker 1: He was without sin. He experienced our temptations and weaknesses,
Speaker 1: but never gave in to sin. The story of jesus
Speaker 1: encounter with Satan in the wilderness illustrates this perfectly. After
Speaker 1: fasting for forty days, Jesus was physically weak and hungry.
Speaker 1: Satan tempted him three times, appealing to physical needs, the
Speaker 1: desire for admiration, and the ambition for power. These are
Speaker 1: the same temptations that often cause us to fall but
Speaker 1: Jesus responded to each temptation with the word of God,
Speaker 1: showing us how to live in obedience, even in the
Speaker 1: most difficult circumstances. Where Adam and Eve failed in a
Speaker 1: perfect garden, Jesus triumphed in a hostile desert, where Israel
Speaker 1: repeatedly failed throughout its history, Jesus remained faithful. He didn't
Speaker 1: just show us the way, He became the way. So
Speaker 1: what was the purpose of his coming because of sin?
Speaker 1: Jesus came specifically to deal with the problem of sin.
Speaker 1: He didn't come just to be a good example or
Speaker 1: a great teacher. He came to resolve humanity's fundamental issue.
Speaker 1: The result of this mission is that God condemned sin
Speaker 1: in the flesh. Think of it like a courtroom sentence.
Speaker 1: Sin was judged and condemned, not in some distant heavenly court,
Speaker 1: but in the flesh, that is, in the humanity of Jesus.
Speaker 1: On the cross. Jesus took upon himself the condemnation that
Speaker 1: our sins deserved. What the law was powerless to do
Speaker 1: because of our inability to fulfill it, God did by
Speaker 1: sending his son. This is the difference between religion and
Speaker 1: the Gospel religion says, do this to be accepted by God.
Speaker 1: The Gospel says, because of what Jesus has done, you
Speaker 1: are already accepted. Now you can live differently. Paul then
Speaker 1: explains the practical result of God's work in Christs. In
Speaker 1: Romans eight four, he says, all of this happened in
Speaker 1: order that the righteous requirement of the Law might be
Speaker 1: fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh.
Speaker 1: But according to the Spirit. The ultimate goal wasn't just
Speaker 1: to free us from condemnation. It was to empower us
Speaker 1: to live as God always intended, fulfilling the law's requirement
Speaker 1: not through external obligation, but through an internal transformation worked
Speaker 1: by the Spirit. Paul goes on to contrast two ways
Speaker 1: of life, walking according to the flesh or according to
Speaker 1: the Spirit. He explains in Romans eight five, for those
Speaker 1: who live according to the flesh set their minds on
Speaker 1: the things of the flesh. But those who live according
Speaker 1: to the Spirit set their minds on the things of
Speaker 1: the Spirit. The word translated as set their minds speaks
Speaker 1: to our mindset, what fills and occupies our thoughts. It's
Speaker 1: a matter of focus and values. Those who live according
Speaker 1: to the FLEs, lesh are consumed with earthly and selfish desires,
Speaker 1: but those who live according to the spirit focus on
Speaker 1: what pleases God. This difference in mindset reminds us of
Speaker 1: the story of the twelve spies sent to scout out
Speaker 1: the Promised Land. When they returned, ten of them were
Speaker 1: focused only on the challenges. The land we explored devours
Speaker 1: those living in it. All the people we saw there
Speaker 1: are of great size. We seemed like grasshoppers in our
Speaker 1: own eyes, and we looked the same to them Numbers
Speaker 1: thirteen thirty two thirty three. They saw only problems and danger.
Speaker 1: But Joshua and Caleb had a different mindset. They focused
Speaker 1: on God's promises. The land we passed through and explored
Speaker 1: is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us,
Speaker 1: he will lead us into that land, a land flowing
Speaker 1: with milk and honey, and will give it to us.
Speaker 1: Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not
Speaker 1: be afraid of the people of the land. The law
Speaker 1: God is with us. Do not be afraid of them
Speaker 1: numbers fourteen seven to nine. That's the difference between the
Speaker 1: mind of the flesh and the mind of the spirit.
Speaker 1: One sees only obstacles. The other sees God's promises and power.
Speaker 1: And this isn't just a life style difference. It's a
Speaker 1: matter of life and death. Paul makes it clear in
Speaker 1: Romans eight six, for to set the mind on the
Speaker 1: flesh is death, but to set the mind on the
Speaker 1: Spirit is life and peace. A mind governed by the
Speaker 1: flesh leads to death, not just physical death, but separation
Speaker 1: from God, which is true death. But a mind governed
Speaker 1: by the spirit leads to life and peace, communion with
Speaker 1: God and the inner harmony that only He can give.
Speaker 1: Why does the mind of the flesh lead to death?
Speaker 1: Paul explains in Romans eight seven to eight the mind
Speaker 1: governed by the flesh is hostile to God. It does
Speaker 1: not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
Speaker 1: Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot
Speaker 1: please God. A mind ruled by the flesh is fundamentally
Speaker 1: in rebellion against God. It's not just that it makes
Speaker 1: occasional mistakes. It is at war with God. It rejects
Speaker 1: God's authority and wants to be its own God. That's
Speaker 1: why it can't submit to his law, and it doesn't
Speaker 1: even have the ability to try the result. Those who
Speaker 1: are in the flesh cannot please God. It's impossible. But
Speaker 1: the good news is we don't have to stay in
Speaker 1: that state. Through the spirit, we can have an entirely
Speaker 1: new mindset, one focused on the things of God, resulting
Speaker 1: in life and peace. Now, Paul speaks directly to his readers,
Speaker 1: including you and me. You, however, are not in the flesh,
Speaker 1: but in the spirit. If indeed, the Spirit of God
Speaker 1: lives in you Romans eight nine, what a relief. If
Speaker 1: you have the Spirit of God, you're no longer in
Speaker 1: the flesh. You've been brought into a new reality. And
Speaker 1: how can we know if we have the spirit? Paul
Speaker 1: is clear, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,
Speaker 1: they do not belong to Christ. Romans eight nine. The
Speaker 1: Spirit isn't some optional add on for elite Christians. He
Speaker 1: is the defining mark of those who belong to Christ.
Speaker 1: If you've trusted in Jesus as your savior, the Spirit
Speaker 1: already lives in you. Paul continues to explain this new reality.
Speaker 1: But if Christ is in you, then even though your
Speaker 1: body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit
Speaker 1: gives life because of righteousness. Romans eight ten. Our physical
Speaker 1: body is still subject to death because of the sin
Speaker 1: that entered the world, but our spirit has already experienced
Speaker 1: spiritual resurrection. This brings to mind the story of Ezekiel
Speaker 1: and the Valley of Dry Bones. The prophet was taken
Speaker 1: by the spirit to a valley full of dry bones,
Speaker 1: representing Israel in its spiritually dead state. God asked Ezekiel,
Speaker 1: son of Man, can these bones live? Then God commanded
Speaker 1: Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, and they came together
Speaker 1: forming bodies, but there was still no life in them.
Speaker 1: Then God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the spirit. Come
Speaker 1: from the four winds, o breath and breathe into these
Speaker 1: slain that they may live. When he did breath entered them,
Speaker 1: they came to life and stood up on their feet
Speaker 1: Ezekiel thirty seven, one to ten. This powerful vision illustrates
Speaker 1: exactly what Paul is describing here, spiritually dead bodies coming
Speaker 1: to life by the spirit of God. But the story
Speaker 1: doesn't end there. Paul goes on, and if the spirit
Speaker 1: of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living
Speaker 1: in you, he who raised Christ from the dead, will
Speaker 1: also give life to your mortal bodies because of his spirit,
Speaker 1: who lives in you Romans eight eleven. The same power
Speaker 1: that raised Jesus is now living in you. And that
Speaker 1: power does two things. First, it gives life to your
Speaker 1: spirit right now. Second, one day, it will resurrect your
Speaker 1: physical body, just as it raised jesus body from the grave.
Speaker 1: Think about the story of Lazarus. He had been dead
Speaker 1: for four days when Jesus arrived. His body was already decaying.
Speaker 1: But Jesus cried out, Lazarus come out, and the dead
Speaker 1: man walked out, still wrapped in burial clothes John eleven,
Speaker 1: thirty eight to forty four. That's the same resurrection power.
Speaker 1: Paul is describing, a power that turns death into life.
Speaker 1: But until that day comes, we have a responsibility. Paul writes, Therefore,
Speaker 1: brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it is
Speaker 1: not to the flesh to live according to it. For
Speaker 1: if you live according to the flesh, you will die.
Speaker 1: But if by the spirit you put to death the
Speaker 1: misdeeds of the body, you will live. Romans eight twelve
Speaker 1: to thirteen. Paul uses the word obligation. We are in debt,
Speaker 1: but not to the flesh. We owe nothing to our
Speaker 1: sinful nature. It doesn't deserve our loyalty or obedience. Our
Speaker 1: debt is to God, who has set us free. And
Speaker 1: what happens if we pay the flesh what we don't owe, Paul,
Speaker 1: is blunt. You will die. Living according to the flesh
Speaker 1: leads to spiritual destruction. On the other hand, putting to
Speaker 1: death the misdeeds of the body through the spirit leads
Speaker 1: to life. Put to death doesn't mean torturing your body
Speaker 1: or denying basic needs. It means killing sinful desires, saying
Speaker 1: no to impulses that would take you away from God.
Speaker 1: And this isn't done by willpower alone, but by the spirit,
Speaker 1: by relying on the strength God provides. Here's the promise
Speaker 1: you will live. It's not a vague possibility, it's a certainty.
Speaker 1: By living through the spirit, we experience true life, the
Speaker 1: abundant life Jesus promised. That's how the first part of
Speaker 1: Roman's eight ends, laying the foundation of our freedom. We
Speaker 1: are no longer condemned, no longer enslave to sin, and
Speaker 1: no longer alone in this journey. The spirit of God
Speaker 1: lives in us, empowering us for a brand new kind
Speaker 1: of life. The freedom Paul talks about. Isn't just a
Speaker 1: nice idea, it's a practical, life changing reality. It's what
Speaker 1: Jesus promised when he said, you will know the truth,
Speaker 1: and the truth will set you free, John eight thirty two.
Speaker 1: It's what he confirmed when he declared, if the sun
Speaker 1: sets you free, you will be free. Indeed, John eight
Speaker 1: thirty six. This freedom begins with the removal of condemnation.
Speaker 1: Think about what it feels like to have a massive
Speaker 1: debt forgiven, a crushing guilt lifted, a prison sentence overturned.
Speaker 1: That's what happens when we are in Christ. Jesus, the
Speaker 1: condemnation we deserved was placed on him so that we
Speaker 1: could receive forgiveness and freedom. But it's not just freedom
Speaker 1: from condemnation. It's also freedom from the power of sin.
Speaker 1: The law couldn't give us that kind of freedom because
Speaker 1: it didn't have the power to change our hearts. It
Speaker 1: only showed us how far we were from the mark.
Speaker 1: But the spirit of God works from the inside out,
Speaker 1: transforming our desires and inclinations. It's like the difference between
Speaker 1: trying to quit smoking through sheer willpower versus having the
Speaker 1: craving itself removed. The first is incredibly difficult and often fails.
Speaker 1: The second makes the change noatural and lasting. The Spirit
Speaker 1: works on that deeper level, not just changing our behavior,
Speaker 1: but renewing our minds and hearts. This transformation doesn't happen
Speaker 1: instantly or without effort on our part. Paul speaks of
Speaker 1: putting to death the misdeeds of the body, which suggests
Speaker 1: a continual process that requires our active participation. But the
Speaker 1: crucial difference is this, We're not fighting alone. The Spirit
Speaker 1: is with us, giving us both the desire and the
Speaker 1: power to change. Living by the Spirit doesn't mean a
Speaker 1: life free from struggles or temptations. It means facing those
Speaker 1: challenges with a new power, the power of God himself
Speaker 1: working in us. It means we are no longer defined
Speaker 1: or dominated by sin. We may stumble and fall, but
Speaker 1: we don't stay down. The Spirit lifts us up and
Speaker 1: helps us keep walking. This is the freedom Jesus promised
Speaker 1: and the one all unpacks in romans At. It's not
Speaker 1: the freedom to do whatever we want. It's the freedom
Speaker 1: to become who we were created to be. Freedom from
Speaker 1: the weight of condemnation, freedom from sins in slaving power,
Speaker 1: and freedom to live in righteousness and in the power
Speaker 1: of the Spirit. Have you experienced this freedom. It begins
Speaker 1: when we admit our need for it, when we acknowledge
Speaker 1: that we can't free ourselves, when we stop trying to
Speaker 1: earn God's approval and simply receive what Jesus has already
Speaker 1: done for us. When we let the Holy Spirit take
Speaker 1: the lead guiding our thoughts, shaping our desires, and transforming
Speaker 1: our actions. In a world full of people searching for
Speaker 1: freedom in all the wrong places, in substances, relationships, achievements, possessions,
Speaker 1: we have the true answer. Freedom doesn't come from the outside,
Speaker 1: but from within. It doesn't come through our own efforts,
Speaker 1: but through the work of the Spirit. It's not based
Speaker 1: on our performance, but on what Jesus has already done.
Speaker 1: This is the revolutionary message of Romans eight one to thirteen.
Speaker 1: There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.
Speaker 1: The law of the Spirit of Life has set us
Speaker 1: free from the law of sin and death. What the
Speaker 1: law was powerless to do, God did by sending his son,
Speaker 1: and now through the Spirit, we can live a new life,
Speaker 1: free from the bondage of sin and full of the
Speaker 1: life and peace that come from God. This message changed
Speaker 1: Paul's life, transforming him from a persecutor of the church
Speaker 1: into an apostle of Christ. It has changed the lives
Speaker 1: of countless people over the past two thousand years, and
Speaker 1: it can change your life to day if you receive
Speaker 1: it by faith and allow the Spirit to do his
Speaker 1: transforming work in you. True freedom is available right now,
Speaker 1: not through rules or rituals, but through a life living
Speaker 1: relationship with God by his spirit. This is the good
Speaker 1: news of Romans eight. We are no longer condemned, no
Speaker 1: longer enslaved, no longer alone. We are free, truly free
Speaker 1: to live the abundant life God always intended for us.
Speaker 1: Paul continues his letter to the Romans by explaining how
Speaker 1: we can know that we are children of God. In
Speaker 1: Romans eight fourteen, he writes, for those who are led
Speaker 1: by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Speaker 1: This is a clear sign being led by the spirit.
Speaker 1: It's not just about having spiritual moments now and then,
Speaker 1: but about living daily under the spirit's direction. Being led
Speaker 1: by the Spirit brings to mind the story of the
Speaker 1: people of Israel being guided in the wilderness after God
Speaker 1: delivered them from slavery in Egypt. They didn't know the
Speaker 1: way to the promised land, so God led them in
Speaker 1: a very visible way. The Lord went ahead of them
Speaker 1: in a pillar of cloud by day to guide them
Speaker 1: on their way, and by night in a pillar of
Speaker 1: fire to give them light, so that they could travel
Speaker 1: by day or night Exodus thirteen twenty one. When the
Speaker 1: cloud moved, they moved. When it stopped, they set up camp.
Speaker 1: They didn't need maps or compasses, just to follow God's presence.
Speaker 1: In the same way, the Holy Spirit guides us to day,
Speaker 1: not with a pillar of cloud, but through the Bible,
Speaker 1: an inner piece wise counsel from other believers, and the
Speaker 1: circumstances he orchestrates. Sometimes the path isn't clear, but the
Speaker 1: guide is always present. He knows the destination and exactly
Speaker 1: how to get us there. Paul then speaks about a
Speaker 1: radical shift in our identity in Romans eight fifteen. He writes,
Speaker 1: the spirit you received does not make you slaves so
Speaker 1: that you live in fear again. Rather, the spirit you
Speaker 1: received brought us at your adoption to sonship, and by
Speaker 1: him we cry, Abba, Father, what a contrast. We were
Speaker 1: once slaves to sin, living in fear of punishment. Now
Speaker 1: we are beloved children This shift from slaves to children
Speaker 1: reminds us of the story of Moses, who was born
Speaker 1: a slave but became Pharaoh's son. Pharaoh's daughter found him
Speaker 1: in a basket on the Nile and decided to adopt him.
Speaker 1: She adopted him and raised him as her own son.
Speaker 1: She named him Moses, saying I drew him out of
Speaker 1: the water Exodus two ten. Suddenly a baby destined for
Speaker 1: death became a prince of Egypt with all the privileges
Speaker 1: of royalty. What an incredible change in destiny. In the
Speaker 1: same way, when God adopts us into his family, our
Speaker 1: identity and destiny are completely transformed. D Ye word adoption
Speaker 1: that paul uses carried a special meaning in the Roman world.
Speaker 1: When someone was legally adopted, they received all the rites
Speaker 1: of a biological child. All debts and obligations from their
Speaker 1: previous life were erased. They began a completely new life,
Speaker 1: with a new name, a new identity. That's exactly what
Speaker 1: happens when we are adopted into God's family, and as
Speaker 1: adopted children, we can call God Abba father. Abbah is
Speaker 1: an Aramaic word, the language Jesus spoke. It's an intimate,
Speaker 1: affectionate term like Daddy in our language. In Jesus time,
Speaker 1: it would have been unthinkable for a Jew to call
Speaker 1: God by such a familiar name, But Jesus changed that.
Speaker 1: He himself called God Abba and taught us to do
Speaker 1: the same. In the garden of gethsemone, on the night
Speaker 1: before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed, Abba, Father, everything is possible
Speaker 1: for you take this cup from me. Yet not what
Speaker 1: I will, but what you will Mark fourteen thirty six.
Speaker 1: Even while facing the cross, Jesus approached God with the
Speaker 1: intimacy of a son, and now, through the spirit of adoption,
Speaker 1: we have that same privilege. We can come to the
Speaker 1: creator of the universe with the trust and closeness of
Speaker 1: a child with their loving father. Paul continues in Romans
Speaker 1: eight sixteen. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that
Speaker 1: we are God's children. We don't have to live in
Speaker 1: doubt about our identity. The Holy Spirit confirms within us
Speaker 1: that we truly belong to God's family. It's like having
Speaker 1: a spiritual birth certificate that proves who we are. Being
Speaker 1: a child comes with a special privilege being an heir,
Speaker 1: Paul explains in Romans eight seventeen. Now if we are children,
Speaker 1: then we are heirs, heirs of God and co heirs
Speaker 1: with Christ. If indeed we share in his sufferings in
Speaker 1: order that we may also share in his glory. And
Speaker 1: here is someone who receives an inheritance the possessions passed
Speaker 1: down from the father to the children. But Paul goes further.
Speaker 1: We are not only heirs of God, but co heirs
Speaker 1: with Christ. That means we receive the same inheritance as Jesus.
Speaker 1: Everything that belongs to Jesus as the son of God
Speaker 1: also belongs to us as adopted children. This idea of
Speaker 1: inheritance reminds us of the story of Jacob and Esau.
Speaker 1: Esau was the eldest son and by tradition, was entitled
Speaker 1: to the birthright, a double portion of the inheritance and
Speaker 1: leadership of the family, but in a moment of weakness,
Speaker 1: he sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.
Speaker 1: I'm about to die, Esau said, what good is the
Speaker 1: birthright to me? Genesis twenty five. Thirty two Later, Jacob
Speaker 1: also tricked their fare Isaac to receive the official blessing
Speaker 1: meant for Esau. What a contrast to our inheritance in Christ.
Speaker 1: We don't need to compete, deceive, or fight for it.
Speaker 1: Jesus willingly makes us partakers of his inheritance, and unlike Esau,
Speaker 1: we must not trade this precious, spiritual inheritance for fleeting
Speaker 1: pleasures or earthly rewards. So what is this inheritance? In Christ?
Speaker 1: We inherit the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, peace with God,
Speaker 1: the right to pray and be heard, the constant presence
Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit, and one day a new body,
Speaker 1: a new heaven, and a new Earth. It's an inheritance
Speaker 1: that never ends, never decays, and never loses its value.
Speaker 1: But Paul also mentions a condition if indeed we suffer
Speaker 1: with him, so that we may also be glorified with him.
Speaker 1: Being a child of God doesn't mean an easy life.
Speaker 1: Jesus suffered, and his followers will also face hardships that
Speaker 1: might include rejection, persecution, or even the daily battle against sin.
Speaker 1: But Paul connects suffering to glory. Those who share in
Speaker 1: the cross will also share in the crown. Paul then
Speaker 1: makes a powerful comparison in Romans eight eighteen. For I
Speaker 1: consider that the sufferings of this present time are not
Speaker 1: worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed
Speaker 1: to us. He's saying, I've done the math, and the
Speaker 1: outcome is clear. What we suffer now is nothing compared
Speaker 1: to the glory that's coming. This perspective reminds us of
Speaker 1: Joseph's story in Egypt, sold as a slave by his
Speaker 1: own brothers, falsely accused of assaulting Potiphar's wife, forgotten in
Speaker 1: prison for years, Joseph went through intense suffering, but all
Speaker 1: of it prepared the way for him to become the
Speaker 1: second most powerful man in Egypt and to save many lives,
Speaker 1: including his own family, during a great famine. In the end, Joseph,
Speaker 1: as If was able to say to his brothers, you
Speaker 1: meant evil against me, but God meant it for good
Speaker 1: Genesis fifty twenty. In the same way, the suffering we
Speaker 1: face now may feel unfair or senseless, but God is
Speaker 1: working through it for a greater purpose, and when we
Speaker 1: finally see the coming glory, will realize it was worth it.
Speaker 1: This glory is so great that Paul says it's not
Speaker 1: even worth comparing to our present suffering. It's not just
Speaker 1: a little better, it's immeasurably greater, like comparing a drop
Speaker 1: of water to the entire ocean, or a candle to
Speaker 1: the sun. There's simply no comparison. Paul then broadens the
Speaker 1: scope and shows that it's not just us. All of
Speaker 1: creation is waiting for this future glory. In Romans eight
Speaker 1: nineteen to twenty one, he writes, for the creation waits
Speaker 1: with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
Speaker 1: For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but
Speaker 1: because of Him who subjected it in hope that the
Speaker 1: creation itself will be set free from its bondage to
Speaker 1: corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the
Speaker 1: children of God. Paul personifies creation, the mountains, oceans, plants, animals,
Speaker 1: the entire universe as someone stretching on tiptoe eagerly waiting
Speaker 1: to see something wonderful. And what is creation longing for
Speaker 1: the revealing of the sons of God the moment when
Speaker 1: believers are fully transformed and glorified. Creation is subjected to futility.
Speaker 1: That word futility means something like frustration or purposelessness, the
Speaker 1: inability to fulfill its intended purpose. When God created the world,
Speaker 1: everything was perfect, but when man sinned, creation was affected too.
Speaker 1: Thorns grew on plants, animals became violent, the earth became
Speaker 1: hard to cultivate, and all of nature began to wear
Speaker 1: out and die. This subjection of creation to futility echoes
Speaker 1: the story of the flood in Noah's day, The Bible
Speaker 1: says the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was
Speaker 1: full of violence Genesis six eleven. Human sin affected not
Speaker 1: only relationships but also the land itself. God sent the
Speaker 1: flood as judgment, yet he preserved Noah, his family, and
Speaker 1: representatives of every animal species in the ark. After the flood,
Speaker 1: God made a covenant not only with Noah, but with
Speaker 1: every living creature for all future generations, and even with
Speaker 1: the earth itself Genesis nine twelve thirteen. He placed a
Speaker 1: rainbow in the sky as a sign of that covenant,
Speaker 1: showing that his ultimate plan includes the redemption of all creation,
Speaker 1: not just humanity. But this broken state wasn't God's original
Speaker 1: dias design, nor will it be the final state of creation.
Speaker 1: Paul says creation was subjected to futility not willingly. It
Speaker 1: didn't choose this, but because of Him who subjected it,
Speaker 1: referring to God's judgment in response to human sin. Still
Speaker 1: there is hope. Creation's subjection to futility happened in hope
Speaker 1: with the promise that this would one day be reversed.
Speaker 1: Creation will be set free from the bondage to corruption
Speaker 1: and will experience the freedom of the glory of the
Speaker 1: children of God. Just as Christians will be transformed, nature
Speaker 1: itself will be renewed and released from decay and death.
Speaker 1: Paul continues in Romans eight twenty two, for we know
Speaker 1: that the whole creation has been groaning together in the
Speaker 1: pains of childbirth until now. Creation isn't just waiting passively.
Speaker 1: It's groaning like a woman in labor. Natural disasters, species extinction,
Speaker 1: environmental destruct These are the groans of a world in pain,
Speaker 1: but also of a world anticipating rebirth. These groans are
Speaker 1: signs of hope, because just as the pain of childbirth
Speaker 1: signals new life, the groaning of creation points to a
Speaker 1: new creation that God will bring. The pain isn't the
Speaker 1: end of the story. It's only the labor pains before
Speaker 1: something better is born. Paul now shows that it's not
Speaker 1: just creation groaning, we also groan inwardly. In Romans eight
Speaker 1: twenty three, he says, and not only the creation, but
Speaker 1: we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit
Speaker 1: grown inwardly, as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons
Speaker 1: the redemption of our bodies. Paul uses the phrase first
Speaker 1: fruits of the Spirit. In the Biblical tradition, the first
Speaker 1: fruits were the first part of the harvest that Israelites
Speaker 1: offered to God. When a farmer saw his crops beginning
Speaker 1: to ripen, he would tie a red thread around the
Speaker 1: first ones to appear. Once they were fully ripe, he'd
Speaker 1: gather them and bring them to the temple as a
Speaker 1: special offering. They were the first and best of the harvest.
Speaker 1: This reminds us of the story of the feast of
Speaker 1: first Fruits in Israel in the spring during Passover, the
Speaker 1: Israelites would bring the first sheaves of barley to the priest.
Speaker 1: The priest would then wave or present this sheaf before
Speaker 1: the Lord as an offering Leviticus twenty three, nine to fourteen.
Speaker 1: This offering expressed gratitude to guard and faith that the
Speaker 1: rest of the harvest would follow. Significantly, it was on
Speaker 1: the very day of this feast that Jesus rose from
Speaker 1: the dead. Paul refers to Jesus as the first fruits
Speaker 1: of those who have fallen asleep First Corinthians fifteen twenty,
Speaker 1: meaning his resurrection guarantees our own. Likewise, the holy spirit
Speaker 1: we have now is just a foretaste, a down payment
Speaker 1: of the full blessings we will receive in the future.
Speaker 1: As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, the spirit is a deposit,
Speaker 1: guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are
Speaker 1: God's possession Ephesians one, fourteen. The first fruits were also
Speaker 1: a promise of an abundant harvest. The farmer wasn't expecting
Speaker 1: just one or two pieces of fruit, He was looking
Speaker 1: forward to a whole field. In the same way, the
Speaker 1: spirit we now have is a pledge of the abundant
Speaker 1: blessings that will come when Christ returns. Even though we
Speaker 1: already have the spirit, Paul says, we still groan inwardly.
Speaker 1: This groaning comes from the tension between the already and
Speaker 1: the not yet of the Christian life. We are already
Speaker 1: children of God, yet we still struggle with sin. We've
Speaker 1: already been made new creations, but we still we'll live
Speaker 1: in bodies, subject to sickness and death. We already have
Speaker 1: eternal life, but we still face hardship and sorrow in
Speaker 1: this world. That's why we wait for our adoption to sonship,
Speaker 1: the redemption of our bodies. That may sound odd, Paula said,
Speaker 1: we already receive the spirit of adoption, so how can
Speaker 1: we still be waiting for adoption. It's because adoption happens
Speaker 1: in two stages. Legally, we're already God's children, but we
Speaker 1: still wait for the full manifestation of that reality, when
Speaker 1: even our bodies will be transformed. The redemption of our
Speaker 1: bodies will happen at the resurrection, when Christ returns. On
Speaker 1: that day, we'll receive new, perfect, immortal bodies, free from sickness, aging,
Speaker 1: and death. Bodies that will never again feel pain, never sin,
Speaker 1: never grow tired, bodies like jesus resurrected body. This hope
Speaker 1: of bodily resurrection brings to mind the story of Job,
Speaker 1: perhaps the oldest book in the Bible. In the midst
Speaker 1: of terrible suffering, the loss of possessions, children, and health,
Speaker 1: Job expressed his faith in the resurrection. I know that
Speaker 1: my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will
Speaker 1: stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed,
Speaker 1: yet in my flesh I will see God Job nineteen
Speaker 1: twenty five to twenty six. Even in such ancient times,
Speaker 1: Job already held the hope that one day his body
Speaker 1: would be restored and he would see God. Paul compares
Speaker 1: our present situation to that of a child who has
Speaker 1: been legally adopted, but is still waiting to move into
Speaker 1: the new family's home. The paperwork is signed, we've been justified,
Speaker 1: but the welcome home celebration, our glorification, is still to come.
Speaker 1: This expectation of future glory he gives us the hope
Speaker 1: we need to endure. Paul explains in Romans eight twenty
Speaker 1: four twenty five for in this hope we were saved.
Speaker 1: But hope that is seen is no hope at all.
Speaker 1: Who hopes for what they already have? But if we
Speaker 1: hope for what we do not yet have, we wait
Speaker 1: for it patiently. The salvation we've received is tied to hope.
Speaker 1: Not a vague, wishful hope, like saying I hope it
Speaker 1: doesn't rain tomorrow, but a confident certainty in what God
Speaker 1: has promised, even if we don't see it yet. Paul
Speaker 1: makes a simple but profound point. Hope that is seen
Speaker 1: is no hope at all, if you already have something,
Speaker 1: there's no need to hope for it any more. The
Speaker 1: nature of Christian hope is that it rests on promises
Speaker 1: not yet fully fulfilled. This confident hope reminds us of
Speaker 1: the story of Abraham, whom Paul mentions often in his letters.
Speaker 1: God promised Abraham a son, even though he and sa
Speaker 1: Er were far too old to have children. Against all hope, Abraham,
Speaker 1: in hope believed without weakening in his faith. He faced
Speaker 1: the fact that his body was as good as dead,
Speaker 1: and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did
Speaker 1: not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but
Speaker 1: was strengthened in his faith Romans four, eighteen twenty. Abraham
Speaker 1: had no visible evidence for his hope, only the promise
Speaker 1: of God, but that was enough, and after years of waiting,
Speaker 1: the promise was fulfilled in the birth of Isaac. That
Speaker 1: takes patience, Paul says, we wait for it patiently. The
Speaker 1: Greek word here for patients doesn't mean passive endurance, just
Speaker 1: putting up with a bad situation. It's an active perseverance,
Speaker 1: a determined endurance in the face of difficulty. It's the
Speaker 1: ability to keep going even when the path is hard,
Speaker 1: because we know the destination is worth it. But we
Speaker 1: don't wait alone. Paul continues in Romans eight twenty six
Speaker 1: to twenty seven. In the same way, the Spirit helps
Speaker 1: us in our weakness. We do not know what we
Speaker 1: ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for
Speaker 1: us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts
Speaker 1: knows the mind of the spirit, because the Spirit into
Speaker 1: seeds for God's people in accordance with the will of God.
Speaker 1: Paul acknowledges our weakness, specifically that we do not know
Speaker 1: what we ought to pray for. Sometimes life is confusing,
Speaker 1: pain runs too deep, or we simply don't know what's best.
Speaker 1: We run out of words. That's when the Spirit steps in.
Speaker 1: He interceedes for us, meaning he prays on our behalf
Speaker 1: when we don't have the words, and he does this
Speaker 1: with wordless groans. These aren't necessarily audible sounds, but a
Speaker 1: deep kind of communication within us that goes beyond language.
Speaker 1: This intercession by the Spirit echoes the story of Hannah,
Speaker 1: the mother of the prophet Samuel. Unable to have children
Speaker 1: and deeply distressed by the taunts of her rival Paninna.
Speaker 1: Hannah went to the tabernacle to pray. The Bible says
Speaker 1: she was praying in her heart and her lips were moving,
Speaker 1: but her voice was not heard. For Samuel one thirteen,
Speaker 1: she was so overwhelmed with emotion that she couldn't form
Speaker 1: audible words. Only groans came from her heart. The priest
Speaker 1: Eli thought she was drunk, but God understood the deep
Speaker 1: longing within her. In the same way, when we are
Speaker 1: too burdened to form coherent prayers, the Spirit intercedes for us,
Speaker 1: and God understands perfectly. Paul assures us that this intercession
Speaker 1: of the Spirit is effective because he who searches hearts,
Speaker 1: God knows the mind of the spirit. Nothing gets lost
Speaker 1: in translation, and the Spirit always intercedes for the same
Speaker 1: according to the will of God. His prayers are always perfect,
Speaker 1: always aligned with what God desires. That brings great comfort.
Speaker 1: Even when we are confused and wordless. The Spirit is
Speaker 1: praying through us, expressing our true longings to God in
Speaker 1: a way that goes beyond our understanding. It's like having
Speaker 1: a perfect translator who turns our groans into precise prayers.
Speaker 1: Paul now shares one of the most beloved promises in
Speaker 1: the Bible. In Romans eight twenty eight, he writes, we
Speaker 1: know that in all things God works for the good
Speaker 1: of those who love Him, who have been called according
Speaker 1: to his purpose. Notice that Paul doesn't say all things
Speaker 1: are good. There's a lot of suffering injustice and evil
Speaker 1: in the world that are not good in themselves. What
Speaker 1: he says is that God works in all things. He
Speaker 1: operates through all circumstances, even the hard ones, to bring
Speaker 1: about a good outcome. This truth reminds us of the
Speaker 1: story of Daniel and his friends in Babylon. Taken captive
Speaker 1: as young men and exiled to a foreign land. They
Speaker 1: faced immense pressure to compromise their faith, yet they remained
Speaker 1: faithful to God, and He used their difficult circumstances for
Speaker 1: a greater purpose. Daniel became a respected adviser to kings,
Speaker 1: able to influence the politics of an empire and protect
Speaker 1: his people. His friends faced the fiery furnace because they
Speaker 1: refused to worship the king's statue. But through that trial,
Speaker 1: the king himself acknowledged the power of the True God.
Speaker 1: Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
Speaker 1: who sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted
Speaker 1: in him Daniel three twenty eight. The evil circumstances they
Speaker 1: endured were transformed into powerful testimonies. This doesn't mean everything
Speaker 1: will turn out the way we want or expect. In
Speaker 1: this life. The good God has in mind isn't always
Speaker 1: immediate comfort, but rather are conformity to Christ and eternal glory.
Speaker 1: Sometimes the medicine is bitter, but it heals. This promise
Speaker 1: is for those who love Him, who have been called
Speaker 1: according to His purpose. It's not a universal promise for everyone,
Speaker 1: but one specifically for those in a relationship with God
Speaker 1: through Christ. So what is that purpose? Paul explains in
Speaker 1: the following verses In Romans eight twenty nine thirty, he
Speaker 1: writes for those God fore knew he also predestined to
Speaker 1: be conformed to the image of his son, that he
Speaker 1: might be the first born among many brothers and sisters.
Speaker 1: And those he predestined he also called. Those he called
Speaker 1: he also justified, those he justified he also glorified. Here
Speaker 1: Paul outlines what many refer to as the Golden chain
Speaker 1: of redemption, a sequence of divine actions that secure our
Speaker 1: salvation from beginning to end. It all starts with God
Speaker 1: foreknowing people. This is not just intellectual awareness, but relational knowing,
Speaker 1: knowing with love, as when Scripture says Adam new Eve next.
Speaker 1: God predestined these people to be conformed to the image
Speaker 1: of his son. God's ultimate goal isn't just to get
Speaker 1: us to heaven, but to transform us to be like Jesus,
Speaker 1: to reflect his character, love and goodness. Jesus will be
Speaker 1: the first born among many brothers and sisters, the first
Speaker 1: in a great family of people who resemble him. Then
Speaker 1: God the called these people. This is the effectual call
Speaker 1: of the Gospel, when the Holy Spirit opens our hearts
Speaker 1: to respond to the message of Christ with faith. Those
Speaker 1: he called God also justified. Justification is the act by
Speaker 1: which God declares sinners righteous through faith based on the
Speaker 1: work of Christ, and finally, those He justified God also glorified.
Speaker 1: Notice that Paul uses the past tense for something that
Speaker 1: for most believers is still in the future. That's because
Speaker 1: in God's mind it's as good as done. It's so
Speaker 1: certain that Paul speaks of it as if it has
Speaker 1: already happened. This sequence echoes the story of the Exodus,
Speaker 1: when God delivered Israel from Egypt. First, God knew his
Speaker 1: people in their slavery. I have indeed seen the misery
Speaker 1: of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out,
Speaker 1: and I am concerned about their suffering. Exodus three seven.
Speaker 1: Then God predestined Israel to be his special people long
Speaker 1: before they entered the Promised Land Exodus six six eight.
Speaker 1: Next he called them out of Egypt through Moses. After
Speaker 1: that God justified Israel by making a covenant with them
Speaker 1: at Mount Sinai and providing a sacrificial system to cover
Speaker 1: their sins. And finally, God's glory visibly dwelled among them
Speaker 1: in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple, a glimpse
Speaker 1: of the full glorification that would come through Christ. In
Speaker 1: the same way God works in our lives from beginning
Speaker 1: to end, ensuring that his eternal purpose is fulfilled. This
Speaker 1: unbreakable chain shows that our salvation is secure from start
Speaker 1: to finish. It doesn't depend on our shaky efforts, but
Speaker 1: on God's eternal purpose. He doesn't just begin the work
Speaker 1: in us, he completes it. As Paul says in another letter,
Speaker 1: I am confident of this very thing that He who
Speaker 1: began a good work in you will carry it on
Speaker 1: to completion until the day of Christ Jesus Philippians won six.
Speaker 1: So our adoption as children and the hope of future
Speaker 1: glory aren't just wishes. They are certainties grounded in the
Speaker 1: character and promises of God. We have been chosen, predestined,
Speaker 1: called justified, and already in God's eyes glorified. The whole story,
Speaker 1: from eternity past to eternity future, is in the hands
Speaker 1: of a God who loves us and works in all
Speaker 1: things for our good. This certainty of future glory gives
Speaker 1: us strength to face to day's challenges. As Paul writes elsewhere,
Speaker 1: for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us
Speaker 1: an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we
Speaker 1: fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on
Speaker 1: what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but
Speaker 1: what is unseen is eternal. Second Corinthians Ford, seventeen eighteen.
Speaker 1: When we look to our future as children of God,
Speaker 1: we see that it is incredibly bright. We have an
Speaker 1: inheritance that cannot be shaken, a hope that will not disappoint,
Speaker 1: and a few that cannot be threatened. In Christ we
Speaker 1: are more than conquerors. We won't just survive hardships, we
Speaker 1: will triumph over them and through them. And the most
Speaker 1: wonderful part is that we are not alone on this journey.
Speaker 1: We have the Holy Spirit within us, guiding us, strengthening us,
Speaker 1: and interceding for us. We have each other as brothers
Speaker 1: and sisters in God's family, and we have the assurance
Speaker 1: that God is working all things, even the hard, confusing,
Speaker 1: and painful earns, for our good and for His glory.
Speaker 1: As Paul will later declare in Romans Hate, nothing can
Speaker 1: separate us from the love of God that is in
Speaker 1: Christ Jesus. Our adoption is secure, our future is certain,
Speaker 1: and our glory is guaranteed. This is the hope that
Speaker 1: sustains us day after day as we wait for the
Speaker 1: full revelation of what we already are in Christ, beloved
Speaker 1: children of God, destined for eternal glory. Paul now reaches
Speaker 1: the high point of his message. After explaining our freedom
Speaker 1: from sin and our adoption as children, he asks a
Speaker 1: question that changes everything. What then, shall we say in
Speaker 1: response to these things? If God is for us, who
Speaker 1: can be against us? Romans eight thirty one. This isn't
Speaker 1: a question that needs an answer. It's a powerful declaration
Speaker 1: disguised as a question. Think for a moment about what
Speaker 1: it means to have God for us. We're not talking
Speaker 1: about just anyone. We're talking about the creator of everything
Speaker 1: that exists, the King of the universe, the most powerful
Speaker 1: being who has ever existed. When Paul says if God
Speaker 1: is for us, the if doesn't suggest doubt. It establishes
Speaker 1: a fact God really is on our side. The question
Speaker 1: who can be against us doesn't mean we won't face opposition.
Speaker 1: Paul knew very well that Christian's face persecution, hardship, and enemies.
Speaker 1: What he's saying is that in light of having God
Speaker 1: on our side, any opposition loses its weight. It's like
Speaker 1: a child who feels safe next to a strong father,
Speaker 1: even when other kids are threatening him. Remember the story
Speaker 1: of Elisha. When the enemy army surrounded the city to
Speaker 1: capture him, his servant was terrified. Elisha prayed for God
Speaker 1: to open the servant's eyes, and then he saw the
Speaker 1: hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Speaker 1: Second King six seventeen. Elisia said, don't be afraid. Those
Speaker 1: who are with us are more than those who are
Speaker 1: with them, sat King six sixteen. That's exactly what Paul
Speaker 1: is saying. With God on our side, opposing forces don't
Speaker 1: stand a chance. Paul then gives the ultimate proof that
Speaker 1: God is for us in Romans two. He writes, he
Speaker 1: who did not spare his own son, but gave him
Speaker 1: up for us all, how will he not, also, along
Speaker 1: with him, graciously give us all things. This is an
Speaker 1: argument from the greater to the lesser. If God has
Speaker 1: already given us the most precious gift, his own son,
Speaker 1: he will surely not withhold anything lesser. Think of parents
Speaker 1: who save for years to pay for their child's college education.
Speaker 1: After investing so much in their future, would those parents
Speaker 1: refuse to give the child a pencil to take notes?
Speaker 1: Of course, not in the same way. God, who already
Speaker 1: paid the ultimate price by giving his son to die
Speaker 1: for us, surely won't hold back anything we need for
Speaker 1: our spiritual lives. The phrase did not spare his own
Speaker 1: son recalls the story of Abraham and Isaac. God asked
Speaker 1: Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son, and Abraham was willing
Speaker 1: to obey. At the last moment, God provided a ram
Speaker 1: as a substitute and said, now I know that you
Speaker 1: fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son,
Speaker 1: your only son, Genesis twenty two to twelve. But what
Speaker 1: God spared Abraham, he did not spare himself. He gave
Speaker 1: Jesus over to death for us. And the giving of
Speaker 1: Jesus wasn't an accident or some unforeseen tragedy. It was
Speaker 1: a deliberate act of love. God gave him up, a
Speaker 1: conscious decision, driven by love, and it was for all
Speaker 1: of us, not just the good or the deserving, but
Speaker 1: for sinners who didn't deserve such a sacrifice. The conclusion
Speaker 1: is clear, how will he not also, along with him,
Speaker 1: graciously give us all things? If God has already given
Speaker 1: us the greatest gift, we can trust that He will
Speaker 1: supply everything else we truly need, and not just things,
Speaker 1: but all things, nothing truly important, will be withheld. As
Speaker 1: Jesus said, seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
Speaker 1: and all these things will be added to you Matthew
Speaker 1: six thirty three. Paul continues with another powerful question in
Speaker 1: Romans eight thirty three. Who will bring any charge against
Speaker 1: those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Again,
Speaker 1: It's a rhetorical question, and the answer is, no one
Speaker 1: can successfully accuse us. The picture here is of a
Speaker 1: court room. Someone might stand up to accuse God's chosen ones,
Speaker 1: those he has called to himself. It could be human enemies,
Speaker 1: it could be Satan himself, whose name literally means accuser,
Speaker 1: or even our own guilty conscience. The accusation might be
Speaker 1: You're a sinner, You've failed, you don't deserve God's love.
Speaker 1: But Paul dismisses these accusations with one simple fact. It
Speaker 1: is God who justifies. If the Supreme Judge has already
Speaker 1: declared you righteous, what weight do the accusations of any
Speaker 1: one else carry? If the only verdict that truly matters
Speaker 1: is already in your favor, what difference do other opinions make.
Speaker 1: This reminds us of the story of Joshua, the High
Speaker 1: Priest in Zechariah three. There, Joshua stands before the Angel
Speaker 1: of the Lord, clothed in filthy garments symbolizing his sins,
Speaker 1: and Satan is right there to accuse him. But God
Speaker 1: rebukes Satan, commands that Joshua's clothes be changed, and declares, see,
Speaker 1: I have taken away your sin, and I will put
Speaker 1: fine garments on you, Zechariah three four. That's what God
Speaker 1: does for every one in Christ. He removes our guilt
Speaker 1: and clothes us in the righteousness of Christ. Paul continues
Speaker 1: in Romans eight thirty four, Who then, is the one
Speaker 1: who condemns no one? Christ? Jesus, who died, more than that,
Speaker 1: who was raised to life, is at the right hand
Speaker 1: of God and is also interceding for us. After addressing accusation,
Speaker 1: Paul moves on to condemnation and shows that this too
Speaker 1: is impossible. Why because Christ, Jesus is the one who died.
Speaker 1: Jesus already bore our condemnation on the cross, as he
Speaker 1: himself said. God did not send his son into the
Speaker 1: world to condemn the world, but to save the world
Speaker 1: through him John three seventeen. The penalty has been paid,
Speaker 1: the debt settled, justice satisfied. There can be no double
Speaker 1: punishment for the same offense. But Paul doesn't stop there.
Speaker 1: He adds, more than that who was raised to life,
Speaker 1: the resurrection is proof that Jesus's sacrifice was accepted by God.
Speaker 1: If Jesus had remained in the tomb, we might wonder
Speaker 1: whether his death was sufficient. But he rose that shows
Speaker 1: God accepted his payment and that the victory over sin
Speaker 1: and death is complete. More than that, Jesus is at
Speaker 1: the right hand of God. This is a position of
Speaker 1: supreme honor and authority in the ancient Middle East. Sitting
Speaker 1: at the right hand of a king meant sharing in
Speaker 1: his power and rule. Jesus is not distant or unreachable.
Speaker 1: He is at the very center of power, at God's throne,
Speaker 1: representing us. And finally, Jesus also intercedes for us. He
Speaker 1: didn't just die for us in the past. He's actively
Speaker 1: working on our behalf in the present, like a lawyer
Speaker 1: defending his client. The writer of hebrew says, therefore he
Speaker 1: is able to save completely those who come to God
Speaker 1: through him because he always lives to intercede for them.
Speaker 1: Hebrews seven twenty five. Think of Peter when Jesus said
Speaker 1: to him, Simon, saymon, Satan has asked to sift all
Speaker 1: of you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon,
Speaker 1: that your faith may not fail Luke twenty two, thirty
Speaker 1: one thirty two. Even when Peter failed, jesus intercession sustained him.
Speaker 1: In the same way, Jesus is interceding for us and
Speaker 1: his prayers are always heard. Paul now turns to the
Speaker 1: practical challenges Christian's face. In Romans eight thirty five, he
Speaker 1: asks who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Speaker 1: Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness
Speaker 1: or danger or sword? Again, the question is rhetorical, but
Speaker 1: this time Paul lists seven possible separating forces, seven situations
Speaker 1: that might lead someone to doubt Christ's love. Trouble refers
Speaker 1: to external pressure like heavy stones pressing down. Hardship is
Speaker 1: the internal pressure fear and anxiety when facing trials. Persecution
Speaker 1: is the targeted attack because of one's faith. Famine and
Speaker 1: nakedness represent the lack of basic needs. Danger is the
Speaker 1: constant threat, and sword stands for violence that can lead
Speaker 1: to death. Paul isn't speaking theoretically. He experienced every one
Speaker 1: of these. He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, when hungry, cold,
Speaker 1: and in peril Second Corinthians eleven twenty three to twenty seven.
Speaker 1: He knew exactly what he was talking about, and it
Speaker 1: wasn't just Paul. In Romans eight thirty six, he quotes
Speaker 1: Psalm forty four twenty two For your sake, we face
Speaker 1: death all day long. We are considered as sheep to
Speaker 1: be slaughtered. Early Christians faced ongoing persecution. Some, like Stephen
Speaker 1: the First Martyr Act seven, were killed for their faith.
Speaker 1: Others lost their homes, their jobs, and even their families
Speaker 1: because of Christ. To be facing death all day long
Speaker 1: means living under constant threat, like Jews during the Holocaust
Speaker 1: or Christians in some regions today. To be considered as
Speaker 1: sheep to be slaughtered means being treated as if your
Speaker 1: life has no worth, like animals being led to the butcher.
Speaker 1: The underlying question is do these hardships mean God doesn't
Speaker 1: love us? Has Christ's love failed? Many people think so.
Speaker 1: They say, if God loved me, this wouldn't have happened.
Speaker 1: Or how can I trust in someone's love while I suffer?
Speaker 1: But Paul gives a completely different answer in Romans eight
Speaker 1: thirty seven, he declares, no, in all these things, we
Speaker 1: are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Notice
Speaker 1: Paul doesn't say despite all these things, but in all
Speaker 1: these things, the hardships themselves become the very stage for
Speaker 1: our victory. And we're not just conquerers, we're more than conquerors.
Speaker 1: This isn't a last it win or a narrow escape.
Speaker 1: It's a decisive, overwhelming, abundant victory. How is that possible?
Speaker 1: Paul is clear through Him who loved us, our victory
Speaker 1: doesn't come from our own strength, endurance, or courage. It
Speaker 1: comes from Christ's love at work in us. His love
Speaker 1: sustains us when everything else fails. His love gives us
Speaker 1: strength to keep going when we want to give up.
Speaker 1: His love transforms even suffering into a tool for our good.
Speaker 1: Remember Joseph sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused,
Speaker 1: unjustly imprisoned, and yet victorious in the end. He told
Speaker 1: his brothers, you intended to harm me, but God intended
Speaker 1: it for good Genesis fifty twenty. In the same way,
Speaker 1: the love of Christ turns even the worst circumstances into
Speaker 1: opportunities for triumph. After reflecting on Christ's love that overcomes
Speaker 1: every hardship, Paul shares his personal conviction in Romans eight
Speaker 1: thirty eight to thirty nine. He writes, for I am
Speaker 1: convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
Speaker 1: neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither
Speaker 1: height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will
Speaker 1: be able to separate us from the love of God
Speaker 1: that is in Christ, Jesus, our Lord. I am convinced.
Speaker 1: Paul isn't just stating an opinion or hope. He's declaring
Speaker 1: an unshakable certainty. This isn't wishful thinking. It's a rock
Speaker 1: solid confidence, grounded in God's character revealed in Christ. Paul
Speaker 1: lists ten forces that might seem capable of separating us
Speaker 1: from God's love, just to affirm that none of them can.
Speaker 1: These ten cover pretty much every possibility. First, neither death
Speaker 1: nor life. Death feels like the ultimate end, the great separator,
Speaker 1: but Paul says, not even death can sever our connection
Speaker 1: to God's love. Jesus promised I am the Resurrection and
Speaker 1: the Life. The one who believes in Me will live
Speaker 1: even though they die John eleven, twenty five. And life,
Speaker 1: with all its distractions and temptations, can't separate us either.
Speaker 1: Neither angels nor demons. These terms likely refer to supernatural beings,
Speaker 1: possibly fallen angels, or spiritual powers. Paul's point, no spiritual force,
Speaker 1: no matter how powerful, can rip us from God's love.
Speaker 1: As Jesus said of his sheep, no one will snatch
Speaker 1: them out of my hand John ten twenty eight. Neither
Speaker 1: the present nor the future. Nothing in the present, no
Speaker 1: matter how painful or challenging, can separate us from the
Speaker 1: love of God. And nothing in the future, no matter
Speaker 1: how uncertain or frightening, can break that bond. Our circumstances
Speaker 1: are constantly shifting, but God's love remains unchanging. Nor powers.
Speaker 1: This word refers to authorities, possibly including human institutions and governments.
Speaker 1: Paul is saying that no power in this world, whether political, military,
Speaker 1: or economic, is strong enough to separate us from the
Speaker 1: love of God. As he wrote in another letter, If
Speaker 1: God is for us, who can be against us? Romans
Speaker 1: eight thirty one. Neither height nor depth. These terms might
Speaker 1: refer to spatial extremes, the highest heavens or the deepest seas.
Speaker 1: There is no place in the universe beyond the reach
Speaker 1: of God's love, As David wrote, if I go up
Speaker 1: to the heavens, you are there. If I make my
Speaker 1: bed in the depths, you are there also Psalm one
Speaker 1: thirty nine eight. Nor anything else in all creation. Paul
Speaker 1: wraps up with a sweeping declaration that covers anything he
Speaker 1: may have left out. Creation here means everything created, everything
Speaker 1: in the universe except God himself. Nothing thing in all
Speaker 1: existence has the power to separate us from the love
Speaker 1: of God. This love is in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.
Speaker 1: God's love is not an abstract force or fleeting emotion.
Speaker 1: It is a personal love demonstrated and secured in Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1: It's a love that proved itself on the Cross and
Speaker 1: was sealed in the resurrection. It does not depend on
Speaker 1: our performance or worthiness, but on the unchanging character of God.
Speaker 1: Paul's conviction brings to mind the story of the prodigal
Speaker 1: Son Luke fifteen eleven to thirty two. Even after the
Speaker 1: son squandered his inheritance and sank into disgrace, the father's
Speaker 1: love remained steadfast. When the son finally came home, he
Speaker 1: found the Father waiting with open arms. In the same way,
Speaker 1: God's love for us doesn't rest on our faithfulness, but
Speaker 1: on his own. During his time on earth, Jesus told
Speaker 1: another powerful story glory about God's love. In the Parable
Speaker 1: of the Lost Sheep Luke fifteen three to seven. The
Speaker 1: shepherd leaves ninety nine sheep to search for the one
Speaker 1: that's lost. When he finds it, he lifts it onto
Speaker 1: his shoulders and returns home, rejoicing. Jesus said, this is
Speaker 1: a picture of God pursuing the lost sinner. That persistent, searching,
Speaker 1: unwavering love is the love Paul says, nothing can separate
Speaker 1: us from. Think also of Ruth and Naomi. When Naomi
Speaker 1: lost her husband and sons and decided to return to Bethlehem,
Speaker 1: she urged her daughters in law to go back to
Speaker 1: their own families, but Ruth answered with unforgettable words, where
Speaker 1: you go, I will go, and where you stay, I
Speaker 1: will stay. Your people will be my people, and your
Speaker 1: God my God, Ruth one sixteen. This is the kind
Speaker 1: of loyal, inseparable love Paul is describing. Except God, his
Speaker 1: love is infinitely stronger and more enduring than any human love.
Speaker 1: The prophet Jeremiah also captured this truth when he recorded
Speaker 1: God's words, I have loved you with an everlasting love.
Speaker 1: I have drawn you with unfailing kindness Jeremiah thirty one three.
Speaker 1: And the prophet Isaiah wrote this promise from the Lord.
Speaker 1: Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed,
Speaker 1: Yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken,
Speaker 1: nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord
Speaker 1: who has compassion on you, Isaiah fifty four to ten.
Speaker 1: God's love is like an anchor for our souls in
Speaker 1: stormy times, when everything else is uncertain, when life feels chaotic,
Speaker 1: when the future is unclear, we can lean on this truth.
Speaker 1: God's love for us in Christ is inseparable, unshakable, and eternal. Nothing,
Speaker 1: absolutely nothing can change that. In hard days, when doubt
Speaker 1: whispers that God has abandoned us, we can remember Paul's words,
Speaker 1: I am convinced, and we can make that conviction our own.
Speaker 1: No matter what happens, God's love remains when we lose
Speaker 1: our job, when the relationship ends, when the diagnosis is grim,
Speaker 1: when a loved one passes through all of it, God's
Speaker 1: love stays constant. He loved us in the past, he
Speaker 1: loves us now, and he will love us forever. It's
Speaker 1: like a mother's love for her child. The prophet Isaiah asks,
Speaker 1: can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should
Speaker 1: have no compassion on the son of her womb, And
Speaker 1: even acknowledging that rare cases might exist, God promises, even
Speaker 1: if she does forget, I will not forget you Isaiah
Speaker 1: forty nine fifteen. God's love is stronger and more enduring
Speaker 1: than even a mother's love. Think of jesus words on
Speaker 1: the cross, Father, forgive them, for they do not know
Speaker 1: what they are doing Lou twenty three thirty four. Even
Speaker 1: in the midst of unimaginable pain and rejection, jesus love
Speaker 1: never faltered. If he could love his executioners that way,
Speaker 1: how much more does he love those who trust in him.
Speaker 1: This is not a fragile love that needs to be
Speaker 1: shielded from hardship. It's a rugged love that thrives even
Speaker 1: in the harshest environments. It's the love that stood with
Speaker 1: the three Hebrew young men in the Blazing Furnace and
Speaker 1: with Daniel in the Lion's Den. It's the love that
Speaker 1: sustained the martyrs in their trials and the confesses in
Speaker 1: their prison cells. It's a love that knows no limits
Speaker 1: and accepts no barriers. The Greek word Paul uses for
Speaker 1: separate is chorizo, which literally means to put space between,
Speaker 1: to divide, or to separate. Paul is saying that nothing
Speaker 1: can create distance between us and the love of God,
Speaker 1: no matter where we are, what we've done, or what's
Speaker 1: happening in our lives. God's love meets us there. Jesus
Speaker 1: himself promised, and surely I am with you always to
Speaker 1: the very end of the age Matthew twenty eight twenty
Speaker 1: And the Psalmist declared, if I rise on the wings
Speaker 1: of the dawn, if I settle on the far side
Speaker 1: of the sea, even there, your hand will guide me.
Speaker 1: Your right hand will hold me fast Psalm one hund
Speaker 1: thirty nine nine to ten. There is no place where
Speaker 1: God's love cannot reach us. This inseparable love is not
Speaker 1: just a concept. It's a living reality. It is the
Speaker 1: love of God that is in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.
Speaker 1: It is love embodied in a person who took on
Speaker 1: flesh and walked among us. Love that ate with sinners,
Speaker 1: touched lepers, welcomed children, and wept at a friend's tomb,
Speaker 1: A love that in the end stretched out its arms
Speaker 1: on a cross to embrace us. It's the love Paul
Speaker 1: spoke of in his letter to the Ephesians, praying that
Speaker 1: they may know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge
Speaker 1: Ephesians three nineteen. It's a love so vast we can
Speaker 1: never fully comprehend, it, so deep we can never fully
Speaker 1: explore its depths. This is the love Paul is absolutely
Speaker 1: convinced of. Nothing can separate us from it. Not the
Speaker 1: greatest forces in the universe, not spiritual powers, not time,
Speaker 1: not space, not any imaginable circumstance. The love of God
Speaker 1: in Christ is the most certain, most secure, and most
Speaker 1: trustworthy reality in all existence. This is the love Paul
Speaker 1: is absolutely convinced of. Nothing can separate us from it.
Speaker 1: Not the greatest forces in the universe, not spiritual powers,
Speaker 1: not time, not space, not any imaginable circumstance. The love
Speaker 1: of God in Christ is the most certain, most secure,
Speaker 1: and most trustworthy reality in all existence. To the end
Speaker 1: of our journey through Romans eight, the most important chapter
Speaker 1: in the Bible, we've seen how we are set free
Speaker 1: from condemnation by the power of the Spirit, how we've
Speaker 1: been adopted as God's children with a guaranteed future glory,
Speaker 1: and how God's love for us is utterly unbreakable. If
Speaker 1: this message spoke to your heart today, don't keep it
Speaker 1: to yourself. There are so many people out there who
Speaker 1: need to hear that nothing can separate them from the
Speaker 1: love of God. People who feel condemned, who wrestle with guilt,
Speaker 1: who are going through trials and wondering if God really
Speaker 1: loves them. So, if this study helped you, go ahead
Speaker 1: and hit that shere button now. You never know who
Speaker 1: might need to hear this exact word today. And if
Speaker 1: you haven't subscribed to the channel yet, now's the time.
Speaker 1: Click the subscribe button and turn on the notification bell
Speaker 1: so you never miss a new Bible study. Every week
Speaker 1: we bring fresh messages to strengthen your faith and deepen
Speaker 1: your understanding of God God's Word. Remember, neither height, nor depth,
Speaker 1: nor anything else in all creation will be able to
Speaker 1: separate us from the love of God that is in
Speaker 1: Christ Jesus our Lord. Carry this truth in your heart,
Speaker 1: share it with those you love, and will see you
Speaker 1: in the next video. God bless your weak See you
Speaker 1: next time.