Scripture Text
Romans 35-37
Intro: All of us who are in the family of God
go through things in life that are very unpleasant, stressful, and at times
painful. We all need assurance at times like that everything is going to be
o.k. and that God is not mad at us or punishing us. Let’s look at God’s word
and see what He has to say about our life situations and circumstances from His
point of view.
I. Believers will have many trials and
tribulations. Romans 8:35-36 (NKJV)
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 Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
a. In verse 35 Paul doesn’t hide the truth. He reminds the believers
that people who trust in God must expect to go through some things as a result
of their faith in Christ. Paul asked at
the beginning of verse 35, who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? The context shows that “the love of
Christ” is His love for us believers, not our love for Him. The apostle then listed
these seven things a believer might experience.
1. Tribulations} means to undergo
struggle, trials, temptation, suffering, or affliction.
2. Distress:} means to suffer
anguish, trouble, strain, agony; not knowing which way to turn or what to do.
3. Persecution:} means to be abused,
mocked, ridiculed, shamed, mistreated, ignored, neglected, harassed, attacked,
or injured.
4. Famine:} means to have no
food, to be starving and have no way to secure food.
5. Nakedness:} means to be stripped
of all clothes and earthly comforts; to be bare, having all earthly possessions
taken away.
6. Peril:} means to be exposed
to the most severe risks; to be confronted with the most terrible dangers to
one's body, mind, soul, property, family, and loved ones.
7. Sword:} means to be killed;
to suffer martyrdom.
Our Lord Jesus suffered all of these! Paul experienced all
of them; (2 Cor. 11:23-28) and he says no matter how intense these things are, they
do not separate Christians from Christ; instead they are part of the “all
things God works together for good” (Rom. 8:28) God uses these
things to bring us into conformity to His Son. In verse 36 Paul
quoted Psalm 44:22 to remind his
readers that in this life the people of God have always had to face much
affliction including even martyrdom for some and they will till Jesus returns. There is
absolutely nothing—no matter how dark and depressing, no matter how severe—that
can separate the believer from the love of Christ. Circumstances such as these are
not evidence that God does not love us because God loves us no matter what the
circumstances may be. The things we go through on this earth are proof of our
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! He said if the world hates Me, they will hate you!
II. We are more than
conquers. Romans 8:37 (NKJV) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
a. In this verse, Paul says even though we go
through all these things, we are more than conquers through Him who loves us. This
does not mean that we are superheroes, but that our victory will be assured
because of our union with Christ. No matter the situations and their severity,
Christ will carry us through it all, strengthening and encouraging us. We
cannot lose, no matter the severity of the situation. There are many examples in the bible such as Daniel in the lions den!
Christ
loves us and is going to look after and take care of us as He promised.
The
believer can rest assured; Christ protects us in the severest circumstances:
Christ
meets all the spiritual and material necessities of life. He gives us rest,
peace, and escape from temptations as we look to Him. He supplies all our needs
and comforts us through whatever we have to face. [Ps. 34:19 says “many are the afflictions
of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all.”]
Christ will
always show Himself strong on our behalf and deliver us one way or the other. If we are called
upon to be martyred for our faith Him, Christ delivers us into His very
presence, giving us eternal life. Christ
enables us to overcome the world and all its troubles. "For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is
the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).
Conclusion: So to conclude the
matter, we must keep our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ strong and vibrant,
always growing in our relationship with Him, moving from victory to victory. We
must read and study God’s word, pray, seeking His face in every situation. Jesus
came to give us all that we need to live the abundant life. He assures us of
victory, so all is definitely well. We must therefore because we have the
victory; “be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” [1 Corinthians 15:58] And finally,
we are to always give; “Thanks to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57
Invitation: Have you experienced
the victory that Christ died to give you? Without Christ you cannot have the
victory over the world, the devil, sin and hell. If you have not gained the
victory, now is the time to confess your sins to Christ and ask Him to forgive
you and give you eternal life and commit to live your life for Him. Then be
baptized to show you are sincere in your commitment to Jesus.
