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Frustration, Part 6

God is for Us

Romans 8v31-39

8th February 2014

For some weeks now, we've been thinking about how frustrating life on earth can be, for the Christian as well as for the non-Christian, starting with Romans 8:19-23 and continuing to Romans 8:30.

We've been reminded that All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose and that "all things" must somehow include the frustration, futility and emptiness we sometimes feel. We've been reminded that God has predestined us to be confirmed to the likeness of his Son. What is good for us is whatever makes us more like Jesus, not whatever makes us comfortable.

It's important to remember that God wants the best for us, isn't it? We're so tempted to focus on our immediate desires - often legitimate desires but not always - and give them priority over our eternal good. But God never does.

There are days when it's hard to believe that God wants the best for us, but we're convinced He does, because of His great love for us. Paul writes:

Romans 8v31-32
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

If we know that God sacrificed His own Son for us, then surely we know that there is no sacrifice God would not make for us. It follows that God will give us whatever is good for us. It's just that God's idea of what's good for me is wiser and more long-term that what I think is good for me. This reminds me of my earthly father when I was young. I was often convinced that a game of football would be better for me than doing my homework, that an ice cream would be better than a visit to the dentist, and so on. Perhaps I'm just a young boy in the things of God.

God is for us. How many Christian lives and hearts would be transformed if we truly believed that?

And since God is for us, Paul asks, "who can be against us?"

Well, anybody can be against us. Christians are persecuted all over the world. But, ultimately, no-one can prevail against us. As Jesus promised in Matthew 5v5, the meek will inherit the earth. And we will inherit the heavens, too.

And Paul asks:

Romans 8v33-34
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

And, again, the answer is "Anybody". Anybody can bring a charge against us. Satan and his hordes often do. And many non-Christians do. And sometimes even our brothers and sisters in Christ accuse us. But we have been justified; God declares us innocent, through faith in the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. One day there will be a court case to end all court cases. We will all stand before God and we will all be judged. And no-one will dare to bring any charge against the Christians - because God sees us through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, and acquits us.

Paul goes on to ask:

Romans 8v35-36
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtere."

And this time he answers his own question:

Romans 8v37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul needs to write this because usually we don't feel like conquerors. We feel frustrated, futile, empty, unloved and unprotected, at least some of the time. But our knowledge of God, of who He is, and what He's done, and Who He sacrificed for us, gives us confidence that we are, indeed, more than conquerors.

We're not more than conquerors in our own strength or in our own wisdom. We're more than conquerors through him who loved us, We conquer - we endure - we overcome - by the power and love of God.

And we always will.