Judges 7. Gideon, part 27: Why we ultimately do. Don’t lose opportunities due to carelessness.

Title: Judges 7. Gideon, part 27: Why we ultimately do. Don’t lose opportunities due to carelessness.      

 

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ROM 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

 

ROM 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren;

 

ROM 8:30 and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

 

Foreknown to believe, predestined to walk in Christ's manner, elected to have Christ's full inheritance, justified as perfectly righteous, glorified to share in all of God's glory and goodness.

 

This is our story and our reality. No believer is excluded or has any smidgen less. To reject its reality for any reason is to accept far less in life than God has offered freely. By freely doing this for us, it is clear that God is for us and not against us.

 

ROM 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

 

ROM 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

 

Are any believers lacking any portion of Christ?

 

ROM 8:33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;

 

No charge against the elect will be considered in God's court.

 

Whatever those in the world accuse you of, right or wrong, don't take it to heart. If you are wrong and your way needs correcting, go to God and ask of Him sincerely. If you are persecuted for being good, which is to be persecuted for Jesus' sake, then do as He said and rejoice, for your reward is great.

 

ROM 8:34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

 

There is no need to answer the question, "Who is the one who condemns?" It doesn't matter who they are because Jesus' cross made all condemnation pointless. Jesus was condemned for us and now He sits victorious at the right hand of God.

 

ROM 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Christ will always love us, but also, nothing can separate us from His love in our hearts making us unable to walk in it.

 

If we ever say that we failed to love so-and-so because we couldn't: they made it impossible, circumstances made it impossible, my condition made it impossible, my immaturity made it impossible; then we are saying that ROM 8:35 is untrue. We love because He first loved us and He does not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. Don't lie to yourself and don't live under the pretext that some of God's revelation is a lie. Grab hold will all your strength the eternal life that has been given to you.

 

What depths of sin there are in the human heart that we can see such love and then doubt its reality and permanence.

 

ISA 1:3

"An ox knows its owner,

And a donkey its master's manger,

But Israel does not know,

My people do not understand."

 

ROM 8:36 Just as it is written [PSA 44:2],

 

"For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long;

We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

 

There will be times when people of the world think they are performing a good service by severely persecuting Christians who are testifying of Christ.

 

ROM 8:37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer [Greek: hupernikao] through Him who loved us.

 

All these things: we would say that "all" refers to all of chapter 8 and actually, Paul might be referring to the entire book up to this point.  

 

ROM 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

 

ROM 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Too many Christians don't know what their calling is or who they really are in Christ and because of this ignorance they dismiss much of the scriptures and live just like world-lings. When approached by a mature believer they think they are mad and arrogant and fanatical. They caution the mature to not take things so seriously, and in secret they mock such believers. We pray that the eyes of their hearts may be opened so that they may know the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. (EPH 1:18-19)