31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare 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 bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes 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 Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”[c]
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who 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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
We will look at verses 35 through 39 this time. Paul really goes out on a limb here in thinking on those things that could separate us from Christ's love. What I found most comforting about the list is that Paul probably faced most of them personally. He was speaking from experience. What is even more beautiful and comforting about these verses is that if we allow the Spirit to do His work in our hearts as we face these forces, we are actually drawn closer to Christ and His love in the process. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Christ can bring beauty from all of it. Through His power working in us and through us, we can not only bring Him glory but we can make our valley of tears a spring by bringing blessing to others and to ourselves.
Girls, this is how we conquer. We do not become slaves to our circumstances...we allow Christ to use them to bring Him glory and us good. We conquer by fixing our eyes on the One who made the very very worst of circumstances into the greatest glory that mankind has ever known...the cross which was the darkest moment in history became the brightest beacon for all of mankind.
When I look back at the various trials I have faced, I am overwhelmed by one thing. His love. Through my trials I have been able to identify and know Christ more. As I identify with Him, His desires more and more become my desires. I am overwhelmed with how good comes from such adversity...Truly, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, but as we die to ourselves daily and live for Him; He brings sweetness for the bitterness life brings. He brings good for evil. He brings joy for sadness. He brings strength out of weakness. He brings triumph out of tragedy. He brings life out of death. He does it all by reaching out in love.
His death is proof of his immeasurable love. We can rest and know that no matter what occurs to us here on Earth or what we may face, one thing is assured. We are His. His love is constant. His love is eternal. We did nothing to earn it and can do nothing to "unearn" it. That is good news!
Love
Mom who is thinking that this passage just might become one of her favorites in the entire Bible.
No comments:
Post a Comment