274 - Les Feldick Bible Study Lesson 3 - Part 2 - Book 23 - If God Be For Us, Who Can Be Against Us?

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 3 * PART 2 * BOOK 23 IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? Now, we only covered two verses in our last lesson, and we're still in verse 32, and I can't emphasize enough that everything that God now has done, and is doing on our behalf, is based on that finished work of the Cross, where God did not even spare His Son. Why? Now, the first thing we may wonder if we're not taught in these things is, Well, why does God have to do this? He's Sovereign, and He could do any way He wanted, but you see God never goes against His own principals. God is Holy, God is righteous, God is Omnipotent, He is full of all knowledge. I'll never forget the first time I taught that Christ was the Creator God, and my class just sat there aghast. Psalms 110:1 Yes God is One, but He's in three Persons as we see in Romans 8:26: Romans 8:26a,27 Now, there you have the Spirit, and God in His Triune entity, but come on down a little further in this chapter and you're dealing with Christ. So here you have all three Persons of the Trinity within just a few verses, and yet when you see the term `God' it is the Triune God, the whole God-Head as Paul calls it. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Three distinct entities, and yet One God. Alright, now let's come on down to verse 33. Since Christ died, and God let Him, God permitted it to happen. It had to be to satisfy a Holy and Righteous God. Now, let's read: Romans 8:33 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." Chosen. It is an act of choosing, and that is what God has done with everyone of His believers. So reading that verse again: Romans 8:33 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." It's God, the Triune God, the Creator God, the sustaining God, He's the One Who determines who we are and what we are in the realm of the Spirit. Romans 8:34a The fact that Christ died, His divine Blood had to be shed, because always remember: God's Sovereign! Now, verse 35: Romans 8:35 shall tribulation,..." That word tribulation is used something like 29 times in the New Testament, and maybe with one exception that word is associated with the activity surrounding the believer. You go back into the Book of Revelation, in fact, let's turn to that book right now. Someday we're going to teach this part of Revelation - the letters to the seven churches in the opening chapters. Revelation Chapter2 verse 9. Let's read: "I know thy works, and tribulation (God knew about their tribulation, and the Church at Smyrna was going through horrible pressure), and poverty, (but thou art rich)..." Rich! Now, reading on: Revelation 2:9,10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer (did believer's suffer? Verse 35 continuing: Romans 8:35 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness (Paul went through times of nakedness, and cold, he was thirsty, and hungry, and how did Paul die? Can the Devil bring in enough persecution to force a believer out of his place in the Body of Christ? Never! God has guaranteed that because of the work of the Cross we are secure. That is never part of the picture. Everything that keeps us secure is that finished work of the Christ. Verse 36: Romans 8:36 "As it is written, `For thy sake (the sake of the Christ of the Cross) we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.'" Utter silence, and I've witnessed that myself. I'll never forget that when they take sheep to the slaughter they have a goat. No, because that's not the way God works. Do you remember what Isaiah said about the Lamb of God? Well, let's move on to verse 37. Romans 8:37 Were those sheep, being led quietly to their death, conquerors? We're led like sheep to the slaughter, but this verse says, "...yet we're conquerors." Now verse 38 Paul says: Romans 8:38 Totally convinced. I think it was King Agrippa back in Acts Chapter 26 where Paul had been witnessing to him and what did old King Agrippa say to Paul? Acts 26:28 "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, `Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.'" Because Agrippa could never be convinced that what Paul was telling him was true. I'll never forge a young man in my class at Wilburton, OK. Now, continuing on with verse 38: Romans 8:38 "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come," Death is the easy way out. A life that's lived with all kinds of oppositions to the home and family. Hey, life is difficult. Life is not easy. It deals with people who are in a high position. The word `power' is from the Greek word `Dunamis' from which we get `Dynamo,' and it means energy. #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible