273 - Les Feldick Bible Study Lesson 3 - Part 1 - Book 23 - If God Be For Us, Who Can Be Against Us?

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 3 * PART 1 * BOOK 23 IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? Let's go right into where we left off in Romans Chapter 8. Now, verse 30, and here Paul writes: Romans 8:30 When we started our study in this book, I was explaining the word `Salvation' in Romans 1:16, and how that one of the things God accomplished on our behalf as a result of our Salvation experience, was that, not only were we justified, sanctified, forgiven, baptized into the Body, and all these other things, but God also glorified us. Matthew 17:1,2 What I like to say comes out of this verse 30, since God says we're Glorified. To think that God has already glorified, and He sees us as He sees Christ in all of His glory. We'll be dealing with this term again, how that God, before anything was ever created, knew the believer, and knew where he would be in God's Body of Christ. This is one of the teachings that I know has thrown a curve at a lot of people: that God in His foreknowledge chose us in Christ before anything was ever created. Christ tasted death for every man. In fact Paul says in II Corinthians Chapter 5: II Corinthians 5:14,15 "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." So if Christ died for all, then we're all dead. The whole human race. You cannot come to God unless He calls you. "Chosen in Him before the world was ever created." Now, let's move on to verse 31, and oh, what a tremendous verse, and to think that most people who read their Bible just skim right over this verse, and don't even realize what an impact it should make on them. Let's look at it carefully. Notice Paul just keeps on building from verse one of this chapter to now. Romans 8:31 If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31 If God be for us, who can be against us?" Now, the first thing we think of in a verse like that is that God is promising that nothing can happen to us if we're a believer. I Corinthians 15:1-4), and yet the very same man wrote, "If God for us, who against us?" II Corinthians 11:24-28 Thrice (three times) was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned (that is how the Jews killed people with stoning), thrice (three times) I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often (usually on foot), in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen (pagan and idolatrous), in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Let's look at another series of verses in the Book of Hebrews, Chapter 11 again, and drop in at verse 34. Now, this is isn't talking about wicked people, this isn't talking about back sliders, this is talking about God's choicest believers. It's the same God. Hebrews 11:33-35 Hebrews 11:36 God's for us? Come back with me again to Romans Chapter 8. So as you read these promises, "God for us, who against us?" rest assured that regardless of what someone or the powers that be may do to the flesh, they can never touch that invisible eternal part of us, because that is in God's hand. Never lose sight of this promise that God is for us, and, consequently, nothing can be against us. Now, verse 32 gives the reason. Why can God make such promises? Romans 8:32 I've stressed this many times that Paul never writes to anyone but believers. So when he uses this pronoun `us' he's talking about himself, and his fellow believers. Turn for a moment to a verse in I Thessalonians. You can see the difference between Paul speaking or writing to believers, and his references to the unbeliever. Here in I Thessalonians 4, Paul is talking about himself and believers, and we always refer that these verses are the "Rapture of the Church." Being caught up to meet The Lord in the air. I Thessalonians 4:17 Those `we' and `them' are us as believers. Now, look at the unbelievers beginning with verse 3. In Chapter 4 Paul is dealing with the believer, but here in Chapter 5 he's dealing with those who have been left behind at the Rapture, the unbeliever, so the pronoun switches from `we' to `they.' Let's return to Romans 8. So everything that Paul has been teaching in the Book of Romans, and especially here in Chapter 8 is resting upon this one fact: that the God of all creation, the God of glory, the God full of majesty, and power. The God who could have destroyed the whole human race. Romans 8:32 It wasn't that God lost control. So everything rests on that Cross. Let's turn to Philippians Chapter 2 verse 5: #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible