Living the Journey

    ”He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

-Romans 8:32

The secret of the Christian’s success and joy in life is a burning desire to thank Jesus for what He has done for us and to tell others about Him.

When we put our faith in Jesus as our Saviour, what do we receive from God?

The answer is ALL THINGS!

1)  GOD GIVES US HIMSELF.

• The gift of God is God himself Jesus. Our grace is brought to us by God himself, paying the price, delivering the gift. The gift and the Giver are the same.

2)  GOD GIVES US RELEASE FROM OUR SINS.

• The Son is the sin-bearer.

. . .gave him up for us all

Our sins and their consequences were taken up and dealt with by Jesus personally and in a costly way.

3)  GOD GIVES US THE GUARANTEE OF ALL HIS OTHER GIFTS.

Since God did not spare even his own Son, but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else? (Rom. 8:32, NLT)

This reminds me… My mom shares that shortly after she was born again that God began to convict her about a relationship she had developed with a certain young man, who was not a Christian. A wise Christian counselor asked her, “Michelle, have you trusted Christ to take you to Heaven?” She replied, “Yes!” then he responded, “Don’t you think you can trust Him with your love life?”

That day she prayed & gave that area of her life to God! Shortly after that God miraculously brought my Father into her life!

God cares about every area of our life. He loves us and wants to lovingly guide us.

We receive the gift of new life through Christ, by receiving Christ as our Saviour and Lord – we put our trust in him.

. . . along with him

The grace of God and his other gifts do not come to people apart from faith in Christ – ie. relationship with him.

Since God has done the greater, greatest thing (given up his Son for us), he will surely give us lesser and other things along with Christ!

What are these other things? All things?

Romans 8 is a summary of the many gifts that come with the grace of God in Christ:

• No condemnation

• No guilt

• No weakness

• No defeat

• No despair

• No want

• No separation from God.

Our calling every day of our lives is to appreciate the benefits of Christ’s saving death for us.

“God the Father had but two grand gifts to bestow; and when once they were given, He had left then nothing that was great (comparatively) to give, for they contained all good in them. These two gifts were his Son, who was his promise in the Old Testament, and his Spirit, the promise of the New. “ (Thomas Goodwin)

Main Point: The gift of Christ to us includes all the other gifts of God.

~Jana Dugger

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“Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called: whom he called, these He also justified: and whom He justified, these he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”-Romans 8:30-31

I really appreciate what Abby shared yesterday. I recently finished reading Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis and though of the section Abby mentioned as I was meditating these verses. In these next two verses God gives us kind of an outline for how He wants to conform us to the image of His Son.

God called the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt to bring them into the Promised Land. He wanted them to live in freedom – freedom from bondage, freedom from oppression from a cruel master. Christ has also called each of us out of bondage, out of slavery to the law of sin and death. As it says in verse two, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Even though God called Israel out of Egypt, they could have chosen to stay where they had been for so long, and we all have been given the same choice. But when we choose to answer His call, He justifies us.

Now we are made righteous, but not with our righteousness because our righteousness is still as filthy rags. However, in Christ we have become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). But sometimes we go back to our old ways, our old habits. Why? Why did some of the Israelites want to return to Egypt? How silly can they be?! Didn’t they remember the wonderful promises God gave them? Well, shouldn’t we remember the same promises God has given us? Promises to be glorified with Christ, promises of hope and help from the Spirit, promises that all things work together for good to those who love God and are the called. The very next line says, “whom He justified, these He also glorified.” So what’s my problem? I don’t walk in the Spirit! Isn’t that what we started with in this chapter?! “If Christ is in you… the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (v. 10). And the Spirit bears witness that we are children of God – joint heirs with Christ that we may be glorified with Him.

Last week a few of the verses mentioned suffering and groaning. What’s this all about? What about jumping and leaping and praising God because we are justified? The question isn’t whether I am suffering for Christ’s sake. The question is, “Is Christ being glorified in all my actions, attitudes, and words?” Because when Christ is glorified, you and I are glorified! “Christ in you, the hope of glory!”

For “if God be for us, who can be against us?” We certainly will go through trials, floods, rivers, and the wilderness. We will face giants and seemingly innumerable enemies. Israel faced all of these things and we will too. We do go through suffering and groaning. But God has given us another promise. What do you think David thought when he went face to face (or face to knee cap) with Goliath? What about the decision Daniel had to make when praying to Almighty God was outlawed? How about Elijah vs. 450 prophets of Baal? There are countless examples of people in Scripture and throughout history who have faced incredible challenges because they believed God’s Word and claimed His promises. It’s not that nobody is against us if God is for us, but it doesn’t matter who is against us.

We are children of the King of kings. He has called us out, justified us, and glorified us even now but He will so much more when we go home from the battles we face today. Do you think people in the early church who were persecuted mercilessly continued in the faith just because they were being martyred? I don’t think so. They knew God’s Word to be true and stood on His promises despite their torments; it didn’t matter what they suffered. Christ alone was their hope of glory, and that is far greater than any challenge they could ever face.

By the grace of God, what am I going to do today to bring glory to God?

~Ian Boyes

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“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren^.” -Romans 8:29

The first thought that came when I was reading this verse in preparation of writing something was, “Oh, no. I have the predestination word. The one that causes an endless amount of debate and the question, so what do you believe about predestination? If God already had everything predestined from the beginning what about free-will?” Well, I took a deep breath, sent a plea up to God for enlightenment, and forged ahead.

Many times I believe we get our misconceptions from looking at things from our very small narrow perspective. Such as looking at words like, “foreknew, and predestined.” What about God’s perspective on things such as this? Our minds cannot even begin to fathom the ways of God.What are some things that would make a difference on how these words would apply to Him? One would be time. While we are limited by this, He is not. Here I am going to step out and let an excerpt from Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis take over:

 “Another difficulty we get if we believe God to be in time is this. Everyone who believes in God at all believes that He knows what you and I are going to do tomorrow. But if He knows I am going to do so-and-so, how can I be free to do otherwise? Well, here once again, the difficulty comes from thinking that God is progressing along the timeline like us, (His example of a time line:  if we picture time as a straight line along which we have to travel, then you must picture God as the whole page on which the line is drawn. We come to the parts of the line one by one: we have to leave A behind before we get to B, and cannot reach C until we leave B behind. God, from above or outside or all round, contains the whole line, and sees it all).: the only difference being that He can see ahead and we cannot. Well, if that were true, if God foresaw our acts, it would be very hard to understand how we could be free not to do them. but suppose God is outside and above the timeline. In that case, what we call ‘tomorrow’ is visible to Him in just the same way as what we call ‘today’. All the days are ‘Now’ for Him. He does not remember you doing things yesterday; he simply sees you doing them, because, though you have lost yesterday, He has not. He does not ‘foresee’ you doing things tomorrow; He simply sees you doing them: because, though tomorrow is not yet there for you, it is for Him. You never supposed that your actions at this moment were any less free because God knows what you are doing. Well, He knows your tomorrow’s actions in just the same way—because He is already in tomorrow and can simply watch you. In a sense, He does not know your action till you have done it: but then the moment at which you have done it is already ‘Now’ for Him. This idea has helped me a good deal. If it does not help you, leave it alone. It is a ‘Christian idea’ in the sense that great and wise Christians have held it and there is nothing in it contrary to Christianity. But it is not in the Bible or any of the creeds. You can be a perfectly good Christian without accepting it or indeed without thinking of the matter at all.”

Yes, we have the choice, but because God is not limited to time He foreknew each one of those who would come to a saving knowledge of Him.

“He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,”- this is beautiful to me. God placed in all of us who know Him that seed of desire to become more and more like His Son. He didn’t just save us and leave us there. No, like the clay in the potter’s hand, He desires to fashion us into the image He has predestined us to be!

~Abby

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And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

-Romans 8:28

To those who love God, to those who have responded to his call for
salvation: they are the ones for whom God promises to work all things
together for their good. It is not anyone or even we ourselves that can do
this working: it is God.

In previous verses, we are assured of the Holy Spirit’s intercession on our
behalf, interpreting our prayers and needs, asking according to the will of
God. If we, who don’t even know how to ask or pray, need the Holy Spirit to
help then why cannot we trust the who One who sees in entirety the whole
procedure and happenings of our life? He certainly will not fail to leave
out or overlook a single detail that is needed to work all things for good.

It’s like making a cake, ingredient by ingredient things change and blend,
come together, but to us (who represent the cake), the batter seems runny.
We are poured out into a new mold that is all greased and unfamiliar. Yuck!
Picked up and moved by the bakers hands and set inside heat for a period of
time, things seem to be going in the wrong direction. Things are happening,
and we become uncomfortable, rising –expanding into a weird texture. The
moisture that we were discontent with is now mostly gone and the heat is
become unbearable. Just when it seems we will dry out, we are pulled out of
the oven. Finally, everything seems like it is going to be just fine, then
we are set aside. We have to cool-settle. At just the right time the baker
will come back and remove the form. And again we are left…something is
being prepared for us. When the time is right, He adorns us with the
confection of frosting. Then we are presented to the guests. We are placed for our use, then cut and served. We are delicious and filling. We bring
pleasure to our maker and glorify Him through what we are, because we are His. All has worked together for good.

The same can be true in our lives as we allow the “ingredients” to come
together, being formed into something which can and will bring glory only
to Christ. This working in us allows us to become a representation of the
Creator, spreading His love into the lives of those who need a Savior.

~Tiffany Martens

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“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God”

-Romans 8:26-27

Have you ever been alone with God, and you didn’t know what to say? Have you ever been weighed down with a burden so heavy that you couldn’t describe how you felt to God? Have you ever thought about what your prayers sounded like to a Holy God? Have you ever wondered why God answers our seemingly feeble prayers?

As I began to look into these verses, I simply smiled. I recognize that there are so many truths that could be shared from these two verses alone in addition to how they tie into so many other passages in the Bible. These two verses describe several key aspects of the communication that our spirit has with God’s Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Father. We call this communication “prayer.”

I have decided to leave you with three simple insights that I hope will encourage and motivate you in your daily prayer time with the Heavenly Father.

Prayer is More than Just Words

Life is all about relationships, and relationships require communication. Have you ever sat down to write a letter or an email to someone as a part of a duty or a job? The words usually flow formally and you get your point across and go on with life. But have you ever written to a person to whom you loved? It seems that you find yourself searching for words that can describe your deepest affections, feelings, cares, and concerns. Then you do your best to get it down on paper. Your letters to that loved one are usually longer. You anticipate their expression when they open and read it and you long for their response.

Prayer is our communication with our Heavenly Father. It’s based on a love relationship, because He loved us first (1 John 4:19). I all too often “pass over” prayer as simply a duty…or sadly, even a job. But this is not prayer at all. Prayer is an opportunity to talk to your best Friend. Prayer or the lack thereof, reveals your heart.

Jesus gives an account of a Pharisee who prayed in the temple in Luke 18:10-13. Though the Pharisee was a disciplined man and his prayer was “eloquent,” God didn’t hear his prayer. In that same parable, there was a publican who also prayed that day in the temple. His prayer was only one simple statement, and yet he went home that day justified. This parable reveals that prayer is more than just words…it reveals our heart condition. I believe that some of the most amazing prayers might just be given by little children who are in love with Jesus.

Our Weakness and His Strength in Prayer

Sometimes we don’t even know what or how to pray. Just as starting a letter can be a daunting task to the person who doesn’t write much, so prayer may seem a challenge for those who don’t practice. I believe this is the realization that the disciples came to when they asked the Lord to teach them to pray. (See Luke 11:1.)

When Christ left earth God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. (See John 14:26.) In this verse we are promised that God’s Spirit that resides within us helps us in our weakness to communicate with the Father in prayer. God’s Spirit will guide us to know how to pray and for what to pray. He will guide us in and to all truth. (See John 16:13.)

I believe that these two verses reveal to us that even in our inadequacy to pray, even they we may not feel like we can adequately express ourselves to God, He understands and He knows our hearts.

Pouring it ALL out in Prayer

“Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him:
God is a refuge for us. Selah” (Psalm 62:8).

There have been times in prayer that I have just poured out my heart before the Lord and words flow freely. I can describe what I feel in my innermost being, I can share the greatest weights on my heart with Him, and I can lift my voice in worship or praise His name. However, there have been times that I am so moved that I simply am lost for words. I cannot describe, nor begin to express the thoughts of my heart. In our weakness and humanity, the Spirit steps in and with sighs and groans that cannot be explained or described, He communicates with the Heavenly Father.

I know that God delights in hearing the prayers of His children, and I believe he delights in answering those prayers. Just as any grandparent would delight in getting a “letter” from one of their grandchildren though it may not even be legible, so God delights in hearing the hearts of His children.

“…the prayer of the upright is his delight” (Psalm 15:8).

~Chad

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“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” – Romans 8:24:25

I like how JB Phillips put these verses:

 “We were saved by this hope, but in our moments of impatience let us remember that hope always means waiting for something that we haven’t yet got.”

If there is one thing – one feeling – of the mind which, beyond all others, gives life and activity to everyone it would be hope. Influenced by hope, every person – in every department of life – puts forth all their energy. Think about that for a second. Our lives are built around hopes and dreams. Sometimes I want to think that maybe love and gratitude carry a heavy weight of influence over us, but at the same time it is also true that these principles would be ineffectual to carry our souls through all the trials and challenges in life if they were not confirmed and animated by the yet more powerful operation of hope. But here in these two verses, Paul starts drawing the contrast for us. He has just finished telling us that we are heirs of God and joint-heirs of Christ, and then he goes on to tell us about the challenges we are going to have. There are times in life when we will face intense trials, the “…sufferings of this present time.” Don’t throw up your hands and settle into the dooming mindset of having to endure. That sounds like the thing to do – not complain and just bear all the difficulties because it is what we are expected to do as Christians. I want to ask you a question: “Do you first see God through everything or do you just focus on the difficulty?” Because we have been given promises – we have been given HOPE! Try and compare the trials of this life with what is promised to us. I love how it is put in II Corinthians 4:17-18 which says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

There is no patience so hard as that of waiting in hope. Seeing not a ray of sunshine, yet refusing to give in to despair and just hoping for that thing we haven’t received yet. Of claiming the promises God has given us and never giving up. As George Matheson said, “It is the hope of Job in the tempest; it is of Abraham on the road to Moriah; it is like Moses in the desert of Midian; it is the Son of man in the Garden of Gethsemene.

Strive to be one of those who walk the earth with the ever-present consciousness – all mornings, middays, and star-times – of waiting in hope. You shall reach the climax of strength when you have learned to wait in hope.”

Remember this: Do not look at God through your difficulties, but look at your difficulties through God!

~Sharon Kelly

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