St Bart’s Anglican Church

!

Present + Future Hope: Week 4 – A Life of Security (Romans 8:31-39) Discussion Questions

1. What are the things in life that make you feel secure? Do you think that it is only in God that you can find absolute security?

Read Romans 8:31-34

2. Saying that ‘God is for us’ is a staggering statement! How do we know that this is a fact?

3. Scan over the chapter, and try to summarise the various implications of Jesus being a gift to us. What does Paul mean (in v.32) by the phrase “will graciously give us all things” (which he poses as a rhetorical question)?

4. How are God’s children ultimately free from the charges and condemnation of others?

Read Romans 8:35-39

5. Paul extensively describes the list of things that cannot separate us from God’s love – his point being that nothing can separate us from God’s love. The worst of this world – persecution, hardship, poverty, and even death – and even the battles within are to be no barrier. Do you believe this is true? What is the implication?

6. Paul acknowledges the pain in life in this passage (quoting Psalm 44:22). How does this passage enable us to fell like “conquerors” in the midst of that pain?

7. For many, Christmas is not the happiest time of year, and can be full of all sorts of sadness. How might each of these three aspects be good news? (a) God is for us; (b) Nothing can separate us from God’s love; and (c) The best is yet to come.

8. If you had to explain the love of God in Jesus to another person, how would you describe it?

Re-read Romans 8:38 and 39 (slowly, phrase-by-phrase)

9. This is an absolutely staggering statement. I suspect that we could read it every single day of our lives and still be overwhelmed – if we dare let it sink in. What most amazes you about the extent and depth of God’s love for you?

10. If we have such security of God’s love, how do we avoid complacency?

11. What has most struck you from exploring Romans 8 over the last four weeks? That we have a Life of Freedom, Victory, Expectancy, or Security? Is there one that you find most challenging to accept? Is there one that you find most encouraging to know?

12. Finally, in your own words, describe what it means for Christians to have both a present and future hope.

Talk 4/4 (Present + Future Hope): 21/11/14 “A Life of Security” by the Rev’d Adam Lowe

Bible Passage: Romans 8:31-39

INTRODUCTION \\ A LIFE OF SECURITY?

When I planned this series on Roman 8, and today’s topics of ‘A Life of Security’ I never imagined the horrendous events that would take place this week.

It’s seem so appropriate, in the face of grief and fear, that we come to the Scriptures and wrestle with the question, what does it really mean for us to have a life of security?

• It is that we will never be physically harmed?

• Is it a heap of money in your bank account?

• It is a beautiful home built on solid ground?

• How about good health, with plenty of insurance to boot?

We can be deluded at times to think that as long as we’ve got money in the bank, food on the table, a home in which to place that table, and our health - then we’re fine.

• But of course the problem with that is, we’re not always going to have those things.

• We’ve seen the effect of the GFC on so-called secure investments.

• We’ve seen the effect of fire and flood on stable homes.

!2

• We’ve all seen the effect of ill-health either in our loved ones or ourselves.

• And perhaps most shockingly - despite the amount of preparation, legislation, or insurance, much of it is out of our control.

The reality is this: if our sense of security comes from those things, then we’re going to be disappointed when things at some point inevitably unravel.

• It’s often not until we are faced with adversity that we discover where we really find our security. What we really bank on.

• When things are good, we can read Romans 8 and smile to ourselves, thinking, isn’t that nice. Because I suspect, we’re not really challenged about what gives security, until some things are taken away.

The Christian philosopher, Boethius (524AD) wrestled with this very notion. In his book “The Consolation of Philosophy” which he wrote in prison on trumped up charges facing execution, he posed the question “if the world takes everything away from you that there is practically there to rejoice in the world, is there any way to maintain your equilibrium, your hope, and your joy in the midst of that”.

• His answer, as a Christian, was yes. We see Paul say the same thing today.

!3

And so I want you to really ask - what are the foundations in life that you have built upon in your mind and your heart that give you security.

• And for many of you, you are going through real adversity - be it financial, relational, or health-wise.

• Well today, I want to immensely encourage you.

• In God, you can have a Life of Security and today’s passage is an immense gift to us all. They are words that we could read every single day of our lives.

Here’s the amazing news, if Christmas really happened, if he broke into our broken reality with his healing power, he became a human being, died on the cross, and rose victoriously, there’s three solid bases for security.

• There’s three things that will hold you up.

• God is for you;

• Nothing can separate you from God’s love; and

• The best is yet to come.

!4

GOD IS FOR US \\ VERSES 31-34

So first, God is for us.

31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

These are almost shocking words! “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

• I say shocking, because, well one, it’s an enormous claim that’s difficult to fathom!

• And two, it seems that we do face difficulties and opposition. And we know that Paul certainly knew all about that.

• So what does he mean?

• Well, the first key to understand that is by looking at how he substantiates that God is for us.

When I was in school I wasn’t particularly good at sport (unless you count debating and chess as sport) and I remember every single time it would come to that cruel process in which two captains would choose members for their team, I would inevitably be chosen last. And I remember how deeply humiliating that process was each and every time. And bound up with not being chosen was a feeling

!5

of worthlessness - of not having any value or sense of belonging. So I know for me, it was hard to understand how anyone was FOR ME. How I was part of anyone’s team.

But how the story is different between us and God. And if you have trouble accepting that God is for you, the best way you can begin to understand that is through the gift of Jesus. If you love Jesus, you have received that gift.

32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things.

• Paul’s saying, look, God has given himself completely for you.

• He’s given the most precious thing he has - his son.

If you love God, there’s no need to doubt your salvation - because if God gave his son, he’s certainly not going to hold back anything else.

• So, if you have ever wondered, is God really on my side? Then the answer is - an emphatic YES! If you belong to God you are his child.

• We’re chosen - God’s looking at us and saying “there’s my boy”, “there’s my girl”.

!6

• Nothing held back, God just keeps pouring out his love!

Paul uses the image of the court to show us the degree to which Jesus is on our side, defending us.

Who will bring a charge?

• Well, we know that we could have earthly charges - many of the Christians suffering in Rome would have been charged with all sorts of things.

• But Paul reminds us of the bigger scale of these things. Who will bring a charge against whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. (v.33).

• All of those other people might think that they are bringing a charge.

• But ultimately that’s God’s job. And, in that final judgment, we already know that we are forgiven.

• We already know that God is on our side, because we have been justified.

Even though God could rightly find ways in which we fall short, we won’t be condemned.

• …there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

!7

• Paul’s saying: don’t be afraid of judgment or condemnation, because you know Jesus - the person who was God, who died for you, but not only died but was raised to new life - well he’s paid your penalty and is interceding for you even now.

• God is for you. You’re on God’s team.

• That’s the first thing that you can build a Life of Security on.

• God is for you.

!8

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM GOD’S LOVE \\ VERSES 35-39

The second thing is this: Nothing can separate us from God’s love.

• You know, I think for many Christians, even though you know that God loves you, you can have the most incredible difficulty living like it’s true.

• In fact, the way we live our lives can sometimes indicate that we don’t know very much about the love of God at all.

• In that continual struggle of life, it’s easy to be overwhelmed and forget that God has poured out his undivided, unconditional, and unfailing love on us.

When you get up in the morning and look in the mirror, I suspect that God sees us very differently than we often see ourselves.

The type of love that God has for us is undivided.

• God doesn’t have a shortage of love capacity. He keeps pouring it on. We’ve seen that here in this passage - Hw far would God go in his love for us? As far as he could possibly go - to give his son.

!9

I love in Europe coming across these water fountains that just keep pouring out beautiful, fresh water, day-in, day-out. They’re of course naturally fed from the mountains, and it’s like there’s no limit to their supply.

That’s what it’s like with God’s love for you - it’s undivided, it’s lavish. But it’s also an unconditional love.

• God didn’t chose to love us when we were perfect (which is fortunate); God loved us when we had no time for him, even still when we disobey.

• So often, the natural trajectory of human religiousness is that “if I do this, if I perform well, if I got love well enough, if I get up to his level - THEN I’ll be accepted, then I’ll be loved”.

• That’s the opposite of Christianity. We don’t get up to God, he has come to us!

• Remember as the prodigal son returns home, the father doesn’t sit on the veranda tapping his foot saying ‘this better be good’ - he races out to meet the son and showers him with his love in order to make it easier for him to repent.

• Our love doesn’t evoke God’s love, God’s love EVOKES OURS!

• If you’re a parent, you might feel like that - despite your children’s behaviour, despite the heartbreak that they can cause sometimes, you love them.

!10

• We are God’s Children, and God loves us in a way far beyond the capacity of any human parent.

It’s also an unfailing love.

• There’s no lack of reliability.

• We see that in Paul’s examples as he poses the question, what will separate us from God’s love?

• Persecution? No; Poverty? No; Not even death.

• So the very worst that can happen - even death itself, brings no terror for those who believe.

Remember, Paul’s not in anyway trivialising our struggles, the real and gritty difficulties that we are facing.

• He quotes Psalm 44:22 in which the Psalmist cries out to God to redeem his people who are being killed, possibly because of their beliefs.

• Paul writes these words to a church that is either undergoing or about to undergo terrible persecution from Nero, who was considered so evil that he was even feared after his death.

!11

• Tacitus (c.55-117AD) - a senator and historian of the Roman empire - wrote about Nero’s cruelty towards Christians who were seized and had admitted their faith, like this:

And perishing they were additionally made into sports: they were killed by dogs by having the hides of beasts attached to them, or they were nailed to crosses or set aflame, and, when the daylight passed away, they were used as nighttime lamps. Nero gave his own gardens for this spectacle and performed a Circus game, in the habit of a charioteer mixing with the plebs or driving about the race-course. Even though they were clearly guilty and merited being made the most recent example of the consequences of crime, people began to pity these sufferers, because they were consumed not for the public good but on account of the fierceness of one man. (Reading about the World, Volume I)

• Paul’s not trivialising our struggles.

• He’s saying that that no matter how severe the circumstance, you cannot be separated from God’s love.

• These are words that we can bank on. Words that we could read every day of our lives.

Of course, it’s one thing to KNOW that God loves us, it’s another to rely and trust on it.

!12

When I read the list that Paul puts forward - trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword - I think we can basically describe them in terms of persecution, poverty, and death.

• In the last two weeks alone, I’ve met with people who are facing all sorts of adversity - be it persecution from loved ones, financial pain, and even very serious health issues.

• And in every instance, I’ve encountered a person who incredibly trusts God.

• And I’ve got to say friends: that’s deeply inspiring.

They have chosen to trust God.

• It’s my hunch that it’s not because they have confidence in their own capacity, but because they have confidence in God’s capacity.

• They bring those words, of being more than conquerors, to life, because they have built a life on solid foundations.

• They’ve built a life on a knowledge that God is for us, that nothing will ever separate them from the love of God, and that the best is yet to come.

!13

THE BEST IS YET TO COME \\ LOOKING FORWARD

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about the future in the last three weeks, and how we as a people, we stand straddling the line between what Christ has done and what Christ will do when he returns.

• And we, along with the whole of creation, look forward to that day when Jesus returns and New Creation becomes reality.

• If you love Jesus, that’s what you have to look forward to.

• The sufferings and the struggles are not the full-stop.

• The future prepared is one of community with God and other believers, it is perfect (no suffering, no death), and it is real.

• C S Lewis in his book The Last Battle gives us an image of what that will be like.

The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning… All their life in the world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title pages: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.

!14

• That’s our future.

• God through his son, has invited us to be part of this future, to be part of his family that will last for eternity - even being coheirs with Christ.

• The best is yet to come.

CONCLUSION \\ REAL HOPE

The hope that we have today, is not some form of positive thinking.

• Our hope is founded on the reality that Jesus died, Jesus rose, and Jesus will come again.

• It’s founded on the reality that we have a Life of Freedom, Victory, and Expectancy.

• We can also have a life of security that doesn’t have foundations that disappear - like money, materials possessions, or even our health.

• Instead, we can be assured of a life that stretches into a future with Jesus.

So what are the things that bring you security in life?

!15

• Are they things that will waste away? Money, material possessions, and even our health?

Or are they things that will last?

• That God is for us.

• That nothing can separate us from the Love of God.

• The best is yet to come.

Our challenge today is to live lives that demonstrate that we have those foundations.

And if you haven’t yet taken hold of that gift, can I invite you to run to Jesus today.

For I am convinced:

…that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (vv.38-30).

!16