6 Reasons Christians Can Be Certain Of Heaven, Part 3 Series

Romans Series # 41 June 05, 2002

Title: 6 Reasons Christians Can Be Certain Of Heaven, Part 3

Website: www.newlifeinchrist.info

Email: pastorsarver@yahoo.com

Introduction: Welcome to New Life in Christ. We are currently in Chapter 8 of Romans as we continue with message #41 of our verse-by-verse study of the Book of Romans.

Read Romans 8:31-32

Opening Prayer

Over the past two weeks, as I have taught on Romans 8:26-39, I have been sharing with you six reasons that Christians can be certain of future glory in heaven. So far we have looked at three of the seven.

1. Christians can be certain of their future in heaven because God’s Spirit prays for us perfectly

2. Christians can be certain of their future in heaven because God is working in every situation for the good.

3. Christians can be certain of their future in heaven because God’s predetermined plan is that all Christians are glorified.

We’ve seen three reasons for this certainty; now let’s look at reason number 4 of the 7.

4. Christians can be certain of their future in heaven because God is for us and not against us.

Read Verse 31

In verse 31, Paul states the encouraging truth “If God is for us, who can be against us?" In other words, how can we lose if God is on our side? How can we be kept from future glory if God is for us? Obviously we can’t. Paul is not saying that no one or nothing is against or opposed to our success or victory. Satan with his temptations, the flesh with its weakness, this world what is attendant troubles and even people are all against us at times, but since God is for us we are certain of the victory. God is greater than anything that is against us so we have nothing to fear!

Read Psalms 118:6

In school, most of us dealt with bullies. If you were small and timid like I was, the only way to ensure a peaceful and safe time throughout the school day was to have a friend who was bigger than the bully and committed to your well-being. As long as that bigger friend was with you and for you, you had nothing to fear. The same is true for God, he is for us and he is bigger than anything that is against us.

Now some people may have been saying to themselves, “Ok Paul I agree with you, If God is for me I cannot lose, but how do I know God is for me? How do I know that God will not change his mind and forsake me? Maybe God will get fed up with my failures and reject me?” In answer to these concerns and questions Paul basically says, “Use a little common sense!”

In verse 32, Paul reminds the people that God “did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all...” Now common sense dictates that if God was willing to do that for us, won’t he “also along with him graciously give us all things?” In other words, since God has went to such great sacrifices in the past to save us, we can be certain that he will bring that work to a fulfillment. God is not investing in a losing cause! God’s love for us is not wishy-washy but is certain. He proved his love for us on Calvary so we can be certain that nothing, absolutely nothing will keep him from completing his loving plans. Even when you struggle and fail, God still loves you and is thus still for you.

Illustration: A certain speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. "Who would like this $20 bill?" he asked. Hands started going up throughout the audience. He proceeded to crumple up the bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" The same hands went up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Again, hands went into the air.

"You have all learned a valuable lesson," the speaker said. "No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the foolish decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God’s eyes. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are priceless to him." Source: Unknown He proved this at Calvary!