God’s Inescapable Love Series

INTRODUCTION

Today we finish this wonderful chapter I call the Himalayan Mountains of Biblical revelation. We have climbed to the pinnacle, the peak–Romans, 8:28–“For we know that God is working in all things for good to those who love him, those who are called according to his purpose.” We call that, “God’s Infallible Guarantee.” Last week we talked about “God’s Incredible Plan”. Those he foreknew, those He predestined to be conformed to the likeness, the icon of his Son; those he predestined he called; those he called, he justified and those he justified, he glorified. We’ve seen God’s Incredible Plan. Today we are going to talk about God’s Inescapable Love. Some time ago I saw a photograph in a magazine. It was one of those photographs where time stood still. It was of graduates of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, when, upon receiving their graduation, they stood and threw their caps into the air. This picture captured those caps, thousands of them, when they were at the height of their toss. You could see the caps suspended in the air and you could see the smiles on the faces of the graduates of the Naval Academy. I thought what a beautiful picture of enthusiasm and joy. If you could just grasp what God is trying to say to you here today about his love for you, you’d throw your cap in the air. You’d shout for joy! You might even do like David and dance before the Lord. It’s okay. When you understand how much God does love you.

Let’s read about it in Romans, chapter 8:31-39.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who it he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” [Psalm 44]

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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.”

Amen! Toss your hat into the air. There is nothing on earth that can separate you from the love of God. In this passage I have already called your attention to four questions. We’re going to answer those four questions today as we talk about God’s inescapable love.

QUESTION ONE: WHO CAN OPPOSE US?

If you will look there in verse 31, he says, “Who can be against us?” Now, let’s give the answer to that question. Here’s the answer:

ANSWER: MANY TRY, BUT GOD IS FOR US!

The Bible says we have enemies in this world. It is the world, the flesh and the devil. We have enemies, but who’s afraid of the big, bad world? The Bible talks about how our flesh needs to stay crucified. We understand we can resist the devil and he will flee from us. There are going to be many people who try to oppose us in the Christian life, but the good news is God is for us. You wonder where that comes from? Right here in Romans 8:31. It says, “If God is for us.” In the original language that means since God is for us, because God is for us. “Who can be against us?” That means you and I do not have to fear. We never have to be afraid of anything the world, the flesh or the devil can throw at us! A wonderful verse for you to memorize would be Psalms 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear. The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?”

I have a pastor friend up in Ypsilanti, Michigan, which is just on the outskirts of Detroit. He and his family moved from the South up to Ypsilanti a number of years ago. He had a junior high school aged son named David who was a small kid. When he went to school in Ypsilanti, some tough guys decided to pick on this pastor’s son. Every day they made life at school a living hell for him. They pushed him around. Sometimes he came home without his shirt because they stole it. They were the kind of kids that made him give them his lunch money or they were going to beat him up. This went on for a couple of weeks, and as you can imagine, everybody including David and his parents were simply miserable. They were talking about how they needed to pray for him and pray for the situation. Word got around about David’s mistreatment and a big guy named Mike, who was a star athlete, and the biggest, strongest guy in this school, happened to be a member of this church. When he heard about what was going on, Mike went to every one of the kids in the school. He confronted them face to face, and said, “Listen, if you bother David one more time, I mean if you even look at him cross-eyed, I’m coming after you! Do you hear me?” He told every one of them. Then, he went to the pastor’s house and knocked on the door, and said, “Pastor, I just want you to know, I have warned all of those guys and they are not going to mess with David anymore!” It’s was amazing. When David, went to school the next day, he went with a different attitude. Do you know why? He said, “I’m not afraid because Mike is for me, and Mike is with me!” Isn’t it good to have somebody stronger than you who is protecting you? Take that little illustration and multiply it by about 2 million times. Whatever you walk into tomorrow, whatever you walk into this next week, you do not have to be afraid, because not Mike but God is for you! Never fear when God is near.