Confidence In God's Love

Romans 8 C Confidence in God’s Love

John Bunyan was a preacher from the 1600’s. He preached the Gospel. In those days, one was only allowed to preach what the Church of England told you was appropriate. Bunyan refused to allow anyone but the Holy Spirit tell him what to preach, and preached the authority of God’s Word without compromise, so he was arrested and in prisoned numerous times. On one occasion he was asked to simply stop and be set free. He answered, “If you release me today, I will preach tomorrow.” Those now famous words led to a nearly 12 year imprisonment.

It was during that imprisonment that he began to write his now famous book “The Pilgrim’s Progress” a book believed by many to be the second most widely distributed book in the world, behind the Bible, being translated into 200 languages, and having never been out of print.

What many people don’t know is that during his life and frequent prison stays, Bunyan wrote over 70 books, one of them covering just one verse, John 6:37 which says,

> Read John 6:37 Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out.

Can you imagine? A whole book on one verse? The one who comes to Me I will never cast out. But what about the sins I’ve committed in the past? I will never cast out. But what about my lukewarm love? I will never cast out. But what about my partial obedience? I will never cast out. But what about my hit and miss church attendance? I will never cast out. But what about how I disappointed you this week, and embarrassed You? I will never cast out.

Evidently Paul felt the need to stress a similar concern for in Romans 8 he writes, “I am persuaded that nothing can separate us from God’s love.”

Open your Bibles this morning and turn with me please to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 and verse 31, as this morning we see together how we can be confident in God’s Great Love.

- Read Romans 8:28-39

It must be a terrible thing to live in a home where you never know when one of your parents is going to blow up and fly off the handle. It must be a terrible thing to live in a home where you never know if you’re being good enough to be loved or accepted, when you never know if you are going to hear words of encouragement, or words of belittling judgment.

Sadly, some in our churches teach that God is like that. So folks go from week to week not sure if they are still saved, not knowing if they have sinned enough that God no longer loves them or cares for them. Did I mess up enough this week that God no longer wants to hear from me? Have I messed up so much that God is embarrassed by me? Have I done enough good this week, have I spent enough time reading the Bible and praying that God still wants to hear from me?

What a terrible, schizophrenic, way to live. Evidently Paul was dealing with some of these religious rule-keepers, for in this passage he attempts to nail down the unquestioning permanence of God’s love for His children.

Look there again please at verse 31. If God is for us. If God is for us. What an unfortunate use of the word if. Perhaps a better word to use here would be the word, “Since.” Since God is for us, because it is very clear that God is for us.

Turn to someone near you and tell them, “God loves you and He’s not quitting.” God loves you and He’s not quitting.

You ever see a person on trial, and you think to yourself, “That person is about sorry. He’s getting what he deserves”? And then you see a mom in the crowd, who’s still there to support her child in spite of the many times he has let her down, in spite of what everyone else in the room thinks about her child? That’s how God loves you. His love is not conditional. It is not dependent on your obedience. It is not dependent on your church attendance.

My friend, God loves you and He’s not quitting. We know this for several reasons. First, we know it because of the foreknowledge of God. Look there again please at verse 28.

- Read vvs 28-30

I. GOD LOVES YOU AND HE’S NOT QUITTING

1. Because you can’t surprise Him.

These verses speak of God’s foreknowledge of us. In other words, God has known us, and known about us, since before our parents even knew each other. There is nothing that sneaks up on God and nothing we do can surprise Him.