God Is For Us!

God is for us!

Bible’s Greatest Chapter: Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8:1—39)

By Ruben Rivis

Romans Chapter 8 is easily remembered today as one of the greatest single chapters in the entire Bible. If Bible Chapters had a “Hall of Fame,” you can rest assured that Romans 8 would be enshrined there.

Introduction:

If you were to do a chapter study, Romans chapter 8 stands shoulder to shoulder with great chapters like Psalm 23, Isaiah 53, and Philippians 4. The church history is different today because of Romans chapter 8. Names like Luther, Wesley, Calvin, Tyndale, and Augustine are among those who have been changed by the Words of grace in Romans chapter 8.

Illustration: Charles Stanley tells the story of a Professor who wanted to teach his students a lesson about grace.

“His Professor had a practical way of illustrating to his students the concept of grace. At the end of his evangelism course he would distribute the exam paper, and cautioned the class to read it all the way through before beginning to answer it. This caution was written on the exam as well. As we read the test, Charles Stanley said, it became unquestionably clear to each of us that we had not studied nearly enough.

“The further we read, the worse it became. About halfway through, audible groans could be heard throughout the lecture hall. On the last page, however, was a note that read, “You have a choice. You can either complete the exam as given or sign your name at the bottom and in so doing receive an “A” for this assignment”.”

“We sat there stunned,” Charles Stanley said. “Was the Professor serious? Just sign it and get an “A”? Slowly, the point dawned on us, and one by one we turned in our tests and silently exit the room.

In a conversation, the Professor shared some of the reactions he had received through the years. Some students began to take the exam without reading it all the way through, and they would sweat it out for the entire two hours of class time before reaching the last page.

“Others read the first two pages, became angry, turned the test in blank, and stormed out of the room without signing it. They never realized what was available, and as a result, they lost out totally.

“One fellow, however, read the entire test, including the note at the end, but decided to take the exam anyway. He did not want any gifts; he wanted to earn his grade. And he did. He made a “C+”, but he could easily have had an “A”.”

Romans Chapter 8 is the last line on the test of life. All who read the words of this chapter, and believe them, pass God’s test with flying colours. They get an “A”, so to speak.

• Some hear about God’s holiness, and give up ever trying to make the grade.

• Some spend an entire lifetime angry at God who desires to give them grace.

• And of course, a lot of people depend upon morality and good works to get them into heaven, and they do their best to work their way into God’s approval.

Unfortunately, nothing less than a perfect score will do … and only by the grace of God, can any of us achieve a perfect score.

Like the Professor, God makes an offer that seems to be too good to be true. But the truth is; it’s the only question that ultimately matters: Would you take the grace of God, or reject it?

Romans 8:31-32 “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?”

The first thing that we all need is to remember……

1. God is for you!

Doesn’t it make a difference if you know someone is for you? Get ready for some great Good News: God is for you!

The verse says, “If God is for us ...” The Greek word for “if” in this case, doesn’t mean that God being for us is a possibility. Instead, it’s a certainty. It states, God IS for us!

Illustration: If the clock at your work place tells you its 12:30 pm, you might say, “If I’m going to eat lunch today, I’d better get going.” More than likely, that statement isn’t about the possibility of lunch – it’s about eating lunch! The statement in verse 31 isn’t about the possibility of God’s love for us – it’s about the certainty of God’s love for each of us.

Take a moment, and savour every word. God is for us! Say it with me: “God is for us!”