"Never Forget That God Is For Us Not Against Us” Series

1. So is God for us or against us? Hmmm.

2. I know the answer in good times comes real easily, but in other times… we might just think God is against us somehow.

NOTE: Some people read v31 and walk away thinking, “Well, God is for me in this situation. He’s not for me this time.”

But what does the IF mean?

• Is it asking the question, “well I’m not so sure what God is doing?” – OR –

• Is Paul making a statement, a claim, that based on all that we know of God’s great and wonderful plan… God IS for us!!!!

YES: If you’re a child of God, God is for you! He’s on your side.

• Christians: God is for us, not against us!

• He loves you very much and the word if, you can circle it and write next to it, SINCE.

• Since God is for us, who can be against us?

Look back at 8:1-2… no condemnation.

• There’s no condemnation to who? Those in Christ Jesus!

• God doesn’t pass a sentence on you. We have been cleansed and purged of our sins… past, present, & future!

• We’ve been made right with God through the blood of the lamb!

And because we’re children of God and He’s our Abba Daddy, the Holy Spirit is working in all of our trials, all of our pains, all of ours sorrows, all of our successes… for good.

• His plan including His foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, glorification.

God’s plan and work of salvation in our lives is so powerful, so wonderful, so soul-stirring!

• I’m spotless in His sight living in His blessed assurance.

• I love Jesus. He Loves me. I live for Him. He lives through me!

OK… so now v31 pops right off the page.

• If God is for us… SINCE God is for us, who can be against us!

• I’m on God’s side. I’m walking in His love, His will, His purposes.

But I’ll tell you, there is this spiritual attack to undermine these precious truths in our lives.

• To get us as Christians back on our heels, in retreat!

• Oh everything is against me Pastor Ed! I’m buried in things that are against me and I’ll never get out…

• But Paul reminds, IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?

Who can be against us? A lot of things can be against you.

#1 – We have SPIRITUAL ENEMIES.

• We stepped into a serious spiritual battle and gained some pretty powerful enemies along the way.

• There is this new battle against the world, the flesh, & devil.

Ephesians 6:10-11 (NKJV) 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

NOW: You’ve probably heard it said that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. THAT’S TRUE and ENCOURAGING!

• But at the same time, Satan hates you, and has a HORRIBLE plan for your life.

• He wants to DISTRACT, DISRUPT, and ultimately DESTROY you.

• He wants you as a Christian to be weak, feeble, & ineffective.

• He doesn’t want you relying on Jesus or in church, or reading your Bible, or reaching others with the gospel.

• He wants your marriages ruined, your kids shattered, and you he’ll take as miserable & depressed as

• Anything & Everything BUT growing strong spiritually!

WHEN YOU chose sides, you committed your life to Jesus Christ.

• We know on that day, you became a part of the family of God.

• And by doing that, you DECLARED WAR…

• But on that day, you also enlisted as a soldier of Jesus Christ.

• Paul told young Timothy…

1 Timothy 6.12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

APP: The spiritual war we are involved in is a GOOD FIGHT.

• It’s worth every ounce of energy you can muster up. WHY?

• Because the salvation of souls is at stake.

• Because despite the attacks… people are still getting saved!

So yes, all sorts of things can be against us… and are.

• Satan, he can’t touch you, the real you.

• He can hassle you physically, shoot doubts your way, temptations, distresses, but the Bible encourages us…

1 John 4:4 (NKJV) 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

#2 – LIFE’S SITUATIONS CAN BE AGAINST US.