Promises That This Too Will Pass
Power for Living, part 4
Wildwind Community Church
David K. Flowers
August 19, 2007
People can’t live without hope. And they shouldn’t have to. People can’t live without hope. And they shouldn’t have to. One way we say that here at Wildwind is in the phrase, “Hope is your birthright.” In other words, you were created to be a creature of hope. You were designed on purpose by a loving God to run on the fuel of hope, and hope belongs to you by virtue of your status as a creation of God. I have a weed whacker at home that runs on two-cycle gas. Two-cycle gas is just regular gasoline mixed with a small amount of oil. I have tried before to run my weed whacker on regular gas, and it will run that way. It runs. But man, it smokes and sputters and never quite gets as revved up as it does when I use the proper fuel. I believe we live in a world full of people who are not running properly on the fuel of hope. They either have no hope at all, or their hope is in the wrong things. Either way, a human creature that is not running properly on hope will sputter and snort and just never get as revved up, never live as effectively, as they will when they are on the proper fuel – when they have learned to hope effectively in something that can legitimately be hoped in.
See, that matters a lot. Some people will say, “As long as you believe in something, it doesn’t matter what it is.” “As long as you are sincere.” We talked about worldviews a few weeks back – how each worldview has its own system of wisdom that springs up around it. Some people will say, “Just pick one. Just pick a world view, subscribe to its wisdom, and you will find peace.” But just because there are many worldviews and many systems of wisdom coming from them, that does not mean they are all the same – that one is as good as the other. Are we prepared to say that teenage romance wisdom is every bit as good, as whole, and as complete as adult romance wisdom? Of course not, in fact our aim with teenagers is to help them come to understand romance better, and as they do this, they will increasingly set aside their teenage wisdom and embrace a more mature wisdom. That doesn’t mean that it’s wrong for them to think like teenagers – just that we want to see them move past it eventually, right?
1 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Every worldview is not equally valid. Some reflect reality better than others. And those that best reflect reality are those that give birth to the truest and most dependable wisdom. What you believe, what you embrace, what you hope in matters.
There are many people in our world clinging to many things that they are certain are going to pan out for them. They’ll say, “Your beliefs are right for you. Mine are right for me.” But if the things we are hoping in are part of a system that is going down, that is headed the same direction we’re headed, we’re in for a big shock one day. The Christian gospel story, the Christian message says, “Everything you could possibly hope in except Jesus will let you down. There’s no relationship you won’t eventually lose through distance or death. There’s no chemical that will provide anything more than a temporary peace. There’s no form of currency accepted in the next world. There’s no accomplishment which will not eventually be forgotten. This entire world system is getting sucked down the drain, and everyone and everything that is part of that system is going with it. Even the religions and belief systems.
1 Corinthians 13:8 (NIV)
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
Everything is going down. There is one hope for this world, and that’s Jesus. Not a religion called Christianity, but Jesus. Not a church called Wildwind, but Jesus. Not a denomination called Catholic or Free Methodist or Baptist , but Jesus.
John 14:6 (NIV)
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
What you believe in, what you hope in, matters more than anything. Having said that, I want to spend the rest of this message reviewing with you the hope we have in God, through the Holy Spirit, because of Jesus.
Last week I talked to you about suffering and struggle. We’ve all been in the middle of suffering and found ourselves saying, “This too shall pass,” clinging to the hope that things will get better. And most bad situations in this world do get better. But not the worst ones. The specter of death hangs over our heads, no matter how cheery we try to be. Our struggle to overcome sin and evil in this world never ends. But one day, death will no longer separate us, and sin and evil will no longer exist. That is uniquely Christian hope. Those are some of the hopes we are assured of in Romans 8:28-39 , and I want to look at those assurances this morning. Because Christians should be standing at the caskets of our loved ones, saying, “This too shall pass.” “This is only temporary.” “This is not the end.”
Starting in verse 28.
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This doesn’t say that God makes bad things happen so that he can bring good out of them. What it says is that when you serve God, there is no bad thing that can happen to you that God can’t bring good from. This doesn’t mean we’ll enjoy it while it’s happening, that it will feel good at the time – just that God will ultimately bring good out of everything that happens in the lives of those who serve him. That good may be some change in the world or the community, but most often is a change in our own hearts and minds and attitudes and perspectives. This is one of the Bible’s grand promises and can be a comfort when we are struggling – no matter what we are going through, God will make sure it’s not in vain.
Verses 29 and 30 are so confusing in the New International Version, I want to read these to you from The Message, which makes them much easier to understand.
Romans 8:29-30 (MSG)
29 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.
30 After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
Wow. Those are powerful statements about God’s intention behind our lives. It starts with a promise –God knew what he was doing. Ever question that? I question it all the time. Purpose-Driven Life, chapter 1, first sentence – “It’s not about you.” The everyday Christian life, first principle – “God knew what he was doing.” He knew what he was doing when he created you, when he placed you the family you ended up in, when you were struggling with depression or alcoholism, when your mom or dad died, when you were in that accident – God knew what he was doing.” Doesn’t mean God caused all your problems, but he knows what he is doing. If we cannot come to accept that and place our faith in it, nothing else in the world is going to make any sense. Next time you are struggling or suffering, ask yourself the question, “Does God know what he is doing?”
Why shouldn’t things be largely absurd, futile, and transitory? They are so, and we are so, and they and we go very well together.
- George Santayana
Are you an accident, or a mindless mistake? Do you agree with George Santayana, that everything in the universe, including you and me, is absurd and futile? Or is there an intelligent God who knows what he is doing and is worthy of your trust?
After that sentence we read God’s plan for all of our lives. It was God’s deliberate decision to shape our lives to look like the life of Christ – to bring into my life the same joy that Christ had – to bring into my life the same purpose and power he had. To bring into your life and mine the same virtue and strength he had. That was God’s intention all along. Your life is not without purpose. God created you for a reason. To become like Jesus.
Galatians 4:19 (ASV)
19 … until Christ be formed in you--
Now remember that all of this is written after a big discussion about suffering and struggle. What this verse is really saying is that no matter the odds, no matter your struggles or difficulty, no matter how great the suffering is, it is God’s intention to see you become like Jesus, and he will accomplish this in your life.
Next we read, “The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.” This refers to Christ’s resurrection from death and his triumph over sin. The message here is that Christ was the first to defeat sin and death, but he won’t be the last. It is God’s intention to see that happen in the life of every human being on the planet, and at every moment God is working to make that happen. Do you get a sense here for the scope of God’s plan, and for how your life, as important as it is to him, is nevertheless just a tiny piece of an overall plan God is working out all through history? It’s staggering, my friends.
Romans 8:30 (MSG)
30 After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
What did God do? He decided that we should be like Christ. Then he called us by name. God has called you by name to be part of this grand redemption, not only of human beings, but of all creation, like we talked about last week. God is in the process of restoring absolutely everything, and you are part of that. The difference between you and a squirrel is that you are a part of nature that gets to decide whether or not you want to be part of the plan! So do you? Do you want to be in on what God is doing to deliver this world from suffering and struggle? See, a lot of people would say, “I want to see a better, more peaceful world,” but have little interest in becoming a better and more peaceful person. Most people think, “The problems with the world are out there. Not enough love out there. Not enough forgiveness out there. Not enough patience out there.” And meantime they disregard their own hearts, blind to the lack of love and forgiveness and patience right there in themselves. Gandhi understood this tendency when he said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Want a world that is at peace? Embrace and live out peace in every area of your life. Every area, not just most areas. What if everyone is mostly peaceful, but each person decides when violence is warranted? The world ends up how? Just the way it already is now. Want a world with more love? Then love every single individual you meet. Every one, not just the lovable ones. Why? Because everyone is unlovable to someone, and if everyone just keeps loving those who are lovable to them, what situation do we end up with? Exactly the one we have now! No, if you want a loving world, you personally have to love every single individual. Want less stealing and more honesty? Never take anything that doesn’t belong to you – not even a paper clip at work – and refuse to ever be less than honest. Why? Because the way it already is now is that people are mostly honest when it’s fairly convenient for them to be, and yet we still end up with Enron-size scams. If the world is to become more honest, we must each be unswervingly honest in every way. Be the change you want to see in the world. See, the truth is that most people want the world to be better so it’s a more comfortable place for them to remain exactly who they already are. I think the same is true in the church. Most people WANT the church to do its ministries – they just want others to give all the money. Most people WANT the church to be free of gossip, they just want to be able to say whatever they want to say. Most people want the church to be a more prayerful place, they just don’t want to personally spend more time in prayer.
But none of this works. Why? Because you have been called by name. God knows your name and calls you as an individual person to be part of what he is doing in the world. God has called you to be the change he wants to see in the world. Are you willing? Are you prepared to do that?
Next we see that after calling us by name, God set us on a solid basis with himself. In other words, he sent Christ to die for our sins and justify us in God’s eyes. When we justify something, we make it right. Normally we use that in a negative sense, like when someone tries to justify something they have done wrong. But God actually did it – God justified us in his eyes. He put us on a solid basis with himself – he sent Christ to die for us and bring forgiveness of our sins so that we can be sinless in God’s eyes. Remarkable. Amazing. And in the Bible in past tense. You have already been called. You have already been justified. And finally in this last section, we see that you have already been glorified. Let’s look at this both in The Message and in the NIV.
Romans 8:30 (MSG)
30 After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
Romans 8:30 (NIV)
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What does it mean to be glorified? It means to be given God’s glory. God has given us his glory, my friends. The glory of righteousness. The glory of resurrection, which gives the believer new life in Christ. The glory of living eternally in God’s presence. Those are all things we see have already happened. This is huge! What reason do we have to hope? Because God has already called each of us by name. He has already justified us – made us right with him. And he has already glorified us. Do you see, this is already done! The things we suffer through on this earth are just details. Painful though they may be, they are details nonetheless.
Next verse:
Romans 8:31 (NIV)
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
If God is for you (and he is, remember he has already called you, justified you, and glorified you!), who can be against you? If you have received the support and the love of God, whose lack of support do you need to be concerned about? If God’s got your back, what support do you lack?
Romans 8:32 (NIV)
32 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?
This goes with the previous verse. God spared no cost to himself in making a way for you to be close to him –he even gave up his own Son for us. Since God has already done this, we have every reason to believe there is absolutely nothing God will not give to us.
Romans 8:33-34 (NIV)
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is 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.
Paul here writes, “That person that would condemn you –what does he or she matter? Who cares about that person’s condemnation – it is of no consequence.” Christ has already died and been raised to life for us and he sits constantly in God’s presence and prays for us. That’s really amazing to think about, isn’t it?
Paul concludes with some of the most soaring and beautiful writing in all of the New Testament. Remember, Paul writes these words to conclude a chapter where he has talked about suffering – spiritual suffering, physical suffering, emotional suffering. He has written about how the whole creation groans to be delivered from suffering and how in fact God is bringing about that deliverance every day. And today we looked at assurances that our hope is not in vain. All the evil, all the suffering in this world, one day all of it will pass – God will finish what he started. And we know this will happen because nothing is able to separate us from his love – his Spirit lives inside every Christian. Let’s look closely at this incredible text.
Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39 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.
It’s important to be clear here on what Paul is saying. Paul is saying that the life of God’s Spirit inside of you cannot be extinguished by anything – anything at all! If God has laid a hold on your life, then God loves you with a love that cannot be undone. God’s love for you will remain in spite of any trouble you could ever get into, any hardship you could ever face, any persecution you could ever confront, any lack of the basic necessities of life like food or clothing, any physical threat you could ever withstand, even in spite of death itself.
Notice what is not said. What is not said is that if you have God’s Spirit in you, God will always make all of this right in your life. What is not said is that you will not suffer in this life. What is said is just the opposite. These terrible things WILL happen – count on it. Here’s how Paul says it in Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
No matter what happens, you are in the loving care of God, my friend. Paul isn’t telling you this is easy to believe – he’s just telling you it’s true – that no matter how things appear around you, God is working, making all creation ready for redemption, for the time when this whole sick mess will get turned around.
Let’s look at that curious passage right there in the middle of that section.
Romans 8:35-37 (NIV)
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
That’s a quote from the Old Testament, and there Paul is just saying, “Look at all we’re going through – look at all the terrible stuff that happens to us as we preach the gospel in city after city – we face death all day long. Yet, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
I don’t care who you are today, or where you are spiritually, you need to hear this – you need to know that there is a way you can have God so close to you, so intimately involved in your life, that his presence and peace cannot be taken from you by any circumstance of life, no matter how dire. A few years ago I was so captivated by this idea that I knew I needed to memorize this whole passage. And rather than just struggle through a long memorization process, I decided I’d set that section of scripture to music to help me remember. We’re going to close this message, and bring to a close this series on Romans 8, with this incredible promise from God. We’re going to play through the song once and sing it for you while you read along with the text. Then we’ll have you sing it with us.
