Romans 8: 35-38
A time of war is a difficult time. It usually a time when questions are raised, some questions we may find answers to them, others we may never find visible answers, yet it does not mean that there are no answers to those, it may just mean that we are not able to see the answers to them with our naked eyes.
In the letter of Paul to the Romans chapter 8 verses 35-38, we have a series of questions that Paul asked which drove into the heart of the Christian understanding of the love of God.
As we come to the end of chapter 8, we’re faced with the questions. “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 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. 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.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Today we may questions of our own regarding the state of affairs in our world, after all we have been fighting one war or another for the last two decades, starting form the first Iraqi war in the nineties. Is our world better for it? Are we doing the right things? Can we eradicate evil violence with what someone call good violence? Where is God in all of these? Where is the love of God for human beings and nature. These are questions that we might have today, and we will be right to ask them in the light of the violence which characterised our lives today.
While most of these questions are rhetorical, as those that Paul asked his readers in Romans 8, they are no less real. In fact, Paul is using this method to get us to think about some of the real issues and questions of life. These questions lead only to the discovery of the Truth of Christian theology. The truth that in all things God’s love remains, and that the presence of evil is not necessarily the absence of God, nor does it equate to a passive God.
What Paul wanted his readers to understand is that God loves and cares for his people in war or at peacetime, during famine and during plentiful harvest time. God’ s love is constant and that nothing in all the world can separate the faithful from the love of God.
Paul argues that those questions sometimes can be Satan’s way to get at God’s people. Questions like. “If God loves and cares for you, then where is He right now? Where was God on September 11, 2001? Where is God when you had a car accident? Couldn’t God prevented that from happening if ever he was Almighty? Where is God when you your loved one was ill with cancer? Where was God when the hurricane unleashed it’s ferocious power on the tiny Islands across the world?
The things Paul mentions aren’t just trivial pain and inconveniences. Paul touched on some horrific calamities. He is asking the question, how can we sustain the love that we have for each other in the face of these horrific calamities? Can those evil phenomenon damage or ruin us?
And Paul’s answer is NO, these things happen for reasons, and that we are sometimes part of the problem, but God already provided the solution if only we can trust in Him and follow his precepts. “…for we are more than conquerors in Him who loved us.” Rom 8:38
But we also need to understand the problem of evil and suffering. It has been said that suffering is result of a sinful world and salvation is a result of God’s love.
and just because we are Christians doesn’t ever mean we are not going to suffer. Because we are sinners and live in a sinful world as long as we are on this earth we may have to endure hardship from time to time.
Paul not only makes it clear that we might endure such things as he mentions such things as tribulation and persecution, but he also adds another reason why we sometimes suffer. We suffer because the world and Satan persecute us for trusting in Jesus as our Saviour. Paul tells us as He quotes Psalm 44:22
36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Sometimes we are suffering because we are Christians and it is Satan and the world tormenting us because of our faith. And if we are tempted to think of our suffering as unfair, then we have to remember that our suffering is nothing compared to how unfair the punishment our perfect Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ endured for our sins.
When Christ suffered at the cross no one was there for Him. He laid his life as a ransom for many, for the world, for you and I.
Today we live in a world that is full of evil, war, hunger, tribulations and injustice, yet the love of God is visible in us as we are in Christ Jesus.
The love which the heroes we celebrate on days like remembrance Sunday have for us was evident in the fact that they laid down their lives that we may have ours. They gave their all for our freedom.
Christ Jesus tells us, that Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends
If we ever wonder about whether God loves us or not, all we have to do is remember the love Christ showed us on the cross.
If we ever wonder about the love that our heroes have for us, all we have to do is remember that they paid the ultimate sacrifice, and laid down their lives that we might have ours.
The question is not where is God’s love for us? That is evident in Christ Jesus, for God so love the world that he gave his only son………
The question we should be asking is where is humanity? Where is humanity in the type of war we wage against each other? Where is humanity in the tyrannical dictatorship of the likes of Sadam Hussein, Osama bi laden, and Marmmar Ghadaffi? Where is humanity in our violent responses to eradicate evil? Where is man? Why can’t we do better? Why do we always think we can eradicate devilish evil with good violence?
If we have learnt anything in the last two decades it should be that we have failed humanity collectively. We must learn that no one win in a war, that in a war everyone loses, you always can win battles upon battles, but human beings cannot win a war, because war is repugnant to human nature. Why? Because we are created in the image of God, and God is love, in Him there is no darkness at all, and every time we wage war against each other we are in a alien territory, a dangerous ground. And we betray the love of God, the love of Christ and the freedom which our heroes of the past gave to us – for they fought so that we can be friends, and died so that we can live.
Father William Bausch told a story of a boy who one morning had arrived very early at school and waited patiently at the door. Next to arrive was a lady who was surprised that this youngster had arrived so early. "It’s locked" the pupil said as the teacher tried the door. She began to fumble for her keys and the pupil immediately brightened up.
"You’re a teacher!" he said enthusiastically
"How do you know that?" she asked
the boy hesitated for a moment, then said with respect
"Ma’am, you have the key"
The teacher in this story was overwhelmed by that simple statement "you have the key" which got her pondering on her responsibilities as a teacher. Our Lord Jesus Christ was more than a teacher, He is the Truth that set free all that come and waits patiently for his return. Just as the teacher has the key to earthly knowledge so our Lord has the key to eternal life.
Our world must know that they have the Key to a peaceful solution to some of the world grievances, our leaders must know that they have the Key to talk to each other rather than war with each other. Jaw, jaw they say is better than war, war.
We have the key to prevent our world from disintegrating into total chaos
Yes, we have the key.
We have the key to uphold the values of our heroes past and hand over the baton of righteousness, yes, we have the key.
We have the key to raise a new generation of people who see love as a preference to war, you may think I am dreaming but I see the light, we have the key.
Paul knew that we have the key, that’s why he said
“Nothing in this world will ever separate us from the love Christ”.
And he also said “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
We are already conquerors; we don’t need to fight anymore as our heroes’ today wish that is why they died for us. We thank God for them and we thank God for Jesus Christ who showed us the love of God and how to love one another, our great teacher, who has the key to the kingdom, brothers and sisters if you will hear him today, do not hardened your heart, but know that you are like me and others in our world today, we have the key to live in a peaceful and loving world. That would be a great tribute to the few who we commemorate today.
God bless you all. Amen.
