Introduction

Good morning, family of faith. It's a joy to gather together, united by our shared love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. We're here, not by accident, but by divine appointment. God has a word for us today, a word that will bring light to our darkness and hope to our despair.

We turn our hearts and minds today to the words penned by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans, a letter that continues to resonate with us, centuries later. It's a letter that reminds us of the magnitude of God's love for us, a love that is beyond our comprehension, a love that is steadfast and unchanging, a love that was demonstrated in the most profound way through the sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the words of the great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, "There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God’s sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, they believe that sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that sovereignty overrules them, and that sovereignty will sanctify them all."

Let's now turn to our scripture passage for today, Romans 8:31-39: "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? 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 then is the one who condemns? No one. 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. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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."

Let's bow our heads for a moment of prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. As we meditate on this passage today, open our hearts and minds to receive Your truth. May we be reminded of the security of our salvation, the strength sourced from our Savior, and the surpassing peace and mercy we have in Christ. We ask this in the precious and powerful name of Jesus, amen.

Transition. We are about to embark on a voyage through these verses, a voyage that will take us to the very heart of the Gospel message. Are you ready, dear brothers and sisters, to be reminded of the great love of God for us? Are you ready to be reassured of the unchanging nature of His love, a love that nothing can separate us from? Are you ready to be encouraged by the knowledge that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us? Let's set sail together on this voyage of discovery and be blessed by the treasures we'll find in God's Word. Let's get started.

Salvation Secured through Jesus

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, brings forth a profound truth. He speaks of the incredible gift of God, the gift of His own Son, Jesus Christ. This gift is not one that can be earned or bought. It is freely given to us. It is through the sacrifice of Jesus, His death, and resurrection, that we find our salvation.

God, in His infinite love for us, did not spare His own Son. He gave Him up for us all. This is the depth of God's love for us. It's a love that is willing to sacrifice the most precious for the sake of the undeserving. This is the foundation of our faith, the cornerstone of our belief. The sacrifice of Jesus is a reality that has a profound impact on our lives today. It's a reality that brings us into a relationship with God, a relationship that is marked by grace and mercy.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are justified before God. Justification is a legal term. It means to be declared righteous. It's as if we were standing before a judge, guilty of our sins, deserving of punishment. But Jesus steps in and takes our place. He takes our punishment upon Himself. He pays the price for our sins. And because of His sacrifice, we are declared righteous. We are justified before God. Justification is given to us, freely and graciously, by God. It's a justification that is based on the work of Jesus, not on our own works.

But the work of Jesus does not stop at justification. He is also interceding for us. He is at the right hand of God, advocating for us, praying for us. This is a powerful image. The Son of God, the one who has experienced our humanity, who has felt our pain, who has faced our temptations, is interceding for us. He is our advocate, our defender, our intercessor.

This intercession of Jesus is an active, ongoing work. He is constantly interceding for us, constantly advocating for us. This is a source of great comfort and assurance for us. No matter what we face, no matter what challenges or trials come our way, we have an advocate in Jesus. He is for us.

And if God is for us, who can be against us? This is a rhetorical question that Paul asks. The implied answer is, "No one." No one can be against us if God is for us. This is not to say that we won't face opposition or challenges. We will. But in the face of these challenges, we have the assurance that God is for us. He is on our side. He is working for our good.

This is the assurance that comes from the love of God, a love that is demonstrated in the sacrifice of Jesus. It's a love that is steadfast and unchanging. It's a love that nothing can separate us from.

Paul lists a series of things that might seem to separate us from the love of Christ - trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword. These are real challenges, real trials that we might face. But Paul assures us that in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Being more than a conqueror does not mean that we won't face challenges or trials. It means that in the midst of these challenges and trials, we have the victory. We have the victory because of Jesus, because of His love for us.

Paul concludes this passage with a powerful statement of conviction. He is convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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.

Strength Sourced from Our Savior

We now find ourselves standing on the solid ground of Christ's strength ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO