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FROM THE PASTOR'S STUDY

Topic: Message Outlines: Chapter 8 (Include Audio)

Romans 8:31-39 (3)

by Darrel Cline
(darrelcline biblical-thinking.org)

Chapter # 8 Paragraph # 5 Study # 3
May 20, 2008
Lincolnton, N.C.
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(404)

Thesis:   Attempting to establish a charge against God's elect is a waste of time.

Introduction:   We have been looking into God's "for us" position. In Romans 8:31 Paul raised the question of our response to the activities of God on our behalf -- most particularly His action of undercutting the intended impact of every evil thing that is done to us. In that question, Paul used the terminology of God being "for us". To enhance our understanding of His commitment, Paul raised a third question: How shall He not, with Him, also freely give us all things? In our study last week we saw that God's commitment to give us "all things" is rooted in His willingness to give up Christ for our sakes and that His commitment to give us "all things" is not about getting a lot of junk stuff from Him, but getting everything that is necessary for real life and godliness. Christ was given to us to impart Life to us and nothing else that has any "Life" attached to it will be withheld either. So, in our last study, we were focused upon the extent of God's commitment to us.

Now, as we come to 8:33, we see that Paul approaches the issue from yet another angle. On one front we see that God is not inclined to personally withhold anything from us that has any "Life" attached to it. But, there is another "front": is it possible to "force" God away from His personal inclination by insisting upon His application of His own standards in regard to us? It is this issue to which Paul turns his attention in 8:33. What happens when someone brings a charge against us to God that has merit to it? It is to this issue that we turn this evening.


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