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FROM THE PASTOR'S STUDY

Topic: Message Outlines: Chapter 8 (Include Audio)

Romans 8:31-39 (5)

by Darrel Cline
(darrelcline biblical-thinking.org)

Chapter # 8 Paragraph # 5 Study # 5
June 3, 2008
Lincolnton, N.C.
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(408)

Thesis:   God is still "for us" even if we are not "for Him".

Introduction:   In our studies of Paul's declaration that God is "for us", we have looked into two major questions. First, can "another", by accusation, cause God to act to destroy us? As an absolute element in this question is the fact that the accusations are true. God does not refrain from moving to destroy us because we are innocent. He, according to the apostle, refrains from moving to destroy us because He has "justified" us.

Second, is God, Himself, of such a character that He really wishes to "condemn" us? Though Paul would never admit that to be true, for the sake of argument he allows the lie to stand so that he might show how that, even if it were true, He still could not/would not follow through. Why? Because, on the one hand, Christ both died in our stead for our sins and was raised again on the third day to absolutely validate the effectiveness of that death; and, on the other hand, Christ is at the right hand of God so that, even if God did want to destroy us in His heart of hearts, Christ could argue for the fallen saints in "intercession".

Thus, God is "for us" most fundamentally because He is the Author of both the Plan and the effective means of justification.

This evening we are going one step further as we look into Paul's third question: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? In actuality, this is the only question left. Can "another" bring us to destruction? No, God has justified us. Is God, Himself, really "out to get us"? No, even if He were, there is the death, resurrection, and intercession of the Son in His way. Well, then, what about the only category of person left? Can we bring on our own destruction by alienating the interceding Christ?

Let's look into Paul's question as he expresses it himself. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?


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