Wednesday, September 27, 2017, 4:22 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Before the Throne of God Above.” Speak,
Lord, your words to my heart. I read Romans
8:26-39 (NASB).
To whom are these words
addressed? They are addressed to those of us who have been crucified with
Christ in death to sin and who have been resurrected with Christ to newness of
life (born again), created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Sin
is no longer our master, because Jesus Christ put sin to death on our behalf,
and because he delivered us out of slavery (addiction) to sin. So, now we are
free to become bond-servants of his righteousness. We are now those who walk
(in lifestyle), no longer according to our sinful flesh, but according to (in
agreement with) the Spirit of God. We aren’t perfect people, but we don’t make
sin our practice. For, if we live according to the flesh, we will die in our
sins, not have the hope of eternal life with God (Ro. 6:1-23; Ro. 8:1-17; Gal.
5:19-21; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).
Our Weaknesses
(vv. 26-27)
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes
for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows
what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according
to the will of God.
So, we no longer live
according to the flesh, but by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of
the flesh, for all who are being LED BY the Spirit of God are the children
(sons and daughters) of God. If children, then heirs of God and fellow heirs
with Jesus Christ, IF INDEED we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified
with Him. Yet, in our sufferings there is hope, first of all the hope we have
of eternal life with God, which includes the promise that one day we will shed
these earthly bodies, and we will have heavenly bodies free from even
temptation to sin, sadness, pain and suffering. Then, we have the hope that, in
our sufferings, when we have no strength to endure or to carry on, that the
Holy Spirit will help us (See: Ro. 8:12-27).
So, what are some of these
weaknesses he helps us with? Well, we don’t always know the right words to pray
or even what to pray for, so the Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to the
will of God. Sometimes we don’t know the right things to do, because they are
things not clearly defined in scripture. But, we want to make certain we are
walking in the ways of the Lord and on the path he has marked out for us, and
so we ask for help to know his will and to follow him in the direction he is leading
us, and he gives us the guidance and direction we need, as well as he gives us
the mental and physical strength and spiritual endurance necessary to complete
the assignment (task) before us. Sometimes he just fills us with his peace,
which is especially needed if Satan is attacking us with doubts and fears.
For Good (vv.
28-30)
And we know that God causes all things to work
together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to
His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become
conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many
brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He
called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
This is another wonderful
encouragement for us when we are going through times of great suffering for Christ,
or when we are being harassed by Satan’s lies, which we are needing to put off
so that we can put on the truth. And, that is that God causes ALL things to
work together for GOOD to those who love God, to those who are called according
to his purpose.
So, what is this saying?
Well, it is saying that our God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is absolutely
sovereign over all that he has made. There is nothing which we go through on
this earth which escapes his notice or what he did not allow in our lives for a
purpose. And, he will work it all out, not only according to his will, but for
good (for what is best, as it ought to be). But, for whom? For those who love
him. And, how do we love him? We love him by surrendering our lives to him, by dying
with him to sin, and by following (obeying) his instructions to us. If we say
we love him, but we don’t practice obedience, godliness, holiness and righteousness,
then we don’t really love him. Again, this is not to say we will never sin, but
that sin no longer rules our lives. God does!
He also works together for
good all things to those called according to his purpose. And, what it is his
purpose for us? It is that we are being conformed to the image (likeness) of
Jesus Christ.
For Us (vv.
31-36)
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for
us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over
for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will
bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the
one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who
is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us
from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
So, when Satan throws his
fiery darts at us, and he tries to plant in our minds doubts and fears, we can
be encouraged by these words. We will have enemies, for certain, because the
Bible tells us we will be hated and persecuted for righteousness’ sake when we
follow Jesus Christ with our lives. As well, Satan is definitely against us and
he is working hard to try to trip us up, to get us to give up, or to try to
persuade us to come to his way of thinking. Yet, Jesus Christ is on our side, he
and the Holy Spirit are interceding for us, and God is not going to
short-change us, but he will fulfill all his promises to us. We can take that
to the bank (be assured of it).
So, if we are in Christ
Jesus, by genuine faith in him, we died with Christ to sin, were resurrected
with Christ to new life in him, and we are now walking according to the Spirit,
and no longer according to the flesh, we can be at peace with God even when the
enemy is coming strongly against us, in knowing we are in the center of God’s
will. No fiery darts from our enemy and no false accusations or persecutions
from other human beings will ever be able to separate us from the love of
Christ. He is there watching over us, helping us, giving us strength and
endurance, and working his will and purposes in our hearts and lives, even when
we can’t see him working.
All Things (vv.
37-39)
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer
through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So, we never have to be
afraid, because our Lord will never leave us or forsake us. And, we don’t have
to get the point to where we are ready to give up because we lack the strength
or endurance to keep pressing on, because God will give us all we need, if we
will just rest in him and trust him fully with our lives, and with our
circumstances, and if we will let him lead and we will follow his lead. We can
be CONQUERORS through HIM who loves us, not in our own wisdom, scheming, power
and strength, but in the wisdom, strength and power of God who is living within
us. Amen!
Before the Throne of God Above
Charitie L. Bancroft
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is
“Love,”
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart,
I know that while in heav’n He stands,
No tongue can bed me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free,
For God, the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
Behold Him there! The risen Lamb,
My perfect, spotless Righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace!
One with Himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased with His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, My Savior and my God.
@Public Domain
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