God is For Us ~ Four Promises for 2021
Part I
We all have days or periods in our life when the going gets a bit tough. One problem arises after another, leaving us feeling like everything is against us. We try to stay on top of things but it feels like the harder we try, the worse things get, and the problems just keep on piling up. Anxiety starts to creep in, bit by bit. And often it keeps us awake at night. It's not easy when we get into a spiral like this, and it most certainly doesn't help us feel like the Lord is on our side.
The happenings in the world today are on the doorstep of our minds and lives because of modern media. We know almost immediately when something bad happens on the other side of the world. We hear about the increase in COVID cases, the devastation caused by hurricanes, the economic downturn and loss of jobs, the increase in the cost of living, political extremism, etc. and we sometimes wonder how we are going to make it. Often it is family problems or problems at work or school that make us think that everything is against us.
Even though we are Christians, we may wonder whose side God is on. In the heat of the American Civil War, one of President Lincoln’s advisors said he was grateful that God was on the side of the Union. Lincoln replied, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” What a great challenge for us who often assume that God is there to support our plans, our perspectives, our decisions, and our desires. However, Lincoln’s reply reminds us that even our best plans may not be near to what God desires for us.
David said in Psalm 118:6-7: “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me”. Some qualification is needed in regard to this verse. God is on our side only because we are on His side, because we have bowed the knee to Him and joined His army. Furthermore, that the Lord is on our side does not mean we are guaranteed immediate success in every endeavor.
· God Is For Us
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:31, “What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” The word “If” does not mean that God might not be on our side. It has the meaning of “since”. Since God is for us. Paul uses the word "for" and "against" in this question. This reminds of competitions, courtrooms, sports, and political debates. What does it mean that God is "for us"? If this was a sports team, it could mean that God is on our team. If this was a courtroom, God would be our lawyer. If this was a political debate, God would be promoting our platform.
Maybe we think that this verse means that we should get a hold of God and get Him to support our side. Reading the 30 preceding verses in Romans 8 shows that this is not true. We are not taking hold of God. Instead, God has taken hold of us, and continues to hold on to us to keep us on His side every single day of our lives.
The Apostle Paul answers the question he has posed in verse 31 in the final verses of Romans 8.
God Is For Us Because..
1. He Will Give Us All Things
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? Romans 8:32
God has given His Son for us. God’s Son is worth infinite value. Paul’s positive logic is, “God did the greatest thing imaginable when He gave His own Son for us on the cross”. So don’t you think that He will graciously give you the lesser things that you need? “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”. Romans 8:28 . It would not make any sense for God to withhold good from us if He has given us the ultimate good. However we don’t really believe that all the time.
We are a lot like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God gave them all the things they needed and permission to eat from all the trees in the Garden, except for one tree. Then they believed the lie from the Serpent that God was not on their side and so, they decided to take matters in their own hands. They did not think that God had given them everything that they needed. In a similar way for us today, we have all things in Jesus. Why, then do we doubt that God will not give us what we need. Paul's is asking the Romans, and you and me today! What kind of a Father is God? What kind of treasures are in Christ?
What are the kinds of things that I do not have that makes me doubt if God is for me? What am I asking God for, to prove His love for me when He has already done that?
According to 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence”.
God Is For Us Because..
2. He Will Defend Us
Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Romans 8:33. The bottom line answer to this question is that God will defend us because He has defended us in the past. He has justified us as part of our salvation. God alone has declared us righteous and innocent before His law, which is the meaning of the word "justifies". This took care of our sins past, present, and future. The implication therefore is that no one else can bring a charge against God's elect because He has justified us.
Psychologists have identified that guilt and shame are among our greatest struggles and problems. We have a tendency to second guess ourselves for things that we have done and wish we hadn’t done them. No matter what kind of a front we put on for people, deep down inside, we constantly battle these accusations. We know this only too well. We often hide these feelings of guilt and shame but they don’t go away. We should identify the wrongs we have done and acknowledge our failures to the Lord. However, we do not need to carry a load of guilt because God has forgiven and justified us. Romans 8:33 reassures and reminds us that God has justified us, and therefore, no one can bring a charge against us who are God's elect.
Author: John Spence - Part 2 to be posted February