DEFEATING DISPAIR

Psalm 23:5-6
For the third time we will look at the Twenty-Third Psalm… As previously mentioned, it is the most beloved chapter in the Bible because there are, in these six verses, seventeen first person pronouns—such as I, my, mine, and me—
This Psalm also contains at least seven promises...
In the previous two lessons we have considered the first five: the Lord will provide for me, pacify me, preserve me, pilot me, and protect me…
In this lesson we will examine two more promises.

Promise #6: The Lord will Prescribe Healing for my hurts.. 23:5
David writes: Thou preparest a table before me (23:5a)…
In both the Old and New Testaments, having a meal with someone was the ultimate act of friendship and fellowship…

~~The scene now changes from a pasture with a shepherd to a supper with God pictured as a gracious Host…

Some students believe there is a change of metaphor here, from the shepherd and his sheep to the host and his guest, but this is not necessarily the case… "Table" doesn't necessarily refer to a piece of furniture used by humans, for the word simply means "something spread out…"

Flat places in the hilly country were called "tables" and sometimes the shepherd stopped the flock at these "tables" and allowed them to eat and rest as they headed for the fold...

After each difficult day's work, the aim of the shepherd was to bring the flock safely back to the fold where the weary sheep could safely rest for the night...

Sometimes at the fold, the shepherd would spread out food in a trough, because sheep lie down and rest after they have eaten...

As they slept, they would be protected by a stone wall that surrounded them, and the shepherd himself would sleep across the opening and be the door…

(John 10:7-9 (KJV) 7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep… 8 All that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them… 9 I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture…)

During the night, thieves and dangerous animals might approach the fold, but there was no way they could reach the sheep…

The Lord doesn't always remove the dangers from our lives… but…
He does help us to overcome them and he always prescribes healing….
The shepherd would examine the sheep as they entered the fold to be sure none of them were bruised, injured, or sick…

To the hurts, he applied the soothing oil, and for the thirsty, he had his large two-handled cup filled with water…

He would also apply the oil to the heads and horns of the sheep to help keep the flies and other insects away… The sheep knew they were safe and they could sleep without fear... (So can we)

Jesus says: (Rev. 3:20)... Behold, I stand at the door, and knock, if any man hear My voice, and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with Me...

Though this invitation was given to a church that had fallen away, it is an individual invitation because salvation is individual…

If any man, any one person, opens the door of his or her heart through faith and repentance, Christ will come in to that person and fellowship (Partnership) with that person and begin to change that person from the inside out…

The word translated sup means "to dine" and refers to the main meal of the day…

Not only does the Lord prepare this table of fellowship, but He does so in the presence of mine enemies (Psa. 23:5b)…

Since the supper symbolizes fellowship and friendship, the Lord makes our enemies become our friends…

This is why we don't need to seek revenge—God will take care of our hurts… ‘We have all been deeply hurt, by someone, and the natural instinct is, we want revenge…

However, revenge doesn't make things right, nor does it rid us of our hurt...

It only keeps the hurt alive and opens the door for retaliation…
The only way to get over a hurt is to forgive...

That's why, in Matthew 6:12, Jesus teaches we should ask forgiveness for our sins daily and also ask for the forgiveness of the sins of the people who have done us wrong… 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

This means God will forgive us just like we forgive those who hurt us…
When we refuse to forgive, we sin and hurt our relationship with God.

Refusing to forgive also hurts all our relationships…

That's why God gives us what command in Colossians 3:13 (KJV) 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye...

According to Psalm 23:5, if I give God an opportunity, He will prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, and He will do the same for you...

He will restore broken relationships with a parent, sibling, or a husband an wife or a person at school or work…God can do all these things, if we will obey His Word and forgive…

When we are hurt, mistreated, or taken advantage of, we need to remember the Lord's table...

Because, our all-powerful God can prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies…

In Romans 8:37 (KJV) 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us…

What does it mean to be more than a conqueror? A conqueror defeats his enemy or foe…

To be more than a conqueror is to go a step further and make our enemies our friends… God can do that if we let Him…

Our greatest and most feared enemy is death and our last enemy that shall be destroyed is death (1 Cor. 15:26)…

On the cross, Jesus made our greatest and last enemy our friend because now, instead of death being the means of our destruction, it is the door to eternal life and reward…

Therefore, if the Lord is our Shepherd, we can truly say: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies (Psa. 23:5a)… We can also say: thou anointest my head with oil (23:5b)…

~~~In ancient times anointing oil was highly valued in the dry, hot Middle East...

Adding costly perfumes to olive oil, made the anointing oil…

In Palestine the sun shines fiercely most of the year, so a person’s skin becomes dry and cracked...

Oil soothes the skin, especially the face… Therefore, when the Bible says God anoints our heads with oil, it means God soothes and heals our hurts and pains…

That's why Psalm 147:3 gives us another precious promise…
3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds…

Notice this verse says God binds up our wounds…

We bind up, or bandage, a wound because we know healing requires time...
The more serious the wound, the more time it takes for the wound to heal…
It is the same with an emotional hurt… The deeper the hurt, the more time it takes to heal…

Maybe your hurt is rejection by a parent or the pain of a divorce…
Maybe you have suffered serious physical, sexual, or verbal abuse… Those kinds of emotional wounds require time to heal…

Because the Lord prepares a table... in the presence of our enemies and anoints our heads with oil, we can say with the psalmist: my cup runneth over (23:5c)…

~~~When a guest arrived at the home of a friend, hospitality demanded oil to soothe the face and a fresh drink to refresh the body…

The cup overflowing, or running over, symbolizes more than enough… This phrase just reminds me of another promise God gives us through the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31:25 (KJV) 25 For I have satisfied the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul...

God will heal our hurts, but it often takes time...

When we are hurt, we need to remember that the Lord's table and oil will make my cup run over because the Lord will Prescribe healing for my hurts…

Next comes the best promise of all

Promise #7: The Lord will Perpetuate my pleasures... 23:6

Perpetuate is a big word that just means God will be responsible for, the pleasures of this life…He will bring about the goodness you need in your life…it means He will continue to work in your life to do all He wants to do…He will achieve all He wants to, for you and through you…and He will do it in a holy, clean way…

~~~As the shepherd lay each night at the door of the sheepfold, he looked back over the day and gave thanks that the Lord had blessed them with goodness and mercy...

As an old man, David looked back over his long life and came to the same conclusion... In spite of his sins and failures, he had been followed by goodness and mercy…:

David writes: Surely goodness... shall follow me all the days of my life (23:6a)… "Surely" means "WITHOUT A DOUBT…"

The Hebrew word translated goodness means "good things" that are pleasant and delightful…

Because the Lord is the Good Shepherd, we have another promise in… Psalm 34:10b (BBE); but those who are looking to the Lord will have every good thing… ARE YOU LOOKING TO THE LORD?

Goodness following me all the days of my life doesn't mean only good things will happen to me…

David is not saying only good things happen to God's people... Rather, good things will always come from whatever happens to us—good things will follow us (Rom. 8:28)…

If the Lord is my Shepherd, good things will come out of my problems and pain…

Not only goodness but mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (Psa. 23:6a)...

The word translated mercy literally means "mercy," but the Hebrew word also carries the idea of loving kindness or steadfast love, which is the reason for the Lord's mercy…

Mercy means we don't get what we deserve… We deserve Hell!!

We need to remember God's mercy because we all fail Him sometimes…
When we do, we should keep in mind these words of assurance in Psalm 28:6b? 6 Blessed be the LORD, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications...

When you are right with the Lord, He hears your prayers.

Because the LORD is my shepherd... goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life—as long as I live on this earth…

On this earth, life can be confusing, hard, and even unfair…
But when life is over and we get to heaven, we will look back over our lives and realize goodness and mercy followed us all the days of our lives…

When I die, things will just get better because then I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever (23:6b)…

As David looked ahead, he knew he would be in heaven—the Father's house—forever...

When the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved (2 Cor. 5:1a), we have a wonderful promise in 2 Corinthians 5:1b… 1 we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens...

When I die, I will just change addresses… When my change comes…etc…

~~~One day a little girl asked her mom, "What happens when you die?"

The mom said, "Remember the other night when you went to sleep on the couch in the living room, and your dad picked you up in his big, strong arms and carried you to your bedroom? You went to sleep in one place and woke up in another…”
That is what happens when a Christian dies; you go to sleep in one place and wake up in another…

The Bible often uses sleep as a synonym for death … This is because sleep suggests an awakening…

When believers die physically, our spirits will wake up in heaven…
In the book of Revelation, the Lord Jesus is referred to as the one who will feed , literally "shepherd" us and lead us to living fountains of waters (Rev. 7:17a-b)…

Then, what does the last phrase of that verse tell us our Great Shepherd will do? Revelation 7:17 (KJV) : and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes...

Life is a crossing, with the final destination being the house of the LORD…

God doesn't make the journey smooth because life is a test (Jas. 1:3)…
We should keep this in mind when the path is rough…

Jesus tells us: In the world ye shall have tribulation (Jn 16:33b).
Therefore, the road to the house of the LORD has bumps and potholes that often jolt us…

Under the old covenant, the sheep died for the shepherd, but under the new covenant, the Shepherd died for the sheep—and we shall meet our Shepherd in heaven! "

But when we get to the house of the LORD, we will see that, even though the path was often rough, it was for our good…

Then, we will better understand what statement of the Lord in Isaiah 48:10b?

Isaiah 48:10 (KJV) 10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Promise #1: The Lord will Provide for me…
Promise #2: The Lord will Pacify me…
Promise #3: The Lord will Preserve me…
Promise #4: The Lord will Pilot me…
Promise #5: The Lord will Protect me…
Promise #6: The Lord will Prescribe healing for my hurts…
Promise #7: The Lord will Perpetuate my pleasures…

Revelation 3:20 (KJV) 20 Behold, I (Jesus) stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.

If you want the Lord to be you shepherd, you must become a sheep of His flock…what will you do with Jesus…the choice is yours to make…no one can make it for you…but I promise if you surrender yourself to Him, you will never be the same again…You will only become better and stronger…
The Bible says you will get a new heart…the old one will be replaced with the new, actually all things will become new…all things…a new direction will be prescribed for your life…amen

The Blessed Assurance of the Believer

Romans 8:28-29. Lesson 13-a…
God Assures Deliverance (Freedom) from Struggling and Suffering.

The glorious message of Romans is that God assures deliverance (freedom) from struggling and suffering—through Christ...

This is the whole point of all that has been written thus far in Romans...

Man desperately struggles against the pressures and forces both within himself and alien to himself… Alien means, unfamiliar, unknown, strange, foreign…

He struggles against the weight and discouragement of trials; against the pollution and corruption of life; against the relentless accusations and bombardments of his own conscience; against the pain and decay of his body; against the striking fear and hopelessness of an eternal judgment hereafter.

He struggles against the unknown and against pain, hurt, sorrow, loneliness, alienation, aging, death, and hell… And somehow, through his suffering and struggle throughout life, he feels that his suffering and struggling are due to a wrong relationship with God…and more times than not, when we do suffer, it is a direct result of our not living in a right relationship with God…

Therefore, man views his many problems as really being one supreme problem: How to get right with God…

If he can establish the right relationship with God, he feels sure God will help him through his trials and take care of his future hereafter…

This is the very message of Romans… Man needs to get right with God, because, without God, he is under the condemnation and wrath of God..

Man needs a right relationship with God; he needs to be justified, that is, declared righteous by God (Romans 3:21-5:21)…

Man needs to be freed from the struggle of sin, because sin corrupts and leads to death (Romans 6:1-23)…

Man needs to be freed from the bondage of law (spiritual legalism); for the law enslaves, accuses, condemns, and strikes hopelessness within the heart (Romans 7:1-25).

"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24).

"I thank God [that] Jesus Christ our Lord" shall free me from struggling and suffering (Romans 7:25a; cp. Romans 8:1-39).

All the discussion in Romans 8 up to this point has now moved to the summit, (peak, high point)… .

Those who love God and are called by Him will definitely be freed from the bondages and corruptions of this life and ushered into glory…

God assures this… Nothing, absolutely nothing, shall prevent God's settled plan and purpose from coming about in the life of the believer…

God's settled plan and purpose for the universe shall be consummated…(Completed, carried out, accomplished…)

He has determined two supreme things (Romans 8:29).
I) Believers shall be conformed to the image of His dear Son (Romans 8:29).
II) His Son shall have many brothers, among whom He is to be honored as the first (the most preeminent) Person (Romans 8:29).

1) (8:28) God works all things out for those who Love Him…
This is the first assurance of deliverance…

What a comforting declaration!
Scripture actually declares that "all things work together for good" to the believer…

Think about it: nothing could assure the believer any more than God working all things out for his good…

Note four things.
1.The words "all things" go well beyond the great events of the world… God does control the events of the world, but He controls much more…

He rules over "all things"—all the events and happenings that occur in the life of the believer… He works "all things" out for good in behalf of His dear child...

2. The words "work together" mean to create and eliminate… place and replace… connect and group… interrelate and intermingle… shape and forge… press and stretch… move and operate… control and guide… arrange and influence…

The words "work together" are also present action which means that all things are continually working together for good... God is in control of the believer's life… Daily, moment by moment, God is arranging and re-arranging all things for the believer's good…

3. The word "good" means for the ultimate good…
We cannot see the future; we cannot take a single event and see all the lines and ramifications that run from it…

We cannot see all the things that result from one single event, much less see the results of every event…

But God does; therefore, God takes all the events of our lives and works them out for our ultimate good.

4. There is, however, a limitation on this glorious promise, a limitation that desperately needs to be noted...

God works all things out for good only to those who love God and are called according to His purpose

a. This fact is graphically seen in the Greek… The clause "to those who love God" is placed first in the sentence: "But we know that to those who love God all things work together for good…"

Scripture makes sure the point is not missed.. God only looks after the affairs of the person who loves Him...

~~~Think about it for a moment, it is the only reasonable conclusion…
If a man does not love God—does not place his life into the hands of God—how can God take care of Him?

God works all things out for good only to those who love God and are called according to His purpose…(Those who have responded to the call of God)

He is not going to make mechanical robots out of us, forcing us to live at His beck and call… Such is not love; it is only mechanical behavior…

What God wants is love that flows from a heart that chooses to love Him...

The choice is ours: Either we turn our lives over to Him in love, or we continue to take our lives into our own hands…When we take our lives into our on hands, we just hurt ourselves and others severely…

b. Note the words, "called according to his purpose…"
The believer's deliverance is purposed by God… God calls him for the glorious purpose of being saved from the struggle and sufferings of this life…

Note a significant fact: The believer's position and behavior are both involved in the call of God...

a. Positionally, God chooses the believer by setting him apart through the Holy Spirit and through belief of the truth… (What is the truth?)
"God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thes. 2:13-14).

b. In behavior, God calls the believer to a life of purity and holiness…
"For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness" (1 Thes. 4:7).

The point is this: God delivers the person who is positioned in Christ and who lives an unpolluted and holy life…

The person who truly loves God and is living a godly life is the person who experiences all things being worked out for his good…

It is the godly person who loves God that will be delivered from the struggling and suffering of this corrupt world...

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13).

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19).

"Fear thou not; For I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10).

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee" (Isaiah 43:2).

Contrast the carnal attitude of Jacob and the spiritual attitude of Paul.
· Jacob said, "All these things are against me" (Genesis 42:36).
· Paul said, "All things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28).

2) (8:29) God has determined to fulfill His Purpose for the believer…

This is the second assurance of deliverance…
Note three significant points.
1. This passage is often abused and misused…

It is not dealing so much with theology or philosophy, but more with the spiritual experience of the Christian believer…

If the pure logic of philosophy and theology are applied, then the passage says that God chooses some for heaven and others for a terrible hell...

But this is simply not the meaning God intends for the passage... What God wants believers to do is to take heart, for He has assured their salvation…

God knows the suffering that believers go through daily…

God "did foreknow" even before the foundation of the world (Romans 8:29).

But no matter how great the suffering, no matter how great the opposition, no matter how great the struggle, God is going to complete His purpose for believers…

God has "predestinated [believers] to be conformed to the image of His Son," and absolutely nothing can change that... Why?

"That Christ might be the first-born [have the preeminence or superiority] among many brethren" (Romans 8:29).

We must know that God loves His Son in the most supreme way possible…

God has ordained that His Son shall have many brothers (adopted brothers) who will love and serve Him as the first-born, that is, as the first Person or the most preeminent Person of the universe…

God has ordained that Jesus Christ shall hold the highest rank and position: that He be the exalted Head of all creation and the One to whom all men look…

Therefore, God is going to allow nothing to permanently defeat believers… God is going to allow no fallen child of His to ever remain down permanently…

God is going to fulfill His purpose in every child of His, and nothing can stop His purpose…

Jesus Christ, His Son, will have a multitude of brothers and sisters who worship and serve Him throughout eternity…

2.(2nd of three points) Believers will be conformed to the image of God's dear Son… The words "conformed to the image" mean both an inward and an outward likeness…

a. "Conformed" means the very same form or likeness as Christ… Within our nature—our being, our person—we shall be made just like Christ... As He is perfect and eternal—without disease and pain, sin and death—so we shall be perfected just like Him… We shall be transformed into His very likeness...

b. "Image" means a derived or a given likeness…

The image of Christ is not something which believers merit or for which they work; it is not an image that comes from their own nature or character…

No man can earn or produce the perfection and eternal life possessed by Christ…

The image of Christ, His perfection and life, is a gift of God…
To be conformed to the image of God's Son means...
· To become a partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).
· To be adopted as a son of God (Ephes. 1:5).
· To be holy and without blame before Him (Ephes. 1:4; Ephes. 4:24).
· To bear the image of the heavenly: which is an incorruptible, immortal body (1 Cor. 15:49-54; cp. 1 Cor. 15:42-44).
· To have one's body fashioned (conformed) just like His glorious body (Phil. 3:21).
· To be changed (transformed) into the same image of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18).
· To be recreated just like Him (1 John 3:2-3).

3. (3rd point) Note what it is that assures the believer's deliverance from the suffering and struggling of this world.

It is two things…
a1. The foreknowledge of God. The word "foreknow” is used three different ways in Scripture…
It means...
· ·to know something beforehand, ahead of time.
· ·to know something intimately by loving and accepting and approving it.
· ·to elect, foreordain, and predetermine something.

Scholars interpret the present passage differently… Note that the second and third meanings are much the same. When a person is loved and approved, selection or election is involved…

The person becomes a very special or select person…
Again, the point to see is not the pure logic of the theological or philosophical argument… This is not God's purpose in this passage…

God's purpose is to assure the believer:.. The believer is going to be conformed to the image of Christ, and nothing can stop the glorious process...

God foreknew the fact, saw it even before the world was ever founded…

He has always loved and approved the believer, electing and ordaining him from the very beginning…

"Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world" (Acts 15:18).

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29).

"God hath not cast away his people [Israel] whom he foreknew" (Romans 11:2).

"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim. 2:19).

b2.The predestination of God… The word predestination (means to destine or appoint before, to foreordain, to predetermine...

The basic Greek word means to mark off or to set off the boundaries of something…

The idea is a glorious picture of what God is doing for the believer… The boundary is marked and set off for the believer..: The boundary of being conformed to the image of God's dear Son…

The believer shall be made just like Christ, conformed to His very likeness and image…

Nothing can stop God's purpose for the believer… It is predestinated, set, and marked off…

The believer may struggle and suffer through the sin and shame of this world; he may even stumble and fall or become discouraged and downhearted…

However, if he is a genuine child of God, he will not be defeated, not totally.

He will soon arise from his fall and begin to follow Christ again…
He is predestinated to be a brother of Christ, to worship and serve Christ throughout all eternity…
In addition, Christ will not be disappointed.

God loves His Son too much to allow Him to be disappointed by losing a single brother…

Jesus Christ will have His joy fulfilled; He will see every brother of His face to face, conformed perfectly to His image…

He will have the worship and service of every brother chosen to be His by God the Father…

The believer's eternal destiny that of being an adopted brother to the Lord Jesus Christ, is determined…

The believer can have The Blessed Assurance of this glorious truth... God has predestinated him to be delivered from the suffering and struggling of this sinful world...

"According as He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will" (Ephes. 1:4-5).

"According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom [Christ] we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him" (Ephes. 3:11-12).

God has given us His Blessed Assurance…That…
1) God works all things out for those who Love Him…
2) God has determined to fulfill His Purpose for the believer…

Minister Robert N. Graves, Sr.
Oak Grove Baptist Church…
Grays, S.C. October 4, 2010

The Blessed Assurance of the Believer… Romans 8:30-33.

The book of Romans is more than a theological explanation of God’s redeeming grace…it is a letter of comfort and confidence and assurance, addressed to you and all true believers everywhere!

The Word of God is so full of great promises that have been inspired by God and then written down by holy men of God for our own edification…

(My job is to edify you, the body of Christ…Read Ephesians 4:11-12)
So with that being said, I want to continue teaching about The Blessed Assurance of the true Believer…

Now remember, these assurances are only for the true believer…

3) (8:30) God has set the glorification of the Believer once-for-all…

This is the third assurance of deliverance.
It must be remembered throughout this passage that Scripture is talking about the genuine believer…

A genuine believer is a person who sincerely believes in Jesus Christ and diligently (Carefully) seeks to please Him by living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Titus 2:11-13)…

Now if you are only seeking to please yourself in this life, then you are going to be pushed to the back of the bus…

If you are out to see just how much you can get from people, you will end up with very little to show for your life…

Remember…If you are always taking and never giving then you are not doing what God would have you to do…It is better to give than receive…

It is the genuine believer whose glorification is predestinated, set forever and ever by God…

The true believer can rest in this glorious truth, because God has done three wonderful things for him…

God has called, justified, and glorified him…

Notice that all three steps are in the past tense; all three steps are something already accomplished…

The believer's glorification has already taken place in the plan and mind of God...

God already sees believers glorified; He already sees believers in His presence… It is assured and predestinated—already written down in the annals of heaven, never to be erased…

God's purpose here is to give enormous assurance to the true believer: He or she shall be delivered from the struggling and suffering of this sinful world…

He is going to be freed—(if he is a true believer)—freed from all the sin and shame, failure and shortcoming, pain and death...

He is going to be glorified right along with God's dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ… (Notice now these three steps that are put in place by God)
1st step

1.God has called the true believer.
Some time ago the Spirit called and stirred the heart or summoned the true believer to come to Christ…(Read John 6:44-45, for God's part and man's part in salvation.)

The believer responded to the call and came to Christ… Therefore, the call was effective; the call worked... The believer did respond to Christ…

Scripture definitely teaches that the believer had a choice… He could have chosen to respond or not to respond...

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, (Hear My Call) and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Rev. 3:20).

2.God has justified the true believer.
Again, note the past tense… There are some sub points to note about justification… First sub-point:

1. Why justification is necessary:
a. Justification is necessary because of the sin and alienation of man… Man has rebelled against God and taken his life into his own hands… Man lives as he desires...
· fulfilling the lust of the eyes and of the flesh…
· clinging to the pride of life and to the things of the world…

Man has become sinful and ungodly, an enemy of God, pushing God out of his life and wanting little if anything to do with God…
Man has separated and alienated himself from God…

b. Justification is necessary because of the anger and wrath of God… "God is angry with the wicked every day" (Psalm 7:11)…
Sin has aroused God's anger and wrath... God is angry over man's...
· rebellion· sin· hostility · ungodliness· unrighteousness· desertion

Man has turned his back on God, pushing God away and having little to do with Him…

Man has not made God the center of his life; man has broken his relationship with God... Therefore, the greatest need in man's life is to discover the answer to the question: How can the relationship between man and God be restored?
Next point

2. Why God justifies a man: God justifies a man because of His Son Jesus Christ…

When a man believes in Jesus Christ, God takes that man's faith and counts it as righteousness…

The man is not righteous, but God considers and credits the man's faith as righteousness… Why is God willing to do this?
a. God is willing to justify man because He loves man that much…

~~~God loves man so much that He sent His Son into the world and sacrificed Him in order to justify man (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).
b. God is willing to justify man because of what His Son Jesus Christ has done for man…
Jesus Christ has secured the Ideal righteousness for man…

He came to earth to live a sinless and perfect life…

As Man, He never broke the law of God; He never went contrary to the will of God, not even once… Therefore, He stood before God and before the world as the Ideal Man, the Perfect Man, the Representative Man, the Perfect Righteousness that could stand for the righteousness of every man…

Jesus Christ came into the world to die for man…
As the Ideal Man He could take all the sins of the world upon Himself and die for every man… His death could stand for every man…

He exchanged places with man by becoming the sinner…
(2 Corinthians 5:19 (KJV) 19 To wit,(accordingly) that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

He bore the wrath of God against sin, bearing the condemnation for every man…

Jesus Christ came into the world to arise from the dead and thereby to conquer death for man…

• As the Ideal Man, His resurrection and exaltation into the presence of God could stand for every man's desperate need to conquer death and to be acceptable to God…
  ~~~His resurrected life stands for the resurrected life of the believer…
  
  Now, as stated. when a man believes in Jesus Christ—really believes— God takes that man's belief and...
  
• Counts it as the righteousness (perfection) of Christ… The man is counted as righteous in Christ…
• Takes that mans belief and counts it as the death of Christ... The man is counted as having already died in Christ, as having already paid the penalty for sin in the death of Christ…
  
• Takes that mans belief and counts it as the resurrection of Christ... The man is counted as already having been resurrected in Christ…
  
  Very simply, God loves His Son Jesus Christ so much that He honors any man who honors His Son by believing on Him…
  
  ~~~He honors the man by taking the man's faith and counting (crediting) it as righteousness and by giving him the glorious privilege of living with Christ forever in the presence of God…
  
  3.How God justifies a man: The word justify is a legal word taken from the courts… It pictures man on trial before God...
  
  Man is seen as having committed the most heinous of crimes; he has rebelled against God and broken his relationship with God…
  
  How can he restore that relationship?
  
  ~~~Within human courts if a man is acquitted, he is declared innocent, but this is not true within the Divine Court...
  
  When a man appears before God, he is anything but innocent; he is utterly guilty and condemned accordingly…
  
  But when a man sincerely trusts Christ, then God takes that man's faith and counts it as righteousness…
  
  By such God counts the man, judges him, treats him—as if he was innocent…
  
  The man is not made innocent; he is guilty… He knows it and God knows it, but God treats him as innocent…
  
  "God justifies the ungodly"—an incredible mercy, a wondrous grace…
  
• Justification has already taken place for the true believer…
  
  The point is clear... If the believer has been truly called, if he has been truly saved, then his deliverance from struggling and suffering is assured…
  

His deliverance is a past fact and it is set eternally by God…No matter how deeply the believer senses his shortcoming and failure, his struggle with the sin and suffering of this world, he is a child of God...

Every time he comes short or stumbles and falls, he needs to get up and begin all over again…

He must not become discouraged and defeated, self-accusing and incriminating, feeling unworthy and undeserving, unwanted and rejected..
~~~Such a state of mind is one the most useful strategies of the devil— A strategy which he uses to defeat believers by the multitudes… God has called the believer, so he must arise and begin to diligently follow Christ once again…

Every believer who is walking about defeated—no matter how great his fall—should arise right now and turn back to Christ. This is our call, our duty…
"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11).

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2).
Paul the apostle, who was a converted murderer, is a dynamic example of this victorious attitude, the very attitude needed so desperately by all believers...

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13-14; cp. Job 17:9; Psalm 84:7; Proverbs 4:18; Hebrews 12:4).

3. God has glorified the believer. The word "glorified" means "to receive a glorified body at the resurrection…" It is good as done… God has DONE so much for you and me... What can we say? Praise the Lord! If God be for us, who can be against us…

This, too, is past tense: the glorification of the believer is an accomplished fact, a fact that has already taken place in God's mind and plan…
God already sees and counts the believer as glorified in His presence for eternity…

"Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Phil. 3:21).

"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:4).

4) (8:31-33) God has acted for the believer, not Against him...
This is the fourth assurance of deliverance.
This is the greatest truth in all the world…

God did not have to act for man, but He did… God loves every man, no matter his condition or sin and shame…

Therefore, believers can rest assured that nothing, absolutely nothing shall ever separate them from the plan and purpose of God…

God's love is absolute… It is perfect… And God shall have His perfect love expressed by completing His perfect plan and purpose for each life…
The believer can have absolute assurance that God will work all things out for his good, even things that fail and are painful to the heart…
The true believer shall be conformed to the image of Christ and glorified with Him (Romans 8:29-30).

The point is this: God Himself is the believer's assurance…

God Himself has acted for the believer; He has done everything necessary and then more:.. "If God be for us, who can be against us?"

1. God is our Savior…
It was God who "spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all" (Romans 8:32)…

The words "spared not" mean that God did not hold back or refrain from giving His Son…

He did not refuse or even hesitate to give His Son…
~~The picture is that of God weighing man's eternal separation from Him against the sacrifice of His Son…

He had a choice to make and He made it; He deliberately chose to sacrifice His Son for us…

God knew exactly what He was doing… He wanted man delivered from this struggling and suffering world, and there was only one way for man to be saved:

· Someone had to bear man's penalty for transgression and sin, which was the judgment of death…

Therefore, God handed His own Son over to die for us—in our behalf, in our stead, in our place, as our substitute…

God spared not His own Son…He delivered Christ Jesus up for us all…

What a glorious, marvelous, wonderful love!

And just how wonderful His love is, can be clearly seen in this: It was while we were sinners, acting and rebelling against God, that He gave His Son to die for us…

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

2. God is our Provider…
Since God has done such a great and glorious thing, how shall He not also give us all things?

Giving His own Son for us was the greatest gift in all the world; therefore, He is bound to give us everything else…

Nothing could ever cost God anything close to the price He has paid in giving up His Son; therefore, God shall give us everything else.
Note three points.
A1. God's provision includes spiritual, eternal, and material gifts…
· The spiritual provision is the fruit of the Spirit…

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephes. 1:3).

· The eternal provision… It is the gift of eternal life, of living gloriously conformed to the image of His dear Son, Jesus Christ
· The material gifts are the necessities of life

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?...But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:31, 33).

B2. The provision is freely given… God's gift of His Son was freely given; therefore, all that God provides for man is freely given…

No man can merit or earn God's provision… God provides and meets the need of the believer because He loves the believer…

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephes. 2:8-9).

Next. C3. The provision of God comes through Christ and through Him alone…

Note the words "with Him,in vs 32…" It is with Christ that God gives us all things…

If we are with Christ, then all things are given to us…
We shall be delivered from struggling and suffering…

Believers can rest assured of this…
No matter how much we struggle and suffer through the sin and shame of this world, God will see us through it all…

He is going to conform us to the glorious image of His Son.
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

3 God is our Justifier...
This is the most glorious truth: God does not charge us with sin… In fact, He does not lay anything to our charge; He justifies us …
Note the question: Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?

It is God; only God can charge us with sin and shame…

But note: if we have truly trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, if we are one of God's elect, he does not charge us with sin… He justifies us…

He forgives our sin and counts us righteous in Christ Jesus…

If we are God's children, no one can charge us with anything… We are God's; we belong to God…

Man is not our judge; therefore, man cannot judge us, only God can… God is our Judge, and this is the glorious truth:.. God does not judge His elect…

He does not lay sin and shame against His children; He justifies His children… No matter how much we have struggled and suffered through the sin and shame of this world, God delivers us…

No matter how far we have fallen, no matter how discouraged we have become, if we are truly God's child, He picks us up and justifies us in Christ Jesus and continues to conform us to the image of His dear Son…

God does not leave us down and defeated, nor does He go around charging us with sin and shame…

God justifies us and continues His work of forgiveness and grace in our lives...

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).





Minister Robert N. Graves, Sr.
Fisherman For Christ Oak Grove Baptist Church…
Grays, S.C. October 17, 2010

The Blessed Assurance of the Believer

Romans 8:34-39 Lesson 13b3
Jesus Christ and His Work of Salvation:

Now, remember, these assurances are only for the true believer.

5) (8:34) Christ does not Condemn the believer:

This is the fifth assurance of deliverance.

Notice how direct and forceful the question is: "Who is he that condemneth?"

It is Christ; only Christ can condemn us for our sin and shame… However, the glorious news is that Christ does not condemn us…

On the contrary, the very opposite is true…

Christ has done & does four wonderful things for us…

1. Christ has died for us… Christ is our glorious Savior…
When we honestly come to Him, He does not condemn us for our sin and shame; He forgives us… He is able to forgive us because He died for us...

· Our sins are a shame, because sin is rebellion against God… Sin acts against God, fights and struggles against God…

· Sin goes against all that God stands for… Sin is insurrection against

God; it is the crime of high treason against God… Sin is the most terrible act that can be done against God…

Therefore, we deserve to be condemned by God and put to death for sin… But we do not have to face condemnation… (Romans 8:1)

Christ has already paid the penalty for sin…

Christ has already been condemned and executed for our transgression against God…

This is the glorious love of Christ… He has already died for us: in our place, in our stead, as our substitute… Therefore when we sincerely come to Christ, He does not condemn us; He loves us and forgives our sin and shame…

This is the very purpose of His death—to free us from sin, from its penalty and condemnation…

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

2. Christ has risen from the dead for us… Christ is our risen Savior… ~~His resurrection does two marvelous things for the believer...

A1) The resurrection of the Lord proves that God was perfectly satisfied with the death of Jesus Christ…

What Christ did—His dying for our sins—was acceptable to God; therefore, God has accepted Jesus' death for us.. God has approved His dying for us…

God's divine justice was perfectly satisfied with Christ dying for us...

This is clearly seen in the resurrection of Jesus Christ:..

If God had not been satisfied, He would have left Jesus in the grave…

But thank God, God was satisfied, so He raised up Jesus to live forever as the Sovereign Savior of the world…

"And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4).

B2. The resurrection of the Lord gives the believer a new life, making the believer a new creature and a new man...

"Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4).

"For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:10-11).

3. Christ has been Exalted for us… He is our exalted Lord…
He sits face to face with God at His right hand… This gives even more assurances to the believer…

a. The believer shall also be exalted into the presence of God… Just as Christ lives face to face with God, the believer shall also live face to face with God throughout all eternity…

"For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection" (Romans 6:5).

"Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him… For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God" (Romans 6:8-10).

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2-3).

"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24).

b. The Lord Jesus Christ is exalted as the Sovereign and majestic Lord of the universe…

He is the Ruler who reigns and rules over all, who possesses all might and power and is full of all wisdom and truth… He is the One who is going to destroy and eliminate sin and evil in the world…

He is the One who is going to establish a kingdom of righteousness and justice, love and truth in the new heavens and earth…

"Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come" (Ephes. 1:20-21).

Note: It is Jesus Christ (and not another) who rules and reigns over the universe...

This stirs enormous assurance in the hearts of genuine believers… Why?

Because Jesus Christ has demonstrated His glorious love and care for the world… He not only can, but He will look after us and work all things out for good until He returns (Romans 8:28)…

The control of evil in the world and our lives are under His care…

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?...But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:31, 33).

"Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20).

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28).

"And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of" (Genesis 28:15).

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee" (Isaiah 43:2).

4. Christ makes intercession for us before the throne of God…
He is our great Intercessor, our Mediator and Advocate who stands between God and man… It is Christ Jesus who brings us to God and who makes redemption, even the forgiveness of our sins, possible (Ephes. 1:7)·

It is His advocacy, the advocacy of His death and resurrection for us, that forgives our sins…

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2).

· It is His intercession, the intercession of His death and resurrection for us, that saves us…

"Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25)…

· It is His presence in heaven and His plea, the plea of His death and resurrection for us, that opens the door of heaven to us...

"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:24).

The point is this. The believer has the greatest assurance imaginable:.. He shall be delivered from the struggling and suffering of this world…

No matter the sin and shame of his life, if he truly comes to Christ, he is not condemned… He is not judged for sin, no matter how terrible or how far he has fallen… If he will only come to Christ, Christ will deliver him…
Christ will not leave him down and discouraged and defeated… Christ will not even scold or reproach him... Christ will receive His dear child with open arms…

"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephes. 1:7).

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

6)(8:35-37):Christ Protects the believer from the severest circumstances.

This is the sixth assurance of deliverance.

This most wonderful assurance imaginable… "Who [or what] can separate us from the love of God?"

Too many people, even believers, feel that God does not love them, that He just could not love them…

They feel unworthy of His love, because they come too short, are too disobedient, and fail too often…

How could God possibly love them when they go against His will so much?

The results of such feelings are...
·A sense of unworthiness…·A downing of oneself…·A sense of discouragement… ·An accusing of oneself…·A low self-esteem…·A defeated life…

Note a crucial point: Such feelings totally contradict Scripture….

Look at the verse: "Who [or what] can separate us from the love of Christ?"

~~There is no circumstance, no situation, no event that can cause Christ to turn away from us…

~~No matter how terrible or severe the situation, it cannot separate the true believer from the love of Christ…

~~Christ loves the believer regardless of the circumstance, and He longs to be reconciled to the believer… No more severe circumstance can be imagined than the ones given:

· Tribulation: to undergo struggle, trials, temptation, suffering, or affliction…
· Distress: to suffer anguish, trouble, strain, agony; not knowing which way to turn or what to do…
· Persecution: to be abused, mocked, ridiculed, shamed, mistreated, ignored, neglected, harassed, attacked, or injured…
· Famine: to have no food, to be starving and have no way to secure food…
· Nakedness: to be stripped of all clothes and earthly comforts; to be bare, having all earthly possessions taken away…
· Peril: to be exposed to the most severe risks; to be confronted with the most terrible dangers to one's body, mind, soul, property, family, and loved ones…
· Sword: to be killed; to suffer martyrdom…

Just imagine a person experiencing all this… What would his thoughts be?

Would he feel that he had been forsaken by God? In the midst of so much dark trouble, would he believe that God loved him?

Scripture declares loudly and clearly that God does love him…

~~~There is absolutely nothing—no matter how dark and depressing, no matter how severe—that can separate the believer from the love of Christ...

Circumstances are not evidence that God does not love us… God loves us no matter what the circumstances may be…

But believers must always remember: They are going to suffer while they are in this world…

In fact, the world is going to count them as sheep for the slaughter, rejecting and persecuting them (Psalm 44:22)…

The world is going to persecute believers as long as believers continue to live for Christ… Their lives of godliness convict the world, and the world rejects godliness…

However, note what is said… No matter the circumstances, we are more than conquerors through Christ who has loved us (Romans 8:37)…

No matter the circumstances and their severity, Christ will carry us through all, strengthening and encouraging us…

We cannot lose, no matter the severity of the situation… Christ loves us and is going to look after and take care of us…

~~The believer can rest assured, Christ protects him from the severest circumstances:

· Christ meets all the material necessities of life…

"Therefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?...But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:31, 33).

· Christ gives us rest…

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

· Christ gives us peace…

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

· Christ provides an escape from temptation...

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13).

· Christ comforts us through all trials…

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

· Christ supplies all our needs…

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13).

· Christ delivers us through persecution…

"For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 12:3).

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:12-13).

· Christ cares for us no matter the situation…

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7).

· Christ enables us to overcome the world...

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4).

· Christ shows Himself strong in our behalf…

"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him" (2 Chron. 16:9).

· Christ delivers us from fear…

"Fear thou not; For I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10)…

· Christ sustains and supports the aged believer…

"And even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you" (Isaiah 46:4)…

7) (8:38-39): Christ protects believers from extreme experiences and forces…

This is the seventh assurance of deliverance.

There is nothing in the universe that can separate the believer from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord…

The believer can be fully persuaded of this outstanding fact…
Just consider the experiences and forces mentioned by Scripture:

· Not death: confronting death and leaving this world cannot separate us from Christ and His love (John 5:24).
· Not life: no trial or pleasure or comfort of life, not any person nor any thing in this life can separate us from Christ and His love.
· Not angels, principalities, or powers: no heavenly or spiritual creature, no being from any other dimension can separate us from Christ and His love…
· Not any thing present or any thing to come: neither present events, beings or things, nor future events, beings, or things—absolutely nothing in existence or any thing in future existence—can cut us off from Christ and His love…
· Not height or depth: nothing from outer space or from the depths of the earth can separate us from Christ and His love…

Note the grand finale:

If there be any other creature than the ones named, that creature cannot separate us from "the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)" (Ephes. 2:4-5).

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9).

"The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee" (Jeremiah 31:3).

Pastor Robert N. Graves, Sr.

THE FATHER SENT THE SON!

The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." 1John 4:14

It is an eye opening thought to think that Jesus Christ did not come to earth without His Father's permission, authority, consent, and assistance… He was sent of the Father, that He might be the Savior of men… All to often, I believe we forget that…

We are too apt to forget that, while there are distinctions as to the persons in the Trinity, there are no distinctions of honor… We too frequently attribute the honor of our salvation, or at least the depths of its compassion, more to Jesus Christ than we do the Father… This is a very great mistake… When Jesus came, did not His Father send Him? When Christ spoke wondrously, did not His Father pour grace into His lips, that He might be an able minister of the new covenant?

He who truly knows the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost as he should know them, never sets one before another in his love; he sees them at Bethlehem, at Gethsemane, and on Calvary, all equally engaged in the work of salvation…

Listen my friend; have you put your confidence in the Man Christ Jesus? Have you placed reliance solely on Him? And have you united with Him? Then you must believe that you are united with the God of heaven and earth…

Since to the Man Christ Jesus, you are brother, and if you hold closest fellowship with Him, you are thereby linked with God the Eternal… "The Ancient of days" is also your Father and friend…

Did you ever consider the depth of love in the heart of Jehovah, when God the Father equipped His Son for the great endeavor of mercy? If not, let this be your day's meditation… The Father sent Him! We not only belong to the Christ, we belong to the Father as well…

Contemplate that subject… Think how Jesus works what the Father wills… In the wounds of the dying Savior see the love of the great I AM…In the shed blood of Jesus Christ, see the compassion of the Father…In the words of the Savior, see the instruction of the Instructor…In the pain of hard and trying times, see the comfort of the Comforter… In the darkest night, please open your eyes to see the Light of the World…

Jesus is the Light of the World, and The Father has sent that light so that we may see, not only the Savior, but also see the Father and the Holy Ghost…Let every thought of Jesus be also connected with the Eternal, ever-blessed God, for "It pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief…"

And God did it for us because of His never ending love for His children…

Posted by Minister Robert N. Graves, Sr.

Fisherman for Christ...
Adapted from Spurgeons Morning and Evening Devotionals

Used by permission Leadership Ministries worldwide

THE LOVE OF THE LORD!

Whenever we are feeling down and a little depressed we should look back through all our experiences, and think of the way whereby, the Lord God has led us in the wilderness, and how He has fed and clothed us every day… We should remember how He has borne with all of our sinful ways and ill manners… How He has put up with all of our murmurings, and complaining and all our longings after the flesh… How He has opened the rock to supply us, and fed us with manna that came down from heaven…

Think of how His grace has been sufficient for us in all thy troubles—How His blood has been a pardon in all our sins—how His rod and His staff have comforted us no matter where we have found ourselves…

When we have therefore, looked back upon the love of the Lord, then let faith survey His love in the future, for remember that Christ's covenant and blood have something more in them than the past… He who has loved us and pardoned us, shall never cease to love and pardon…

We must remember, no matter what we are going through, that He is not only the God of the past and of the future, he is also the God of the present…

He is Alpha, and He shall be Omega also: He is the beginning and the end… He is first, and He shall be last… Therefore, think about this, when thou shalt pass through the valley of the shadow of death, thou needest fear no evil, for He is with thee…

When we shall stand in the cold floods of Jordan, we need not fear…for death shall not separate us from His love…and when we shall come into the mysteries of eternity we need not tremble, "For I am persuaded, that neither death; nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Now, listen saint or whoever you might be, is not your love refreshed? Does not this make you love Jesus?

Does not a flight through never-ending plains of the atmosphere of love inflame your heart and compel you to delight thyself in the Lord thy God?

Surely as we meditate on "the love of the Lord," our hearts burn within us, and we long to love Him more…

Laus Deo

Posted by Minister Robert N. Graves, Sr.
Fisherman for Christ
Adapted from Spurgeons Morning and Evening Devotionals

WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WANTS TO PRODUCE IN YOU

Galatians 5: 22:23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law…

Look close at this verse…the word fruit is really singular in number, not nine fruits, but one fruit composed of nine elements…The first three are in relation to God…the next three are in relation to man and the last three are in relation to ones on inner life…

I love fruit…fruit is wonderful! It’s healthy, beneficial, and delicious…This is one of the reasons Paul used the word “fruit” to describe the wonderful things the Holy Spirit wants to produce inside our lives!

After Paul discusses the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21, he begins to elaborate about the fruit that Holy Spirit produces in a believer’s life…In Gal. 5:22 and 23, he writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…”

Just as Paul previously described the works of the flesh, now he tells us what the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us—and what a contrast there is between the flesh and the Spirit!

The flesh produces “works”---from the Greek word ergos, which implies hard work or hard labor… A life dominated by the flesh is filled with excess, imbalance, unhealthy extremes, laziness, self abuse, hatred, strife, bitterness, irresponsibility, and neglect…

It is the hardest route for any individual yet the flesh still cries out to be in charge, screaming to have its own way, demanding to be the boss…On the other hand, a life dominated by the Holy Spirit is filled with benefits and blessings!

Look at what the Spirit produces—fruit! The word fruit is from the Greek work karpos', which describes the fruit of plants, the fruit of trees, or the fruit of one’s body, such as a person’s children or offspring…

Regardless of whether it is a plant, an animal, or a human, all fruit is produced from some kind of seed…If there is no seed there is no fruit—and the kind of seed that is sown determines the fruit that will be produced…Apples always produce apples; oranges always produce oranges’ dogs produce dogs; cats, cats; human always produce humans…The character of the seed determines the fruit…

The moment you received Jesus as your Savior by faith, God sowed His Spirit and Word into your heart like a seed, and you were spiritually born again by the incorruptible seed of the Word of God…(1st Peter 1:23)…and just like apples produce apples and so forth, God’s seed in you began to produce Godly character!

The kind of seed always determines the outcome of the fruit; therefore, you should expect your life to yield the fruits of the Spirit, for that is the seed God has sown into you heart…

Does a vinedresser worry that his grapevines might produce oranges? Of course not…He knows that grapevines only produce grapes…Does the owner of an orange grove run to see if his orange trees have produced watermelons? I don’t think so…He knows his trees will produce oranges because orange trees only produce oranges…

If someone wants to grow watermelons, he has to plant watermelon seeds…Once those watermelon seeds are in the ground, he can rest assured that eventually he will have long vines growing juicy watermelons in his garden…

The same principle holds true in the spiritual realm…To get what you want, you have to plant the right seed, because seed always produce fruit after its kind…

So if God has sown His Spirit and His Word into your heart, you have every right to expect divine fruit to be produced inside you!

The fruit that the Spirit produces is wonderful, godly fruit, overflowing with blessings and life…As you allow the Holy Spirit to produce these fruits in you, you’ll find that people love to be near you because you’re such a pleasurable experience for them…Once they partake of the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance that is evident in your life, they will want to come back for multiple servings of that luscious fruit…

So don’t give way to the flesh and allow it to produce its ugly work in your life…Instead, yield to the Spirit and allow the seed of God’s Spirit and Word to produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life…You are the one who makes the ultimate decision of who is going to rule you, so choose wisely today…

Do you want to walk in the cruel, hard, bitter works of the flesh? Or would you prefer to mortify the deeds of the flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to produce His wonderful fruit in you?

Which path are you going to choose…Every path has a predetermined destination…That is the principle of the path…

We always reap what we sow, that is the principle of the harvest…Take a second right now and review your day and think what path were you on and what seed did you plant while you were on that path?

Remember the flesh only produces vices but the Spirit produce virtues…We know that all vises are bad but a virtue is always an asset, good quality, good feature, or desirable quality…good value, good worth, high merit, high caliber…etc…

We must remember we all have evil desires, and we can’t ignore them…In order for us to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we must deal with them decisively (Crucify them, 5:24)…These desires include obvious sins such as sexual immorality and witchcraft…They also include less obvious sins such as selfish ambition, hatred; and jealousy…

Those who ignore such sins or refuse to deal with them reveal that they have not received the gift of the Spirit that leads to a transformed life…

The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us…The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ…They are the by products of Christ control—we cannot obtain them on our own…we must have His help…If we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us we must join our lives to His…(John 15:4-5)…we must know Him, love Him, remember Him, and imitate Him…As a result, we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law—to love God with all of our heart and to love our neighbors as well…

Because the God who sent the law also sent the Spirit, the by-products of the Spirit filled life are in perfect harmony with the intent of God’s law…A person who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit fulfills the law far better than a person who observes the rituals but has little love in his or her heart…


Thanks,

Minister Robert. N. Graves, Sr.

Fisherman for Christ...