Google knows (almost) everything! I asked Google: How many questions are there in the Bible? Answer: In the King James Version there are 3,157 question marks!
Since we looked at one question yesterday, we only have 3,156 to choose from ... if we consider one question per day, we’ve got material for years!
So, let’s choose another question found in the inspired Word of God! How about Romans 8:31 ... “If God is for us, who can be against us?” That’s a thought-provoking question!
Romans 8 is one of my favorite passages, because it starts with God’s irrevocable promise of “no condemnation” (Romans 8:1) and it ends with God’s binding covenant of “no separation” (Romans 8:37-39). The creamy filling between these two delicious cookies is God’s announcement of our adoption into His eternal family (Romans 8:14-17).
Paul, a great teacher, used questions to provoke his readers and/or listeners to think more deeply about his thesis. Toward the end of the eighth chapter of Romans, Paul asks seven stimulating questions. One of those is: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
When I was a kid, I wanted a big, big brother... I mean, six-feet-four, 280 pounds of solid muscles... I knew that if I had a Goliath-sized brother, the bully on the playground wouldn’t mess with me. If big-bro was for me, who would stand against me?
Life is a little like yesterday’s playground. The bully shows up once-in-a-while to pester us. One of his best tactics is shame... condemnation...
Chapter eight comes right after chapter seven. (Brilliant deduction!) Chapter seven ends with Paul admitting that he’s human, and as a human, he struggles with sin. When he tried to do right, he couldn’t ... when he tried not to do wrong, he did it anyway ... and the bully showed up to condemn! So, is God big enough and good enough to help? Yes! He helped Paul, and He will help us! “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, ESV). God doesn’t condemn us when we falter! And God doesn’t let the enemy condemn us either!
Another of the Devil’s destructive strategies is isolation. The bully shows up to point out that we are the only kid on the swing-set. We’re all alone, and nobody loves us!
Chapter eight continues ... God adopted us as His very own children! “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:14-17, ESV). Wrap your noggin ‘round that! God chose us and adopted us! Wow! We’re not alone!
Still another ploy of the old snake ... rejection.
“We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39, ESV). Promise!!!
So, circle back to today’s question. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31, ESV).
Think about it!
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