October 23 – Nothing To Say, He’s Said It All

“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?” -  Romans 8:31–32.” -  (NASB)

 

We’re continuing to consider promises we find in Romans 8. In particular Romans 6-8, the promises God has made abound and overflow. So much so we often pass by because the passages are so familiar. It’s  the “we’ve heard it all, what else is there?” habit of thinking we know all there is to know.  Paul is wrapping up his teaching about the believer’s security in Christ with a culmination of questions and answers for the concerns we might still have about those who challenge our faith. The result is a delivery of praise for God’s grace in bringing salvation to completion for all who are chosen and believe. “If God is for us,” is better translated, “Since God is for us.”  Paul asks, “Would God do less for His children than He did for His enemies? The word “freely give” means “to bestow out of grace.” Paul may be using it to mean forgiveness and maybe intended that here.  The words “all things” may mean whatever is necessary to complete the purpose He had in choosing us. Or if ‘freely give” is translated “forgiveness”  then “all things” may refer to every sin the believer commits.

 

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March 4 – Standing By Our Side

“But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.”  2 Timothy 4:17 (NASB)

This is the testimony of the Apostle Paul, imprisoned a second time and on trial in Rome. Paul tells Timothy how the Lord helped him in that court appearance. All had deserted him so when Paul was summoned to testify before a Roman tribunal no other person was there to help him. But Paul did not stand alone. He said the Lord stood at his side and gave him strength. The Lord fulfills His promise never to “leave or forsake” His children. That must have been  comforting for Paul. He knew that though alone with no friends he was conscious that the Lord stood right there at his side. Jesus promises this to be our experience too. He assures us that whatever we face, even if it is the ultimate sacrifice, the Lord is with us. Paul knew his time on earth would soon be done, “the time of my departure has come.” v. 6  Remember each morning God’s promise to be with us always, especially when we need Him as He was with Paul. Paul said, “…the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength...” He will give you strength also.

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November 25 – Thanksgiving Day (USA)

“He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!” Psalm 107:20-21 (ESV) 

Needing to be ‘healed’ or ‘delivered’ from something destructive happens. Some have experienced God’s benevolent grace and love this way. All of us have had serious needs from time to time where we felt the need for deliverance or healing. We have reason therefore to be thankful to God. No one is without something that they have thanksgiving for. This day we celebrated Thanksgiving Day in the USA. Our brothers and sisters north in Canada, celebrated Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October. Whenever we pause for a national day of thanksgiving, it is good to remember and keep in mind the reason we do that. We all have reasons to make every day a day of Thanksgiving.  Today's verses provide examples of reasons for giving thanks to the Lord. He is certainly worthy of our thanks. He has done so much for each of us. He has loved us and because of His great love. He offered His Son and He went to the cross for us. He has brought us into His family. Even if we are not with our physical family let's be thankful that God has brought us into His family.

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May 4 – Ransom Paid Remission Secured

“ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14 (ESV)

In our previous verse (Colossians 1:12) we read the promise of a share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. That is why we must today look at the promise that springs from that one.  This inheritance is in the … light. “We” have been transplanted, and this not from liberty into slavery but from slavery into liberty. This  light is the spiritual sphere to which believers have been transferred from the dominion of darkness. From this dominion, power, or authority of darkness We as believers have been rescued, and therefore delivered. Through Christ they were brought from a rebel kingdom and placed under the sovereignty of their rightful King. The sovereign Christ is here called his beloved Son. Through Christ, God’s “Loved One,” Christians have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Let’s emphasize that “redemption” means “to rescue by ransom.” Christ paid that ransom for us on the cross and in His resurrection. And, “forgiveness” means “remission” by the Redeemer. This is our joyful emancipation from darkness which we possess in the Light of our Savior only because of the tremendous cost Christ paid on the cross. 

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April 6 – Endurance in All

“You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.” - Luke 21:16–19 (ESV)

Our verse yesterday from the Gospel of Mark recorded the same instruction and prediction we have today from the Gospel of Luke. It has the same ominous message and prophecy of what was going to come to all who proclaimed the name of Jesus. Not just for the Apostles but for all who believe even up to the return of Jesus at the end of the age we live in. Those who will be threatened and receive this kind of treatment are promised that they will endure by God’s grace. Just as Jesus promised that since He was the Resurrection and the Life those all who believe in Him would live past the death of their physical bodies. Spiritually, we will live. Perhaps we think it is up to us to preserve by our own strength in order to live through the attacks on our lives by the haters of Jesus. No, we will be preserved by His Name. We carry the name of Jesus as we abide in Him because He is our salvation in all circumstances. For all who in faith believe Jesus in the Son of God, will endure because of His promise of eternal life.

 

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April 11 – All Things Freely Given

“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  (NASB)

Yesterday we looked at the first part of a multi-promise understanding that since God is our defense, we really need not fear any adversary that seeks our destruction.  Today, the part of that promise is that God the Father gave us of his own prefect will, his unique Son.  The Father did not spare His own Son but actually delivered Him over for us all.  Some of that 'us', that is 'mankind', hated God’s son Jesus.  They rejected the offer of righteousness and His invitation into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Instead, out of hate and jealously they conspired and manipulated the masses to call for Jesus to be put to death on a Roman cross.  God the Father did not step in, and though He could easily have, He did not spare His Son from a criminal execution, from death.  Not deserving of death but freely submitting to the Father, Jesus was crucified.  Now, we who believe Jesus is the Son of God, and that he died, was buried, and rose again to new life can trust that God will give us everything we need to live for Him.

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March 10 – Delivered From Fear

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.”  Psalms 34:4  (ESV)

Fear can be debilitating can’t it?  Fear and Anxiety are close to the same thing.  Fear can be a warning for us.  It might make us wary and alert and ready to react.  Hopeful anticipation for something good is sometimes called being anxious and isn’t harmful.  But Fear that leads to serious anxiety causes us to question our standing or faith in God’s promises. It is not physically or spiritually healthy.  God tells us may times “Fear Not,” and “Do Not Be Afraid.”  This is the fear we do not need if we trust God and His Word.  About 220 times ‘fear not’ and 100 times ‘do not be afraid,’ are found in the Bible.  King David knew real fear.  He feared for his life when Saul, the King of Israel was after him.  That kind of fear is upsetting and is very different than the call for us to “fear the Lord” which is an attitude of awesome humble respect of the Lord God our creator.  Our promise is in this verse from David’s psalm. When we seek the Lord, he answers. He delivers us from all fears that weaken our trust and faith.  

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November 21 – He Will Yet Deliver

“... indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,”  -  2 Corinthians 1:9-10 (NASB)

We do need the context of these words from the Apostle Paul to God's assembly of believers in Corinth. Shortly after the writing of the first letter to these believers, Paul and those traveling with him ran into some serious trouble. What it is we don't know.  We do know that it was severe testing of their faith and that it was beyond their strength to bear it. Paul considered that his ministry and life was at its end. Paul learned again from this God's promise of deliverance.  Our God promises to deliver us from our circumstances whatever they are when we put our trust, not in our ability to do anything, not in our own understanding, but in Him.  "In God who raises the dead." Sometimes it is from physical harm or threatening conditions but more importantly, it is deliverance temptation to give up on our faith in God.  When we encounter intense difficulty God will deliver us from the temptation to quit or seek help in someone else.  He loves us and has said that He will never forsake us and we do well to trust in that promise today and every day.  

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July 5 – What it Cost

“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 (NASB)

The Apostle Paul, writing in his letter to the believers and followers of Jesus who lived in Rome is telling them something very significant.  Paul's lesson point is this, How can we think that God would do less for His children than He did for His enemies when He let the enemies take Jesus all the way to the cross.   He freely gives us all that we need when he bestows on us forgiveness and salvation out of grace because it cost so much to get us there.  When Jesus died on the cross it was to take our place and to pay the debt we owed, and if we have accepted what He did then God has adopted us as His children.  Think what it cost God to bridge the gap separating Him from us, the gap that was created by sin.  God has promised so much more to us when we, by faith believing, become His children.  After giving us His own Son to accomplish this we can trust the promise that He will give us everything we need.  Not everything we may lustfully want but we will not lack in anything that God has promised to us.  

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March 31 – Will He Not, Indeed

“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  (NASB)

We often find in our verses reasons to recognize how wonderful and loving God is to us his creation.  When, in His plan He brought Jesus, His Son into this world, to show His love to us in a remarkable way. He made a wonderful provision in arranging for Jesus to die for us so as to provide a way for us to have eternal life by faith in Him.  Because it is by faith we accept what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross, and rising from the grave. Our Father in heaven is providing what we need to continue living here on earth while we fulfill God's will and calling. Others who have not yet heard need to hear and accept the plan provided by Jesus.  And going far beyond He has promised to provide a place for us in eternity, living in true fellowship with Himself.  Let's thank our wonderful Lord for His wonderful provision for our needs here on earth and for the promise of a place in heaven forever and ever.  He did not hold back what was needed for our salvation and new life, He continues to not hold back on any promised blessings. 

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August 4 – Delivered

“He sent from on high, He took me;  He drew me out of many waters.” Psalm 18:16 (NASB)

Two days ago we read a portion of Psalm 18 describing David's experience with God. Today we look at verse from the same psalm in which David draws a picture of how God helped him.  It is a picture of our Almighty God in heaven getting involved in the life of His servant David.  David found himself in some serious problems of survival.  But God was aware of David's situation and He reached down to delivered him out of the circumstances which were sinking David.   We too find situations in our lives that feel like a flood and we feel like we are in way over our heads.  The promise we have from God is this, although He has the whole universe to take care of, He is ready to intervene and take care of us when we need it.  What sorrow, what stresses, what uncertainty are we facing today?  What is generating a sense of loss or lost in our lives?  God is right here and ready to take us out of it and deliver us from our fears.  Trust Him because He never fails – David knew that and we can know it as well.  

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March 2 - At Your Side

“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.”  2 Timothy 4:17 (NIV)

This verse is the testimony of the apostle Paul and we are thinking especially of the first part of this verse. Paul is telling how the Lord helped him in a court appearance. When Paul was summoned to testify in court no other person was there to help him but he did not stand alone. He said that the Lord stood at his side and gave him strength. What a wonderful experience that was for Paul. He knew that he did not stand alone and he was conscious that the Lord stood right there at his side. This can be our experience too. We can be assured that whatever we face, the Lord is with us. Let us remember God’s promise to be with us right when we need Him. He will be with you as He was with Paul. Remember what Paul said, “…the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength...” He will give you strength also. 

April 17

“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.” 2 Timothy 4:17 (NIV)

Paul was in prison in Rome and he is describing how some of his friends deserted him when he was being tried in court. What a wonderful reminder of the faithfulness of our God. Paul was aware that when he stood before the judge in the Roman court, the Lord was right there. Paul describes being delivered out of the mouth of the lion, that is, of the Roman Emperor Nero, or some of his judges. He sensed that God was at his side. He is the same God that we serve today. Even if friends forget us our Lord never does. He knows how we need His support when the difficulties build up. He is there. He will stand by our side.