October 25 – It’s Unbreakable

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”  “–  But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” -  Romans 8:35,37 (NASB)

Paul asks another rhetorical question, to say “no one will ever be able to separate us from the love Christ has for us.”  This is not our love for Christ but Christ’s love for us. In  verse 37 Paul emphasizes that we have the victory, because we have conquered each of the threats “through Him who loved us.” The word translated ‘tribulation’ in the version we use here is also translated ‘affliction.’ In fact this Greek word means ‘persecution, affliction, and distress. Friends, each of these threats are real matters in the lives of those who believe in and profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This is not simply Paul spouting philosophical concepts. No, for if we read 2 Corinthians 11:23-29 we find Paul had already suffered the first of these seven hardships before he took to writing this letter* to Christians in Rome who were facing them as well. The apostle was speaking not only by inspiration but also from experience, therefore, when he stated that none of these things can bring about separation between believers and their Lord. He knew what he was saying!* Nothing exists that can separate us from God’s love. It is unbreakable!

 

*William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 12-13:291.

 

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May 23 – Peace to Overcome

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NASB)

Yesterday's promise included the appropriation of the Gospel of Peace in order to stand firm against the ruler of this world system set on our failure as Christians.  The attack is on all around us.   Christian and Christianity is a target and quickly criticized by ungodly forces. Today's verse gives us the promise of peace.  Jesus, as he spoke to His disciples that last night at Passover Supper did so in order that they would have peace.  He knew what was ahead was going to be very difficult and include tribulations and persecutions.  But, as Jesus said, with His peace we can overcome whatever the world dishes out to us.  Why can we trust this promise?  How do we take on the courage we need and know it will be there for us?  Because, Jesus declared the He had already overcome the world.  As difficult as it was going to be, Jesus promised that what He had done for them and for us was to give us what we need to overcome the world – and that included His peace.  Not a worldly idea of peace but a Godly kind of peace that lasts forever.  

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February 21 – Overcome For Us Through Christ

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 (NASB)

Today again our verse has the word “take courage.’ Because we live in a world that is hostile toward God and does not believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord we do need to bolster our spirit and strengthen our hearts with faith believing. But we do so not on our own or in our own might. We don’t have the capacity to be courageous in the face of tribulations from the world. In the New Testament, sometimes the word translated ‘take courage’ can be rendered ‘Be of good cheer.’ Another version translates it as ‘take heart.’ How can we do this? By trusting Jesus’ last phrase in this verse, “I have overcome the world.” He is the same ‘I’ that calmed their fears when he came toward his disciples walking on the surface of a stormy lake. The essential ground for our endurance in persecution is the victory of Jesus over the world. It is by His death, that He, rendered the world’s opposition null and void. While the world continues to attack believers, they are harmless to us, for Christ’s victory has already accomplished a marvelous defeat of the whole evil rebellious system.

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February 19 – Again, Only One Way

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NASB)

What were the ‘things’ Jesus has spoken to his disciples?  Jesus was spending the last extended time with his first disciples away from the crowds and in relative safety.  Jesus knew exactly what was coming at him in just a very few hours.  One of them was about to become a turncoat and the others would be facing a freighting time. Peter hung in until his third denial but only John was at the foot of the cross with the women who loved Jesus.  Knowing the trauma and stress they would face; Jesus wants them to know that He has promised them a peace that comes only from Him.  He had promised them true peace. (John 14:27 NASB)  The peace promise in our verse comes from Jesus who has overcome any tribulation that the world will throw into our faces. Jesus knows our lives contain trials, testing and tribulation that come with temptations.  The world is very good at pressing us off the path and into the bog and miry muddy ditches. But for each time, Jesus has given us what we need to overcome that tribulation through Him.  Abide in Him today, that’s the only way.

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October 7 – Anything At All?

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ”  - Romans 8:35   (NASB)

Perhaps one of the things we as followers of Jesus become anxious about is not becoming separated from the love of Jesus Christ.  We are in Christ because we have believed and accepted the sacrifice He made for us on the cross.  Yet, our faith is tested from time to time by many things.  The Apostle Paul lists some pretty severe means of faith testing.  Can something ever happen or can something we do when tested sever our relationship with Jesus?  Might we do something that God is so displeased with that we become disqualified for His love?  The short answer is, No, Nothing.  The truth we find in the question asked in today's verse is posed to give us reason to reflect what we know of the love of God.   It come in the context of assurance that only Christ Jesus can condemn us but instead, (v. 34) He intercedes for us before God the Father.  None of these threats are more powerful than the intercession of Jesus before our Father in Heaven. 

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May 22 – Peace to Overcome

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NASB)

Yesterday's promise included the appropriation of the Gospel of Peace in order to stand firm against a world set on our failure as Christians.  The attack is on all around us.   Today's verse gives us the promise of peace.  Jesus, as he spoke to His disciples that last night at Passover Supper did so in order that they would have peace.  He knew what was ahead was going to be very difficult and include tribulations and persecutions.  But, as Jesus said, with His peace we can overcome whatever the world dishes out to us.  Why can we trust this promise?  How do we take on the courage we need and know it will be there for us?  Because, Jesus declared the He had already overcome the world.  As difficult as it was going to be, Jesus promised that what He had done for them and for us was to give us what we need to overcome the world – and that included His peace.  Not a worldly idea of peace but a Godly kind of peace that lasts forever.  

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