Rendered by Earl G. Presley
Most of this material was adapted from GBOD.org Lectionary helps.
Key Terms:
(Does your congregation know the following terms or concepts found or alluded to in Romans 8:26-39?)
Predestination — The concept of predestination means that God has determined a purpose long before it is actually manifested. God has a plan. It further implies that God is unquestionably capable of planning and bringing about that divine plan: with or without us.
Justification — A legal term meaning that one is declared righteous. In relation to God, biblical writers express confidence that God is impartial and just. Therefore, we can take confidence in God'’s declaration that a person is righteous.
Glorification — In human terms, glory refers to one's position, one's possessions, one's strength, or one's length of life. God's glory refers to the external manifestation of all that God is and does. Glorification thus contains a multistage meaning. First, glorification involves sanctification of the believer, causing him or her to be made holy and blameless. This is an ongoing work for Christians. Second, the physical bodies of believers will be glorified and made immortal. Creation also will participate in glorification. Third, glorification involves participation in the reign of God; that is, reigning with Christ. Finally, glorification involves sharing in God's own glory.
Summary:
•The Spirit of God intercedes within believers with sighs too deep for words.
•How Shall We Pray?
Paul reminds us that we do not know how to pray — particularly when we are overwhelmed beyond words.
• Why is it that we do not know how to pray?
1. We do not know the future.
2. We are weak; that is, we are not fully redeemed and are unable to see clearly. Compare to 1 Corinthians 13:12: "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known."
We do not know how to call God's future into our present. Paul challenges us to enter into deeper wrestling with the pain of the world.
•God works in all situations, no matter how difficult, to bring about good for those who love God, for those who are called to God's purpose.
•The destiny of believers is to be Christ-shaped as members of God's family.
•God, who did not withhold his own son, is fully trustworthy for all things.
•God does not condemn believers. The resurrected Jesus Christ intercedes for us.
• No persecution, hardship, or physical danger can separate believers from God's invincible love.
Nothing Can Separate Us from God's Love
The passage ends with a divine hymn that boasts of God's invincible love. Nothing can separate us from this love. In biblical times, people feared many apparent "powers," including angels and astrology.
At the time of Paul's writing, the Jewish belief system was well developed regarding angels. Jews believed that everything in the world had an angel: wind, snow, thunder, the seasons, even a blade of grass. Jews believed that angels were even hostile toward humanity.
There was also a strong belief in astrology in biblical times. Humans were thought to be under the domination of stars. When a star was at its highest, it exerted the most influence. Heights or depths referred to the position of the stars and their supposed influence on human beings.
Despite the existence of all the terrifying things that can happen, none of them can separate us from the love of God.
Clear Away the Debris — God's love is more powerful and more trustworthy than any enticing diversion that the world offers. Inwardly, we all long to be loved with the persistence and reliability that God alone can provide.
What stands in the way of us enjoying God's love? Paul offers a laundry list of challenges resident in his time.
What are people allowing to separate them from God's love today?
Fear of sex offenders in the neighborhood?
Concern over violent crimes?
Alarm over terrorism?
The inability to control one's life and circumstances?
We need to understand that none of us is immune from hardship and suffering, but God's invincible love will accompany us through difficulties if we will trust God.
Press On-Selah
We need to fully trust in Jesus Christ, who loves us eternally, particularly in hard times.
Inseparable—The world is constantly trying to get our attention. Ads, social media, and people in ourbecome life distractions attempt to sever our attention from God. Each distraction claims to be more powerful, important, or influential than God. That makes them an Idol. Paul lists some of the challenges to faith in his day. See Romans 8:35 and following. hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
What does that list look like for us? What erodes our confidence in God's love today? Terrorism? Job insecurity? Illegal drugs? Natural disasters? Or something more insidious like maintaining our lifestyle, selfish wants, social or political power. It is time for us to make a bold declaration.
There is one word that describes the relationship between God's love for God's redeemed: inseparable. For I am convinced 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.
Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone- Chris Tomlin
We need to reclaim our relationship with God's invincible love. Amen
