Class Lesson October 11, 2015

 

Life is tough. God never promised this life would be free from trouble, but He did promise to walk with us every step of the way. With God on our side, we can stand strong.

Building Your Life On God's Promises

Lessons:

1. God's Promise of Faithfulness - God is faithful in every circumstance.
2. God's Promise of Eternal Life - You were created for eternal life in Christ.
3. God's Promise of Provision - For those who choose to live under His care.
4. God's Promise of Answered Prayer - God always answers persistent prayer.
5. God's Promise of Victory
6. God's Promise of a New Home

I think it's so comforting to know that we can build our lives on the promises of God. Think about it, really think about it - God promises to be faithful to you in every circumstance you face; He promises you eternal life and that you were created from the start for eternal life in Christ; He promises to provide for you everything you need, if you choose to let Him; He promises to answer your prayers if you truly want Him to. And this week God promises victory over life's difficulties.

All of us would love a life where everything turns out just as we desire. Reality, however, paints a different picture. Sometimes what we encounter is a minor inconvenience; other times it is a life-altering catastrophe. Regardless of our circumstances, we can still experience good things from God. In fact, God can use those very difficulties to work His goodness into our lives. In the Book of Romans, Paul showed us how God works His goodness and love on our behalf.

God's Promise of Victory

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Not everything lives up to the hype.

While planning a vacation, my wife and I did an exhaustive internet search for a hotel. We found it: the perfect hotel to make vacation memories—a lovely boutique overlooking breathtaking scenery, perfectly located in an area where we could enjoy everything the city had to offer.

Then we arrived. The rooms were unimaginably small and extremely dirty. The hotel had no elevator, and our room was on the sixth floor. Needless to say, we made memories on that vacation—just not the ones we were hoping for.

We may wish life were more like a glossy brochure or internet ad. But when reality sets in, our lofty expectations for grandeur often end in disappointment. In the Book of Romans, the apostle Paul gave us a clear picture of one thing that will never disappoint or fail us: God’s goodness and love.

Romans 8:28-39 (ESV)

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

29 For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.

30 And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?

33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

39 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.

Foreknew
(v. 29)—To have foreknowledge is to have the ability to know what will occur before it happens. In His omniscience, God has seen all the events of history since before the beginning of time.

Predestined
(v. 29)—Comes from a Greek word meaning “to determine or set apart beforehand.” In Scripture, God is the only One who predestines.

Justified
(v. 30)—At the moment of salvation, through faith, the believer is legally declared to be forever righteous before God when Jesus’ perfect righteousness is imputed (credited) to the believer on the basis of Christ paying the penalty for all sin.

 

Romans 8:28-30
God has a plan for your life. Just as importantly, God has always had a plan for your life: “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph. 1:4).

Unfortunately, we often miss the comforting truth of God’s plan because we allow the problems and trials of life to overwhelm us. That’s why Romans 8:28 is helpful. Paul reminds us that none of the setbacks or problems we face can thwart God’s good purpose for our lives. In fact, those very problems can be a part of God’s way of bringing about His good purpose in us.

Still, the good God wants to accomplish doesn’t happen automatically. “We know that for those who love God” (v. 28). The verb tense for that phrase in the Greek language means those who continually love Him. As we continue to seek, follow, and love the One who saves us and calls us, God can—and will—use everything in our lives to bring good into our lives.

This good, the ultimate good, that God will work in our lives is tied to His purpose for us. So what is God’s plan and purpose? As much as we love to quote Romans 8:28, we often fail to read it in light of the verses that follow. God’s purpose is for us “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (v. 29). God wants to use everything we experience to make us more and more like Jesus.

God’s purpose and plan for us spans eternity. God foreknew us, predestined us, called us, justified us, and glorified us. His plan for us to be like His Son was known in eternity past, and in the future when we are glorified, we will be mature, complete, and totally conformed to the image of Jesus (see 1 John 3:2).

Romans 8:31-34
Can anyone read Romans 8:28-30 and not see God is on our side? The truth of God’s goodness and love should touch us deeply. Immediately after that passage, Paul asked, “What then shall we say to these things?” (v. 31). He then asked a series of questions to help us see the natural conclusion of God’s goodness and love:

1. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” No one is greater than God. And since God is on our side, we have no worries! Paul presented his case by arguing from the greater to the lesser. God is so much in our corner that He gave His greatest treasure—His own Son, Jesus Christ—as a sacrifice for our sins.
2. “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?” The people of this world can try to make accusations against us because we don’t follow their ways. But nothing they say has merit with God. Why? Because “It is God who justifies” (v. 33). Jesus took all our sin—the basis for any accusation against us—upon Himself on the cross.
3. “Who is to condemn?” The only One who has the right to condemn us is Jesus Christ, yet He did just the opposite. He made it possible for all condemnation to be removed. Jesus died in our place, and He continues to stand for us. He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us (see v. 34).

I am thankful for friends who lift me up in prayer. I value their intercession on my behalf. And, most especially, I value the intercession of Jesus Christ. He never condemns me; rather, He is always on my side and continually interceding for me to the Father. God gave Jesus, His very best, for us. And Jesus is now interceding for us to give us abundant life and work His good in our lives.

Romans 8:35-39
Paul asked one final question to highlight our security in God’s goodness and love: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (v. 35). Even though we may acknowledge God loves us and sent His Son to die for us, we often think our behavior will change our status with God—that when we do something wrong, we cause Him to love us less. Similarly, Satan often attempts to undermine our security in God. 

Satan’s desire is to steal our joy, kill our spirit, and destroy our future (see John 10:10). Yet, once we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, the only damage Satan can do is to make us believe we’re not good enough for God.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Nothing in life can change the way God loves us. But that doesn’t mean we won’t face difficulties. Paul quoted Psalm 44:22—“Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered”—to show that God’s people have faced opposition in the past and will continue to face opposition. The troubles we face are nothing new.

In Romans 8:37-39, Paul expressed his confidence that he was “more than conquerors” by listing a full spectrum of things people might consider barriers to their relationship with God. He listed physical dangers, supernatural powers, and extremes in time and distance. He summed it up with “nor anything else in all creation.” Yet his conclusion is that nothing—absolutely nothing—“will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 39).

When we belong to God, we are His permanent possession. No, we’re not perfect; we still struggle with our sinful nature. But God will not abandon us. We are, and we always will be, secure in the love of Christ.

LIVE IT OUT

How will you respond in the coming days to God’s goodness and promise of ultimate victory?

Consider the following suggestions:

• Look to His Word. When you begin to feel as if life is slipping out of control, take refuge in the truth of the Scriptures. Consider printing a small card with the text of Romans 8:31-39 so you’ll have access to those truths whenever you need them.

• Express yourself. The Scriptures are filled with expressions of praise and thanksgiving to God for His goodness. When you have some time alone, craft your own response to God’s goodness in a way that fits your talents and personality.

• Encourage others.
  We all know people going through difficult times. When you encounter a friend in need of encouragement, don’t ignore the situation. Take a moment to pray with them and express your confidence in God’s goodness and love.

There’s no need to hype our experiences with God. That’s because His goodness and love always live up to His promise. Accordingly, we can go about our lives secure in the knowledge of His victory.


Our Lesson This Week:

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Why don’t we let Jesus take the wheel or control of our lives? Why aren’t we willing to put our life in God’s hands?

• People want to control their lives by letting their will be done instead of God’s. For many, it is unsettling to have faith and totally trust God.

• It is often easier said than done and can be scary to let the Lord take the wheel not knowing what He has planned. We worry that something bad might happen or feel that somehow we can prevent horrible scenarios. Sadly, no one’s life is perfect.

When our lives are out of control, there are two ways to react to unfortunate situations.

1. We can become angry, blame God, and vent about what a horrible life we have… or
2. We can learn something from the experience. Paul says, “… we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Searching for the lesson in an experience allows us to become stronger and closer to His kingdom. Know that you are secure in His care and be joyful. Finding joy in all things helps us to become more like Christ.

This virtue can be a difficult one to achieve because most of us prefer quick solutions. We learned last week that God’s answers to prayers rarely work like a vending machine. It’s not as if we can put requests in a slot and expect God to reveal to us what’s going to happen in one big swoop. It takes time and patience, along with trial and error. He wants us to learn from our mistakes, try new things, and most of all continually seek and trust Him. Besides, if we always knew what was going to happen in our lives it wouldn’t be as much fun or exciting.

“Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future” (Ecc. 7:13-14).

Remember, God loves you and always wants what’s best for you. Let Him take control. After all, it is His kingdom that is coming.

Lesson Point: God’s goodness and love overcome life’s difficulties.

All of us face difficulties at one time or another in our lives

• Yet we can still believe that God is in charge

• Today we look at how God’s goodness and love overcome life’s difficulties

 

I.              God’s Plan is for Our Good

Listen for evidence of God’s power and authority.

Romans 8:28-30 (NIV)

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

29 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.

30 And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.

Unfortunately, we often miss the comforting truth of God’s plan because we allow the problems and trials of life to overwhelm us. That’s why Romans 8:28 is helpful. Paul reminds us that none of the setbacks or problems we face can thwart God’s good purpose for our lives. In fact, those very problems can be a part of God’s way of bringing about His good purpose in us.

There are two qualifications for individuals to claim the promise found in this verse, what are they?

1. those who love God and
2. are called according to His purpose.

These two expressions describe true Christians.

What is God’s purpose?

• Ultimately, the goal of God’s purpose for Christians is that we be conformed to the image of His Son. To be conformed means “having the same form.” This means that as Christ-followers we should naturally grow to resemble Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions as we mature as believers.

• God has a plan for your life. Just as importantly, God has always had a plan for your life: “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:4). Unfortunately, we often miss the comforting truth of God’s plan because we allow the problems and trials of life to overwhelm us. That’s why Romans 8:28 is helpful. Paul reminds us that none of the setbacks or problems we face can thwart God’s good purpose for our lives. In fact, those very problems can be a part of God’s way of bringing about His good purpose in us.

What is the difference between “God foreknew” and “He also predestined”?

• Paul explained that God foreknew and predestined believers to be conformed to the image of His Son.

• To have foreknowledge is to have the ability to know what will occur before it happens. In His omniscience, God has known about and seen all the events of history before any occurred, before the beginning of time (see Eph. 1:3‑6). He knew the end before the beginning.

• The term predestined comes from a Greek word meaning “to determine or set apart beforehand.” In Scripture, God is the only One who predestines.

How do you explain God’s predestination and man’s free will?

• The issue of predestination in regard to salvation is much debated. The process of salvation is a mystery, and it hinges on two important aspects: God’s sovereignty and the individual’s free will. Both of these aspects are present in the Bible. In our human understanding, it is impossible to harmonize the two seemingly opposing forces of sovereignty and freewill. However, with God—who is all-present, all-powerful, and all-knowing—there is no conflict between the two.

What’s the difference between all things being good and all things working together for good?

Good things	Things working together for good
-          only good things -          always plenty of resources -          always good health -          beautiful, smart children -          perfect marriage -          great home -          car never breaks down	-          when we lack resources, God supplies -          when we have physical needs, God brings healing -          when kids have a hard time in school, God helps them through it -          when we struggle with relationships, God works in our lives to make us more loving and understanding -          when we have losses, God teaches us His supply is better, bigger

II.            God Gave His Best: Jesus Christ

Listen for all Christ did for us.

Romans 8:31-34 (NIV) 

31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all--how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?

33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Paul asked, “What then shall we say to these things?” (v. 31). He then asked a series of questions to help us see the natural conclusion of God’s goodness and love:

1. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” What does this mean to you?

No one is greater than God. And since God is on our side, we have no worries! Paul presented his case by arguing from the greater to the lesser. God is so much in our corner that He gave His greatest treasure—His own Son, Jesus Christ—as a sacrifice for our sins.

2. “Who shall bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?” What does this mean to you?

The people of this world can try to make accusations against us because we don’t follow their ways. But nothing they say has merit with God. Why? Because “It is God who justifies” (v. 33). Jesus took all our sin—the basis for any accusation against us—upon Himself on the cross.

3.  “Who is to condemn?” What does this mean to you?

The only One who has the right to condemn us is Jesus Christ, yet He did just the opposite. He made it possible for all condemnation to be removed. Jesus died in our place, and He continues to stand for us. He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us (see v. 34).

Where is Jesus Christ right now? What is He doing?

• Jesus is in heaven

• He is at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us

Paul mentioned four reasons in this one verse why Christians can never be condemned.

1.  We cannot be found guilty because Christ Jesus is the One who died. Since Jesus died for us, He will not then condemn us.

2.  Christ has been raised. That Christ rose from the grave indicates both that God the Father accepted His sacrifice on our behalf and that His work of atoning for our sins was finished (see Eph. 1:20).

3. We cannot be found guilty because of Christ’s position at the right hand of God (see Heb. 1:3). In this exalted position, Christ has all authority and power; thus, we are under His protection.

4.  We have no condemnation because Jesus intercedes for us to God. As believers, we have nothing to fear because the One who died to save us lives to intercede for us (see Heb. 7:25).

When has it been obvious that God is for you?

• when I realized Jesus died in my place

• when God supplies needs

• when God gives healing

• when God guides through tough times

• when God enables us to do things we would have thought impossible to do

III.           We are Never Separated from God’s Love

Listen for what cannot separate us from God’s love.

Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul asked one final question to highlight our security in God’s goodness and love: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (v. 35). Even though we may acknowledge God loves us and sent His Son to die for us, we often think our behavior will change our status with God—that when we do something wrong, we cause Him to love us less. Similarly, Satan often attempts to undermine our security in God. 

What kind of things does Paul suggest threaten to separate us from the love of Christ?

Trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, death, life, angels, demons, present, future, powers, height, depth, anything in creation

What might be examples of these things in today’s world, in our culture?

• troubles: financial, health, family

• danger: accidents, being in a scary part of town

• demons: spiritual opposition

• future: worry about what might happen

• sword: family members in the military

• famine, nakedness: economic down turn affecting our finances, job loss

How do these things make us feel separated from God?

• we wonder why things happen

• we wonder why God didn’t prevent these things

• these things make us feel alone, abandoned

What does verse 37 say about overcoming these feelings?

 

(we are more than conquerors)

What do you think that means, to be “more than a conqueror?”

• we don’t win by the skin of our teeth
• it wasn’t even close
• it was a decisive victory
• we clobbered those problems
• it is obvious that God did it because we could not have done that well on our own

In light of these verses, how should we respond when we feel that God is not for us?

• remember and claim the spiritual armor
• the sheild of faith can protect us from those “firey darts” of doubt that Satan throws at us
• reject Satan’s lies and instead claim God’s love, power, authority at work in our lives as Paul speaks of in today’s scripture passage

Application: Let Jesus Take the Wheel

 

Prayer of Commitment

Father, how sweet to know that I am Yours and You are mine and nothing can separate us. Amen

Hope to see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan