By Pastor Greg
At the end of a revival in Chicago, Dwight Moody
noticed a young man still seated in a pew in the back of the church: his face
in his hands and obviously deeply troubled.
Being the compassionate man that he was, Moody walked back, placed his
hand on the young man’s shoulder, and asked “What’s troubling you son?” But instead of the expected response of
conversion, the young man replied “Sometimes I don’t think I am a
Christian. Sometimes I don’t act like
one or even feel like one”. Moody sat
down next to him, opened his Bible to John 5:24. He asked the young man to read the
verse. “Truly, truly, I say
to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life,
and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life”. Moody asked the young man if he believed and
accepted Jesus as Lord, and the young man said that he did, to which Moody
asked “Are you a Christian?” But the
young man replied “Sometimes I think I am, but other times I’m not so sure.” Moody
asked the young man to read the verse again, and then asked the same question:
“Are you a Christian?” But still the
young man had doubts. He began to
mention circumstances and trials in his life.
He mentioned his struggle with faith and in living the way a Christian
should. As he began listing all the
reasons that caused his doubt, Moody interrupted the young man and said, “See
here, whom are you doubting?”
There
are appropriate times in our lives to focus on our sin. Without conviction,
there can be no salvation. But once a
person has confessed their sin and believed in the work of Jesus upon the
cross, there needs to be separation from that sin; an understanding that it is
no longer held against them. However,
from time to time a believer has a tendency to dwell on the sin and forget the
salvation. Too often, we remind
ourselves of who we were. Sometimes
others remind us of whom we were as well.
Nevertheless, this is not true of God.
If we have heard the promises of God, believed that in Jesus we have salvation and have confessed Him as Lord and Savior, there is no
condemnation. A person is no longer judged and has moved from death to life.
I believe what we read in Romans
is Paul’s own personal struggle with condemnation. I believe
Paul struggled to put his past behind him and instead embrace the affirmation
of God. I
say this because the words of Paul at the end of chapter 8 seem to be very
personal - as if Paul was reminding himself of God’s magnificent promise; a
reminder to not doubt the promises of God no matter what he did, how he felt,
or what others might say about him.
No matter the bumps, no matter the bruises, no matter the scars, still
the truth is the Cross has made him flawless.
Maybe this is a lesson you need to learn as well.
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is
for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare
even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything
else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own?
No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who
then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to
life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand,
pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s
love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or
destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures
say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like
sheep.”*) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory
is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am
convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor
life, neither angels nor demons,* neither our fears for today nor our worries
about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No
power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation
will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in
Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:31-39).
Paul is not talking about a
prosperity gospel here. Give us all things in verse 32 is not
speaking of possessions, wealth, and
prosperity, but grace, love, forgiveness, mercy, and peace. Even though God would be justified to condemn
us when we stumble in our walk or are weak in our battle over the flesh, He
chooses instead to see the righteousness of Christ. When we are
weak; when we stumble and fail, God listens to Jesus who is at the Father's right
hand pleading on our behalf (My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will
not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our
case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the
one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that
atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world – 1 John 2:1-2). Paul suggests that believers should never see
trials and hardships as God's punishment for our sins. Either God permits our trials and sufferings
to strengthen and conform us, or He uses
what is evil to bring about that which is good (compare the response of Joseph
in Genesis 50:20).
Missing from this section is the
thought that a Christian will never make mistakes or never fail. Christians do fail. Christian do sin. Nowhere are we taught that Christians live
perfect lives. Oh, we are to strive to
live as holy people, but we will slip up and mess up from time to time. However, even though we may sin while we are
believers, that sin will not change God’s promise to us. God’s declaration about us never
changes. Even
though the world may accuse us of being hypocrites when we fail to live as a
Christian, and even though we may condemn ourselves when we fail in our
Christian walk, God will not summon us to court and accuse us. That’s because Christ has already paid the
penalty.
Doubt of salvation and
self-condemnation should not be found in the heart of a believer. Even though we walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, we should fear no evil.
Why, you may ask? It’s because
God is with us. It’s because God is for
us. It’s because Christ died for
us. It’s because God has declared us
innocent. It’s because Christ intercedes
for us. It’s because Christ loves us. And nothing can or will keep God from loving
us. Nothing. Yet how often do you struggle to believe that God is for you? How often do you doubt that you are indeed saved; really a Christian? Do you ever wonder this? Do you ever look at the situations and
struggles’ in your life and think that God must be pretty upset with you right
now? Do you ever feel that God is
against you because you’re living a miserable life filled with suffering, are afraid
of death, or are under attack from the adversary? Well, you are not alone. I struggle with this, and I believe Paul
struggled with this as well, which is why he needed this reminder. If God is for us, who is against us?
As a Christian, you and I must
live each day accepting this and believing this regardless of the
circumstances. And even though others
may condemn, or events may give us the
impression we are being condemned, we do not stand condemned before the
Father. This He has promised. Because of Christ, we stand before Him as His
child. This He has promised. He wraps us in festival robes and pours out
His love upon us. This He has
promised. In all things and through
all things, don’t ever forget this promise of God. If God gave us His best while we were still
sinners (Romans 5:8), imagine what we will receive from Him now that we are
believers!!!
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