Opening Prayer
Getting Started
What is one insight/word of comfort/challenging idea that
you held onto from last week?
Did any lesson from last week’s session impact your life?
Romans 8:28-29
31 What, then, are we to say
about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He
did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will
he not also with him grant us everything? 33 Who
can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who
justifies. 34 Who is the one who
condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been
raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for
us. 35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or
danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted 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 persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor
height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from
the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.[1]
What will we say about what things?
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The problem of sin in us.
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The struggle between the flesh and the spirit.
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The spirit of slavery and the spirit of adoption.
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The creation that groans under our sin.
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The bondage to decay and the redemption of our
bodies.
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The way God works the bad things of our lives
for our good and the good of His kingdom.
If God is for us, who can be against us?
-
Well, who?
Want proof? Indeed, He did not spare His own Son, but for us
all handed Him over … and how will He (along with Him) not give freely/show favor
to us for all things.
-
The proof that God is for us is – Jesus!
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The proof that God will not abandon us is –
Jesus’ death!
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The proof that God will raise us from the dead
is – Jesus’ resurrection!
Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?
-
Who can bring charges against God’s chosen ones?
-
Where do we face accusations?
o
Satan – accuser.
o
World – Unchristian: Hypocritical, Judgemental,
Political (power hungry)
o
Sinful Nature – our conscience.
o
These all stand contrary to God’s Word of
Redemption. Because …
God is the one who justifies.
-
Dikaioรณ
-
Gives righteousness!
Who is the one who condemns?
-
Notice that justifying and condemning are played
off one another here.
Christ Jesus, the one having died, and moreover [who] was
raised, He also is at the right hand of God …
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Could He? Yes.
-
But does He? No!
Christ Jesus, the one having died, and moreover [who] was
raised, He also is at the right hand of God, and He intercedes/appeals for us.
Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
-
List each separated with “or”: Affliction,
trouble, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, sword?
As it is written:
-
Where?
-
Psalm 44:22
But in all this we more than conquer through/because of the
One having loved us.
-
Hyper-victorious!
-
Compare to 8:18 – sufferings not worth
comparing!
For I am convinced, persuaded, confident of
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Neither – conjunction of “not” and “and” – “and
not”
And not
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Death
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Life
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Angels
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Rulers (code for demons)
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Things present (ptc.)
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Things about to be (ptc.)
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Powers (political?)
-
Height
-
Depth
- Any other [thing in] creation
Will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Key take-aways.
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No one.
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Nothing.
Wrapping Up
What is one insight/word of comfort/challenging idea that
you hope to hold onto from these verse?
How will the lessons learned from these verses impact your
faith life?
Verse of the Week – Luke 17:10
“10 So
you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say,
‘We
are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
[1]
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used
by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered
trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
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