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For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Once the Christ lives in you.
Romans 8:18-39
From Suffering to Glory
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to
be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the
revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of
Him who subjected it in hope;
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors
with birth pangs
together until now.
23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even
we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the
redemption of our body.
24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for
why does one still hope for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with
perseverance.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what
we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession
for us* with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is,
because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of
His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these
He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
God's Everlasting Love
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 delivered Him up for us all, how
shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also
risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for
us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are
accounted as sheep for the slaughter."*
37 Yet 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
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
NKJV
Thank God that Jesus Lives today and that we can have Him live in us just by
accepting Him as He came, His life, teaching, death, resurrection, and new
life.
He promises us a new life today while we live and a better tomorrow in a
resurrected body that will be perfect in a world where there will be no more
tears.
He promised us the Holy Spirit that sanctifies us and purifies us from all
unrighteousness, and who comforts us in times of difficulties.
Jesus speaking of His own death and resurrection
before hand promised that
He would not leave us alone. He said that He would have to leave in order
for another to come (John 16:7 & John 14:15-19)
Gods Spirit brings to the believer unspeakable joy (1 Peter 1:8), love,
peace, and a renewed heart.
This promise depends not on how well we perform but on Gods promise and
eternal covenant. God would dwell among His People and even within them
through His Spirit.
How does one receive this gift? Is there a cost to consider? A Gift is free.
Christ sacrifice was His offering for our sins. We could do absolutely
nothing to earn this gift.
We bring our filthy rags our fallen nature with all its faults and
receive His righteousness in its place.
One might ask, Why did Jesus say to pick up your cross and follow me?
The cross Jesus is speaking about the fact that this world is fallen and
Gods Kingdom has not yet replaced the fallen one we are living in (John
18:36). To this we have to add that our flesh has not yet been redeemed and
that satan has not been put away. Satan is in control of this worlds rule.
God has the final say but we are still working in a world that will not
conform to Christ rule. This is why we have trials and tribulations as
believers here today and this is the cost of carrying one's own cross.
This is why the prophecies speak of Christ suffering because this world its
men and their ways are to reject peace and hope for their insufferable
desires. (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)
The Alpha and Omega knew what man would do and the prophets took note of the
fact. God made man to have free will, He made the hill and the tree where
His love for us could be displayed regardless of our abase ways.
The gift of eternal life in Heaven and a new world without tears can be
received by just saying a simple prayer asking God to forgive one for their
sins by accepting Christ finished work on the Cross
(John 3:12-21 -- seen below).
Our Hope and Glory is in the Risen Christ and not in this fallen flesh. John
the Baptist came preparing the way baptizing those who would hear the
message.
Baptism is a symbol of Christ death and resurrection. For us, it speaks of
dying to the old nature of the flesh and living a new life of the Spirit.
Hebrews 10:22-23
22 let us draw near to God with a
sincere heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and
having our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is
faithful.
NIV
Our bodies are weak and they are prone to fail and often times we do not
even perceive our shortcomings. Nevertheless, once we have the Holy Spirit
Living in us, we are no longer under the condemnation of the Fall that
occurred back in Geneses (Genesis 3:1-7).
This is the Light of the Gentiles spoken of in Isaiah 42:6 approximately 750
years before the birth of Christ.
The promises given to Israel become ours as well. That God would dwell among
us and even within anyone who would accept Jesus Christ by asking God for
this gift of salvation.
How does one receive this gift? That is to say, how do we actually come to
the cross and receive forgiveness for our sins? We have our answer in John
3:16.
In John chapter 3 we find a conversation between Jesus and a Pharisee named
Nicodemus. Nicodemus sought out Christ personally to find out more of who He
actually is and the answer he receives is our answer today as well.
First, we must seek out Christ for ourselves. We are to seek Him corporately
as well as we are admonished to do so in the Bible, but first, you must find
the Christ who loves you personally. He must be the one who died for you as
an individual because that is how much He loves you and this whole world.
You will find the unspeakable joy of Christ love dwelling right in your
heart!
Jesus tells Nicodemus that no one can enter Heaven unless they are born
again. That is born anew through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Without the Spirit of God dwelling within a person, man can never enter the
kingdom of God.
Jesus goes on to mention the time when Moses lifted a brass serpent on a
pole. In order for those who were bitten by serpents be healed and not die,
all one had to do was to look upon it. Jesus draws an analogy here and
points out that one must come to the cross and see the Christ lifted up to
receive the spiritual healing necessary for eternal life one must believe
Jesus. All that was necessary for the ancient Hebrew to live was to believe
in what God had told them do.
John 3:12-21
12 "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you
believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 " No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven:
the Son of Man.
Only Jesus has descended from Heaven, and He will be the first to Ascend
into heaven leading the captives free.
14 "As A Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
Why was Jesus crucified? So that whoever believes will in Him have eternal
life.
16 "For God so A loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
NASU
The serpent was made of brass, which speaks of judgment and the serpent
itself represents sin. Sin is judged on the Cross of Christ. All of our sins
are judged on the Cross-when we ask God to forgive us and accept Christ as
our savior. His righteousness is imputed upon us and our sins have brought
Him to suffer and die in our place!
This is the only place where we have an illustration as to why the brass
serpent, the pole, and the requirement of Gods command fills the
foreshadowing of the type seen here as Jesus prophesizes of His crucifixion.
God shows humanity that the Messiah would bring healing by taking upon
Himself mans sins.
So, we have our answer with an illustration from the Old Testament
supporting what the Messiah would accomplish. Jesus also shows who He is by
prophesizing of His demise in this illustration.
Jesus' part was to bear the weight of the world its sins and pain. Our part
is to agree with God and ask for forgiveness lay our sins and painful
experiences at the foot of the cross, repent (Stop going after the things of
this world and follow Christ. This becomes easier through the indwelling of
the Holy Spirit.) Ask God to send His Holy Spirit to fill us.
This will be your new birth. Christ wept in the Garden, just before His
trials. The Garden had olive trees and an olive press. The crushing of the
olives brings forth the oil which speaks of the Holy Spirit. The
dispensation of the Spirit of God is poured out through the finished work of
Christ.
Now we must turn away from the things of this world and seek the path God
has entrusted to us. There is not one who does not sin as the scriptures
state and your future hope and Glory lies in the risen Christ. That we too
one day will have a new body not given to the weaknesses of the present one.
This is the promise of everlasting life. No one can live a perfect life in
this body and we are not to judge each other but rather help each other. We
are prone to fail. We groan due to the difficulties of the fallen world and
our nature. Now death is swallowed up in victory as long as we abide in the
living branch of Jesus Christ that is to say that we continually seek
Christ in prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship.
We must always seek Christ and His ways. This world and its illusions will
tend to steer you away from Christ. You must continually seek a refilling of
the Holy Spirit to draw in the Living Water Christ gives us.
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