This past weekend a handful of us from our old Bible study group
headed to Bluefield, WV to see our beloved Abbey. A couple of months ago we
each received a beautiful invitation in the mail to attend a weekend retreat at
her new home to study Romans 8. The entire weekend was a treat... right down to
the pumpkin scones, homemade meals, endless laughs and parting gifts (a
Scripture print of Romans 8:39!!).
Our first session was
Friday night, the next two sessions were on Saturday, and our final session was
Sunday morning. Abbey walked us through each section of Romans 8, declaring our
blessed assurance in Christ at every turn. Paul's message in this chapter is
about our sanctification and eternal security. He begins the chapter with
joyous news: there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. He
ends the chapter with even better news: nothing can separate us from the love
of God. Both so assuring in a world that desperately competes to steal our
assurance.
We talked a lot over the
weekend about the things that rob our hearts of assurance. Fear of the unknown,
sickness, death, lies from Satan-- were just a few. In verse 18, Paul puts some
perspective on our earthly fears when he says, "For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is
to be revealed to us."
Paul is ASSURING us that
our God is bigger than the troubles of this world, the hardships we face, and
the suffering we endure. What's more, He uses suffering to make us more like
Him and to point us toward our true home. We were not meant to bear the
brokenness of sin. We were not made for this world.
But we aren't home yet. So in the meantime, God graciously gives us hope that He will be who He says He will be and He will do what He says He will do. Praise be to our God who gives us hope "as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul" and who is at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us.
To quote Abbey, "The
scope of our hope is broader than the scope of our problem." God shows us
through Paul and Jesus himself that our suffering is not just worth it, but nothing even compares
to it in the end!
Sinclair Ferguson
reiterates this by saying, "The suffering we go through is divine
preparation for glory. The very thing that seems to stand in the way of glory
is the instrument God uses to bring us to glory."
Paul and the apostles
rejoiced when they suffered because it made them more like Christ. Abbey encouraged
us this weekend to look at our situation through a Genesis 50:20 lens... "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for
good." Though sometimes we may not see God’s plan through cancer, ISIS or
heartbreak this side of heaven; we can most assuredly trust that He uses all
things for His glory and our good.
As Paul wraps up chapter
8, he tells us with confidence that neither our fears nor our suffering can
separate us from the love of God. He asks what can stand against us,
"Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness,
or danger, or sword?" (8:35). He then answers his question in verse 37
with a resounding "no."
NOTHING AND NO ONE can
separate you from Christ.
THAT is blessed assurance.
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