October 29, 2008: “What, then, shall we say in response to this?”

Dear Friend,

“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. 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. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 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. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

‘For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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.[1]”

I read that this morning for devotions. Somehow it gives reason, maybe, for my frustrations yesterday. It gives reason for all my frustrations past, present, and future. We have to really have faith in these verses in order to, shall we say, write off our frustrations in life. I mean, the mind, tolerance, and patience of a human being can only take so much, and yet we find ourselves getting through things that seem so much greater than we can muster. That’s a God thing.

We put a lot of faith in what Paul writes about in these verses. I think whenever we face trials, our audacity would have us get up in God’s face and “show Him who’s boss.” I know yesterday that’s all I wanted to do. I mean, I saw how my problems could be fixed, why couldn’t everyone else? Why couldn’t God? Everything would’ve been alright in my little world had everyone just done what I wanted them to do and had seen it my way. I think, though, that those are the first thoughts of a future dictator.

Kay Arthur, the author of Lord, Heal My Hurts (my devotional) writes, though, that many people make the mistake of only reading the first verse of this Romans passage. The first verse, to many people I would imagine, is the “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” verse. The rest of the passage is irrelevant because we already know what we have to do. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” means “get over it” or “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I remember being asked if I believed in little sayings like “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” The one I hear a lot is Romans 8:28, and because it’s a biblically based little saying, I do believe in it. However, when asked this question, I also said that I believed the little saying is incomplete, only part of something bigger. Simply telling me “God works all things for good” doesn’t satisfy me entirely.

The person reading this verse in Romans, Arthur states, needs to keep reading. As you keep reading the passage you find out what’s really going on behind the scenes of God’s plan. You eventually read the verse “If God is for us, who can be against us?” This verse is another nice little saying, but it’s still only part of a greater whole. When you read the lines in between “all things God works” and “God is for us” you find all the “ifs, ands, and buts” about the bigger picture, and it’s really exciting stuff. I mean, just go and read it yourself and imagine the simply unfathomable gloriousness that is the love of God! Then you can truly say with all conviction “If God is for me, who can possibly be against me?”

Does this mean no more frustrations? Ah, no. There is no ticket out of those. Those remain, but can we say now that though they remain we can still hope in something greater? I think we can, and I think we should. In fact, as the frustrations multiply – which they will – so should our hope. Besides, we’ve been “predestined, called, justified, and glorified” by God “to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.” This is what our hope is based on. “What, then, shall we say in response to this?” [Insert benevolent, praiseworthy adjective here!] I’ll let you decide.

Blessings.
Kailen

[1] Romans 8:28-39, NIV