1-25-20 Today in the Word

Following by Faith
BLOOD-BOUGHT GRACE 
Saturday, January 25, 2020 | Romans 8:28–39
John Piper, author, speaker, and pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, is known for his passion and zeal. Recently, he spoke on his favorite verse in the Bible, Romans 8:32. “When all is said and done, we owe every good in our lives to blood- bought grace,” Piper says. “The logic of that verse is the most beautiful logic in the universe.” He goes on to say that since God did not spare even His own Son, “He will most certainly give us absolutely everything we need to get to heaven and glorify His name.”
Verse 32 comes as further explanation to the believers in Rome that all things work together for good (v. 28). This is not just positive thinking. Paul bases this declaration on the solid fact that God is ultimately sovereign (vv. 28–31). In verse 32, Paul describes how God sacrificially and selflessly offered His own Son, Jesus, to die for us. He then asks a series of five rhetorical questions (vv. 31–34). Paul is pushing his point, digging into the character of God, and wanting it to sink deeply into the hearts of his readers: Our God is the final judge (v. 33) and those who believe in Jesus will not be condemned because Christ Himself is interceding on our behalf (v. 34).
Nothing in heaven or on earth can separate God’s powerful love from us (vv. 35–39)! Our justification through faith is a direct result of God not sparing His own Son, but sacrificing Him to pay our debt (v. 32). Piper concludes, “Without the cross, nothing, nothing good for us. Only hell. If you didn’t wake up in hell this morning, it was a good day. It was because He did not spare His own Son.”
APPLY THE WORD
Reflecting on your own life, what were some difficult events that God ultimately used for good? Perhaps it was a letter of rejection, a failed marriage, or a death of a loved one. Even in the midst of our difficulties God is still for us (v. 31). Remember, He is in your corner because He freely gave up His Son for you.
PRAY WITH US
Looking at your life, are you able to thank God for the suffering and hardships in your past? The Word of God says that all things (not only good things) come together for good for those who love God. Do you believe it?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t...
Read more

9-25-23 The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas

The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas :: By Bill Wilson Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:Bill Wilson, General Articles There are a lot of terrible things going on right now in the world. But we are at the time of the year when we, as Christians, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We can choose to be impacted by the world around us in its dimly lit arena, or we can choose to let our light so shine. I choose the latter. I want to tell you a little about the Christmas that I had growing up on our family farm in Ohio. I was blessed to be born into a horse and cattle farm that has been in our family for some 200 years. And Christmas, especially Christmas Eve, was a wonderful time for our family. December 24 was my Dad’s birthday. And my Dad was well-loved by his neighbors and friends, so we had a lot going on Christmas Eve. I remember one special Christmas Eve. I must have been about four years old. The night was falling, and the wind and snow were whipping across the barny...
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th...
Read more