Faithfully Yours Forever

Such a relief!  Such a comfort!  No matter what life throws at us or no matter what the evil one tries to do to us, God’s love for us, through Christ, will prevail.  May we stand firm in the knowledge that, as Christians, we are secure.  Fear not for “we are more than conquerors”!

Verses: Romans 8:35, 37-39 (NIV)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

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.

We may wonder [or even doubt], at times, how God can use a particular circumstance to grow us into more Christlike disciples.  God knows the choices we will make and can use those choices to mold us.  He has a plan for each one of us.  Those of us who love God have a holy calling. May we understand the call and may we serve Him according to His purposes.  As we follow Christ, may we share in His glory.  Amen.

Verse: Romans 8:28-30 (NIV)
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 image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Here again, in today’s passage, we read Scripture that speaks of the three persons of the Trinity.  Through it, we may begin to understand the relationships between God, the Spirit of God, Christ, and each of us as Christians.  We are children of God and joint heirs with Christ.  What an awesome thing it is when we sense the reassuring presence of the Holy Spirit living within us.  May we experience the peace, comfort, and love that comes from being received into God’s family.  Amen.

Verses: Romans 8:14-17 (NIV)
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

We have many Scriptures that speak to the three persons of the Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  We do not, however, often have all three clearly reflected in one passage as we do in the passage below.  What a challenge for us to know and understand God in all His richness and glory.  Father God, may the Holy Spirit guide us toward a greater understanding of You, in the name of Jesus I pray.  Amen.

Verses: Romans 8:10-11(NIV)
But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

If we are being truly honest with ourselves, we know how flawed we are.  We know our inner most thoughts, our disguised attitudes, and our hidden desires place us at odds with Father God.  As believers, we know that acknowledging our human faults and failures, turning away from those things and redirecting ourselves toward God, and inviting Jesus Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit, to be Lord over all of who we are is the choice we need to make.  Have you made that choice?  I pray that it may be so, in Jesus’ name.

Verses: Romans 8:6-8 (NIV)
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.