02 Mar God’s love will reconcile us to him forever
2 Corinthians 5:18-19:
- All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
- that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
The reason we are walking in reconciliation is because we have experienced the life-changing love of Christ that reconciles us to God. Christ knows everything there is to know about us, and he loves us completely. He reconciled us to himself by dying for us at the cross. The love of Christ is our motivation to bring the message of reconciliation to others. At the cross, Jesus took the shame that is ours and gave us his righteousness so that today we have no reason to be ashamed.
At the cross, Jesus is punished so that we may live.
At the cross, Jesus completes the work of God.
Now we are entrusted with the message of reconciliation.
The reality is that every Christian is also a sinner. It means that we constantly sin against others, and we are constantly sinned against God. We will never outgrow the need to extend forgiveness and receive forgiveness. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we have been forgiven infinitely more than we will ever forgive. There is no limit to forgiving our brothers and sisters in Christ since that is how we have been forgiven by God. As God forgives us again and again, so we are to forgive others again and again.
Whatever happen to us God’s love is always attach to us forever, and there is nothing can cancel or ruin God’s reconciliation with us now and forever.
Romans 8:35-39:
[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
[36] As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
[37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
[38] For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
[39] nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
7 Conditions that treats to separate us from God’s love, but they can not
Romans 8:35:
[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
- Tribulation = Kesukaran
- Distress = Tekanan mental
- Persecution = Aniaya
- Famine = Kelaparan
- Nakedness = Ketelanjangan
- Danger = Mara Bahaya
- Sword = Pedang
Who and what are going to separete us from the love God ? Nothing! But it doesn’t mean that we won’t have a problems that can’t make us suffer.
Paul’s Sufferings as an Apostle
2 Corinthians 11:16-29:
[16] I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
[17] What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool.
[18] Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.
[19] For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!
[20] For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.
[21] To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.
[22] Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham?
So am I.
[23] Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
[24] Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
[25] Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;
[26] on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;
[27] in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
[28] And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
[29] Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
Paul say these things are not theoritical but what he face it and experience it both for boasting and for suffering as well
The extreme contrast
I. NOT THE CRISIS OF DEATH NOR THE CALAMITIES OF LIFE
Romans 8:38:
[38] For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
Since we have been reconciled with God, there is no crisis of dead and no calamities of life can separate us from Him.
1 Corinthians 15:54-58:
[54] When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
[55] “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
[56] The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
[57] But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
[58] Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
2 Timothy 1:8-12:
[8] Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
[9] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
[10] and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
[11] for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher,
[12] which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
Hebrews 2:14-18:
[14] Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
[15] and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
[16] For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.
[17] Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
[18] For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
II. NOT THE INTERVENTION OF ANGELS NOR THE INTRUSION OF DEMONS
The spirit being are angels and demons.
This is the work of the spirit world
Romans 8:38:
[38] For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
Ephesians 6:10-12:
[10] Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
[11] Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
[12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
III. NOT THE CARES OF TODAY NOR THE CONCERN OF TOMORROW
Romans 8:38:
[38] For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
Since we have been reconciled with God, our present and future situations can’t separate us from God’s Everlasting Love
Romans 8:31-35:
[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 gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
[33] Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
[34] Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Rhetorical Question
A. [31] What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? NO ONE
B. [33] Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. NO ONE
C. [34] Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. NO ONE
D. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? NO ONE
IV. NOT THE PINNACLE OF HEAVEN NOR THE PIT OF HELL
Roman 8:39:
[39] nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalm 139:7-12:
[7] Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
[8] If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
[9] If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
[10] even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
[11] If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”
[12] even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
V. NOT ANYTHING MIGHTY OR ANYTHING MADE
Roman 8:39:
[39] nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In the power of Jesus Christ resurrection, every knee should bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is King of Kings
Philippians 2:9-11:
[9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
[10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
[11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Everything under heaven are created by God, and they don’t have power to separate us from the love of God
Summary and conclusion
Romans 8:37:
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
More than Conqueror in Greek are hypernikaō = to vanquish beyond, i.e. gain a decisive victory: — more than conquer.
Hyper = lebih atau diatas
Nikao = Nike = pemenang
“God is enough, I don’t need anything else, because I am more than Conquerors in Christ Jesus”
We are more than conquerors is because we are not fighting our battles with our own strength and ability, we will only receive every victory through Jesus’ victory on the cross.
After we received the victory from Jesus, we are becoming better persons and wiser and stronger than before, there is no battle can defeat us in CHRIST!
Christ-connection:
The heartbeat of the Christian faith is about God who took the initiative to reconcile us to himself. While we were still sinners, Christ died for our sins. God did not wait for us to initiate reconciliation; God made the first move. And it is God’s step of reconciliation toward us at the cross that makes a way for us to be reconciled to God.
“We are reconciled to God not because of what we do but because of Jesus’ work at the cross. And this reconciliation with God is offered to anyone who puts their faith in Jesus”
Jesus did come into the world to condemn people, but so that his people might be reconciled to him. Because of the reconciliation we have received, we can walk and live as agents of reconciliation.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, because once God has reconciled us with Him, and He always will keep us as His! Amen
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