If God Is With Us, Who Can Be Against Us?

The sermon was an expository message on the second half of Romans 8 exhorting the work of the Holy Spirit and marching boldly for God’s Kingdom.

Here is a summary of the sermon:

Next week is Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit on the early church. We will look at the second half of Romans 8, which speaks to the outlook the apostles had living the life of the Holy Spirit.

First, in Romans 8:18-27, it teaches us that the Holy Spirit was the Spirit of Christ. This was how early Christians viewed the Holy Spirit, such comfort to know Jesus Christ is with us. Christ died and resurrected, this is the glory we know will be revealed in us, that all of creation is waiting for. We weren’t random creations, but all of creation is waiting for Kingdom on earth, like childbirth in pain waiting for this glory. Augustine fled God, but came back to Him when realizing the good world He created. The visible church we are building is going towards the invisible church already in heaven. Christ’s salvation isn’t merely escapism, but it is a life depending on going towards that glory.

Next, in Romans 8:28-30, Paul gives us assurance of God’s goodness. He foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified us – it is these basics that are not difficult to accept. Why do so many have difficulty accepting? The era of enlightenment to existentialism now, makes our life view individual and also viewing God as an individual. In that way, God’s guidance for our life has been reduced to determinism as Hyper-Calvinism has done, or extreme Armenism which is a reliance on humanism. But this is has made faith incomprehensible, far from the Trinitarian faith the Bible teaches us. It is the God of love who has the weak and strong side. It is also Jesus Christ who paradoxical Logos coming as flesh into the world is a mystery that no dialectical reasoning can understand. To see God’s foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glory – we can only understand this in Jesus.

Finally, in Romans 8:31-39, we receive the grace that God is with us and nothing can be against us. Faith is receiving God’s ever-present love that is already there, we must simply not reject it in rebellion, but open up our hearts to it. It is by Jesus Christ and his cross that our doubts and condemnation end. For the life of the believer in hardship, just like Paul shared in 2 Corinthians 11, nothing can stop the ones marching towards the Kingdom. We must live a commitment towards the Kingdom, like a marriage, not dating, we have to have a firm convicted heart on our path.

The Lord told us to be born again of water and spirit. On Pentecost, let us receive the Holy Spirit and live newly for God’s Kingdom.