In February I was inspired by a friend to read through Romans 8. I noted that the chapter was divided into three sections, the first two of which I posted not long after the inspiration (to refresh, you can read it here ["http://confessionbyainsertidentityhere.blogspot.com/2012/02/romans-8-pts-1-and-2-expounded.html"]).
The first two sections are titled, according to the New International Version, as 1.) Life through the Spirit, and 2.) Present suffering and future glory. The first section essentially talks about the differences between "living in the flesh" and "living in the Spirit," or in other words, indulging in sinful human desires vs. living holy, surrendering all of our fears, defense mechanisms, sorrows, and hurt to Christ, allowing ourselves to be open to him even in the most scary places. As Paul writes at the beginning of the chapter, "...through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God [accomplished] by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering." We can't accomplish holiness on our own. Because of our flesh, we have (I'm dropping in some counseling terms) the Shadow -- defense mechanisms / survival patterns / coping mechanisms / desires to act out -- that constantly threatens and undermines our efforts. We need God. We need him to create an opening for us so that he could empower the Adult and nurture the Child (which he did by sacrificing his Son). And most importantly, we need to take that seemingly scary step and trust him that he will meet all our needs.
The second section talks about how our current suffering doesn't compare to the future glory that comes from knowing Christ. The same is true regardless of our present lots in life. Paul writes both: "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." (Philippians 3:7, NIV ["http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:7&version=NIV"]) and, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18, NIV ["http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%208:18&version=NIV"]) God calls us to be patient and active in life. I want to grow up now, and I also want to have security without having to do too much for it. But I also know that I probably have a good 62 years left (assuming 90 years of life expectancy). Even if I don't live quite that long, I still have a lot of years left. That's a lot of years to continue to suffer and to consider earthly blessings a loss for the sake of knowing Christ. I gotta do something with that time.
So then, we reach the third section -- titled "More than conquerors (in Christ)" of Romans 8 (verses 31-39, NIV ["http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%208:31-39&version=NIV"]), which I will paste below:
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? 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 then is the one who condemns? No one. 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.
Just a quick note on that last part: sin breaks fellowship with God, but it doesn't sever the relationship. Think about a friend of yours who makes you really angry. You don't really want to talk to him or spend time with him right at that moment. Right? But, if you consider him to be a valuable friend, you don't just cut him off. You hold him accountable for his misdeed but you also let him know that the misdeed doesn't define him. To put this back into our passage from Romans, not even sin separates you from the love of God. It makes him angry, yes, because he loves you and expects better of you. But like you and your really valuable friend, he considers you special and precious and worth sacrificing for.
And because he loves you and considers you worth sacrificing for, through the one whom he sacrificed, he considers you more than conquerors, because the one whom he sacrificed is constantly interceding for us.
It helps on those hard days or hard weeks. But I know I need it, day in and day out. I need to know that God is bigger than all my stuff. Like I shared on Monday, I attacked some of the lies that were persisting and saw a large, threatening, engulfing blackness. And then I worshiped with a song about how great God is. As the song goes, blackness such as this tries to hide, but even it fears God. And if I am in God, then that darkness cannot overtake me.
I just need to make myself available for God, and allow myself to take some risks once in a while. I'm beginning to do that, and I am already seeing how it is helping. Learning how to trust is one of the biggest things I can do.
My friend Jason, who moved to L.A. in February ["http://confessionbyainsertidentityhere.blogspot.com/2012/02/still-going.html"], returned to Chicago in July to visit. It ended up being a longer, more indefinite stay. He's back in California now. I drove him to the airport yesterday morning and saw him off. Fall arrived yesterday. I'd say he got out of here in time, off to a warmer land to continue being a conqueror in Christ. If I wanted to write more about the good he's done in my life, it would take a separate blog post. But with retirement coming on, I'll have to save it for a different medium of communication.
Off to the next bullet in my schedule.
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