February 22
/22 / Romans 8:28-39 (Part 3) / Read
Consider the ways in which Paul (the author) came to know God as expressed in this passage:
God is always working for the good of his people (vv. 28).
God is Father and is calling more and more people to be part of his family (vv. 29).
God is for his people (vv. 31).
God is gracious and giving (vv. 32).
God cleanses his people and frees them from their guilt (vv. 33-34).
God’s love for his people is so full, so complete, so constant, so strong that nothing can separate them from it (vv. 38-39).
The question for us is: How did Paul come to know God in these ways?
Verses 35-36 help us begin to answer this question. Paul had an encounter with Jesus that changed his life to the point that he was absolutely committed to sharing the Gospel anywhere he found himself - and that commitment led to conflict. He quoted Psalm 44, a song of battle, as a way of summarizing what his relationship with God had come to mean for his life.
Yet he believed that the battle was won and the victory was his because of God and because of who he was in Christ. He was convinced that being loved by God trumped the pain and persecution he faced as he shared the good news of Jesus.
Consider the following:
What has been difficult for you in life? How have you grown to know God more fully through that difficulty?
What does it look like for you to publicly associate yourself with Jesus on a daily basis? Is doing so costing you anything?
How has God made real his love for you? How would you share that with others so that it could be real for them, too?