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THE LIVING WORD
THE LIVING WORD
THE LIVING WORD
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Food for Thought:
       WHO (OR WHAT) WILL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST?
      Romans 8:35-39

We who are in Christ have more than likely confessed our faith in God the Father almighty and in His son, Jesus Christ.   And depending upon who was present to offer us the invitation of faith, we have surrendered our life to Christ, confessing our sins, vowing repentance, and asking for forgiveness.

Now that considerable time has passed and you have gone through countless trials, tribulations and tests of faith, the question of the day is "where is your faith now"?   How do you currently stand according to the Word of God?

FORUM QUESTION:
Please share what are the obstacles in your life that have distracted you from your covenant with Christ.  How were these stumbling blocks overcome and what advice do you have for fellow Christians?

We'd love to hear from you!

The Message
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Date Message
1/9/2012 I Am Persuaded?
    Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness (hunger or destitution), or peril, or sword?  As it is written, For thy sake (Jesus’ sake) we are killed (put to death) all the day long; we are accounted (regarded and counted) as sheep for the slaughter.

    in all these things we are more than conquerors (and gain a surpassing victory) through him that loved us.  For I am persuaded (I am certain, beyond doubt), that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come (anything impending or threatening),
    Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall (ever) be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    [Romans 8:35-39]
Roman 8:35 poses a question which serves as a measuring rod for faith.  In the text, Paul challenges our understanding of (and our obligation to) the sacrificial death of Jesus by asking, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"

In order to respond to the question we should begin by gaining a clear understanding of what is meant by "separate".  Only then can we asses our level of separation from Christ and his love for us.

Separate:  to disunite or divide; to be disconnected, said of things once connected; to withdraw from one another, such as the family separated; to sever or cut into parts; to part in any manner, to come between; to select from among others, as for a special use or purpose; disunited from the body, as a separate spirit.

Again, Paul asks us, who (or what) will separate us from the love of Christ and all that he offers us?  In other words,
  • What have you experienced to cause you forget your covenant with Christ, to cause you to act or speak in the ways of the world rather than the ways of the Holy Spirit?
  • How many ways have you denied Christ in order to be recognized, gain acceptance by others, or to receive simple honor(s)?
  • What choices have you made that are in conflict with the fruit of the Holy Spirit that have been given to us.

The obstacles that often detract us from our walk in the Spirit are cited, beginning in verse 35 of our text: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword. For clarity's sake, let's take a moment to examine each of the stumbling blocks.

Obstacles of the Believer, Yesterday AND Today

TRIBULATION
Grievous trouble; severe trial or suffering; hardships; afflictions.
As to suffer hardships and affliction; as to experience difficulties and pent up pressure.

DISTRESS
Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of the body or mind;
As to suffer distress from the sickness or loss of a loved one, financial difficulties, relationship difficulties, etc.; as to suffer distress, extreme humiliation or embarrassment.

PERSECUTION
The infliction of loss, pain or death for adherence to a particular creed or mode of religion.
As in ridicule; as in loss or lack of honors, social status and acceptance; as in embarrassment, or emotional or physical harm due to religious beliefs and actions.

FAMINE
Extreme and general scarcity of food; extreme hunger; starvation.
As in lack of life’s necessities, destitute and deprived of necessities.

NAKEDNESS
Being without clothing or covering; defenseless; unprotected; exposed
As in naked to invaders; as in exposing or revealing oneself to ridicule due to beliefs or attitudes.

PERIL
Exposure to injury, loss or destruction, grave risk, jeopardy, danger.
As in extreme danger, stress and anxiety.

SWORD
Judicial punishment; war, harmful situations, acts of aggression, life threatening.
As in injury or death by the sword.

I believe it is safe to say we have all personally experienced most of the obstacles mentioned above.  They represent life as we know it today.  But how do we react and respond to them?  We must walk in Christ.  Anything less is against the word of Christ.

For if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit [Galatians 5:22, 25]. We must walk in the Holy Spirit filled character of love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (meekness), self-control.

Is it easy?   No.
Is it a sacrifice for you?   Most definitely.
Will we stumble from time to time?   Most assuredly!

As it is written, For thy sake (Jesus’ sake) we are killed (put to death) all the day long; we are accounted (regarded and counted) as sheep for the slaughter. [Romans 8:36]
...I die daily [1 Corinthians 15:31]

Words of Encouragement
But the words of encouragement offered to us by Paul are ...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. [Romans 8:37]

He strongly declares, regarding his faith,
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:38-39]

Where's your faith?  How do you measure?  How much have you grown since that glorious day when you said "yes, I believe...yes, I will".

Through the Lord's grace and mercy, let us be wise opening our hearts to His will and His way.   Let us continue to confess our weaknesses and trust and lean on Him alone, through his grace and mercy, to strengthen and guide us in becoming stronger in the faith, growing in his favor and becoming more like Him.

Like Paul, let us strongly declare, I AM persuaded...I AM determined.

[To be continued next month -- ...how do we overcome these trials and tribulations?]

[Feel free to share your thoughts]

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1/17/2012 Jayde
If time is money you've made me a wealthier woman.
 
 



THE LIVING WORD
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
     [ Hebrews 4:12 ]

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