[Sermon Summary] March 26, 2023 The Incredible Love of God (Part 2) Romans 8: 31-39

Elder Greg Cox's sermon summary:  

We had part two of a message series titled, “The Invincible Love of God,” from Romans 8:31-39. We covered how Paul asks a series of questions in addressing how one should respond to all the truth of Romans leading up to these verses. We heard three of the five responses last week which were God is for me and He is invincible, God gave me Jesus and He will give me everything, and God chose me and He will protect me. The fourth response to the truth from Romans is found in verse 34, and it is that Jesus died for me and He is interceding for me.

Read the text Romans 8:31-39.

We see Paul asking the question about who can condemn you if you are in Christ, and the response we are to have is that Christ is the one who died and was raised and who is indeed interceding for us. We heard there are two aspects to this truth. One is what Jesus did when He died and was raised. The second is what He is actively doing now which is interceding for us.

·         Look at Romans 3:21-26; 4:25; Galatians 3:13; Romans 5:6-10. What do these passages tell you about what Christ did through His death? What does it mean that He was raised?

·         Discuss how Jesus’ death accomplished salvation for you. How can you confidently say there is none to condemn you because of Christ?

·         Look at John 17:4-5; John 19:28-30. What does it mean that it is finished? If Jesus fully took the punishment and wrath of God for your sin, and the proof of this is God raising Him from the dead, how secure is your salvation in Him?

o   How should this affect your worship and your life lived to the Lord?

·         Discuss the temptation we all encounter to entertain thoughts of condemnation before the Lord. Look at 1 John 3:20. What does this mean that God is greater than your own heart? How much care and thought has God given to you in and through Christ His Son?

o   How should you respond to this truth of God’s love and care for you?

o   How should you treat each other in the church and in your family relationships?

o   How much should you be for each other’s good and want to help each other glorify God more fully?

§  What does this look like lived out in the various relationships you have? What Scripture informs you how to live out loving each other the way God sees you and cares for you in Christ?

·         The second part to our response of no condemnation in Christ is that He is actively interceding for you.

o   Look at Luke 22:31-34. What does this passage tell you about Jesus’ intercession? How important is it that Jesus also is interceding for you?

o   Look at the following verses and discuss what they say about Jesus and His work on your behalf.

§  Hebrews 7:23-25; 8:1-2; 9:11-15; 24-28; 10:19-23; 32-39.

·         How do these truths give you encouragement in the Lord? How should you live in response to these truths? What does it look like to grasp the love God has given you and promised you in your life lived to Him and others?

·         We heard how we have to repeat these truths to ourselves so that we remember how much God truly cares for us.

o   Read Ephesians 3:14-19. How much does God love you and how much does He want you to know it? How should this lead to change in your life?