Romans 8:31-39
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who
can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God
that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him
that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 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.
“Amazing Grace how sweet the
sound”
The grace of God truly is amazing. But what gives grace such a powerful and
life altering meaning? Many times we think that some of the attributes of God (such as holiness,
grace, truth, mercy, etc.) are more important than others, or we try to put them
in a list starting with the most important one first. The mistake we make when
we do this is that we are automatically downplaying the other attributes of
God. No one attribute of God is better or more important than the other.
Without condemnation there is no need for salvation. Without righteousness
there is no need for mercy. And without truth there is no need for grace! We
must speak the truth, despite peoples feelings, because without truth grace is
left weak and useless.
“That saved a wretch like me...”
Consider the truth of our wretchedness and where we were
before God. That is what makes this passage (and song) so wonderful. Truth is
what gives grace meaning, and what makes it so wonderful. Truth is the foundation of grace!
1) TRUTH IS, BY DEFINITION, EXCLUSIVE
(only one way, i.e. If the answer is A, it cannot be B.)
John
14: 6 “Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
There is a right way and a
wrong way. To pretend that there are no absolutes is to ignore the clear
teaching of scripture (not to mention the way everyone lives their life).
Everyone has something that they think is wrong (murder, rape, ect) likewise
everyone has something they think is right (kind to fellowman, charity, ect).
Anyone claiming that there are no absolute truths, is not thinking about the
issue clearly.
2) TRUTH IS NOT RELATIVE. IT IS FINDABLE AND KNOWABLE.
(relative - considered in relation or in proportion to something else)
John
8:32 And
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Would God command us to know
the truth in order to be free, and then not give us the truth? As Paul would
say “God forbid.” The truth is there for us to know and understand. We are
simply either too self-centered, lazy, or worldly to find and recognize the
truth. Where is the Truth?
John 8:31 "Then said Jesus
to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed;"
The
Bible is the source of all Truth!
1) TRUTH IS OUR SCHOOLMASTER (TEACHER)
Galatians
3:24 Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a
schoolmaster.
Before salvation we must first
realize why we need to be saved. We must believe that we are sinners before
God. Jesus' words to the people who knew they were sinners was always hope and
grace (the woman at the well, the Philippian jailer, etc). Yet His words to people who
did not already know the truth (the way God thought about their sin) was always
one of judgment and condemnation (Pharisees, Rich Young Ruler, etc). The truth
must be known BEFORE grace can be extended!
Is abortion murder? Is sex before
marriage okay? Is God okay with a homosexual lifestyle? If I die without
accepting Jesus Christ will I go to hell? God has clearly answered these
questions. And for any of us to down play, muddy the answer, or refuse to speak
the truth because we think that it may be too harsh or hurts someone's feelings is equal to not warning people of impending destruction because they do not
wish to be disturbed. Often we simply do not wish to feel uncomfortable or
unappreciated. As Peter and John said in Acts
4:20 “We
cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard”
Truth
is the foundation of grace!
Check back next week for a follow up post on "The Importance of Graciousness”.
Visit us on the web at www.mantlex2.wix.com/times2!!!
Associate Pastor
Hendrix Road Baptist Church
“Speaking the Truth in Love” Eph 4:8
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