Episodes

  • What does it mean that all creation groans (Romans 8:22)?

    What does it mean that all creation groans (Romans 8:22)?
    Aug 25 2021
    If you’ve ever longed to be released from your earthly body to be free from sin and the physical suffering associated with it, then you know something of what Paul meant when he said, “All creation groans” in Romans 8:22. To better understand the meaning of all creation groans, it helps to consider the context. In Romans 8, the apostle Paul is teaching believers that their new life in Jesus Christ is solidly founded on God’s promises and plans for His children. The first promise Paul touches on is that of future glory: “I consider our present sufferings insignificant compared to the glory that will soon be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18, GW). We may suffer now through our journey here on earth, but Paul reminds us that this world is not our home (1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13). Awaiting us is a glorious future kingdom where death is defeated, and tears of sorrow, pain, and grief will all be wiped away (Revelation 21:4). When we firmly lay hold of this promise from God, we can begin to view our current troubles as light and momentary compared to the far greater eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). In Romans 8:19, Paul says that all creation is eagerly awaiting that future glorious day when God’s children become who they were always meant to be. J. B. Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English renders verse 19 like this: “The whole creation is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own.” Because of the fall of man, every part of God’s creation was subjected to a curse (Romans 8:20). Under that curse, all creation groans: the ground was cursed for Adam’s sake, thorns and thistles and noxious weeds began to grow, all of Eve’s daughters have labored painfully in childbirth, and death entered the world (Genesis 3:14–19). In Romans 8:21, Paul explains that the entire universe, held under the curse, eagerly longs for the day when it will join with God’s children in glorious liberation from death and decay. Paul is speaking of the new heavens and new earth when “no longer will there be any curse” (Revelation 22:3). The curse of sin will be lifted, and all creation will be restored to the Eden-like reflection of God’s glory (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13). “‘There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Right now the entire creation reflects the curse of sin. All creation “groans”; that is, all created things suffer a common misery, being in a state of pain and disorder. The “groaning” is intense, as Paul’s simile shows: “as in the pains of childbirth.” When at last sin is removed from the children of God, all of nature will burst forth in glory. The full work of redemption includes the reversal of the curse. As part of creation, “we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us” (Romans 8:23, NLT). God promises a magnificent future for the believer, complete with a brand-new, glorified body. At present, we only have a taste of our glorious future, through the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. He is the down payment, or deposit, guaranteeing our full adoption as God’s children and the release of our bodies from sin and suffering (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13–14; 4:30). In the meantime, all creation groans—believers, along with the rest of the fallen universe, travail as a woman in childbirth, longing to be clothed in their heavenly bodies (2 Corinthians 5:2). Significantly, the pain of childbirth is not endured without the hope of new life. Paul, knowing that hope transforms suffering, gave believers this inspiring metaphor. ..... www.keithmuoki.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/keith-black9/message
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    16 mins
  • What does "if God is for us, who can be against us" mean in Romans 8:31?

    What does "if God is for us, who can be against us" mean in Romans 8:31?
    Aug 24 2021
    Romans 8:31 says, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” The “things” are the dozens of amazing proofs of God’s unfailing love listed in the preceding verses. Romans 8 contains many of the cherished verses that comfort us, such as “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (verse 1). And the one that gets us through difficult times: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (verse 28). Verse 31 of Romans 8 is a culmination of all those wonderful promises. It reminds us who God is and how He helps us. When we grasp the truth that God is for us, we have nothing to fear. God is “for” us in the sense that He is on our side; He is working on our behalf and for our good. He has proved His benevolence in that He has adopted us (Romans 8:15), He has given us His Spirit (verses 16–17, 26–27), and He has determined to save us (verses 29–30). The follow-up question, “who can be against us?” is rhetorical. It’s another way of saying, “There is no one who could possibly be more powerful than God” or “No one can destroy us.” The idea is not that we will never face opposition; it’s simply that our opposition is doomed to failure. They may be against us, but not successfully against us. Since God is on our side, we have nothing to worry about. Romans 8:31 is an echo of other passages that say the something similar: • Psalm 118:6 says, “The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” • 2 Kings 6:16: “‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet [Elisha] answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” • Psalm 56:9: “My enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.” • Hebrews 13:6: “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’” • Psalm 27:1: “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Sometimes our hearts respond to verses like this with consternation: “I’ll tell you who can be against me! The IRS, my in-laws, terrorists, corrupt politicians—” and the list goes on. Our real-life enemies seem to overshadow the ideas conveyed in Romans 8. Despite spiritual promises, we still have to endure physical, mental, and emotional struggles—so much so that we may wonder if God is truly for us. The man who penned Romans 8:31 (Paul) faced the same struggles we face and many more. He lists some of his sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:22–28 as proof that he did not write from a plastic bubble of ethereal peace. However, his intimate relationship with the risen Christ had become his all-consuming passion. He said he considered everything else “garbage” compared to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:7–9). He had learned the secret of contentment, whether he was celebrated or imprisoned, and he stated that secret: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13, BSB). So when Paul writes, “If God is for us, who can be against us,” he is comparing earthly opposition to the eternal power and presence of Almighty God—and he declares the winner. No one can overcome God’s love for us. Jesus taught the same thing. In Luke 12:4–5, Jesus said, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” His point, as was Paul’s, is that, no matter what may happen to us here on earth, there is a higher reality. There is a bigger war than the one we think we face, and God is the ultimate winner (Ephesians 6:12). If we are on His side, then we will win, too (Revelation 21:7–8, 27). .... www.keithmuoki.com --- Send in a voice message:...
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    16 mins
  • What does it mean to put on Christ in Romans 13:14?

    What does it mean to put on Christ in Romans 13:14?
    Aug 23 2021
    In a very real sense, the Christian life is a “put on.” In Romans 13:14, the apostle Paul instructs believers to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (ESV). The phrase put on Christ means to figuratively clothe oneself with the Lord Jesus Christ to reveal the glory of God to the world. Paul was talking about putting on spiritual clothing. Those who clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus are believers who do not focus on gratifying the desires of the sinful nature. In the preceding verses, Paul had encouraged the saints to “wake from sleep” (Romans 13:11) and “cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (verse 12). Paul paints a vivid picture of moving into the new life in Christ as trading the darkness of night for the light of day. As believers, we must not only wake up and throw off our night clothes but also get dressed in the appropriate outfit for the new day. Our “old clothes” were the deeds of darkness, but the proper new daytime attire for the solder of Christ is God’s armor of light (see Ephesians 6:11–18). The expression put on Christ occurs again in Galatians 3:27: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (ESV). As in Romans 13, putting on Christ here speaks of having clothed oneself with the new nature; believers are taught “to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). We put on Christ when our old ways are nailed to the cross and we wear the grace and forgiveness of Jesus as a glorious garment for all the world to see. To the church in Colossae, Paul echoes the teaching: “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him” (Colossians 3:10, NLT). The spiritual garment no Christian should ever be without is the Lord Jesus Christ. Putting on Christ means letting the Lord be our armor, embracing Him over and over, and daily trusting Him in faith, thankfulness, and obedience. John Chrysostom (c. AD 347—407) described putting on Christ as “never to be forsaken of Him, and His always being seen in us through our holiness, through our gentleness” (quoted by C. E. B. Cranfield in Epistle to the Romans, T&T Clark International, 2004, pp. 688–689). To put on Christ means to follow Him in discipleship, letting our lives be conformed to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29). Rather than adapting ourselves to the pattern of this world, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and the modification of our behavior into the model of Christ’s life on earth (Romans 12:2). This change requires putting off the old self and putting on the new throughout the Christian life (Ephesians 4:22–24; Colossians 3:12). To achieve this transformation, we rely wholly on our righteous standing before God made possible in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Putting on Christ means abiding in Jesus and living to please Him. John Wesley described it as “a strong and beautiful expression for the most intimate union with Him, and being clothed with all the graces which were in Him” (quoted by L. Morris in The Epistle to the Romans, Inter-Varsity Press, 1988, p. 473). We are clothed in Christ when we become so closely united with Jesus that others see Him and not us. ..... www.keithmuoki.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/keith-black9/message
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    15 mins
  • What does it mean that hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5)?

    What does it mean that hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5)?
    Aug 20 2021
    In Romans 5 Paul explains some of the marvelous benefits of being justified (declared righteous) in God’s sight, but what does it mean when He says that “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5)? The full verse is “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5, NKJV). In the context, Paul explains that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1); because of that, we stand in His grace and we rejoice, looking forward to the unveiling of His glory (Romans 5:2). As we look forward in hope and anticipation, we can even rejoice in our tribulations (Romans 5:3a). We don’t take joy in the tribulations themselves; rather, we rejoice in what they accomplish in our lives. Paul lays out the progression of results from the difficulties we encounter: “Knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance” (Romans 5:3b, NASB). Encountering hardship strengthens us and can enable us to withstand even more. Another word for perseverance is longsuffering—when we encounter tribulations, it can help us “suffer long” and endure. Perseverance brings about proven character (Romans 5:4a). The quality of our character is tested in trials, and when we have endured, our character is no longer hypothetical; it is proven. Proven character brings about hope (Romans 5:4b). When we have endured, and our character has been tested and shown to be faithful, that helps us to have a strong hope—not simply a wish for something, but an anticipation of what will certainly come. Finally, Paul adds that “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5) or “hope does not put us to shame” (ESV). That kind of hope is certain because it relies upon God’s power, His promises, and His sacrifice (Romans 5:6–11) and not our own merits. That kind of hope is certain because of what He has accomplished, not because of any work on our part. Because Christ died for us (Romans 5:8), we have been justified, and we will be delivered from the future wrath of God (Romans 5:9). We were not saved based on our own righteousness; rather, we were reconciled (given peace with God) even while we were enemies of God, and so we will be saved by His life (Romans 5:10). While each of us will encounter difficulties—even tribulations or trials—Paul helps us recognize that those circumstances are part of God’s recipe for our growth. “Hope does not disappoint.” James offers a similar exhortation: “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4, NASB). Trials and difficulties are designed to produce in believers an eternal benefit. It is for this reason—“hope does not disappoint”—that we can and should rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Sometimes it helps to have an example of how “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5), and Paul provides such an example for us in Philippians 4 as he explains that he has learned how to be content in any circumstances (Philippians 4:11). He can deal with humble means or prosperity, being filled or being hungry, having much or suffering need (Philippians 4:12). Whether in good or bad circumstances, Paul had learned to persevere because he recognized that he “can do all things through Him who strengthens” (Philippians 4:13, ESV). The same one who strengthened Paul to have that kind of contentment and courage strengthens us, working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), and that ultimate good is that we will be more Christlike. Because it is His power at work, we know that His kind of “hope does not disappoint.” ..... www.keithmuoki.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/keith-black9/message
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    15 mins
  • What does it mean to abhor what is evil (Romans 12:9)?

    What does it mean to abhor what is evil (Romans 12:9)?
    Aug 19 2021
    In Romans 12:9–21, the apostle Paul presents a series of short exhortations that concentrate on living and loving sacrificially in every situation and in all relationships. He begins with this appeal: “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9, ESV). Paul’s teaching stresses that people who overcome evil with sincere love bear the marks of a true Christian. In the original language, the word translated as “abhor” means “to find repugnant, hate, loathe, dislike, and have a horror of.” The term for “evil” in Romans 12:9 speaks of “morally objectionable behavior.” The appropriate Christian attitude toward evil behavior is vehement opposition to the point of being horrified by it and feeling hatred toward it. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, believers are to “reject every kind of evil.” It’s important to note that abhorring what is evil entails rejecting or hating sinful behavior. Believers are not to reject or hate sinful people who do evil, only their immoral behavior. Through the prophet Amos, God told the people of Israel to turn away from their corrupt behavior. If they would “do what is good and run from evil,” then they would live (Amos 5:14, NLT). If they would go against the prevailing immorality—if they would hate evil behavior and instead love what is good, honest, and righteous, if they would uphold justice instead of squashing it (Amos 5:10–12)—then the Lord would be with them to defend them rather than to judge them. God hates evil (Psalm 5:4–6; Proverbs 6:16–19). David said, “O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked” (Psalm 5:4, NLT). Because God is holy, He hates sin and wickedness. Scripture says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16), but it also teaches that “God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day” (Psalm 7:11). Because God is holy (Psalm 99:9), His wrath against evil is as much a part of His character as His love. The love of God is pure and holy. The Lord loves justice, truth, righteousness, and holiness and therefore must hate wickedness, sin, and evil. If God did not abhor what is evil, He could not be a God of holy love. Thus, those who have genuine love for God will also abhor what is evil: “Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 97:10). David pledged, “I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it” (Psalm 101:3). When we come face to face with evil behavior, God wants us to hate it so much that we refuse to take part in it. As we consider the things we watch on television or look at online, is there anything vile, evil, or repugnant to God? When we think about the behaviors we engage in alone or with other people, are there activities the Lord would want us to have no part in? The Bible teaches us to separate ourselves from the unclean things of the world (Isaiah 52:11; 2 Corinthians 6:17; James 4:8) and “cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God” (2 Corinthians 7:1, NLT). Our genuine love for the Lord and other people ought to motivate us in every circumstance and relationship to abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good. .... www.keithmuoki.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/keith-black9/message
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    14 mins
  • What does it mean that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)?

    What does it mean that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)?
    Aug 18 2021
    Someone who is willing to sacrifice his own life to save another person is considered a hero. But who would be ready to die for an enemy? Jesus Christ proved Himself to be the ultimate Hero by dying to save His enemies: “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6–8, ESV). Before a person receives salvation in Jesus, he is a sinner and enemy of God (Romans 5:10; James 4:4). Sinner means “one who falls short of God’s standard or misses the target.” Instead of loving God as Creator and Father, the sinner rebels against Him. With a sinful nature, the ungodly person is hostile toward God (Romans 8:7). The apostle Paul paints a dreadful picture, saying that the ungodly are utterly powerless to help themselves. The ESV’s “while we were still weak” is rendered “when we were utterly helpless” in the New Living Translation and “when we were still powerless” in the New International Version. As sinners, we were like prisoners bound in chains, strapped to the guillotine, and guilty as charged. We were God’s enemies, about to be put to death, when Jesus Christ stepped in to die in our place. By this act of sending His Son to die for us, God proved how much He loved us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Many people miss the truth implied by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. The chronology is important. Christ did not wait for us to “clean up our act”; He sacrificed Himself while we were still actively opposed to Him. Salvation does not depend on our meeting God halfway, keeping the commandments, or trying to be as good as we can. No, God completed the work of our salvation when we were in a state of open rebellion against Him. That’s grace. In Romans 5, Paul is teaching the Roman believers how to endure through suffering. He encourages them to rejoice in suffering, “knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3–4, ESV). Suffering contributes to spiritual growth, which leads to Christian maturity. In the end, suffering allows believers to share in Christ’s glory (Romans 8:17; 1 Peter 4:12–14). But how does suffering produce hope? Paul explains, “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5, NLT). The ultimate foundation of our Christian hope is the unwavering love of God. Our hope will never disappoint us no matter what we endure because we know that God loves us and will never let us down. His perfect love never gives up on us (1 Corinthians 13:7). Because of His steadfast love, while we were still sinners—sworn adversaries of God—Christ died for us. The apostle John said something similar: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). The essence of God’s love is apprehended in His giving: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV). Elsewhere, John says, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:10, NLT). And Paul affirms that the Son of God “loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, NLT). The love of God in Jesus Christ is unprecedented. No other love has ever been more costly to its giver and less deserving in its recipient. When God the Father gave His Son, Jesus, to die for us while we were still sinners, He gave everything—His own self—to rescue those who deserved nothing but judgment from Him. In giving His Son, God gave Himself, the costliest gift of all. ..... www.keithmuoki.com --- Send in a voice message:...
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    9 mins
  • What does it mean to cling to what is good (Romans 12:9)?

    What does it mean to cling to what is good (Romans 12:9)?
    Aug 17 2021
    Romans 12:9–21 contains a series of short appeals in which the apostle Paul urges Christians to live together as Christ’s body by putting sacrificial love into action. He begins with this plea: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). Paul points out that true believers love genuinely, without hypocrisy, and overcome evil with good. The term for “good” in the original language speaks of “moral excellence.” The verb translated “cling to” means “to stick or hold together and resist separation, to join, unite, or embrace.” Some Bible versions say “hold fast” (ESV) or “hold tight to what is good” (NLT). When Paul told the Roman Christians to “cling to what is good,” his desire was for them to embrace moral goodness with all of their beings or, in other words, to love it. The godless of the world “hate what is good” (2 Timothy 3:3, NLT). But God’s children are lovers of good. We hate evil because it is the enemy of all that is good. God Himself is good and the source of all goodness (Mark 10:18). Everything God creates is “very good” in every aspect (Genesis 1:31). Our goodness as believers, our righteousness or moral excellence, starts by being made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3:22; 10:4). God has made Jesus Christ our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Peter 1:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Once we are made right with God through the blood of Jesus and our faith in Him, we continue to seek, hunger, and thirst for His righteousness by clinging to what is good (Matthew 5:6; 6:33). When we hold tight to God, He works His righteousness in us. When we cling to what is good—when we love God and stick close to Him—we can trust that He is transforming us from within, teaching us His good and perfect will, and working everything in our lives for good (Romans 8:28). Early church father Augustine of Hippo said, “It is good for me to stick close to my God. This will constitute the perfect and eternal wisdom, as it will constitute the truly happy life, because to attain it is to attain the eternal and supreme good, and to stick close to God forever is the sum of our good” (Letters, 131—164, The Fathers of the Church, vol. 20, R. J. Deferrari, ed., W. Parsons, trans., The Catholic University of America Press, 1953, p. 314). Paul advised the Thessalonians to test all things by God’s moral standard and only “hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21–22, NLT). He told the Roman believers, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2, NLT). God warned the people of Israel to turn away from their corrupt behavior and “do what is good” (Amos 5:14, NLT). If they would go against the prevailing corruption by hating evil behavior and clinging to what is good and righteous, if they would defend justice instead of trampling on it (Amos 5:10–12), the Lord would stand by them as their defender rather than as their judge. Similarly, Paul asserted that to those who “keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers,” the Lord will give eternal life. “But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness” (Romans 2:7–8, NLT). God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is “the good shepherd” who “lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). His life and death are ultimate examples of what it means to put sincere, sacrificial love into action. Jesus “gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds” (Titus 2:14, NLT). By doing good deeds and showing kindness and sacrificial love to others, we prove that we are the children of God. .... www.keithmuoki.com --- Send...
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    34 mins
  • What does it mean that neither death nor life separates us from the love of God (Romans 8:38)?

    What does it mean that neither death nor life separates us from the love of God (Romans 8:38)?
    Aug 16 2021
    In Romans 8:38–39, the apostle Paul articulates one of the most profoundly comforting reassurances in Scripture: “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.” The psalmist echoes Paul’s conviction that neither death nor life can separate us from God’s love: “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there!” (Psalm 139:7–8, NLT). God is present everywhere. There is no place we can go and be cut off from His presence. The Bible also tells us that God, by His very nature, is love (1 John 4:8, 16). And if God is love and exists everywhere, then it stands to reason that nothing and no place can isolate us from His love. Paul relates a laundry list of things that could potentially have the power to barricade us from God’s loving presence: life, death, angels, demons, the present, the future, powers, height, depth, and anything else in all creation. With that last item, nothing is left out! And then Paul affirms that none of these things are powerful enough to create a barrier between us and the boundless love of God in Christ. Everything in all the universe, whether in this present life or the life to come, is under God’s sovereign control and the dominion of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (Ephesians 1:22; 1 Corinthians 15:27–28; Hebrews 2:8). God displayed His great love for us on the cross (Romans 5:8; John 3:16–17). On Calvary, Jesus Christ triumphed over all things, including death and every living enemy, by offering His life in our place (Colossians 2:15). When we receive God’s gift of salvation, we are “buried with Christ” through baptism and “raised to new life” by “the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead” (Colossians 2:12, NLT). Paul continues, “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13–14, NLT). The redeemed of the Lord are made spiritually and eternally alive in Christ. We died and were buried with Jesus and then raised and restored to newness of life. Not one thing in this life or even in death can ever cause lasting harm to us because Jesus Christ rescinded all charges against us. For this reason, nothing and no one will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ. We belong to the Lord forever (Isaiah 43:1; John 1:12; 10:28; Romans 8:15; 14:8). We may sometimes feel like our pain, sorrow, and loss distance us from God’s affection. But to this deception, Paul asks, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? . . . No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:35–37, NLT). When we feel separated from God’s love, the problem is not any lack on His part. The hindrance comes from our perception. When instability and insecurity threaten us, our confidence must rest securely in the knowledge of God’s love for us and not in our own feelings. Human love is often erratic, weak, fluctuating. Doubt, circumstances, and fear can obscure our awareness of the Lord’s presence. We must stand on the sure promise of God’s Word that His love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). It is never-ending (Lamentations 3:22). The Lord’s faithful love endures forever (Psalm 136:7, 13, 21). God does not promise us a life free of affliction, but He does promise to be with us. ....www.keithmuoki.com --- Send in a voice message:...
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    25 mins