Daily Dose of the Word of God -Romans 8: 31-39

Erin Pacheco, Director of Worship

Transcript

Erin Pacheco 0:07  

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God. Today is Friday, June 13, and Sunday is coming! I’m Erin Pacheco. Our Bible reading today is the end of Romans 8, picking up where we left off yesterday. This is Romans 8:31-39. 

Erin Pacheco  0:29 

 
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long;     we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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.

Erin Pacheco  1:52  

For years I have said: If I could only have one chapter of the Bible — like if I was stranded on a desert island and only got one page, or if I was part of the persecuted church and could only commit one chapter to memory to chew on for the rest of my life – I would choose Romans 8.  When I first became a member at ECRC and Mac Wiener asked what my favorite Bible verse was, I confess I kind of cheated and chose a whole chapter instead. Because Romans 8 has everything: Jesus’ death and resurrection, the living work of the Holy Spirit in us, our identity in Christ, creation groaning and the tension between what’s already true and the hope we’re still waiting for. And then we get to these glorious verses, rising like a crescendo of faith and confidence over even the worst of circumstances. Death and life. Cancer, chronic illness. Infertility, job loss, fear of the future and governmental unrest, wars and rumors of wars — Jesus has conquered it all. And today he’s on the throne, advocating for you and praying for you. Romans 8 is realistic about pain, but unapologetic in hope. Come what may, the truest thing in the end, for those who are in Christ, is that we are held in God’s love.

Erin Pacheco  3:28  

Let’s pray. Loving and faithful God, thank you that you know each of our circumstances. And thank you, Jesus, for your victory over all that is broken and evil, and for holding us in your love. May we hold on to you too, until the day when you make all things new. Amen.