INTERNET BIBLE STUDIES Romans Lesson 11
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Romans Chapter 8:18-39

Memory verses for this week: 1 Cor 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's...

Introduction:     Last week, in  the beginning of chapter 8, we found that the saved Christian has no condemnation because of the gift of salvation. Because of what Christ has done for us, we now are the “sons” of God and joint-heir with Jesus.

  

I.  The Whole Creation is to be Delivered 

While the bible does not promise that we will be delivered from all the trials and problems of this life, it does promise that the sufferings we face today cannot be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us one day. 

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

John 16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

 

Jesus warned his disciples that they would have tribulation in this world.  Many television evangelists make claims that all of our problems will vanish when we come to Christ, but we see that this is not what Jesus had to say about it.  The one thing that salvation guarantees is our entrance into heaven, and that Christ will never leave us nor forsake us.   We also have our feet set on the solid rock where we can build a successful life, but the trials and tribulations are sure to come.   If we truly walk a sanctified life, it is a certainty. 

2 Tim 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. 

Moses was a man who was raised in Pharaoh’s court, and could have lived the so called high life.  But the bible tells us he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.  Sin does have its pleasure, but it never lasts and brings sorrow in the end. 

1 Pet 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1 Pet 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 

2 Cor 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

Paul called our afflictions “light afflictions” and said they would not last for long.   We know it is good if we suffer if we have done good for the cause of Christ.   We have no rewards when we suffer for sin that is in our lives.   Sometimes we think we have resisted temptation in great ways, but the bible says that none have resisted to the point of shedding blood.   When we think of what Christ endured for us, we should do our best to live honest and pure lives that glorify God. 

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

 Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 

On the resurrection day, the true sons of God shall be made known.   The angels will come with Christ and He will separate the sheep from the goats, and we will know who the true sheep of the Lord are on that day. 

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 

In verse 20, it says that the creature (or creation) was made subject to vanity, but “not willingly”.   When Adam sinned, there was a curse put upon man and the earth.   

Gen 3:16  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Gen 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Gen 3:18  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

 

One day, this curse will be lifted.  It actually is lifted in multiple steps.                       

a. When a person is saved, the curse is removed from the soul.

b. When we are resurrected, the body has the curse removed.

c. During the millennial reign of Christ, the  whole earth will have the     curse removed.  Christ will reign for a 1000 years, and then and the end, there will be a final cleansing by fire. 

2 Pet 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

2 Pet 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

2 Pet 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

2 Pet 3:13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

The creation is to be delivered from the bondage of corruption.  The earth will go back to the way it was before Adam sinned.  The creation will be made to share in the “liberty of the glory of the children of God.”   Creation does not share in the liberty of grace, but will have its part in the liberty of glory.  During the kingdom age, there will be many, many blessings through the millennial reign of Christ. 

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

Until Christ comes back, the whole creation will groan and be in travail.   When you look at the havoc being displayed around the world, this is not hard to see.  Even the storms that we face as weather patterns change are extremely severe..  And we who know Christ for salvation, still long for the day that Christ will return.  Our bodies will be raised and given a new glorified body like unto Christ’s,  

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 

All people who are saved have the blessed hope of the resurrection. 

Phil 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Phil 3:21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. 

1 Cor 15:12  Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

1 Cor 15:13  But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

1 Cor 15:14  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

1 Cor 15:15  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

1 Cor 15:16  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

1 Cor 15:17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

1 Cor 15:18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

1 Cor 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

1 Cor 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

1 Cor 15:21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

1 Cor 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Cor 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 

Paul told those people at the church in Corinth if Christ was not raised, we are of all men most miserable.  But praise the Lord, Jesus did rise from the deathbed, and is seated on the right hand of the Father today, making intercession for me and all of you who know Christ as Savior.   That is the difference in Christianity and all the other religions of our day.   All the others had a great leader or prophet, but then he died.  Christ died also, but by the power of God, He came out of the grave and was the firstfruits of the spirit.   And we look to Him for the power to overcome the grave.    And we do it by faith.

 

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

II.     The Holy Spirit Make Intercession for Us 

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

When we pray, sometimes we don’t even know how to pray correctly.   And when this happens, verse 26 says that the Spirit makes intercession for us that our prayers may be what God would have them to be.  Even the disciples did not know how to pray properly, and asked Christ to teach them to pray.  And Jesus set forth two excellent examples when He gave the model prayer (sometimes referred to as the Lord’s prayer) and the true prayer that Christ prayed for us over in John Chapter 17. 

Luke 11:1  And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

Luke 11:2  And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Luke 11:3  Give us day by day our daily bread.

Luke 11:4  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. 

I believe the more we study the Word of God, the better we will be in knowing what to pray for.  Many times we pray and do not receive our requests because we ask amiss. 

James 4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

James 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

James 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

James 4:5  Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

James 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 

When we pray and ask God to forgive us, we must also forgive those who have sinned against us.  If we do not, then it says the Lord will not forgive us of our sins. 

Mark 11:25  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Mark 11:26  But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. 

Our prayers should be out of a heart of humility, and never to be seen of men. 

Mat 6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Mat 6:7  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Mat 6:8  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

 

Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

 

Even the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us in our prayers according to the will of God. 

 

III.  One of the Greatest Promises 

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

This promise is not made to everyone, but to those “who love God”.  It says that every thing that happens to us works together to good to those who love God.  This takes in a lot of area… all the sickness, death in our families, troubles, trials, etc…. every thing comes together for our own good.   It is crucial to read the verse accurately and understand what it truly says.  It doesn’t say that everything that happens to us is good, but it says that by God’s sovereignty, every single thing works together for good to us.   There is no doubting God when we believe this verse, and it starts out in faith…. “And we KNOW…”  In my personal life, some of the hardest times I’ve ever faced have been some of the most eye opening and faith building times of my life.   Sometimes when we have no hope at all from the worldly standpoint, and God miraculously deals with the situation and brings us victory, we learn a lot.   My help cometh from the Lord as our missionary Buddy Woolbright said a few months ago in his sermon.

 

Psa 121:2  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

 

Isa 40:25  To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

Isa 40:26  Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

Isa 40:27  Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

Isa 40:28  Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

Isa 40:29  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 

 

 

IV.  God’s Eternal Purpose 

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

Those to whom He did foreknow applies strictly to the children of God.   These were predestinated to be conformed to the image of God’s Son.  Jesus was the first person to ever rise in a glorified body.  (Matt: 27:50-53 and I Cor 15:20-23)

It says in verse 30 that all he called, he also justified and glorified.   Having a good understanding of predestination takes a lot of hard study in the Word of God.   I had a lengthy discussion on this topic with one of bible study members just this week, when we discussed the role of the Holy Spirit in salvation.  The reality of salvation is that only those drawn by the Spirit who hear and accept the Gospel will be saved.   Does God have the knowledge to know who will and will not be saved?  Of course He does.  Time has no constraints on God.  It is as if he is standing on top of a high building and can see both the beginning and end of our existence.  With God there is no such limitation.   But to understand this properly, and to keep in harmony with all scripture, we must still go forth and preach the Gospel.  If everyone who could be saved was set in time and we have no purpose, we should stop sending missionaries to the foreign fields.  The truth is that the church is commissioned and directed to go forth and preach the gospel to all nations.   How far we will go, what each of us will do, is already known by God, and because of this, He does know all who will be saved.  But it never removes our responsibility for personal witnessing.

 It is worthy to mention that some believe these verses pertain to those who were resurrected and came forth from the grave after Christ’s resurrection.  L. S. Ballard is one who teaches this.  The one thing we know for certain is that all who have been saved will be glorified at the resurrection. 

1 John 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

1 John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Rom 8:32  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?

Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

Rom 8:34  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.

 Christ is the one who has bought us with His blood, and we belong to Him.  When we have God on our side, we should not fear what man can do to us.  With God on our side, we are truly on the winning side.   Of course man can inflict pain and possibly death, but to suffer for Christ’s sake has its rewards.  Those who die for Christ will receive a special crown.

 

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

 

V.    No Separation from the Love of God
Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Rom 8:39  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.

 

Paul mentions many things here that can not separate us from the love of Christ.  There is nothing that can separate a true believer from Christ when we know him as our Personal Savior, not even ourselves.  Paul was persuaded that there was nothing that could separate us from God’s love.

 

2 Tim 1:12  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

 

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Prov 4:18  But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

 

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