Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Scripture:

Romans 8: 33-34, 1 Corinthians 13

Questions to Consider:

What does it mean that God is the one who justifies us?
Have you considered that the Love of God intercedes for us through Christ?

Reflection:

This morning we will consider another facet of God’s love and that is that God’s love is overpowering.

33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Romans 8: 33-34

What I mean by overpowering is that nothing can stand in the way of God’s love for us. No condemnation has any force when stood up against the love of God for us in Christ. No charge by anyone, including the devil, can stick any longer because the love of God for his elect has acquitted us of all charge.

I’ve heard Sinclair Ferguson say that one of the most potent weapons of the enemy is to bring charges against the people of God. “You aren’t worthy, you have sinned too much, remember that thing you did last week, you are still struggling with a sin you should have long beat.” To all those charges, our answer is not a good defense, because we have none. Our answer is to point to Christ and reply, “I am guilty of all those and much more but his love has acquitted me.” God’s love is a covering kind of Love, and overpowering kind of Love.

The other way that God’s love is overpowering is that it is interceding. Remember when Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him and that Satan desires to have him that he may sift him like wheat. Christ tells Peter his faith will not fully fail and that he will once again be restored because Christ will be praying for him. (Luke 22: 31-34) The interceding love of Christ overpowers the will of Satan.

A final analogy is from Pilgrims Progress, specifically from “The Interpreter’s House” which served as the spark for much of what I write here. Christian is shown a fire burning and in front of the fire is a man pouring water on the fire trying to quench it. It would seem that such an effort should be successful but then he is shown around behind the fire and there is another man, behind the scenes pouring oil on the fire for every bit of water that is added. This is the overpowering love of Christ and his continual outpouring of grace. No matter the charge that tries to quench our faith, the fire will burn ever hotter because the greater the sin, the greater his grace and love. This is the facet of God’s overpowering love.

Stephen has a great word for us tomorrow morning on the joy of work so we will happily break tomorrow to hear his thoughts from the chicken farm. Be on the lookout for that in the morning.

Prayer:

Thank you for your grace and your great love for us that not only did you send us a savior but that he continually intercedes for us to keep us in faith and defend us against all charges. We are not worthy of such love and we thank you for it. In the name of Jesus, Amen.