Alive Day 14 Dearly Loved: Digging Deeper
Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
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The Questions
1) If God is for us and sacrificed His son on our behalf, what does this say about God’s love for us? (verses 31-32)
2) Christ died, was raised, and now intercedes for believers, but what does His intercession entail? (verse 34)
3) How is the truth that nothing can separate us from Christ’s love intended to impact our everyday lives? (verse 35)
4) What does it mean to be put to death all day long and counted as sheep to be slaughtered? (verse 36)
Romans 8:31-36
31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? 33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. 34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. 35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
Original Intent
1) If God is for us and sacrificed His son on our behalf, what does this say about God’s love for us? (verses 31-32)
From the beginning, God’s purpose for creating mankind was to have a relationship with them. When man sinned, purposefully choosing to love and pursue themselves and their selfishness over God, their relationship with God was broken. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love for us” (Ephesians 2:4), made a pathway to reconcile that broken relationship by sending God the Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for our sin upon Himself. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Abraham’s story of sacrifice in Genesis 22 gives us a real sense of God’s deep love for us. “Take your (Abraham) son,” He (God) said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering…”. (Genesis 22:2) Notice God’s words, “your only son…, whom you love.” God knew how much Abraham loved Isaac; this was the ultimate test. Yet, Abraham obeyed without hesitation or protest. Abraham woke early the next day to carry out God’s command. When God saw Abraham’s willingness to love Him more than Isaac, He stopped Abraham at the last moment, “‘Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me.’” (Genesis 22:12) Consider how Abraham, a mere man, loved Isaac yet willingly sacrificed him for a Greater Love, God. Flipping this, consider God. His love boundlessly stretches beyond Abraham’s love for Isaac. In God’s case, however, His son, Jesus, actually died; His death was not stayed by God’s hand. He suffered a horrible death that through Him, we might be drawn back to God’s heart. This is magnificent love! God will never let go of those who place their trust in Him! (John 10:28) No matter who opposes the Reconciled Child, God will allow nothing to separate us from Him. He will do whatever is necessary to bring us to Glory with Him!
2) Christ died, was raised, and now intercedes for believers, but what does His intercession entail? (verse 34)
To help us study biblical words in their original languages, we can use well trusted commentaries as resources as we return to the original meaning of a word. Part of Strong’s definition for the Greek word translated as intercession is “to go to or meet a person, especially for the purpose of conversation, consultation, or supplication.” Intercession is the past participle of the verb, intercede. Dictionary.com defines intercede as: (1) to act or interpose on behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition; and (2) to attempt to reconcile differences between two people or groups; mediate. Jesus’ death and resurrection reconciled us to God if we have placed the full weight of our trust in Him for our salvation and rescue from sin. Therefore, Jesus, as God the Son, our eternal interceder, discusses, deliberates, and prays to God the Father concerning us. Bible commentary author, Warren W. Wiersbe, states it this way, “Intercession means that Jesus Christ represents us before the throne of God and we do not have to represent ourselves.” One of the best examples of Jesus interceding for us is in His personal prayer recorded in John 17. In this prayer, Jesus prayed for Himself, His disciples, and all believers who would eventually come to know Him as their Savior through the preaching of truth. In His prayer for all believers (John 17:20-26), He prayed for their unity just as He and His Father are united as one. This unity would prove to the world that Jesus was sent by God. He continues now to pray for our unity, always declaring us as righteous in the sight of God because we have trusted Him as our Savior instead of relying on ourselves to be good enough on our own (which is impossible!).
3) How is the truth that nothing can separate us from Christ’s love intended to impact our everyday lives? (verse 35)
Paul knew firsthand what persecution and hardship felt like in real life. Paul experienced imprisonment, whippings, and humiliation many times; eventually preaching Christ cost him his life. He experienced persecution both from his own people, the Jews, as well as from Gentiles (non-Jews). He faced hunger, thirst, shivering cold, nakedness, and death. Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 for a full list of his hardships. Yet, in the face of all these things, Paul persevered not because he was physically strong, but because he had decided to surrender himself entirely to God. It was in his weakness, he most closely experienced the strength of God at work in him. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus encouraged His disciples with these words, “… I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) Paul persevered through his struggles because he knew Jesus loved him and was with him throughout every trial. Before his death, Paul wrote his final letter to Timothy and stated, “At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it…”. (2 Timothy 4:16-17, emphasis mine) Paul fought a good fight and finished the work the Lord gave him, and he looked forward to receiving his reward, the crown of righteousness. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
4) What does it mean to be put to death all day long and counted as sheep to be slaughtered? (verse 36)
This reference from Psalm 44 would have been very familiar to the first audience listening to the reading of Paul’s letter. They knew it spoke of a time in Israel’s history when they felt defeated on all sides by enemies too strong, fierce, cruel, and taunting. (Psalm 44:9-12) The current day believers would have felt they could relate to Israel’s suffering from the past. This psalm also carried a prophetic writing, “Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Psalm 44:22) The ancient Israelites faced defeat at the hands of their enemies because of their rebellion against God. They were oppressed and exiled as a consequence of their choice to ignore God as the One True God. Though we don’t know exactly which incident in Israel’s history brought on the writing of this psalm, we do know there were times in war when God did not fight with Israel because of their sin. (Joshua 7) In the case of this psalm’s description, Israel maintained they hadn’t broken their covenant and had been faithful to God. (Psalm 44:17-21) They begged God to help and redeem them. (Psalm 44:23-26) Suffering is nothing new for God’s people. Christians are expected to endure hardship and adversity once they follow Jesus. Philippians 1:29 states, “For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.” In some cases that suffering may include death. Paul, in quoting this verse from the psalms in his letter, sought to explain that despite immense suffering, God still loves us, sees us, and is faithful to us in our suffering.
Everyday Application
1) If God is for us and sacrificed His son on our behalf, what does this say about God’s love for us? (verses 31-32)
John 3:16 states, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” God loves all of mankind. His wish is for everyone to be saved and be with Him in eternity, “The Lord…is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) But salvation can only come through belief in Jesus Christ, “Jesus told him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Therefore, for believers, God will do anything to finalize the proof of our salvation by bringing us into eternity with Him. Nothing can thwart our chances of receiving eternal life, but only after we have surrendered our will to His. Earning eternal life is out of the question for ANY of us. We cannot be good enough to win God’s approval for even one small sin disqualifies us entirely. (James 2:10) It is by God’s grace alone that we are rescued from the nature and consequence of sin and its eternal consequences. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
2) Christ died, was raised, and now intercedes for believers, but what does His intercession entail? (verse 34)
Jesus intercedes, that is, brings requests to God, on our behalf. He always does so by presenting us as already fully righteous without sin because His righteousness has covered us. (2 Corinthians 5:21) All genuine believers in Jesus are declared righteous when we surrender to Him! Christ has called us to follow Him in all things, and interceding on behalf of others is an important Christian duty following His example. How do we intercede? Through prayer. “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone.” (I Timothy 2:1) I have the privilege to be on the prayer team for a few Ministries. The most common prayer requests are for healing, finances, and salvation for family members. I don’t know any of these people, but I trust God will hear and answer my petition on their behalf. Intercession also brings humility and perspective of God’s power. We are not focusing on ourselves alone, interceding puts us in the position of sharing each other’s burdens as Scripture teachers. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) We are not only to intercede for fellow believers but for everyone. This includes praying on behalf of non-believers and our enemies! (Luke 6:28)
3) How is the truth that nothing can separate us from Christ’s love intended to impact our everyday lives? (verse 35)
Right now, we are living in a chaotic world, no matter where you call home. Climate change, political conflict, and a world-wide pandemic, together with our own personal battles, converge into a life of uncertainty. Yet Paul reminded us that nothing – no problem, persecution, danger, nor death – can separate us from Jesus’ love. Just like Paul, we too can persevere through our struggles knowing Jesus is present with us throughout. He will faithfully use all things in the life of a believer to point our hearts to knowing Him and using our lives to proclaim His glory. His love is unfailing! (Psalm 136) We too can fight the good fight, finish the race, and claim the reward that awaits us if we will choose to accept the free gift of life and eternal rescue that Christ holds out for us. Only with Christ, and His gain, do our worldly struggles and passions fade. “For I (Paul) consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed.” (Romans 8:18-19)
4) What does it mean to be put to death all day long and counted as sheep to be slaughtered? (verse 36)
The early church believers were witnessing Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled right before them in everyday life. With new understanding, old familiar words took on new meanings. Suffering was so closely connected with choosing to follow Jesus that new believers considered themselves as sheep to be slaughtered; they understood this decision could cost them their lives, yet they still chose Christ. Regardless of the era, no true Christian is immune to suffering. Paul’s words ring just as true for you and I as they did for his first audience, “For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for Him…”. (Philippians 1:29) Whether we are mocked for praying publicly, prioritizing worship, lose friendships for speaking of Christ, or even if our lives are threatened we are still guaranteed a home in heaven if we have trusted Jesus as our Savior and Forgiver. I recently read of a woman named Hannelie Groenewald whose husband and two children were killed in Afghanistan in 2014. The children were only 15 and 17. After killing the family, the Taliban set their house on fire. According to her testimony, what gives Hannelie strength is knowing they served God faithfully and her family is now with Jesus. With recent events in Afghanistan, we know Christians continue to be at risk of persecution and death. Let’s pray for one another around the world, but also take heart that God loves His Church, He is with us, and He will faithfully bring each genuine believer home to be with Him forever. Despite what happens, there is a crown of righteousness awaiting persecuted Christians in Heaven, and for all who have longed for His appearing! (2 Timothy 4:8)
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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