Romans 8:31-34

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="097285a1erlcgo.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Grace Evangelical Church</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Grace Evangelical Church"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>    </B></div> <div> <A HREF="id206.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 7:112"><U>Romans 7:1-12</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id205.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 7:1325"><U>Romans 7:13-25</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id204.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 8:12"><U>Romans 8:1-2</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id203.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 8:35"><U>Romans 8:3-5</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id202.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 8:611"><U>Romans 8:6-11</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id211.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 8:1217"><U>Romans 8:12-17</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id212.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 8:1825"><U>Romans 8:18-25</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id213.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 8:2627"><U>Romans 8:26-27</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id214.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 8:2930"><U>Romans 8:29-30</U></A>   |   <B>Romans 8:31-34</B>   |   <A HREF="id216.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 8:3539"><U>Romans 8:35-39</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id217.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 9:124"><U>Romans 9:1-24</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id218.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 9:1024"><U>Romans 9:10-24</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id219.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 10: 110"><U>Romans 10: 1-10</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id234.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 10:1117"><U>Romans 10:11-17</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id235.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 10:1821"><U>Romans 10:18-21</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="096d2c00dkelyh.png"> <div> Main Menu:</div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Are We?"><U>Who Are We?</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Do We Believe?"><U>What Do We Believe?</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Where Do We Meet?"><U>Where Do We Meet?</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Good News For You!"><U>Good News For You!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A></div> <bR> <div> Life of the Church:</div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Announcements"><U>Announcements</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Calendar"><U>Calendar</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id266.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Newsletters"><U>Newsletters</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Staff"><U>Staff</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id124.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id267.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon MP3s"><U>Sermon MP3's</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id341.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Library"><U>Library</U></A></div> <bR> <div> Ministries:</div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fellowship Groups"><U>Fellowship Groups</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Missions Ministry"><U>Missions Ministry</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mens Ministry"><U>Men's Ministry</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Womens Ministry"><U>Women's Ministry</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Childrens Ministries"><U>Children's Ministries</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Youth Ministries"><U>Youth Ministries</U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Romans 8:31-34</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="0a7bc4b0.jpg" border=0 width="700" height="75" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Hope Guaranteed by the A Team!!!</B></I></div> <div> <B>Romans 8:31-34</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Who's standing with you in life?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>God is for </B><B><U>_______</U></B><B> 8:31</B></div> <bR> <div> Who are your enemies?</div> <div> The <U>flesh</U> Romans 8:7 - </div> <div> The <U>world</U> James 4:4 - </div> <div>  The <U>devil</U> 2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 - </div> <div> So what is your part?</div> <div> The flesh - Romans 8:12-14 - </div> <div> The world - 1 John 2:15-17 - </div> <div> The devil - 1 Peter 5:1-10  What do you do?</div> <bR> <div> <B>God has proven His </B><B><U>________</U></B><B> for you 8:32</B></div> <bR> <div> He did not spare His Son Ephesians 3:14-19; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 </div> <div> Delivered Him up for us all </div> <div> God was pleased to provide Him Isaiah 53:10 </div> <div> He demonstrated pure love 1 John 4:9-10  </div> <div> He did not raise Jesus until we were justified Romans 4:24-25 </div> <div> How shall He not with Him - </div> <div> Freely give all things - John 14:16-17; Gal. 5:22-23; John 10:10 </div> <bR> <div> <B>God will not allow any </B><B><U>________</U></B><B> against you He hasn't handled 8:33-34</B></div> <bR> <div> Who would charge?</div> <div> People will be critical of you 3 John 1:9-10 </div> <div> The devil will slander you, when you sin 1 John 2:1 </div> <div> 1 Corinthians 10:13 </div> <div> There will be many who will charge you!  8:34 But listen:</div> <bR> <div> <B>So:</B></div> <div> Love God -</div> <div> Love others - </div> <div> Disciples others - </div> <div> Keep growing yourself - </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>You have an impossible life,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>but God - the A Team - is on your side!</B></I></div> <bR> <div> you,   stand,  charge</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Biblical Teaching on Positional Truth</B></div> <bR> <div>      We have been working our way through Romans and often confronted with seemingly contradictory statements.  Paul is writing about Christians, so the following does not apply to unbelievers.  Christians are freed from sin (Romans 6:7), but are sold under sin (Romans 7:14).  Christians are slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18), but have nothing within to do right (Romans 7:18).  Christians are no longer sinning (Romans 7:17), but sinning (Romans 7:20).  How do we make sense of this?</div> <bR> <div>      We make sense of it by understanding Positional Truth compared to Experiential Truth.  When the believer in Christ trusts Christ, he becomes “in Christ” (Romans 8:1).  He no longer lives only in the domain of the physical, but now lives in the spiritual realm.   There are principles of truth that are true spiritually at the same time there are principles of truth in the physical realm - in his experience.  When you distinguish the spiritual truth - or positional truth - from the experiential truth, it's much easier to understand Scripture.  For example, at the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit enters the believer into Christ through baptism Ephesians 4:5.  Baptism means identification and it identifies the believer “in” the body of Christ 1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:4.  It guarantees that the believer will never face condemnation (judgment) Romans 8:1.  It guarantees an eternal life relationship with God 1 John 5:11-12, because you must have God's life to live with God. Furthermore, it is possible, because God imputes His righteousness into the believer's life 2 Cor. 5:21.  You must have His righteousness to be with God.  But experientially, you'd never know it if the believer is living according to the flesh Romans 8:6-7. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Positional truth guarantees the believer's eternal security, Rom 8:38-39.</B>  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Nothing can separate us from the love which is in Christ Jesus. We have a double portion of perfect righteousness and eternal life.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Positional truth belongs to all categories of believers:  mature, immature, or carnal.</B></div> <div> It occurs at the point of salvation before experience in the Christian life begins.  Therefore, positional truth doesn't depend on the experience you have 1 Cor 1:2, 30.</div> <div> Even though you may be carnal or immature, positional truth applies to you.  Being in Christ has nothing to do with what you do (morality), or don't do (immorality).</div> <div> Being in Christ is an act of God the Holy Spirit, not an act of the believer.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Positional truth identifies the believer as a new creature in Christ 2 Cor 5:17.</B></div> <div> The believer is a new creature at salvation by being in Christ.</div> <div> It is what God does for you, and therefore it is grace.  It is not what you do after salvation, such as legalistic self-righteous works.</div> <div> The "old things" have to do with unbelief and the power of the sin nature in the life; the "new things" refer to the new life in Christ.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Positional truth gives the believer a destiny of good works Eph 2:10.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Positional truth is the basis for grace blessing Eph 1:3-6</B>.  We are "in Christ" therefore God pursues us with grace.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Because we are in Christ, we share His:</B></div> <div> Eternal life 1 John 5:11-12, yet our physical life will end 2 Cor. 5:1-8.</div> <div> Perfect righteousness 2 Cor. 5:21, yet our life will display many and great sins Rom. 7: 13-24.</div> <div> Election to God's family Eph 1:4, yet we often act like unbelievers Eph. 4:22.</div> <div> Destiny Eph 1:5, yet we often despair and are confused about life when in sin 2 Cor. 1:8-10.</div> <div> Sonship 2 Tim 2:1, yet we can act like the devil in his grasp 2 Tim. 2:24-26.</div> <div> Heirship Rom 8:16-17, yet we can lose what God intends for us Heb. 10:35; 2 John 1:8.</div> <div> Sanctification 1 Cor 1:2, yet we are growing in sanctification John 17:19.</div> <div> Priesthood Heb 10:10-14, yet we need Jesus to intercede for us Rom. 8:34.</div> <div> Royalty (Kingship) 2 Pet 1:11, yet we are humble servants for the King 1 Cor. 3:5.         NOW, BUT NOT YET.  </div> <bR> <div> <B>Positional truth is not:</B></div> <div> An experience, emotions or ecstatics.</div> <div> Progressive; it cannot be improved in time or eternity.</div> <div> Related to human merit or abilities.</div> <div> Changed by man.  It is eternal in nature.</div> <div> Obtained gradually as you grow in grace, but in toto at salvation.</div> <div> Understood apart from Scripture.</div> <bR> <div> The key for life is to keep plodding, while learning Scripture.  No one learns everything in a year.  It's takes many years to synthesize Scripture.  That's why God teaches us through Isaiah, “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little." Isaiah 28:10.  Each time you study and learn Scripture, you learn another facet of God's grace plan and how the 66 books of the Bible fit together and how every word is interwoven and connected.  May this teaching on Positional Truth be another thread of weaving your understanding of Scripture hold you strong in your time of need.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id216.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 8:3539"><U><B>Next Page</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Grace Evangelical Church"><U><B><IMG SRC="0c740400.gif" border=0 width="64" height="64" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Grace Evangelical Church"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>