Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love: Overwhelming Victory Through Christ
Romans 8:35–39 (NLT) 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered […]
The Spirit’s Groanings and God’s Unbreakable Chain of Salvation
Romans 8:26–30 NLT 26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit […]
Groaning Now, Glory Later: The Hope That Sustains God’s Children
Romans 8:18–25 NLT 18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation […]
God’s Children Glorified via Suffering
Romans 8:15–17 NLT 15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we […]
From Adam’s Fall to Enoch’s Walk
Romans 5:12 (NLT) 12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Message Paul compares and contrasts Adam and Christ in Romans 5:12–17. In fact, Adam is the first man, while Christ is the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45). Why are both Adam and Christ […]
God’s Justice Satisfied, His Grace Given Through Christ: The Greatest Love in Action That Restored Us
Romans 3:24b–25b (NLT) 24b He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. Message I. Made Right Through Christ: Grace Given, […]
Made Right With God—Apart from the Law and Available to All Who Believe
Romans 3:21–22 (NLT) 21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for […]
The Tragic Exchange: Truth for Lies, Christ for Barabbas
Romans 1:25 (NLT) 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. Message I. Exchanging the Creator for the Created (Romans 1:25 NLT) How did humanity trade the truth about God for idols and […]
What We Worship Shapes Us
Romans 1:24 (NLT) 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. Message I. God Let Them Follow Their Choices (24a) When they worshiped not one true God but idols (Romans 1:21-23), God did not force them to obey […]
The Glory We Trade: A Call Back to God
Romans 1:23 (NLT) 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. Message God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), Spirit (John 4:24), and invisible (1 Timothy 1:17, 6:16, Colossians 1:15, Deuteronomy 4:15). God knew they were susceptible to idolatry. God […]
