PACKAGED PROMISES OF HOPE

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” – Romans 8:32               

In Christ, the Believer is privileged with PACKAGED PROMISES of HOPE: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom.8:32). God has a Package Deal. This Deal is fulfilled in the Sacrifice of His Son. To have Christ is to have All of God’s Blessings! Those who reject Christ, refuse all of God, and miss all of what He has to offer. They’re forced to fill those gaps with substitutes that disappoint. The Sovereign Lord, the Creator of the universe, offers true Hope, for He is the only One able to make good on His promises!

We live in days of great uncertainty; in a world of broken promises, divided families, capricious partners, and backstabbing friends. The church in Rome felt the same. The Roman Christians needed to base their lives on truth rather than on circumstances that threatened truth. The situation is similar in contemporary Christianity. After many disillusions, we often hope for nothing in hope that we won’t be disappointed. Living in a culture that claims God’s name but declines His Lordship, it’s easy to get sucked into the black hole of hopelessness.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome and shared a package of promises of God that could give us hope when we need it most: No opposition; no accusation; no condemnation; and no separation.

No Opposition: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (v.31). If God is for Christians, then God is for the Christian. I am Christian; so God is for Me. It does not matter if your parents may have neglected you; if your friends may have abandoned you; if your employer may have exploited and dumped you; if your spouse may have forsaken you; as long as God is for you! Of course, you will have many who oppose you. But hope comes as you realize it doesn’t matter who is against you if God is for you, because nobody beats God!

No Accusation: “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (v.33). Ultimately, no one will bring a charge against us that will stick in God’s judgment because as Christians – sinners saved by Grace, we already stand justified in His sight by faith in Christ who died for sins. God promises that no one will thwart the process He began by predestining us to be conformed to the image of Christ. No charge can stick because God is in charge of the process.

No Condemnation: “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen; who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (v.34). Others may condemn us and pass judgement on our spiritual state – or even our salvation. But Jesus, the only One who can condemn, is presently interceding for us. He died for our sins, was buried, raised, and now is at the right hand of God. He is not there condemning. No, He is interceding for us in the Place of Power! What a burden is lifted to look into the Judge’s face and see the Saviour!

No Separation from God’s Love: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (v.35). When we pass through seasons of great pain, our greatest comfort is in God’s Word. Nothing we experience – no confusion or pain – can separate us from Christ’s love (vv. 38-39).

These packaged promises give Hope like an anchor for the soul: None can oppose us, for God is for us; none can accuse us, for God justifies us; none can condemn us, for Christ intercedes for us; and none can separate us from God’s Love in Christ. In a world that fails and disappoints, we need to cling to the One who never will.