My only Hope

ne morning in 1927 while Rabbi Josef was ministering and praying in a synagogue in Leningrad, Russia (then still under communist rule), the police barged in and threatened to harm him if he did not cease and desist from his religious activities. Unfazed, the rabbi insisted he would not. Poking a gun at the rabbi, one of the police officers said, “This little toy has made many a man change his mind.” To which the rabbi responded, “This little toy can intimidate only that kind of man who has many gods and one world. But because I have only one God and two worlds, I am not impressed by this little toy.” Such conviction is reminiscent of the apostle Paul. For one who has had many brushes with death in his lifetime, Paul stood firm for what he believed. This conviction he shares with us in Romans 8:31-39.

“If God is for us, who is against us” (Romans 8:31)? Answer: NO ONE. Who can stand against the One who created the vast universe, whose great attributes embodied in His Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence, we can only feebly attempt to comprehend? How can He who created the stars and calls each one by name ever forget the people He made for a special relationship with Himself? The God who is on our side is the One “who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things” (v. 32). Even when man turned his back on Him in rebellion, He offered His Son to be slain that he may be reconciled to Him. If He had made provisions for our life beyond this earth, He will supply the faith we need to live victoriously in the here and now for Jesus. His unconditional, eternal love for us assures us that nothing we do will increase or diminish His love for us. Our finiteness may fail to see beyond our present sufferings and dismiss God’s dealings as opposition to us, but God has our best interests in mind, as one person learned and wrote: “I asked God for strength so that I can achieve much, but He gave me weakness so that I can humbly learn obedience. I asked God for good health so that I can do great things, but He gave me sickness so that I can do greater things. I asked God for wealth so that I can be happy, but He made me poor so that I can be wise. I asked for power and authority so that I will be obeyed by people, but He gave me humility so that I would learn to obey and see my need for God. I asked God for things so that I could enjoy life, He gave me life so that I can enjoy Him. I got nothing of the things that I’ve asked for, but got the things that I’ve never dreamt of. I wanted to go my own way, but His graceful way has made me the greatest among men.”

“Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” No one can, for “God is the One who justifies” (v.33). But many will try, and there’s one who tries relentlessly. Satan, “the accuser of our brethren… who accuses them before our God day and night” (Rev. 12:10), points an accusing finger at us before God for our every misdeed, determined to sway God to condemn us. But Jesus comes to our defense and showing His pierced Hands, says, “That has been fully paid for.” For those who have believed in Christ, their sins have been covered by the Blood of Jesus. Our sins have been transferred to Jesus, while His righteousness has been transferred to us. Justification, new birth, reconciliation and peace with God are ours in Christ Jesus. Therefore we can stand before our holy God pure in His sight. The punishment we deserve was already heaped upon Jesus. That’s the good news of our salvation! Therefore, the devil’s accusations cannot stand up, “for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down…” (Rev. 12:10). It is he who has a sentence waiting to be served on him for all eternity.

“Who is the one who condemns?” No doubt many will, and condemnation will come from different directions from non-believers and Christians alike, and even ourselves. But Romans 8:1 reminds us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Why so? “Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (v. 34). Jesus, who died for our sins, rose from the dead and has entered the Inner Sanctuary, not built by human hands, as the Great High Priest. When we do sin, we may be free from condemnation, but we need to come to Jesus for cleansing. If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Furthermore, He intercedes for us. It is well worth remembering that we have an Advocate from above.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ….But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (vv.35, 37-39). Paul found security in the love of Christ. It was that love that compelled him to share the Good News with others, notwithstanding the dangers and inconveniences. "For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered" (v. 36). Definitely nothing and no one can come between us and the love of Christ. Whether tsunami, terrorism, typhoon, coup d’etat, war, meningococcemia, earthquake, imprisonment or persecution, the love of Christ will see us through and bring us safely home into His very Presence.

LIFE APPLICATIONS

Knowledge, unless it cascades down from the head to the heart, then eventually to the hands and feet, is of no real value. How then can we apply into our lives the same convictions that Paul had?

1. Trust God. The God who holds the entire universe and sets everything in place is the same God who holds our lives. The God who can raise the dead to life has the power to revive a soured marriage, heal our infirmities, liberate us from addiction, or raise money for the rent. Our powerful God can be trusted to carry us through in love all the days of our life to the next.

2. Live out Christ’s righteousness. Since Christ’s righteousness has been credited to us, we can live righteously through the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells us. We are to live lives that are morally pure characterized by integrity. As one writer said, “As the excellence of steel is strength and as the excellence of art is beauty, so the excellence of mankind is moral character.”

3. Have a daily relationship with Jesus. We cannot have victory while in the world if we don’t come to Jesus daily for sustenance. It is only through daily communion with Him through prayer, confession, quiet time, Bible study and Bible reading can we draw His strength to face life’s daily battles. And for us to grow in our relationship with the Lord, we also need others in the Body of Christ for discipleship, accountability, and prayer.

4. Rejoice in all life’s circumstances. In trying times, it is difficult to be joyful and thankful. Yet Paul, at the point of death said, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Phil. 4:4)! When we are able to thank God even when we are assailed by the harsh realities of life, the heart of God is stirred within Him. And from His heart will flow such grace that will miraculously lift us up from the ashes.

When faced with a life and death situation, will we be as unmoved as Rabbi Josef or Paul? Christ has made known to us His love for us. Countless more need to know that love. Will we allow our fears to be the obstacle in the propagation of the Gospel? Our greatest fear should not be that of failure, but to succeed at something that doesn’t really matter. Let us then do all the things that matter to and for God!