Friday, February 7, 2014

From the Scholars, on Union with Christ!

Paul seems to be saying that, since Christ proved his love for us by his sufferings, so our sufferings cannot possibly separate us from it. In the context, which began with the reference to our sharing Christ's sufferings, they should be seen as evidence of union with the crucified one, not a cause for doubting his love.
John Stott
'Romans'

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The design of God in this chapter is to give you such a deep, firm, unshakable, God-wrought, blood-bought security in his all-conquering love, that in these seven kinds of sufferings you will not curse him or forsake him or reproach him, but trust him and hold fast to him and be satisfied with him when all else is taken away. "When all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay." Or, as Job said, after he tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground, "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21; see 42:11)

In other words, the design of this passage is not to add eternal security to a life devoted to earthly comfort. The design is to promise eternal security to free you from a life devoted to earthly comfort, and give you the freedom and joy and courage to move toward need, not toward ease.


John Piper,
Desiringgod.org
Romans 8