Romans 8

I have found that many a chapter in the scriptures rates high on my list of favorites! Romans 8 is just one of these chapters. We studied it this morning in seminary and...I still LOVE it.

I thoroughly enjoyed talking about it with the youth. They are great! I love to hear their ideas. We spoke of the first 13 verses....God vs man, or the flesh vs the spirit (and many others that they came up with). The few verses they shared that combined the entire passage in a nutshell....

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

Hanging out with the Youth every morning surely is a treat for me. What's more is that I get to be in the scriptures DAILY. I LOVE the scriptures!

But that's not ALL of Romans 8. Did you know that Paul was from the south? hehehe Check out verse 18...

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Anyhow....one of my favorite all time passages is in verse 16 & 17.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

I think the greatest of all the knowledge I have had since I was just a young girl is that I truly am a child, a daughter, of God! He is my loving Father in Heaven. This singular knowledge has gotten me through much of my hardship or struggles in life.

He IS our Father! His love will never end. Paul reminds us that nothing can separate us from that love....nothing (but maybe ourselves).

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What comfort and strength this passage gives me. But wait, that is not all....I'll close this little epistle with verses 28 and 31.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can ^abe against us?

The little footnote in verse 31 (a) means "prevail." If we are on God's team, who can prevail against us? Or better yet, if we let HIM into our lives, our hearts, who (or what) can prevail against us? Yes, truly ALL things work together for good for those who love God.

I love the scriptures! I love when I feel something from them....like this morning!