May We Introduce You to Jesus?

Read: Romans 8:31-39

Sometimes a good story can have more than one appropriate lesson. Depending on what the speaker wants to emphasize. I heard an example of that this week in a message given by Erwin Lutzer, who now serves as Pastor emeritus at Moody Church in Chicago. Once while in an airport, Pastor Lutzer saw a woman who had a baby in her arms, a toddler that she was shepherding through the airport and she was also pushing her luggage. Desiring to be helpful, he offered to assist her by taking care of her suitcase. She said no. She had things under control. He offered again and received the same response. Right then, I was thinking about the times we don't give burdens to the Lord; instead, we often work out of our own very limited capacities. Not receiving the help, the Lord is ready to give, Psalm 50:15. However, Erwin Lutzer surprised me by taking the story in a very different direction. When he pondered the woman's dilemma, it dawned on him. Why would she receive his help? After all, she didn't know him. If she had been a member of Moody Church, she might have given him both the baby and the suitcase to push because she would have likely been certain of his trustworthiness, but someone who was a stranger? Who knew if he might steal her things and simply disappear!

We now live in a world where the God we love, the Creator/Redeemer, is often not known by the people we encounter. They have heard of God. Many have even looked into various religions which offer a variety of pictures of God. A myriad of views that contradict one another. They have encountered such a different picture of God than the truth concerning the One we know and cherish. Perhaps with all these many opinions, they feel like that woman in the airport. Deep down, it would be nice if they could know Him, but how can that happen when there are so many varied opinions concerning what He is like?

May we introduce the God we love to you? May we tell you why we can trust Him?

First, the truths that we in this church hold out to you come unashamedly from the Bible. Let's start there and look at one passage, Romans 8:31-39, specifically Romans 8:32 as a place to start. Such a bold statement! Here Paul the apostle holds out a sweet and amazing truth. Since God gave His son Jesus to die in our place, John 3:16, there is nothing that is helpful to us that He would withhold, Romans 8:32. The most precious gift God could possibly give us is a way to be totally cleansed from our sin; so, Paul reasoned that since God willingly did that, 2 Corinthians 9:15, there is no reason to believe that He would keep back any lesser gift.

That brings up a question. Many people have prayed for something that was very precious to them. It could be a healing, a job that seemed so right or even a child. When time passed, and the gift that was desired didn't come, that was when many, perhaps even someone who might read these few words, deemed God to be untrustworthy or unloving. Perhaps that is why, the Bible doesn't hold out answered prayer as the showcase of God's love even though God gives many good things to His children, Matthew 7:7-11. Instead, the Lord holds out Jesus' atoning death on the cross--more about that later--as the wondrous proof of God's love, 1 John 3:16. Even though specific answers to prayer are sweet, when God tells us that we are loved, He points to the cross.

Let's look at merely a few additional incredible gifts Jesus holds out to us when we turn to Him. In Romans 8:31, we discover that God is for us. In Genesis 39, we read about a man named Joseph. In that one chapter, we read that even though he was sold into slavery by his brothers and he was falsely accused of sexual misconduct by a scheming woman, God said he was with Joseph, Genesis 39:2; Genesis 39:21. Although that assessment seems strange to us, God was sustaining and helping Joseph. Working on his behalf to accomplish things that probably weren't readily seen. If they were seen at all. No one wants to have times of struggle, but God Who has unfathomable love for us and unlimited wisdom and resources wants to remind us in these precious verses that He is for us too. He is not aloof just watching how things will unfold. He accomplishes all that He chooses to do, Psalm 115:3. In Romans 8:33, Paul reminds us of another truth about God. Because of Jesus, there is no record of our sin that God will hold out against us. Instead, we are clothed in God's righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21.

When God our Father looks at His redeemed children, He sees the righteousness of Jesus which has been placed upon us because our sins were placed upon the Savior.

That means that when an accusing thought comes to mind, telling us that God will not receive us because of a sin, we should reject it. Every sin that we have or will commit was paid for at the cross. That means that we are robed in the perfect righteousness of Christ, Isaiah 61:10. One of the names of the devil is "accuser", and Revelation 12:10 says that he does this day and night. Praise God that we who trust in Jesus have the One Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and nothing that the devil says against any of God's children will taint God's own. The Bible calls Jesus our advocate. No one can bring an accusation that will stick to the ones whom Jesus has cleansed, 1 John 1:7. No accuser is stronger than He is. In Romans 8:38-39, the chapter ends with an amazing truth about Almighty God. We who belong to Him cannot be separated from His love.

Oh yes, the list of circumstances Paul lays out look daunting. Does a terrible experience mean that God has left us? Does the evil one have the power to snatch us away from God? Paul is clear that NOTHING can separate us from God's love. Even when our feelings cause us to wonder. God holds us fast, John 10:27-30; Hebrews 13:5. On the cross, Jesus as He was paying the price for sin, cried out asking why God had forsaken Him. We don't know everything about what happened in those three hours of darkness, but we know that since the Father turned away from Jesus during those hours, we will never experience a separation from God's love, Romans 8:38-39. Jesus experienced that horror so we will not ever have to face that terror.

I know that I've merely scratched the surface with these few words, but they can remind those of us who belong to Jesus how loved we are. If anyone reads this who doesn't yet belong to the Lord, we would love the chance to introduce Him to you using these truths or answering any questions they might have raised.

Let's end today with more precious truth concerning what God is like from Psalm 103:8-14:

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children, so, the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.