03152024 Same God

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our faithful Savior. The one who saves us from sin continues to save us in the years following. He is our constant Savior.

Life is not always easy – either before or after salvation. Sometimes we expect that things should be a lot better and easier afterward. Sometimes they get a lot harder instead, at least at certain times. The readers of Hebrews struggled with that. Should they just go back to Judaism? I think First Peter was written to encourage Christians against giving up when life got hard.

How hard can it get? Wow. There are lots of places we could look to see some of the trials and struggles of various believers throughout history. What about Romans 8? Those Christians were experiencing “tribulation, … distress, … persecution, … famine, … nakedness, … peril, … sword” (v. 35). They identified with the verse, “For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter” (v. 36).

For the readers of Romans, like the readers of Hebrews and First Peter, there was the temptation to focus on how bad it was. It would be easy for them to think, “It was all well and good when God saved me, but now I’m having second thoughts. After all, what has God done for me lately?” Life may have seemed to have turned to disaster, with no hope and little obvious evidence of God’s blessing and care, like He had left them to muddle through on their own.

What did Paul say to people who might start to think in those negative and doubtful ways? Wonderful words! He shouts out that they must not think that way. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (v. 32).  Listen, God made the greatest sacrifice to procure our eternal salvation. If He loves us that much, He is not going to turn His back on us in the smaller things. If He has made that incredible investment on our behalf, He is not going to abandon us in what comes after.

Do you think things are bad? Does discouragement reign? Listen, God justified us by His own work. He took away our condemnation. We have a Savior who intercedes on our behalf. And this isn’t just about lofty ideas in heaven. It is as practical as every day of our lives here on this planet. Here on earth is where we face the difficulties. Well, here on earth is also where God gives His support to those He loves. Here on this earth, where we face the tribulation, etc., and here on this earth where we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, is precisely where God helps us. He enables us to be conquerors in all those distresses.

There are obstacles: death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, height, depth, and other creatures, but not one of them can separate us from God’s love! God’s love is everything! It cannot be quenched. It cannot be overcome. That same divine love that saved us will continue saving us. When things seem tough and when it seems like God has perhaps even abandoned or neglected us, the truth is that His love is constant. The one who saved us will also freely give us all that we need. He will uphold us and support us.

Often God uses people along the way to be the channels of that support, but sometimes people will fail. Poor Paul. He often had companions, but sometimes he labored and suffered alone. He urged Timothy to come to him when everyone except Luke had left him for various reasons. Demas forsook him. Crescens and Titus had gone to other places. Tychicus was sent to another ministry. Erastus stayed behind. Trophimus was left somewhere sick. (II Timothy 4:9-12, 20). Paul had at times been completely alone. “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me” (v. 16).

But it’s no wonder that Paul shares what he does in Romans 8 about the constancy of God. His anchor was this: “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me” (v. 17). Nothing could separate Paul from God’s love. No matter the danger, (“out of the mouth of the lion” v. 17), God was able to deliver him and make him a conqueror. In that difficult context, Paul’s preaching was “fully known, … that all the Gentiles might hear” (v. 17).

Paul could confidently say, “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom” (v. 18). Could God abandon him, or any of us? Could He forget to take care of us? Could God fail just like everyone else and cease working on our behalf? Never, never, never! “He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (I Peter 5:7). Far from abandoning or neglecting, He that spared not his own Son will with Him also freely give us all things. The God who saved us is the same God who keeps us and watches over us every day.

May God strengthen you this week with His constant love.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA