Who Is It?

              Reading Romans 8:31-37, I began to mull over the second half of verse 31.

Romans 8:31 b  … If God be for us, who can be against us?

In consideration of this portion of verses and the reality of our world, it does not seem to be such a hard question.  Paul was ruminating about who could be against him.   (Paul fought many battles, much pain was inflicted, and he was martyred.)

                  With this in mind, you and I will probably never have physical pain nor martyrdom placed upon us.  (We will find those who oppose us.)  Therefore, my question is: “Who is it that opposes us?”

                  We must begin with our Government.  We have many Constitutional rights, but some have been unceremoniously ripped from us by the false assumption of “separation of church and state.”  Through this magnanimous aberration, we have been delegated to a lower status.   We look at our country and see the mocking of Christ and the downplaying of Christianity.  We can pray openly as long as we do not interject Jesus the Christ into our prayers.  (Our judicial system has placed the Ten Commandments in a locked room in the basement of a county courthouse in Georgia.)  We can also look at our Christian pulpits and congregations.  Some are no longer using God’s Word, and their music is less God honouring.

                  So, the question we as individuals and churches must ask is, “Is it I?”

Mark 14:19  And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? …

              The Apostles concerned themselves that they were traitors to the Lord.  (I am not of the belief that most Christians are intentional traitors.) Yet, we as Christians seem to turn our backs on God and His Son more often than not.  We each must reach down in our hearts and open the safe where our “sincerity” is safely locked away.

Hebrews 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, ...

This “sincerity” is the keeper of a “true heart in full assurance of faith.”  Our “faith” ought to be a “seen quality” of our individual walk.  Through that “seen quality,” we will find those who oppose not only us, (but because of our “seen quality,”) we will find those who oppose Jesus the Christ.

                  “Is it I,?” should be your question concerning your walk. This question should also be asked of your church and your worship service.  Are you honouring God?

Bro. John R. E Chastain

Romans 8:31-37  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  (32)  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?  (33)  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.  (34)  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.  (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.