FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT: PERSUADED (PART 1)

We continue our series, Fight the Good Fight.  We began this series because the spiritual battle is consistent and present daily in our lives.  The evil one is prowling and seeking every opportunity to subvert and subdue our faith.  This is a cause for concern, but not fear.  We know that Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is far greater than the forces of evil.  However, at times it seems that fear, anxiety, anger, and a host of other emergency emotions threaten to overwhelm us!  Where is our confidence as we face the onslaught of confusion and turmoil of our lives and our world?  It can be found in the title of the sermon for this week, which is Persuaded.  Our scripture is Romans 8:28-39.  The entire chapter of Romans culminates into this single word found in verse 38: “I am convinced.”  Persuasion leads to perseverance.  Convinced leads to commitment.  The power that holds back the tsunami of terror in our spirits is being persuaded by God’s truth found in these verses!  The Apostle Paul is acknowledging that the battle is real, the stakes are high, but God’s power and truth will overcome.  His inspiration lifts us into hope and strength, but also clarity.  We pray that you sense the power of God strengthening you as you confront your spiritual battle, and may God give you the clarity of being his precious child, and you are not alone! 

Romans 8:28-29: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. ³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all– how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died– more than that, who was raised to life– is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.