The great truth of the small word

By Pastor Bryan Baggett

Pinecrest Baptist Church

Church people often use church words – confusing, long, unused anywhere else except in church. Let me change that in today’s column. I am a church person (obviously!). And this is a church word, found in Romans 8:31-"IF God is for us, who can be against us?" The "if" here is not one of condition or possibility, but one of real fact, more like "since," or "because of." It is on that "if" that so much hangs.

Is it possible that the God of the universe is not only unopposed to us, tolerant of us, and putting up with us, but is actually for us? Actually on our side? Is it really true that He not only doesn’t stand against me, as my opponent or enemy, but with me, as my supporter and confidant?

This biblical truth is exactly what the biblical message is all about. The God of the universe has done everything necessary for people like you and I to have a viable and working relationship with Him!

How is this possible? The first verse of that same chapter in Romans gives us the answer – "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Obviously, God is pleased, overjoyed, and thrilled beyond measure with His Son. He is also pleased, overjoyed, and thrilled beyond measure with those who take what His Son did, and claim it as their own.

This truth erases the doubts of the questions we often have. "What about my past? What about my present failings? What about my doubts and inconsistencies? "For those who’ve placed their hope in Christ alone, these things, and any others you can think of, do not disqualify you, lower your approval rating, or make you less acceptable in God’s eyes.

Listen to it again: "No condemnation." "Not against us, but for us." In other words, crazy as it sounds, God is really on your side. And even crazier? He was on our side even before we claimed the forgiveness found in Christ. Verse 32 (still same chapter!) states "He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all."

So here it is. God is on your side. As a believer, a follower of Christ, you need to know that, understand that, believe that, and live that. As one that might be curious about Christianity, not sure of it all, or even just dead set against it, you too need to know that God is on your side. That’s why Christ died for you, too!

So if I am writing of you at this moment, and you have taken the time to complete this article, will you take the time to realize He is on your side. Why else would he offer you forgiveness found only in His Son?

No wonder it is called good news!