Romans 8:12-18.

ROMANS 8:12-18 IS ONE OF THE RICHEST CHAPTERS IN THE BIBLE. THIS CHAPTER IS A PASSAGE OF HOPE, BLESSING, ENCOURAGEMENT AND COMFORT. FORGIVENESS SETS THE TONE FOR THE REST OF THE CHAPTER WHEN IT SAYS," LET THOSE WORDS SINK IN FOR A MOMENT!  THEY REMIND US THAT THE CHLD OF GOD IS NO LONGER UNDER GOD'S WRATH OR IN DANGER OF GOD'S JUDGMENT. THE BELIEVER HAS FOREVER BEEN DLIVERED FROM THR THREAT OF HELL AND FROM ETERNAL PUNISHMENT OF SIN. THE BELIEVER IS NO LONGER SEPERATED FROM GOD BY A WIDE GULF OF SIN, "BUT IS MADE NIGH BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST,"  " NOT GUILTY!"
AS  OUR TEXT UUNFOLDS, THE WEIGHT OF OUR BLESSINGS IN JESUS CHRIST BECOMES ABUNDANTLY CLEAR: BELIEVERS ARE THE SONS OF GOD.
 BELIEVERS ARE JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST.
BELIEVERS WILL BE GLORIFIED WITH CHRIST.
EVERY EVENT IN THE BELIEVERS LIFE IS BEING WORKED OUT FOR GOOD BY GOD.
 BELIEVERS ARE ACTIVELY BEING TRANSFORMED INTO THE IMAGE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
 BELIEVERS ARE ETERNALLY SECURE IN THEIR SALVATION.
BELIEVERS ENJOY THE LORD'S SUPPORT AGAINST EVERY ADVERSARY THEY FACE IN LIFE.
BELIEVERS WILL NEVER BE SEPARATED FROM THE PERFECT, BOUNDLESS, UNCONDITIONAL, ETERNAL LOVE OF GOD.

THOSE TRUTHS SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE US TO HUMBLE OURSELVES BEFORE THE LORD IN WORSHIP AND PRAISE. THE TEXT  TODAY ADDS ANOTHER LAYER OF BLESSING THAT SHOULD ENCOURAGE THE HEARTS OF EVERY CHILD OF GOD. THIS VERSE CONTAINS A PRECIOUS PROMISE TO EVERY BELIEVER WHO SUFFER IN THIS LIFE. WE ARE PROMISED A MAGNIFICENT FUTURE THAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR US.
WHILE THEY MAY BE GROANING HERE, THERE WILL BE GLORY THERE. THAT IS THE THOUGHT I WANT TO MAGNIFY TODAY. NOTICE SOME OF COMFORT THAT PRESENT THESELVES IN THIS VERSE: GOD IS THINKING OF US, AND WHAT IS BEST FOR US, NOW AND AT THE END, WHEN HE COMES TO TAKE US HOME!
 NO "CONDEMNATION" HANGS OVER OUR HEADS WHO ARE IN CHRIST.
PAUL USES THE WORD "JUDGMENT" THIS IS AN EXPRESSIVE WORD THAT REFERS:
   CONDEMNING.
CHRIST HAS ALREADY CLEARED US FOR HEAVEN.
 CHRIST LIFTS US OUT OF THE OLD VICIOUS CIRCLE OF SIN AND DEATH!

 AS WE ALL KNOW, EVERYONE ENDURES SUFFERING TO SOME DEGREE. WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE SUFFERINGS OF JOB, PAUL, AND OUR LORD JESUS, AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE WILL EXPERIENCE OUR SHARE AS WELL.
EVERY HOSPITAL REMINDS US THAT THERE IS SUFFERING NOW. (BEEN THERE! THEY ALSO CAN BE A BLESSING.)
EVERY CEMETERY STANDS AS A VIVID REMINDER THAT SUFFERING AND PAIN ATTENDS OUR EARTHLY LIVES. ( BUT OUR SOUL DOES NOT RESIDE THERE).
EVERY SIREN WE HEAR REMINDS US THAT THIS WORLD IS A PLACE OF PAIN, SUFFERING, DEATH, AND HEARTACHE. MY WIFE AND I LIVE VERY CLOSE WHERE THE AMBULANCES WAIT FOR CALLS. EVERYTIME WE HEAR THE SIRENS, IT IS A REMINDER WE ARE STILL HUMAN.
 THE BIBLE MAKES IT CLEAR THAT SUFFERING IS A PART OF EARTHLY EXISTENCE.

 WE SUFFER AT TIMES BECAUSE WE MAKE FOOLISH MISTAKES.
 WE SUFFER AT TIMES BECAUSE THOSE AROUND US MAKE FOOLISH DECISIONS,

WE SUFFER AT TIMES BECAUSE OF OUR ASSOCIATION WITH JESUS " IS DISTANT. OUR PRAY LIFE IS WEAK./ AT TIMES OF TRIAL AND TRIBULATION, WE SUFFER PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND SPIRITUALLY. WE ARE NEVER ALONE IN OUR SUFFERINGS. CHRIST IS IN THE MIDST OF OUR SUFFERINGS.

PAUL KNEW WHAT IT WAS TO SUFFER. BEATINGS, TEMPORARY BLINDNESS, FEVER, BUT HE WAS ALWAYS IN PRAYER; GIVING GLORY TO GOD. FINALLY BEING. BEHEADED.
PAUL TELLS US THAT HE IS ABSOLUTELY  CONVINCED THAT NEITHER DEATH NOR LIFE, NEITHER MESSENGER OFHEAVEN, NOR MONARCH OF EARTH,  THAT HAPPENS TOMORROW, NEITHER POWER ON HIGH, NOR FROM BELOW, NOR ANYTHING ELSE IN GOD'S WORLD: " CAN SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD!"
THIS LOOKS FORDWARD TO THE DAY WHEN WE ARE HOME, WITH THE LORD IN HEAVEN. IT LOOKS FORWARD TO THE TIME WHEN THIS EARTHLY LIFE, WITH ALL ITS PROBLEMS, PAIN AND SUFFERING WILL END AND THE CHILD OF GOD WILL GO TO BE WITH THE LORD. THIS FULFILLING SCRIPTURES:  (JOHN 14:2 OF THE PROMISE  WHICH TELLS US: " DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED, HAVE FAITH IN GOD AND FAITH IN ME! IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY ROOMS, AND I'M GOING TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU; AND THEN I SHALL COME BACK TO TAKE YOU WITH ME, THAT WHERE I AM YOU ALSO MAY BE.
YOU KNOW THE WAY THAT LEADS WHERE I GO."
"LORD" SAID THOMAS,"
"WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING. HOW CAN WE KNOW THE WAY?"
    " I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT THROUGH ME. IF YOU TRUELY KNEW ME, YOU WOULD KNOW MY FATHER ALSO.
FROM THIS POINT ON YOU KNOW HIM; YOU HAVE SEEN HIM."
"LORD" PHILIP SAID TO HIM SHOW US THE FATHER AND THAT WILL BE ENOUGH FOR  US." " PHILIP," JESUS REPLIED, " AFTER I HAVE BEEN WITH YOU ALL THIS TIME, YOU STILL DON'T KNOW ME?  " WHOEVER HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER. HOW CAN YOU SAY, "SHOW US THE FATHER?" DO YOU NOT BELIEVE THAT I AM IN THE FATHER AND THE FATHER IS IN ME?  THE WORDS I SPEAK ARE NOT SPOKEN OF MYSELF; IT IS THE FATHER WHO LIVES IN ME ACCOMPLISHING HIS WORKS. BELIEVE THAT I AM IN THE FATHER AND THE FATHER IS IN ME. OR ELSE, BELIEVE THE WORKS I DO. IF YOU LOVE ME, YOU WILL KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS  BECAUSE I HAVE LIFE, YOU ALSO WILL HAVE LIFE.