9th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12) – July 30th, 2023
Zion Lutheran Church, Vassar, Kansas
Rev. Joshua Woelmer
Text: Romans 8:28–39
“What Can Separate You?”
Theme: God gives us all things through Christ, and He conforms us to His suffering and glory.
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
When it comes to talking theology, sometimes someone will make a comment along the lines that theology ought to be practical. That is, we shouldn’t just be talking about theoretical things, but anything that is spiritual should eventually have a “practical” application. One thing that pastors sometimes hear is “Don’t be so heavenly minded that you’re of no earthly good.” Now, I can see the funny side to this phrase—and it might have a point.
But, one important thing to remember is that these things are not in conflict. In fact, theology is immanently practical. Think about the structure of a house. You’ve got to think a lot about the foundation and the framing and all of that. Once all of that is up, then you can fill out the house with drywall, paint, trim, decorations, and furniture. But none of that matters if the house is going to fall down in the next windstorm.
The same is true of our life. We need to think about the foundation and structure of our life, which is God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and what He has done for us. When we understand that, we start getting answers to help us in the rest of our life. Some people might want us to jump to good works and “being practical,” but think about this: is it practical to consider why there is suffering in this world? Is it practical to debate Baptism? Is it practical to talk about what the Bible says about the End Times? Yes, to every question. It is practical to consider people’s souls and their worries, because those people are eternal beings. Those things are practical for our eternity.
With all that being said, our Epistle reading for today is concerned about what we call the problem of evil in this world. How do you answer someone who says, “How can a good God allow evil in this world? He must not be all-powerful or all-knowing or merciful.”
Paul begins to answer this question by saying this: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (28). It’s a verse worth memorizing. Let’s say it all together.
All things are going to work out for good. You may see that good in your lifetime. You may not. But God can use even suffering for good. St. Paul wants to assure you that first and foremost.
St. Paul goes on to set the rest of the foundation of theology, especially as it pertains to you. What has gone done for you? He has predestined you. That is, before the foundations of the earth were made, God chose you to spend eternity with him. Imagine that. Before you or anyone existed, God wanted you. It’s the exact opposite of kids picking sides for dodgeball. I want Billy. I want Jim. By doing this, kids exclude some kids until they must finally pick one of them to fill out their team.
But God’s election of you means that he’s going to outfit you for that salvation. He chose you, so he’s going to bring it about. “Those whom he predestined he also called” (30). You were called in Holy Baptism to be God’s child. The call to faith continues to go out even now. “Those whom he called he also justified” (30). Justification means that you are declared righteous before God. You are forgiven. Jesus accomplished this for you on the cross. “Those whom he justified he also glorified” (30). We might want to focus on the future glory that we will have. A few weeks ago, we heard how Jesus says those in heaven will “shine like the sun” (Matt 13:43). We may not see it with our eyes, but we have a sort of glory even now, a glory of someone who has a white robe of righteousness, a glory of someone who has put on Christ and even eats and drinks of God’s body and blood.
Because of this, Paul continues: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The implied answer is no one, or at least, no one of eternal consequences. The devil has his lies, his temptations. We do need to resist him in this life, but if God’s on our side, the devil can’t stand up to him. He can’t equal God’s power. He’s just an angel, a fallen one.
I mentioned earlier that God can work through suffering. St. Paul’s proof for this is located in Christ’s own suffering: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (32). Later, “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (34).
No matter what evils you are going through and no matter what you are suffering, we are called to look always to Christ, especially his suffering.
Don’t be mistaken: we do have things in this world trying to separate us from God. St. Paul lists them: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (35). I could add here “pandemic.” These are the things that have plagued humanity throughout the ages. We might be sheltered temporarily from some of these things in 21st-century America, but they are on our mind. You only need to look at the news to get a sense of doom: inflation, recession, social distress, and all sorts of things seem to be on the horizon.
God doesn’t want these things to dominate our lives. He doesn’t want Christians living in fear. The devil uses fear. He knows that scared people will do many things to save themselves.
We as Christians don’t need to live in fear. We know we’re already saved; we don’t need to save ourselves as if this life is the only one that matters. It’s not. There’s another life that’s great. That’s the life that Jesus is preparing us for.
Finally, St. Paul ends on a crescendo. I love it when a piece of music has ups and downs and brings you through all sorts of emotions, and then ends with a big crescendo. St. Paul does this too:
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (37–39).
Wow! What a statement with divine power. I encourage you to memorize that this week. It’s an eternal reminder that Jesus is Lord. He is in control. We are connected to him.
If Jesus has suffered, we will suffer too. If he died, we will die too one day, unless He comes again. If he has risen, we will rise too with him. We are bound to our Lord, and he is taking us on a journey through this world to the next. Nothing in this life can break that bond that He has forged by His blood.
To return to my introduction, is any of this that I have preached “practical”? Of course it is. It is practical to know that Jesus will neither “leave you nor forsake you” (Deut 31:6; Heb 13:5). It is practical to know that you are fellow conquerors with Christ. You can approach trials in your life without fear. You can struggle with temptations knowing that Christ is helping you overcome them.
If I were to redo my phrase from earlier, you’ve got to be heavenly minded in order to be of earthly good. If you think that this life is all up to you, then there will be doubts. You’re not strong enough to overcome your sin or temptations. You cannot do enough good works to satisfy your conscience. But when you are heavenly minded, you know that none of these things will separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thanks be to Him, now and always.
Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.
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