There are always bowls, pans, and platters that end up in the church cabinets. It’s not that they belong in the church cabinets, but when people bring in things for a dinner they often never return to pick up their items. A few things have names on them, bu most do not. Sometimes it is hard to tell what they want back because some of the plastic rubbermaid and ziploc stuff is reusable, but cheap enough to forget about.
These things that go unclaimed make me think about life and in particular the Christian life. To begin, how sad is it that salvation goes unclaimed? When given the chance to accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus, so many people leave it on the table. And then, for those who do accept the gift of salvation, how sad that so many of us often focus on eternal life, not claiming the victory that He gives in this life? I pray this Scripture from Romans 8:31-39 and the words from the song, “More than Conquerors” encourages you to claim victory today.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 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. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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. ~ Romans 8:31-39
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Scott Knowlton's Blog 