Lesson 6: Purpose of suffering – faith in Him (part 3)
Romans 8:26-39 (ESV)
32 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?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 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.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded 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 sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 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.

We continue in this lesson with the verses from Romans 8. In the last lesson we saw what God has already done for us, and in this lesson we see the effect of His action on us.

First, in verse 32 we are challenged to think about God’s motives in how He treats us. Do we really think God would give so very much to save us and then hold back anything from us we need to be able to continue in the life He has given? We must not think such of God! Not only will He supply us with all we need, He will also defend us. There is no one who can condemn us – see also Romans 8:1.


Starting in verse 35 He again talks about our suffering. He essentially tells us we might face all these things listed in this verse – tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or death. In fact, death is something we have every right to expect but it never means God has forsaken us. He has not. And not only has He not forsaken us, He tells us He is making us conquerors through these things He allows into our lives. Think about the training a soldier endures before he is qualified to go out into war. Those long, painful, exhausting hours of training prepare him to be a victorious soldier in battle. And that is the picture God is painting for us in these verses. He wants us to be victorious soldiers in spiritual warfare. And there is nothing that can separate us from His love. Not ever!

*Do you worry you will renounce your faith in God if He calls you to be tortured and even die for His sake? What promise from Scripture can you claim when this temptation to fear comes into your mind?
*What growth has God brought about in your life through suffering?