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NASB | Romans 8:31 ¶ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 8:31 ¶ What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? [Ps 118:6] |
Bible Question:
Dear Doc, I picked up on this post from your response to Val re jun barabara's question about being born again. Could you paraphrase it in more simpler terms? And from a practical day-to-day perspective of following Christ, why would it be important for a believer to understand this theological distinction? Thanks. |
Bible Answer: Dear cuhigher, Thank you for your questions. For further details on the ordo salutis you might want to use the Advanced Search option. A while back I posted a full series on each of the benefits of redemption. We are a people whose perspective has been colored by a number of worldly philosophies. Pragmatism is one that frequently surfaces in the American mind. Consequently, we hasten to the practical, sometimes even at the expense of the truth, but most of the time at the expense of doctrine. We want to get down to brass tacks in a pursuit of what really works. Scripture, on the other hand, is concerned with what is true, rather than what works. Of course, that doesn't mean that the truth is not practical. On the contrary, the truth always yields beneficial results. However, the Scripture is primarily concerned with what is true. Furthermore, what we have in the Scriptures is a progressive revelation from God, our Creator, Himself. What He reveals in the Bible is what we need to know. It is "the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience." One of my favorite verses states, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. " (Deuteronomy 29:29 ESV) We live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4), not some of the words, not half of the words, or even most of the words. If God reveals it to us, we neglect it to our own peril (Hebrews 4:11-13). See what I'm trying to say? If it is revealed to us, then the tacit expectation is that we are to know it. In the end, don't worry about the practical aspects of revealed truth. The truth in the heart of the believer will always yield a practical benefit, even if it is yet unclear what that benefit might be. In Him, Doc |