“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31
In 2011 I made a commitment to read the Bible cover to cover at least once a year. I have read all the books of the Bible but up until 2011 I had not read it cover to cover. I decided to read the Bible cover to cover not looking for some deep theological meaning or the latest revelation from God. I just wanted to read the book, become more familiar with the scriptures and become better at locating scriptures without having to Google the first few lines of a passage. I desired to be well versed in the word. In my reading of the Bible cover to cover, I noticed a lot of things and began to raise some questions. One such question was, “What does it mean for God to be “FOR” us?”
In Genesis, God spoke to Abraham and told him that his tribe, his people would be God’s chosen people. By virtue of being chosen by God, God would provide Abraham and his descendants with a land that Abraham was currently settling in as an alien. God promised Abraham and his descendants thereafter (Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc.) that he would drive out the current occupants of that beloved Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey, and permit that to be the place where they would settle. God drew a line in the sand and said that I am “FOR” the Israelites and anyone not affiliated with them is against me and I am against them. It is wonderful to know that when God is for us, God puts everything on the line. It is also wonderful to know that when God is “FOR” us that God is faithful and loyal to his promises and covenant.
I also noticed that in as much as God is loyal, faithful, and “FOR” us, God expects this same commitment from us. There is an expectation that WE be “FOR” God. There is an expectation that we CHOOSE God just as God has chosen us. God pledged God’s faithfulness to the Israelites when God entered into covenant with Abraham. Abraham and his descendants entered into covenant with God as well and promised to serve God with all their “heart, mind, soul and strength.”
What became of great concern to me is what happens when we don’t choose God or when we AREN’T “FOR” God. There were times when the Israelites, the chosen people of God, the people God was FOR, intentionally did not choose God back. There were moments when the chosen people of God were NOT “FOR” GOD. The ramifications of not being “FOR” God don’t ever prove beneficial. A whole generation of Israelites did not enter into the Promised Land because they were NOT “FOR” the God who was “FOR” them. They complained against God even when God did everything possible to show that he was “FOR” them.
God gets offended when God gives all of God’s self to make sure we are cared for and protected but we return this kindness with betrayal. We betray God, like the Israelites, by giving into idolatry, constantly complaining and not living in love. We miss our promise and all God has for us when we are not “FOR” God. In a real sense we become enemies of God when we aren’t “FOR” God. When we choose not to be “FOR” God we choose to become enemies of God. When we choose not to be “FOR” God we choose to be out of relationship with God. When we choose not to be “FOR” God we choose to be against God. And when we choose to be against God, I trust that the results will not be in our favor.
So I want to encourage us to be “FOR” God because “if God is for us, who can be against us…”
Consider This... 