Paul
the apostle rhetorically asked the people in Rome,
“Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ?”,
and he gave these suggestions, “shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword?” In
chapter eight and verse thirty-six of Romans,
Paul referred to scripture as he told his readers, “for
your sake we are killed all the day long”
where
we read:
As
it is written, For your sake we are killed all the day long;
we
are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
The
verse begins, “As
it is written, For your sake we are killed all the day long;”
Paul
began with the words, “as
it is written”
which means “the manner in which letters are delineated on a
tablet, parchment, paper or other material”, “for”
or “even as, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and therefore”
“your
sake” which
means “Paul's believing readers' cause and account”
“we are killed” or
“Paul and his companions are made to die and be rendered extinct”
“all”
which means “each, every, the whole and everyone” “the
day long”
or “the days of their lives”. Paul referred to Psalm chapter
forty-four and verse twenty-two as he showed how he and his
companions “suffered” for the “cause” of his believing
readers.
The
verse continued, “we
are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Paul
added the words, “we
are accounted”
or “Paul and his companions are reckoned, counted, computed and
calculated” “as
sheep”
which means “like four footed, tame animals which are accustomed to
graze” “for
the slaughter” which
means “as destined for destruction, butchery or sacrifice”. Paul
continued to share the verse in Psalms as he saw he and his
companions like “sacrificial sheep” that were ready to be
“butchered” for their “sake”.
When
we meditate upon these words of Paul, we see the commitment he and
his companions had to the believers in Rome. Paul was willing to be
“killed” for them if necessary, and though he and his
companions were like “sacrificial sheep”, they would pay
the price for them to know Jesus Christ. God has this kind of passion
toward us as well. He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross and be
raised from the dead to have a relationship with us, and those who
receive Jesus as their “personal Savior and Lord” shall know the
“love of God” in a way that permeates their being so that
others may know Jesus as well.
Next
time Paul refers to scripture as he tells his readers, “in
all these things we are more than conquerors”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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