God's Love and Purpose Over Us

- God's revealed purpose over us is to be conformed to the image of His Son ( Rom. 8:28b-29). This purpose will be fulfilled because nothing shall be able to separate us from love of God ( Rom. 8:30-39).

I. A Controlling Purpose Over Our Lives
A. This purpose controls our experience of the Spirit - Rom. 8:1-17 ("You have received a spirit of sonship" - Rom. 8:15)
1. The experience of the mingled Spirit being theexperience of Christ Himself - Rom. 7:6; 8:2, 9-10; 1 Cor. 6:17
a) The place of freedom to behold the Son - Rom. 8:1-2; 2 Cor. 3:16-18
b) The place where things are fulfilled in us - Rom. 8:3-4
c) The place to determine our disposition - Rom. 8:5-6
d) The place where life flows - Rom. 8:7-11
e) The place where the consciousness of our destiny and purpose becomes reality - Rom. 8:12-17
B. This purpose controls the expectation of creation - Rom. 8:18-25 ("For the anxious watching of the creation eagerly expects the revelation of the sons of God - Rom. 8:19)
1. The purpose of the three great groanings
a) The groaning of the creation - Rom. 8:18-22
b) The groaning within ourselves-Rom. 8:23-25
c) The groaning of the Spirit - Rom. 8:26-27
C. This purpose controls the intercession of the Spirit - Rom. 8:26-28 ("He intercedes for the saints according to God" - Rom. 8:27)
1. The intercession of the Spirit for us is according to God's present knowledge of us and His purpose over us - Rom. 8:27
2. The discipline of the Spirit in our lives is according to God and His purpose - Rom. 8:26-29
3. The Spirit's intercession updates our present situation in the light of His goal and purpose - Rom. 8:26-29
D. This purpose controls our daily environments - Rom. 8:28-39 ("Predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son" - Rom. 8:29)
1. How God is for us - Rom. 8:31-34
a) He foreknew us - Rom. 8:29; 1 Pet. 1:1-2
b) He selected us - Rom. 8:33; 9:11; 11:5-6
c) He gave us to the Son as a gift in the eternal covenant - John 6:37-39; 10:27-29; Heb. 13:20-21
d) He predestinated us - Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:5
e) He was incarnated for us - Rom. 8:32; 2 Cor. 8:9
f) He died for us - Rom. 8:32; 5:6-9
g) He was raised for us - Rom. 8:34; Col. 3:1-3; 1 Pet. 1:3
h) He's living and interceding for us - Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:24-25
i) He called us - Rom. 8:28,30; 2 Thess. 2:13-14
j) He justified us - Rom. 8:30; 5:1; Titus 3:3-7
k) He glorified us - Rom. 8:30
l) He's working all things together for good for us - Rom. 8:28-30
II. An Inseparable Love Over Our Lives
A. The definition of God's inseparable love
1. Its make-up
a) With God's Essence - 1 John 4:8, 16
b) With the Father's plan - Jer. 31:3; Eph. 1:3-6
c) With the Son's work - Rom. 8:31-39
d) With the Spirit's transmission - Rom. 5:5
B. The nature of God's inseparable love in experience
1. It keeps us focused on God's eternal purpose - Rom. 8:28
2. It frees us from living condemned and accused - Rom. 8:33-35
3. It ushers us into living a supplied life - Rom. 8:32; John 1:16-17
4. It keeps us in the experience of God's economy - Rom. 8:35-37
5. It changes our attitude about our environmental problems
- Rom. 8:35-39; 5:3-8; Heb. 12:5-7
6. It gives us the absolute assurance and security that nothing can separate us from the unconditional love of God which is locked into Christ Jesus Himself
- Rom. 8:38-39