THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET
-MERRY MONDAY BY PARRIS BAILEY

“WHAT SHALL WE SAY TO THESE THINGS? IF GOD BE FOR US, THEN WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?” ROM. 8:31

“No foe can fright”- I truly believe that Paul had to pause after he finished writing the 8th chapter of Romans. I am quite sure this became his mantra for many others including me, for it speaks life to all who read it. We might be given the short end of the stick, been denied food stamps, lost your TOPS scholarship to college, or just diagnosed with a terminal illness. But if we can just step out of the traffic for one moment and meditate on this scripture. “WHAT IS ROOTED IN THE ETERNAL ORDER WILL COME TO ITS VICTORIOUS CONCLUSION WHEN THE BROKEN LIGHTS OF OUR PRESENT SERVICE ARE GATHERED UP IN THE FULL SPLENDOR OF GOD’S ACCOMPLISHED WILL.” (The Interpreter’s Bible) Paul is beckoning us to peer deeper and asks us, ‘if these things are so, what can you say about the life you now know?” There is nothing more comforting to know that God is in full cooperation with us!
Spurgeon says this: “He speaks as one amazed and swallowed up with the contemplation and admiration of it, wondering at the height and depth, and length and breadth, of the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge. If Paul was at a loss what to say to these things, no marvel if we be. And what does he say? Why, if ever Paul rode in a triumphant chariot on this side of heaven, here it was: with such a holy height and bravery of spirit, with such a fluency and copiousness of expression, does he here comfort himself and all the people of God, upon the consideration of these privileges. In general, he here makes a challenge, throws down the gauntlet, as it were, dares all the enemies of the saints to do their worst: If God be for us, who can be against us? The ground of the challenge is God’s being for us; in this he sums up all our privileges. This includes all, that God is for us; not only reconciled to us, and so not against us, but in covenant with us, and so engaged for us–all his attributes for us, his promises for us. All that he is, and has, and does, is for his people. He performs all things for them. He is for them, even when he seems to act against them. And, if so, who can be against us, so as to prevail against us, so as to hinder our happiness? Be they ever so great and strong, ever so many, ever so mighty, ever so malicious, what can they do? While God is for us, and we keep in his love, we may with a holy boldness defy all the powers of darkness. Let Satan do his worst, he is chained; let the world do its worst, it is conquered: principalities and powers are spoiled and disarmed, and triumphed over, in the cross of Christ. Who then dares fight against us, while God Himself is fighting for us?”