Sadie Robertson-Huff Message Review (IF:Gathering Series pt.3- Teaching cont.)

S.2 Ep.13 Thoroughly Equipped Transcript

Introduction

Hello Ladies, and welcome back to another episode of Thoroughly Equipped. I’m so happy you have decided to listen in, if you are new, welcome! If this is your first listen to this podcast, we have been looking at the very popular women’s conference the IF:Gathering. 

More specifically, we have been going over the session at the 2020 conference to look at the way the speakers handle Scripture. Jennie Allen, the founder and vision caster of the IF: Women’s Ministry, set up that year’s conference to be centered on Romans 8. with the intent of giving the audience “more of Jesus”. Jennie Allen rightly proclaimed that Romans 8 is an extremely theological passage; and when it’s handled correctly, is a beautiful chapter to dive into to not only find Christ, but learn about the absolute sovereignty over and keeping of God’s people in salvation, and the help and power of the Holy Spirit in our sanctification.

Today’s session is a message given by Sadie Robertson Huff on verse Romans 8:39, the very last verse of the chapter. And not even a full sentence but half the sentence. Whether that is on purpose we will find out. But before we get into Mrs. Robertson-Huff’s message let’s look at the verse in context.

If you have been following this series from the start you would pretty much have a good idea of what Paul is trying to teach the early church in Romans chapter 8. And that’s because we have looked at this chapter in each episode covering the IF 2020 Conference. 

So we know that Paul in the previous 7 chapters was presenting his argument for WHY the Gospel was the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom.1:16), by first laying out the problem that every human being born of Adam is born with…the nature to sin, and that those with this sin nature are destined for wrath for God will judge all men (Rom. 1:28-2:11). Paul clearly argues that neither Jew nor Greek, circumcised or uncircumcised will be exempt  from this judgment, even men who were not given the law as the Israelites were given, yet do what the law requires, show that the work of the law is written on their hearts (Rom.2:12-16). All men will be judged by this law, and even more so those who were given the Law. Paul spend  chapters 3-5  arguing for the truth that no man is righteous all men are under sin (Rom 3:9-20, that only by faith in Jesus Christ are we counted righteous (Rom.3:21-26), that faith was always the way sinners were justified (all of Rom.4), that by this faith we have peace and reconciliation with God and have grace and life in Christ Jesus through his active obedience (Rom 5). In chapters 6 and 7, Paul then appeals to the Romans to understand that because of their faith in the work of Christ they are dead to sin and alive to God, to walk in newness of life slaves to righteousness. And because they are set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit they receive leads to sanctification and eternal life. Christ who has fulfilled the Law perfectly for us, has now become our husband, the law being our old husband who was put to death, so that we may now serve Him in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. Towards the end of chapter 7, Paul informs the readers that the law was not sin, but exposed our sinful nature, it is the means by which God reveals how we are not righteous, how we will be judged, exposing how there is no good dwelling in our flesh. By the law we see how we do not love God and neighbor, and in this knowledge we are brought to a desperate cry for God to show mercy. 

And then Paul writes the beautiful truths that are in Romans 8. That there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because he did what the flesh could not do and condemned sin in His flesh so that the righteous requirement of the law would be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Rom.8:1-4). He urges and encourages those of us who are in the Spirit to put to death the deeds of the flesh, because we are God’s children. And though we suffer, and are subjected to this sinful world we long, in the Spirit, to be set free from it and our flesh. And God who is faithful, will one day set us free from corruption and bring us to himself as adopted sons and daughters. Until then, the Spirit intercedes for us, knowing the mind of God, and works all things together for the good of those who are called according to his purposes. We are secure in this hope because it is all God’s doing, all his work, all for his glory. He predestined us in eternity past to be conformed to the image of his Son, and those whom he predestined, he calls, and those whom he calls, he justifies, and those whom he justifies he glorifies.

Now this is where we will read the text starting at verse 31.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be⁹ against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, (this is Sadie’s verse) ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul is presenting to the Church, the undeniable, set in stone, argument for our hope. And that is God Himself. That God, who did not even spare his own Son to save the people that he foreknew, will not spare or allow ANYTHING to ever separate us from His love. I mean, just think about this, ladies. I have a son. A son I love very, very much. Would I sacrifice him to save someone else’s child? And not just anyone’s child, but my enemy’s child or even my enemy? Would you? We are talking about a love here, that we struggle in our sinful nature to understand and grasp, and yet the love is not the only point of Paul’s argument, though it is the strongest. Within this argument is the nature and power of God himself, that while God in his great love sacrificed his son for us, there is also God’s power. That same power that creates and sustains all things (Prov.16:4; Act 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb.1:3) was at work in predestining you to hear and receive the Gospel, to be given faith to believe, to work in you to sanctify you and make you holy, and that same power that raised Jesus from the dead will raise you to glory in new bodies without decay and corruption. That is HOW Paul can say that we are more than conquerors and that NOTHING can separate us from the perfect, right, true, powerful love of God through Christ Jesus. 

These verse, at the end of Chapter 8, are meant to bring us to an understanding of God’s work in the salvation of his people, and the keeping of them for all of this life and into eternity. There are no more comforting, empowering truths, than these for the church of God. And it should trouble us GREATLY if someone mishandles this text, and wants to make it about something else. Why should it trouble us if one doesn’t teach this from this passage? Because 1) we are sinners, weak in our flesh and faith. We continually need to be reminded that our salvation was God’s work. We need to be reminded so that we give God the glory that he so rightly deserves. 2) We need to understand this because with the salvation given to us by faith in the Gospel comes a hope. The hope of being with Christ, set free from our flesh, and reigning with him in an incorruptible new heavens and new earth. This hope reminds us that we were not alone in our temptations and trials, Jesus too was tempted and yet is without sin. We, who are tempted and have fallen into sin, have a high priest who understands yet intercedes for us (Heb.4:15). And 3) we need to understand this because this hope is in what we cannot see yet, but is made assured by the work that God already has done- the Gospel. This hope always reminds us of WHO our faith is in. Christ.

So is this where Sadie Robertson-Huff will go in her message?

Let’s dive in and find out:

Mrs. Robertson Huff starts here message with what she calls a “church moment”. By this she means a sharing of what God is doing within the church. She tells a story of how she had visited some colleges and was very encouraged by how the young college students would quote “stand up on their feet saying ‘yes, I’m gunna follow Jesus. I don’t care what it’s gunna look like tomorrow, I don’t care what my passes look like. I’m saying yes to Jesus because he changes everything” end-quote. And that these young people just cannot contain themselves worshiping. Her purpose in stating this is to encourage people to know that God is moving within the colleges and in the younger generation.

She then prays before getting into her message, asking God to use her message to inspire the women there to take revival back with them to the places that these women are going. Now, normally, I wouldn’t play clips of prayers within a message, but her prayer here reveals something about Scripture, about the word of God itself. And I think it’s an underlying belief that a lot of popular Christian speakers may have, in fact, I think it’s what a lot of the typical evangelical Christians believe about revival and conferences in general. So I’ll play the clip and explain. Play clip 1

Ok, so when we pray we are coming to God, asking Him for certain specific things. And in this case, Sadie is asking that God use her message to quote “revive their hearts and bring revival back with them to the places where they are going”. That her message would be something that would change these women from the inside out, bringing new life because that is what God does and it is who his Spirit is. Here’s the problem: she believes that these things can be accomplished through her words and message. I, on the other hand believe, these things are accomplished through the words of God and Gospel message of Jesus Christ, those all being found in Scripture and Scripture ALONE. 

What you believe about the means that God uses to bring revival is how you determine the method of encouraging revival or new life. If one believes that it is God’s words that effect change, then, when delivering a message one will want to use God’s word, expound on God’s word, and teach God’s word to bring about change. This is what is called the efficacy of Scripture. That the Scripture not only has authority, is not only without error, that it is not only sufficient, but that it has power.

But if you believe God uses your words and influence to encourage and change women from the inside out, then those are the words you will use in your message. You will use your personal ideas, your philosophies, your experiences, lessons you have learned, etc. to bring what you believe will be life to your hearers. And I truly believe that most of the popular female speakers within the evangelical women’s ministry of today actually believe that God uses these things to bring revival. 

This comes from the belief that we help people choose to follow Christ with our testimonies.

The thing is…they would be right if true revival came as a result of seeing how others “gave their lives to Christ”. If the good news was that Jesus can make your life have purpose, and the testimony of Christ was about how he changed your life. 

Don’t get me wrong, these things are not bad, but they are not the message that changes hearts, they are fruits of a changed heart. We behave as though these fruits are the message that people need to hear. The… “God has changed my life and given me purpose and he can for you too” type of evangelism. But the message that people need to hear that is the POWER of God unto salvation is the life, words, and death of someone else. True revival does not come from acknowledging the blessings and fruits that come from a changed life or from finding purpose. True revival comes from the acknowledgement of our sin, the crying out for a savior, and the pure dependance on and faith in Christ and His word. 

I recently read a wonderful book by Johnathon Edwards titled “The Distinguishing Marks of the Work of the Spirit of God”. In it Mr. Edwards lays out for us how to differentiate between real revival and false revival. I hope to do an episode to talk about this in the future because it seems to me that this talk of revival is common and even growing within the evangelical sphere, as we see examples of this type of talk within the IF:Gathering.

But what I’m trying to explain here, is how this belief, that God will use our stories and experiences to change hearts and bring new life, is really the material they use to build up their audience. But if it’s not the word of God then it will not stand up to the fiery trial. Paul in 1 Corin 3:10-15 expounds upon this.

 According to the grace of God given to [Paul], like a skilled master builder [he] laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— ¹³ each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. ¹⁴ If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

The church is God’s field, God’s building. Sadie, by being a teacher, is participating in watering that field or building on a foundation. And either she is building the audience up with the firm materials of God’s word or she is building with weak materials such as her own words, her own knowledge and experience. The same goes for all the speakers at this conference. And that is the perfect thing to keep in the back of our minds as we go through her message. Let’s determine what she is using to build us up.

Now she presents the starting point of her message on story in John 21 of a conversation between Jesus and Peter. She talks a bit about how close Peter and Jesus were. How wherever Jesus went, Peter wanted to be with Him, how Peter and Jesus were “best friends”, and how bold Peter was in regards to Jesus. Yet when Jesus was arrested, Peter turned away from Christ in fear. She then goes into the setting of the John 21 passage and the breakfast with Jesus after the resurrection that happens around a charcoal fire. Play clip 2

Ok, hold on a sec. So from the historical fact that there was a fire in one of the times that Peter denied Christ, and then there was a fire when Jesus was cooking fish, she gets that we so often think of our past when we are in the presence of Jesus? First of all, both fires are not identified as charcoal. In the recording of the Gospels of Peter’s denials there is only the description of a fire or a telling that Peter was warming himself (which we would assume he was warmed by a fire, but we don’t know what kind). And while there was a time that Peter denies Christ while warming himself near a fire, there are still two other instances of denial that don’t talk of fires being nearby. So why she emphasizes that, I don’t know. But also in the telling of the breakfast and conversation between Jesus and Peter in John 21 we have NO clue what Peter is thinking? Does it really matter what he was thinking? It wasn’t important to the writers of the Gospels, or they would have included it. What was important and what IS important is what Christ says and does in this passage. He restores Peter.

Now Mrs. Robertson-Huff goes into this, talks about how Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. But I’m curious at this point what this has to do with Romans 8:39? 

She talks about how she had recently given this message in which she relayed how in the text, after being restored and told about his mission and his death, the next thing we see Peter doing is miraculous works by the power of the Holy Spirit, but that she was wrong. There is one instance right after his restoration that we see him mentioned. Play clip 3

OOOHH…Kay? This is interesting, yes. Why would Peter ask about John? I’m sure the answer is an interesting one. BUT what does it have to do with Romans 8? We will keep going. Play clip 4

So John mentions this in his writings to clarify a rumor (Sadie seems to imply) that Paul spread because he focused on what Jesus is doing in John’s life instead of looking at what Jesus is doing in his own life. This is the point and issue she want to address in her message: Play clip 5

Ladies, she has 1) been inserting into the text things that are not there, drawing conclusions based on these insertions. Nowhere does it describe Peter as missing what God is doing in his life because he “turned” to focus on the Apostle John. Peter is LITERALLY turning his body to point to John. There is no spiritual meaning in the word turn here. And Peter’s literal turning of his body did not cause Peter to miss out on anything. (I mean, COME ON!, the whole point of Romans 8:31-39, which includes her verse, is about how we WILL be conformed to the image of Christ (vs.29) and NOTHING will keep that from happening because God’s power and Christ’s love will accomplish it. Not even our turning to focus on what God is doing in someone else’s life. Again, just this idea that God is dependent on us to do his will

 2) She will now take a historical context and try to draw out a spiritual problem from them from which she will give us her solution or advice to fix said problem. Listen in…play clip 6

So the spiritual problem she wants to warn us not to “turn”  and focus on what God is doing in others, but instead to focus on what God is doing in our lives and understanding that God is building our testimony. By turning, we may miss out. What might we miss out on? Giving our testimony to others, because in our testimony there is power. Play clip 7

Ok. Do you see the connection between what  she is claiming here and what I mentioned about her prayer? She truly believes that her experiences are what bring new life to people. That her testimony converts people. And she believes our testimonies do the same.

So let’s set the record straight here. Let’s ask if her claim is true. Does Scripture claim that our testimonies have this type of power? What she clearly means by testimony is in direct relation to her story of the conversation between Peter and Jesus. So remember, in this passage Jesus is restoring Peter calling him to the Apostleship (feed my sheep, tend my sheep) and prophesying to Peter what kind of death he was to glorify God (verse 19 of John chapter 21). So by testimony she means what God is doing in the life of an individual, what He has called them to and how God is glorified in their life experiences (or providential appointments, as seen in Peter’s death).

So to answer this question I looked up all the passages that talk about testimonies, testifying, and even declaring. Most were describing God declaring, or prophets declaring for God, but I wanted to find testimony or testifying of God’s work in an individual life being used to bring salvation. Specifically, I want to see if Scripture claims what she claims, that testifying of God’s work in our lives has power to bring the dead to life.

First, we need to make it very plain that  what she means by bringing the dead to life is spiritual death to spiritual life, being dead in our trespasses and sins and raised to new life is our salvation. Second, we need to see what it is that brings about this salvation. And finally, from that we can determine if testifying to others of what God is doing or has done in our lives is how salvation is brought about.

I’m going to look at 2 passages that talk about being dead spiritually and raised to new life in Christ.

Let’s look at Col. 2:8-14 first:

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. ¹¹ In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³ And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

From this passage we can glean that it is through faith in the powerful working of God that God uses to make us alive with Christ. By this faith God forgives us of all our tresspasses, by canceling out the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demand, He set these aside, nailing it to the cross. So 2 things to note here: that by faith we are saved, and that this faith is in direct connection to Christ, the cross, His burial, and His resurrection. Keep these in mind.

2nd passage we’re going to look at is Ephes. 2:1-8:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith.

3 things to note in this passage. 1) That it is by grace that we are saved as it clearly says in verse 5. 2) that the grace of this salvation is through our faith and 3) that again we are made alive with Christ in reference to Christ’s resurrection as Paul mentions in his prayer, right before this passage in verse 19 & 20. By which he prays that the Ephesians know …and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places…

So now we know that the raising of the dead to newness of life is our salvation and that it is a gift of grace by God through our faith. We are saved by grace through faith. But faith in what? Faith in the testimony of God’s work in an individual’s life? We can see from these 2 passages that the faith is connected to Christ, the cross, his burial, and his resurrection. And notice that Paul called these works of Christ a POWERFUL WORKING OF GOD? Yep. Paul is describing the Gospel in these passages and he solidifies this by claiming in Romans 1:16 that it is the Gospel that IS the power of God unto salvation. Not our testimonies. But THE testimony or declaration of Christ dying on the cross for our sins and being raised for our justification.

Now she uses historical accounts found in the Gospels as examples of -quote “people getting close to Jesus” because of others declaring to them the healing and miraculous work He did for them. But they do not describe these people as becoming disciples nor as being saved. You have to understand…Jesus hadn’t gone to the cross yet, he hadn’t died, and he hadn’t been raised to life 3 days later. We also see that though many followed Jesus after hearing about the miracles He did for others, once he started proclaiming that he would die and especially, when He stated that the bread He will give to the world will be His flesh, and that one must feed on His flesh and drink His blood to receive eternal life, we see in John 6:66 after stating this hard truth… many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”. So, while people came “close to Him” by hearing and seeing the miracles He did, they departed from Him because of the words He said, the teachings he taught, and the Gospel he proclaimed to them. 

It’s the same today. We can talk about all the good things God is doing in our lives, how he brought us out of a slavery to sin, or healed us in some way, or gave us some purpose. And these are good to talk about. The Scriptures often talk about declaring to others the wonderful works of the Lord (Psalm 22:22; 35:28; Dan 4:2, among many others) but there is only 1 Testimony that brings salvation, and that is the testimony that the Helper, the Holy Spirit testifies of, who testifies on Christ’s behalf (John 15:26-27), the testimony given by the Apostles, the same testimony laid out for us in 1John 1:1-10:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ² the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The testimony that has power, the testimony that saves is the proclamation that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. 

Ok, I know that was a lot there but it was necessary. So let’s move on.

Mrs. Robertson Huff goes on to say that both Peter and John “got it” they didn’t focus on what God was doing in other people’s lives but what He was doing in theirs and went on to write epistles.And it was because they both took their eyes off each other and started following Christ. But what is it to us that their life looks like that, she asks. play clip 8

Now I’m not sure if that last part was her implying that that should be why we are following Jesus, or if it is actually her talking to Jesus saying that is why she follows Him. I imagine its a bit of both. But regardless, notice what is missing from that. Yes, we want to follow God because He said to, yes, because He has a plan, and yes, because we should want to do His will. But we also follow for the same reason the Disciples stayed with Him when all other left “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹ and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God. Who else has the solution to our sin problem? Who else gives righteousness and eternal life? Who else reconciled us to God?

I’m curious…Sadie says she doesn’t want to miss it, and by that she means, following Jesus, her purpose, and God’s will for her life. But what of these other things?

She continues, and talks about the -quote “good word” that Bianca Olthoff presented on Romans 8:31-39 and relays how just like for Paul, nothing could separate Peter from the love of Christ. And though nothing could separate Peter from Christ’s love, who might be distracting us from Christ’s love: Play clip 9

Back to this problem she’s set up for us. That we get distracted by other people, specifically, that we are distracted by the work of God in other people’s lives. This really is just ridiculous. No where, and I mean no where are we warned to not let the work that God is doing in other people’s lives distract us from the love of Christ. And this is MOST certainly NOT what Paul is trying to warn us of in Romans 8:31-39. I’m sorry, but I don’t think looking at the work God is doing in other people’s lives is a problem. In fact, I think it’s actually encouraged. We see all throughout the Old and New Testament God telling us to observe or meditate on the works he did in Abraham’s life, the works He did in Moses’ life, David’s life, Ester’s life, etc. For their stories were written down for this very reason. Observing the works of God in anyone’s life is not a distraction but is edification to our souls and gives us license to praise Him for what He has done.

Paul is not trying to point us to the RECKLESS love of Christ, either. I don’t think Paul would ever describe Christ’s love as reckless. Reckless means without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action. In fact, in Romans we see that the love and work of God, through Christ was VERY intentional, planned from eternity past. They were the intended act of love. And that everything we go through was predestined or you could say planned with the express intention of conforming us to the image of Christ. Christ’s love, and God’s work in our salvation are the exact opposite of reckless. Christ’s love it is not reckless, is almost the exact point Paul is trying to express. Because it is so planned and intentional, and not reckless, our salvation is secure.

But Sadie continues…she begins to talk about how her now husband, pursued her before they were married. That it was so beautiful, intentional, and godly. I won’t play that clip because of time, but i found this very ironic to say the least. How her husband’s pursuit of her was intentional and is mentioned next to godly. Yet Jesus’ love is reckless. But I digress…

She talks about how when they were dating she would investigate his instagram and compare herself to other women he would be pictured with, and complain to him that she’s just not good enough. How sometime, in her past, someone had told her how the boy she was dating was out of her league. And how she had sabotaged other relationships with this type of thinking. And just like she did this to her husband, she thinks we do that with God. Play clip 10

She sets this up like we shouldn’t believe, when it comes to Christ’s love, that we aren’t good enough. But Scripture says that this is true, we are not good enough. That is the entire point that Paul has been arguing for in Romans 1- 7. We aren’t good enough. Our sinful nature prevents us from being good and the Law exposes that about us. We may even have the desire to be good but our flesh keeps us from it. The solution is not to be convinced that we are good enough for God’s love, but acknowledge we are not and trust in the love of God worked out through the life, death and resurrection of Christ, so that the Holy Spirit may work in us, helping us put to death the deeds of the flesh, putting to death our sin, and walking in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-28).

She then goes on to list reasons why we don’t believe we are good enough to be loved. Play clip 11

And that’s it for her message. She goes on to pray and thank God that he is chasing after them with reckless love (making it the third time in this message that she identifies God’s love as reckless), she prays that they rest in the knowledge that Christ on the cross for their sins quoting John 3:16, and this is the only reference to the expression of God’s love through Jesus Christ. 

What did ANY of that have to do with Romans 8:39 or even Romans 8 in general?

Instead of even addressing the verse she merely states that nothing will separate us from the love of Christ, focuses on drawing out a spiritual problem from a historical recording of a conversation between Peter and Jesus, and has no biblical support for that spiritual problem nor any support for dealing with the problem. But we are taught to not focus on the work of God in others so we are not distracted and just know we are enough to be loved and that nothing can separate us from the reckless love of God.

What did you think, ladies? How well did Sadie Robertson-Huff handle the text? Or even handle John 21? What do you think about this way of describing God’s love as reckless? And what do you think about our testimonies? Do you believe they have the power to raise the dead to life? Email me at thoroughlyequipped316@gmail.com. And tell me what you think.

Before I end this program I just want to present my conclusion to this 3rd part of the series on the IF:Gathering. We’ve spent 7 episodes looking at the 2020 conference to assess the way these speakers handle Scripture, how they handle Romans chapter 8. I hope I have clearly shown how they have twisted scripture at times, changed meanings to words, took historical text and tried to make it prescriptive of spiritual issues, twisted passages to imply that they are talking about what they want to talk about. There was a lot of talk about problems we should be addressing, such as fighting off negative thoughts as Jennie Allen taught. We should be treasuring the Spirit that lives within us so that our lives look supernatural as Beth Moor taught. We are not to be controlled by fear that causes us to be perfectionists, controlling, compare ourselves with others, produce unhealthy competition, etc. and to accept our adoption and open our inheritance to accomplish our callings as Jo Saxton taught. We are not to count our resources when we question our callings but count on Jesus and just be faithful where we are ass Ruth Cho-Simons taught. We are to be on guard by knowing that we possess a power within us and that we are more than conquerors through Christ as Bianca Juarez-Olthoff taught. We are not to turn inward but become way-finders by turning and being found by the Waymaker as Ann Voskamp taught. And as shown in this final episode of part three, we are not to turn and get distracted by observing the work of God in others lives. That’s quite a bit to work on. No mention if any of these are sinful things to do. And I really hope I’ve shown that these issues are not talked about in Romans 8. But in fact, I hope I’ve shown that Romans 8 is all about God’s work, our putting to death the deeds of the flesh, our weakness and the Spirit’s strength, God’s selecting and keeping of us unto salvation, and the conforming of His people to Christ, our sanctification, and in the end our glorification. This chapter, except for the instruction to put to death the deeds of the flesh (which is still done in the Spirit) isn’t really instructing us but bringing to our knowledge the power of God in His keeping and working in us, all the way to the end, through the love and work of Christ, so that our faith in God would grow. What a better message!! Why wouldn’t they want to encourage these women up into this message?

Jennie Allen stated how she didn’t think there was a more theological chapter in the Bible and that we would get alot of Jesus with her hope that we left the conference loving Him more. Can she honestly say that these messages gave that very rich theology that we find in the Chapter? Could she really say that Christ was really proclaimed? Did this conference deliver what she promised?

I don’t think so.

Wanna know what theology can be gleaned from this text? Wanna hear what a message that draws out Christ from this text would sound like? Listen to the sermon series on this chapter given by Martin Llyod Jones. You will be edified greatly and end the series knowing God, relying on the Spirit, and loving Christ more. I will provide a link to the Martin Llyod Jones Trust website where you can simply type in Romans 8 in the search box and listen to all his wonderful sermons.

So ladies, until next time, I pray you have been blessed to dive into Romans 8 and have seen the difference between what it says and what these speakers claim it’s about. I pray that through these episodes you’ve been exposed to the way speakers can twist Scripture or neglect it. Learning for yourself how to compare what one says to Scripture. In fact in the final episode of part 3 I will have a special guest on to help us learn how to handle Scripture correctly and how to study it for ourselves.

I pray that you trust that…

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, ¹² so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,  to the praise of his glory.

(Eph 1:11-14)

I pray you are in His word

MelbaToast

https://www.mljtrust.org/free-sermons/book-of-romans/?gclid=CjwKCAjw_b6WBhAQEiwAp4HyIDnwBzK7h7iZaOsJuwEdR9pNHIPaEhIB-phgmY-tnH9gCZZtO_609hoCzN0QAvD_BwE