Bold as a Lion

I was visiting a couple churches in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on March 10-11.  At one church, we heard from a couple people representing Operation Mobilization.  They were talking about their work, including Logos Hope, a ship of 400 missionary staff that travel the world.

On a side note, the ship actually recently docked for several weeks in Hong Kong, several blocks from my church in Wanchai. I got to meet several of the OM missionaries there last month during Thursday night street ministry.

Logos Hope docking in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong.

The Logos Hope ship contains the world's largest floating bookstore.

During OM's presentation in Cedar Rapids, they gave away a number of books. I got a copy of John Piper's Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die (free pdf available online).  A good friend in Fredericksburg had told me several days beforehand, "You have to read this book."  So, now I get to.  And it's really good!

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Okay, now to the point of this blog: All I really want to write here is an excerpt from the book.  In chapter 12, Piper examines Romans 8:34:

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.

And, though this doesn't do it justice, here's my personal translation of the verse:

Who can actually condemn us? Come on, guys! Jesus is at the right hand of God interceding for us!

This verse means a lot to me, because of its power in addressing the enemy's ploys to accuse God's elect.  When I experience the condemning voice of the "accuser of the brethren", Romans 8:34 is a "shield of faith".  I hold it up to remind the enemy that the case is closed--and Jesus has won.

Piper spends a a page unpacking the verse, and then he writes:

The world will bring its condemnation.  They may even put their sword behind it.  But we know that the highest court has already ruled in our favor.  "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).  No one successfully.  If they reject us, he accepts us.  If they hate us, he loves us.  If they imprison us, he sets our spirits free.  If they afflict us, he refines us by the fire.  If they kill us, he makes it a passage to paradise.  They cannot defeat us.  Christ has died. Christ is risen.  We are alive in him.  And in him there is no condemnation.  We are forgiven, and we are righteous.  "And the righteous are bold as a lion" (Proverbs 28:1).

Taken from simplesparrowart.