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Theology without an application is just so much palaver. Likewise, the gospel without application is not the gospel at all. It only becomes Good News when it is applied. This miniseries is about what I am styling as the ultimate application. Consider the following text, lengthy though it might be, and see if you don’t agree that this is THE gospel’s ultimate application.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8.31-39).

Romans 8 is the pivotal chapter of this grand book. It is here that the theology of the Old Testament merges with the reality of the New Covenant, and the New Man emerges; it is here that the battles of the former dispensations were finally and eternally won; it is here that every man an woman accountable before God can flee for refuge and be forever comforted in the fact that the battle which they previously had failed in fighting has been decisively and eternally won in Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 8 transitions from the failings of the past when men attempted (but miserably failed) to serve God under law apart from Messiah to the success of the Son in bringing many sons to glory. The victory is not in us! That is not to say we do not have a race to run, a battle to wage, an enemy to confront, a task to complete, a mission to achieve, lessons to be learned, potential disciples whom we are to teach, doctrines that need defending, etc., etc., etc.; however, it is to say in all of this, the victory is not in us!

That has been one of Paul’s major themes in the first eight chapters of the book. It was not in the Jew individually; it was not in the Jews collectively. It was not in a Gentile individually nor was it in them collectively. All have sinned! There is none righteous; no not one! Our righteousness is before Him as filthy rags and we are, apart from the gospel wretched, poor, miserable, and blind. With Paul, we lament our estate apart from the Lord and cry out in despair, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7.24).

Romans 8 is the chapter where the wretch becomes the redeemed! The victory which we wish so much to win is not won by struggling; rather, it is won by surrendering! And, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (to be continued)

Questions:

1. Why is theology without application worse than useless (that is my conclusion)?

2. Why do I say that the gospel becomes Good News when it is properly applied?

3. According to Romans 1 through 7, who in the Old Testament era was able to achieve justification in the absolute sense apart from the gospel of Christ?

4. With these things in view, why does the gospel become Good News?

"Word from Scotland" from Sandy Shaw

Be On Your Guard Jesus Warns Disciples