I clearly remember this thought when I was a young preacher is my mid-twenties. I remember where I was, the circumstances, and the occasion that produced this thought. When this particular thought occurred, I had preached full time for over five years. As I walked down a sidewalk, an eighteen wheeled truck passed me. The truck came from behind me, and it was close to the curb. No, the truck did not almost hit me, but it startled me. I clearly remember silently thinking, "What if an eighteen wheeler killed me instantly as I was thinking an evil thought, and I died so quickly I could not even say, 'I'm sorry!' to God."
At that time my understanding of God's accomplishments in Jesus Christ's death were not the result of intense study of biblical concepts. At that time my concept of God focused more on His intent to condemn me than on His intent to save me. At that time I thought my salvation depended on me, not on God and Christ. My concept involved more the concept of earning than serving, more the concept of faith in human efforts than faith in God's accomplishments in Jesus' death. For several reasons, I felt certain my salvation depended on my behavior being perfect and my thoughts being ideal.
The immediate sensation that flooded my thoughts and emotions was the overwhelming unfairness of the situation. "I am trying! Genuinely, sincerely trying! My behavior is far from perfect, and my thoughts are far from ideal, but I am trying! How horrible to be eternally lost because of a moment's wayward thought! How urgent it is to die at just the right moment when everything is ideal in your life!"
No, this incident did not produce an incredible moment of personal transition. After that thought my understanding of God's accomplishments in Jesus' death was no better than before that thought. I share the experience and thought for one reason. It illustrates an all too common concept of God's salvation that I call the "grasshopper attitude."
PLEASE make certain that this personal illustration is not shared as a "transforming experience" event. The event did not transform my spiritual perspective. My intent in the illustration has a single focus: salvation concepts that focus on personal performance [personal worthiness] as the means to justify a saved relationship with God generate fear, not faith. Our salvation is rooted firmly in God's accomplishments in Jesus' death. Our obedience must not be an attempt to deserve what God accomplished. Obedience is the grateful acceptance of God's gift. It is motivated by the Christian's profound desire to partake of God's nature. It is gratefully living in the benefits of God's gift that our actions and motives could never provide, never deserve, never earn.
In the grasshopper attitude, a Christian hops in and out of a saved relationship with God every day each day of his or her life. Salvation is not a matter of relationship. It is a matter of performance. In this concept, when a Christian does something ungodly or thinks something ungodly, he or she "hops out" of a saved relationship with God. When he or she realizes what he or she did and tells God, "I am sorry!" he or she "hops in" a saved relationship with God. Thus each day every Christian is "in" and "out" of a saved relationship with God several times.
The "grasshopper attitude" stresses the concept that the Christian is insecure in his or her relationship with God. According to this concept, salvation is at best "iffy." This concept says being saved is a matter of chance. If a Christian dies at the "right moment," he or she is saved. If he or she dies at the "wrong moment," he or she is lost. This concept says primarily it is not a matter of God's accomplishments in Christ. It is primarily a matter of human thoughts and actions. Such concepts are in grave conflict with today's text. Our salvation options are not restricted to two considerations: (1) "It is all up to me," or, (2) "It is all up to God." God saves us, but we accept His gift responsibly.
There are many unbiblical concepts reflected in the grasshopper attitude. Those concepts include an inadequate understanding of the meaning of "being saved"; a misguided understanding of temptation; a poorly defined concept of sin; a flawed concept of repentance; an inaccurate understanding of redemption and justification; a rejection of the concept of continuing forgiveness; the false conviction that human sinlessness based on human behavior and thinking is possible; and the false belief that it is humanly possible to know every form of evil. The foundation of the grasshopper attitude is that salvation is primarily the result of human endeavor, not primarily the result of God's benefits extended through Jesus Christ. Salvation is viewed as a human accomplishment, not God's gift. The contrast between earning and serving is blurred.
Each of the problems enumerated are multi-lesson studies within themselves. Jesus was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11), but did not sin (Hebrews 4:14-16). Sin is such an ingrained part of human existence that it impossible for us of ourselves to be sinless without God's forgiveness (Romans 3:9-18 quoting multiple statements from the Psalms). Repentance is much more than the sorrow that produces repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9,10). Redemption and justification, as previously noted, are God's acts. Being a Christian does not destroy human weakness, therefore continual forgiveness is essential (1 John 1:5-10). We are incapable of making ourselves sinless. Christians serve. They do not receive from God what they deserve (Romans 6:23).
Consider today's text (Romans 8:31-39). Romans 8:1 is a summary statement to the personal conflict discussed in chapter 7: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Following was an emphasis on the lifestyle of the person in whom the Spirit lives. Devotion to a lifestyle led by the Spirit rather than a lifestyle controlled by the flesh resulted in suffering. When a life in rebellion to God became a life that accepted God's sovereignty, that life defied a rebellious creation by surrendering to God.
Through Jesus Christ, God delivers Christians from condemnation. In a responsive lifestyle, the Christian's mind and body are not governed by physical desires. He or she cooperates with the Spirit in producing the fruit of the Spirit as the Christian increasingly reflects God's nature. He or she no longer consciously rebels against God. He or she consciously surrenders to God's sovereignty as a citizen in God's kingdom.
Two basic forms of suffering exist. First is the suffering produced by living in the "now" age or "present time." That suffering is the result of the "now" age's defiance of God and devotion to evil. Second is the suffering produced by allegiance to the age "to come." It is produced because surrender to God by accepting His sovereignty rejects the rebellious "now" age. A lifestyle that rejects rebellion and evil in the age of rebellion and evil results in suffering. Question: if surrender to God results in suffering now, why surrender to God?
Remember the context. Paul wrote to Christians in Rome. Being a Christian did not remove a man or woman from the forms of suffering that characterize a rebellious creation. Being a Christian resulted in additional suffering because surrendering to God's sovereignty defied the rebelliousness of a creation that surrendered to evil. Then why obey God if the immediate (this age) result increased suffering for the Christian in Rome?
Paul gave them these reasons for surrendering to God even though it resulted in suffering. (1) Surrendering to God is worth the price of suffering in the "now" age! The sufferings in the "now" age cannot compare to the glory one will receive in the age "to come" (Romans 8:18). (2) Age "to come" suffering in this physical life produces good in the age "to come" for those who love God (8:28). (3) In spite of suffering now for age "to come" reasons, God is for us. No "now" age force is superior to God (8:31). (4) The God who gave the ultimate sacrifice [the death of His son] for us proved He will do whatever is necessary to assure our spiritual victory (8:32). (5) Those who belong to God cannot be successfully accused by Satan. Such is impossible because God justified the Christian. The resurrected Jesus Christ is the Christian's intercessor (8:33-34). (6) No external force which produces "now" age suffering has the power to rip a Christian from God's love expressed in Jesus Christ (8:35-39).
Note this focus in Paul's reasons for accepting Christian suffering: Christian suffering changes a person's thinking and behavior in the "now" age. It also provides eternal benefits in the age "to come."
The Christian who chooses to live in God's love cannot be ripped from God's love. What God did and does in Jesus Christ makes that impossible. It is not possible for a Christian who loves God to be taken from God by any force that opposes God. Only if love for God dies in a Christian can he or she be removed from the protection of God's love.
Through Christ, God actively preserves the Christian who loves Him. It is impossible for an external force to remove the Christian who loves God from God's love. No suffering of any type from any source proves that God does not love the Christian who loves Him. The key is not sinlessness. The key is love for God. If that love for God exists, God's forgiveness is an on going reality in the Christian's life.
In context, God could keep securely in His love any Jew converted to Christ and any former idol worshipper converted to Christ. Some Jewish Christians in Rome had and expressed doubts about God's ability to save the former idol worshippers. They were not confident that God's love and "those people's" faith in Jesus Christ was adequate to save them. Some converted former idol worshippers in Rome were convinced God had rejected Jews. They had grave questions about the saved status of Jewish Christians. Paul said they both were mistaken. Even though both groups of converts were significantly different, what God did in Jesus Christ was more than adequate to save all of them.
Two understandings are essential. (1) If "I" maintain "my" love for God, God keeps "me" in His love. (2) God as easily can keep other Christians who are not like "me" in His love as He can keep "me" in His love. In context, Jewish Christians and non-Jewish Christians, who were quite different, must realize that fact.
What God did in Jesus Christ is more than adequate to save us and anyone else who enters God's love by entering Jesus Christ. At issue is not God's power. At issue is the convert's faith in God's power.
The foundation of our faith must be firmly established on God's adequacy.
Questions
Allow anyone who wishes to share his or her understanding of the concept. Listen.
Allow anyone who wishes to share his or her reaction to the concept. Listen.
As a group, compare specific aspects of the "grasshopper concept" to specific concepts in Romans 8:31-39.
God is for us.
If God is for us, who is against us? [Who can successfully oppose us?]
How can Christians doubt that God is for us when we consider what God had done for us?
Because God is for us, we cannot be charged or condemned by Satan.
What God does for us in Jesus Christ makes such charges or condemnation impossible.
Jesus Christ is our intercessor.
Nothing can forcibly rip the Christian who loves God and Christ from
God's love and Christ's love.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 11