Fourteen Verses From Romans Chapter Eight - SMF
Format: MP3
Publication Date: 08-17-1975
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
Fourteen Verses from Romans 8
Victor Paul Wierwille
– Sunday Morning Fellowship Transcript –
August 17, 1975
I’d like to go to Romans this morning, please. There flashed across my mind, while Tim Bishop
was giving that word of prophesy, just a beautiful, beautiful picture of all of our people in the
household of God. Being in the throne room of God; having a visit with Jesus Christ.
And that’s what I think occurs when we get to the greatness of that word. That word is just
visiting – in the throne room of God, visiting with Jesus Christ and what he accomplished. And
just coming to the realization and the absolute commitment, of our knowledgeable position and
understanding that we are what the Word of God says we are, and that we have what the Word of
God says we have.
Romans chapter 8 is a real heavy. Says in verse 14:
Romans 8:14-15:
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received [a bondage] spirit…
Just think of it this morning like being in the throne room of God. This whole building here, like
the throne room of God. I know it’s a very low picture, but picture it as big as you can. If you
like lilies in the corner, put them in there. Roses. If you like overstuffed chairs, or under-stuffed
do as you like. If you like three inch thick carpets, put them in. I don’t care. But the throne room
of God and visiting with his Son Jesus Christ.
And He says to you: You’ve not received a bondage spirit so that you should fear. You have
received a sonship spirit. And by that sonship spirit we cry, “Father, Father.” Which means we
speak to Him by that sonship spirit – S-I-T. That’s how you cry, Abba, Father.
Romans 8:16:
[And that spirit] The spirit itself, beareth witness with [the spirit] our spirit,… [the spirit].
The spirit bears witness. In that crying of the Abba, Father, the spirit bears witness with the spirit
that’s in you – which is our spirit. And the witness that it bears is that we are children. Children
of what? God. If we’re children of God, then we’re children of God.
Then, why do we want to say any less than that? Why do we want to manifest any less? You
know, you can say it with your mind, with a mental assent, and still not really believe it in the
inner fibers of your being; that it just oozes out of your whole self that you’re a child of God.
That thing alone would change the whole country, if we could get people to believe it. I’m
thinking now if only church people started thinking about it, well that would be the last miracle
that could happen maybe. To think that they’re children of God. Amen.
That gives us a big daddy; the biggest. And if your father was the most important father in the
entire world, you’d most likely blow the buttons off of your shoes or something, in your walk.
You know, you’d most likely be such a damned egotist nobody else could talk to you. But how
few people ever accede the greatness of being a child of God and blow the buttons off of it;
being egotistical for God.
Why not? I don’t know anything better. He’s the greatest. Look, it says we’re children of God. It
either tells the truth or lies. If it lies, we just should quit. But if it tells the truth, then we ought to
just tell it like it is; and tell it hard, tell it fast, repeat it. Drive it. Drive it. Drive it. Children of
what? God. That’s quite a visit. You walk in saying, “Hi, kid. How are you?” God talking to you.
“How are things going for you today? Need an ice cream cone? Good. Buy the whole damn
place.” This God, boy oh boy, see?
He said we don’t have a bondage spirit to fear. Everything the world is doing today has put fear
in people. There are only two ways you can live; either by fear or by love. Fear is that negative
side, and that’s the possession side many times. That’s right. Love is by freedom of the will.
Love has more power than fear, but the problem is the mind. That’s the whole, lousy problem.
Because that love principle has to be renewed mind, and you’ve got to be just as hard up here
with the love as they are hard on the fear. That’s the only way love will ever win.
Fear is always frustrating, always defeating, always emaciating, always pulling you down; and
that’s all the world does. That’s right. It’s all it ever does.
You know, I was so deeply engrossed in the Word this morning I didn’t know it was 10:15 – oh,
Craig ran over to see if we’re going to wait for the kingdom to come or what we were going to
do. And I was just trying to gel in my heart, you know, some stuff’s that’s going on.
Every time I read the paper, watch the news, read almost anything, I become negative. When I
read God’s word, I’m positive. Now, I got to be stupid to continue to spend my time on those
things that make me negative. Suppose we lose the whole world – everything else is gone – and I
stay positive. We’ve only lost the world. That’s all. I just didn’t know we were going to lose it
until it happened, and I was positive about the thing. So I go into the negative situation very
positive. So what? But if I continue reading and filling my mind and listening to everything the
world has to offer, I haven’t got enough time and a mind to absorb the positive side.
I know they laugh at us. They say, “Well, you can’t keep up with the times unless you read
Newsweek.” Aw, hell. Take a look at this week’s Newsweek. No, don’t. ‘Cause the news this
week is all negative. Not one page says to me that I haven’t got a spirit of bondage, in Newsweek.
Not one place in Newsweek this week do they tell me that I have a sonship spirit and that God is
my Father. That’s right.
The Word tells me this. This makes me happy. This makes me joyful. This turns me on. That
other thing makes me negative. Makes me feel; well, what’s the use of it all? You know the
whole damned thing’s down the drain anyways, what’s the use?
When you get to that place that you say to yourself, “What’s the use?” you’ve gotten off of the
Word and onto the world. Because, for those of us who know God’s Word, we know the use.
What’s the use? That we may be shining lights – the Word says – that we may be the salt of the
earth. That’s all I can think of right now, but there are dozens of others we can be. The Word.
The Word.
And then you know what else it says? Boy, not only children of God, but we’re heirs of or with
God – and a joint-heirs with Christ. Whoa!
My little, old stupid mind can’t fathom it, I just believe it. That makes you, you know, a square
peg in a round hole. This makes you nuts, as far as the world is concerned. You go out and you
say that you an heir of God and that you’re a joint-heir with Jesus Christ, the psychiatrist will be
looking for you. Because everything’s so screwed up, for them truth is err. That’s how far
they’ve gone off, and that isso screwed up.
Romans 8:17:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we
suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Well, look, the Word says we’re joint-heirs with Christ; we’re heirs of God. We suffered with
him, therefore we’re also what? Glorified together.
And for I reckon that the negatives for this present time are not worthy, and all the negatives
cause nothing but suffering. But if it communicates to you, just put the negatives in there instead
of suffering, because that’s what negatives bring. Of this present time are not worthy. They’re
not worthy. Well, if they’re not worthy, why should I spend my time on them? They’re not
worthy for even me to take a look at.
They say you have to read Newsweek to stay up with the times, but we already know the times,
because the Word tells us the world-time – that it’s always defeating, frustrating, negative. The
kingdoms of the world, adversary. All of that’s told us in the Word. So if we know the Word,
we’re always ahead of time.
Not worthy. When you look at the glory which shall be revealed to us, then you finally have to
get down to 28.
Romans 8:28:
… all things work together for good…
All things work together for what? Good.But it’s conditional. Upon what?
Romans 8:28:
… to them [who] love God,…
And love is not just a mental assent, it’s a heartfelt reality. It’s an active walking, believing. You
see, if I say to Him well I love Him and then I’m always talking about Him, that’s a bunch of
baloney. All things only work together for good to those that really love God. And to love is to
walk, to manifest, to indicate this.
Verse 31 says:
Romans 8:31:
What shall we then say to these things? [And as far as I’m concerned, all the negative
things of the world] If God be for us, who can be against us?
Right. Somebody said it last night. Oh, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said, our God is able
to deliver. But if not – if not, if not, if not – we’re still not going to bow down and serve them.
We will die before we bow. If God be for us, who can be what? Against us. Even if we die God
would still be for us. For we will not bow to their unbelief, and their God rejection, and all of the
rest of the baloney that they’re trying to feed.
And that great 33rd verse.
Romans 8:33:
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect?...
Who’s going to lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? “It is” is scratched in the text. The text
reads, “Shall God who justified?”—Question. Who’s going to lay any charge? You know, charge
of condemnation, charge of this, charge of that – on God’s elect? Shall God who justified that
man?
It seem to me, by sheer logic, if God justified you then He would be the only one who could put
any charges against you; not man, only God. And we have to be what the Word of God says we
have to be. If God’s not going to lay any charge against His elect, then what right do I have to
lay it against you? Because it has to be sin on my part when I do it. Because I just read that I'm a
joint-heir with Christ; I’m an heir of God. Now if I as God’s son do the opposite of that, that has
to be sin, baby. We have to get lined up a little bit once in a while on what sin is!
If God isn’t going to charge his elect, and I’m a son of God and a joint-heir with Christ and I lay
it on you, then I am better than what God is. Now that’s an impossibility.
Romans 8:34:
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died,…
“It is” is scratched again. The text reads, “Shall Christ who died?”—Question.
You see, the chapter begins with:
Romans 8:1:
There is therefore now no [what?] condemnation…
Sure. Here it is in 34:
Romans 8:34:
Who is he that condemneth?
Christ died to get us out of condemnation, so there’s therefore now no condemnation. And if
Christ died, and if God raised him who is even at the right hand of God and he maketh
intercession for us, then who is going to lay any condemnation upon God’s elect?
I know I’m still just mouthing words to most of our people across the country; but kids, it’s got
to get to the place that it gets out of your stupid mouth into your heart and walk on it. I have
taught the Corps my heart and even they walk over it at times. I don’t blame them; they have to
grow too. But, I keep telling our people, there are things that you put in your lockbox, you turn
the key and you throw the key away. That’s what He’s talking about.
Romans 8:34:
… Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us.
Christ died, yes, but he’s risen again and he’s even at the right hand of the God. Do you get that?
Even at the right hand of God? That puts the emphasis in a fantastic way. Why you’re saying,
look kids, even Christ is at the right hand of God. He’s not sitting down at His feet. He’s way up
at His hands. He’s not just out there tripping out on this and that, he is up right next to the top
man; top boss man. Got the picture? Even Christ. Even Christ who is risen is at the right hand of
God. Even, he’s there for us.
He’s not only risen – that’s fantastic. Just imagine he’s walking in here right now in his
resurrected body. He did this a few times, you know. Pulled those things after he got up.
Remember, the gospels. That must have been electrifying! Imagine, old Peter jumping out of the
boat when he said, well, fellas, come over we’ve got plenty of fish to eat over here. Toast made,
and the grape is there to put on the toast, the butter and...
But it’s better than that. Better than that. At the right hand of God. The right hand.
Romans 8:34b:
…even at the right hand, who also makes intercession for us.
The beauty of that is fantastic!
Then of course it closes with the greatness of this. When you get that far then you’ve got to get
to verse 35. Also makes intercession for us. He takes us to God – what God is to us, who we are,
what Christ is, who Christ is in us, what we are in him. And then he says, okay, with all that,
who’s going to separate us?
Romans 8:35:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Who’s going to separate us from the love of God? Love of Christ? Who? Who? You want to
fight with God, go ahead. If God’s my Father, then if you’re going to attack me and God’s my
Father, what’s my God going to do to you? He’ll sock you right in the eyeball. In the kisser.
He’ll hit you. He’s my warrior. He bears his arm for me. Someone said that last night.
Our God is our shield and our buckler, therefore, who is going to separate us from the love of
Christ? Well…
Romans 8:35-36:
... shall [a little] tribulation, [a few distresses], [a little bit of] persecution, [a little bit of]
famine, [maybe less than fourteen dresses] nakedness, peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for
the slaughter.
That’s the way it’s written, but verse 37 says no, sir:
Romans 8:37:
Nay,…
And that isn’t a mule. This is the one that’s just as stubborn as that West Virginia mule who’s
neighing. And He says, no! No – no. And you know what no means? No.
Romans 8:37:
… in all these things we are more than [and the word is “super”] conquerors…
Because even in death you could be a super conqueror because you still will not bow. You still
will not sell out on the principles of the truth of God’s Word, and that would still be fantastic.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; we may die, we may burn, oh king, but we will not what –
bow – to serve your gods or your god.
Verse 38 tells just what I told you:
Romans 8:38:
For I am persuaded,…
If you’re persuaded, you’ve come to that place that there is not one shadow of doubt in your
mind, else you’re not persuaded. To be persuaded is to know that you know, that you know, that
you know, that you know. Abraham got there at 99. Some of us have to make it a lot earlier than
that.
Romans 8:38-39:
… I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, [that’s two extremes] nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, [right now anything that’s present, or
anything to come],
[No matter how high, or how low], nor any other creature [or anything in God’s creation],
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It’s a walk of glory all the way. Even if we died – death or life. Nothing can separate us from the
love of God. Nothing. And if nothing can separate us from the love of God, then nothing can
separate us. Really fantastic, isn’t it?
For I’m persuaded. Persuaded. Well, are you? See, that’s it. God promised He’d meet our need,
so the thing we continue to do is to so live that we don’t have many needs. Discipline your life
that you can do with less.
We try this in the Corps. That’s why we give them $20 a month, and first they learned to cheat a
little bit – and sometimes they learn to cheat all year. We don’t teach the cheating, what we’re
trying to do is to teach them to learn to live on essentials; need. See, if you’re paying $400 a
month rent, some place along the line somebody’s going to have to find $400 for you. But if your
mind could take it for the glory of the Word and the outreach of the Word and you could live in
$100 location, then $300 you don’t have to be concerned about. You don’t need it. So you try to
bring your life down to the least common denominator in need.
I think when we think in terms of more than abundant life, super conquerors, we’re thinking in
terms of increasing our need. That’s right. Formerly we made $100 a week, now we’re more than
conquerors now we want $250 a week. You see the principle? I think the more abundant life has
to be seen in the light of which I’m sharing with you this morning; bringing your need down,
getting it out of the greed category. Bringing it down. Now, I’m not speaking of poverty – that
wouldn’t be right – but don’t worry so much about poverty because we haven’t even come down
to that need level, let alone poverty. But we’re thinking way up here on what we’d like to have,
and then we think everything enroute must be poverty.
You know, if you have good health, sound mind, food, clothing, shelter; we’re rich. Even
without a telephone we would be, wouldn’t we? See, it’s only when all of those things begun to
be subtracted from life then you realize how wealthy you were spiritually. I’ll bet you, if any of
us lost our arm today we would be very appreciative to have it back. Then we would realize what
a tremendous thing an arm is. That’s like your thumb; you never know how beautiful the thumb
is until you’ve got a sore one. And then you’re hitting it all the time, or any other part, right?
You never just realized how beautiful your fingers were until one gets sore and then you keep
bumping it all the time and you become cognizant of that finger. We just take so many things for
granted.
You see how beautiful the Word relates to people, and how it electrifies, how it blesses? It makes
you feel like you want to live. It makes you feel like you want to bless people. It makes you feel
like you want to help somebody. The other side always makes you feel like you want to quit
living and beat the hell out of everybody; take away. Right?
Isn’t the Word just beautiful, what it does? And we just got to get to the place that we absolutely
have nothing to hold forth to people except the Word.
You know, I thought about this a while back. Somebody said, well, they’d like to buy so and so,
and they’d like to borrow $100. I said, hell, don’t buy it. What do you want to borrow for to buy?
You’ve believe God after you get it anyways to pay off what you borrowed, right? Why not just
wait a little longer and believe God now and do some planning, then buy it? Everyone wants to
plan afterwards; why not plan before?
I think most people think, well, when the need’s there tomorrow morning then all I have to do is
say, “Well, Lord, pour it in here and I’ll take care of it.” The principles of God do not work that
way – even on Thursday.
Well, it’s wonderful having you this morning, and enjoy the day. Bless one another and be
blessed, and just hang in there.
Father, I thank you for the day together, the morning here especially, to open up this wonderful
Sunday again with our people. Thank you for the Word that lives among us, and the greatness of
your love for us. And I thank you, Father, for blessing our people so abundantly this day.
Through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. God bless. I love you.