“As it is written, ‘For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter’.” (Romans 8:36).

Paul had just laid out a legal argument for our cause as God’s people (vv. 30-32). Then he negated the idea that we are still under some condemnation from God (vv. 33-34). Then Paul attempted to embrace an argument that nothing in the trials of this life can separate us from the love of Christ (v. 35).

Now Paul uses an Old Testament scripture to support what he is saying, that just seems totally out of character for what he is saying. We know Paul was a brilliant theologian and teacher, so we have to figure out what his purpose was in using Psalm 44:22 (quoted here), to make his point about God’s love in tough times.

The context of Psalm 44 is a plea for God to speedily come to Israel’s rescue in a time of great distress. David wrote this Psalm to say, all we’ve done is serve you and now the enemy is destroying us: “Arise for our help, and redeem us for Thy mercies’ sake” (Psalm 44:26). Its when we come to the point of crying out to God that these great promises of Romans 8 come to fruition.

As long as you rely on your faith, you’re on your own. When you rely on God and what His Son did on the cross, your answer is at the threshold.

Tags: deliverance, faith, slaughter