Romans 8:31-39 | Where Are You?
Intro
This section starts off with a word that by its very use creates doubt, “IF”. When the word “IF” is followed by the phrase “God is for us” then we may tend to feel insecure about our standing in God’s love. The original Greek meaning of the word “IF” is: “In view of the fact that God is on our behalf, who can be against us?” This is one of many verses that seem to be “too good to be true?” We must not over value our effort (or lack of it) and under value God’s. God is for you, He isn’t “disappointed” with you. For God to be disappointed with you would mean that He isn’t “all knowing”. That’s one of the many lies of satan as we know according to Rev. 12:10 that he not God is “the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God, day and night.” These final nine verses emphasize the believer’s security but what is in focus isn’t the believers “eternal security” but rather his “present security” in the love of God. In this section Paul asks three questions and gives five reasons as to why we are secure in the love of God.
Vs. 31-32 If God is for us
Paul outlines for us three things that God’s love defeats and he does this by asking and answering three questions and then giving five reasons we are secure in the love of God:
- Vs. 31-32 If God is for us….?: We start with the realization of this truth than we move to its implications. Since God has proved His love for me while I was yet a sinner apart from Him, that means that He is for me not against me. The first thing that is defeated by the love of God in answering Paul’s question is FEAR. And in answering this Paul will speak of two common things that we fear that are destroyed by the love of God.
A. Vs. 31 Who shall be against us…?: Since God is for me and not against me I don’t have anything to fear with regards to any successful opposition against me. We have already crossed over the biggest most successful obstacle separating us from God’s love, “Sin” and have joined the winning team. David wrote of this fact in Psalm 27:1 saying, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
1. “God is for us”: In verse 32 we are told that the Father proved it by giving His only Son. In verse 34 we are told that Jesus is for us and in 8:26 we were told that the Holy Spirit is for us, so we can conclude that all the Godhead is on our side. Perhaps we feel like Jacob did after the disappearance of Joseph and Simeon in Genesis 42:36 “All these things are against me.” But we are assured in Rom. 8:28 that “all things are working together for our good and God’s glory”. Saints, I have a suggestion for you: Before you start your day take a moment in prayer and remind yourself of this truth, that no matter what you face, or who you face you need not have any fear because God is for you and is only going to give you those things this day that will be to make you better. According to Jer. 29:11 His plans for you today are to bless you and to give you a future and a hope.
B. Vs. 32 How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?: The 2nd thing we fear is lack or want. God has already given us His best, His only begotten Son, are we to believe that having done so that now that God will withhold that which we need? Listen to the words of David in Psalm 23:1 where he proclaims, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” The first things that God’s love destroys is the fear of successful opposition and fear of consuming lack.
2. Jesus died for us: Since our security in His love is based upon His love not our performance that means it is 100% secure. So, since God did this on our behalf before we became His children He is going to now “graciously give us all things”. Back in Genesis 3:9 Adam fell into sin then sought to hide from God and cover his failure by sewing together “fig leaves”. But take note that God called to Adam and said, “Where are you?” Not, “Where were you?”, “What did you do?” He didn’t even ask, “Why did you do it?” The heart of the Father was concerned with Adam’s absence not the reason for it. The Father’s interest is to restore us back to fellowship. In heaven there is no blackboard where we have to write 1,000 times what we did and why we did it. Instead, there is our Savior and Lord with visible scars on the throne who welcomes us home with the words, “Well done good and faithful servant”.
Vs. 33-34 Who shall bring a charge
2. Vs. 33-34 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect…Who is he who condemns?: In these two questions Paul is addressing the 2nd thing that God’s love defeats and that is GUILT! God is not the accuser of Christians; He doesn’t sit in the clouds with a score cards counting our falls and then giving us a score like an Olympic ice-skating judge. Therefore, we don’t have to defend ourselves before God our slip ups and hard landings. Instead, we simply tell Him right away when we do a face plant. Did you know that Jesus has already bore the shame of your guilt so that you don’t have to hide it or justify it? Don’t let your slip ups drag you down grab a hold of His love, and He will raise you up!
A. Vs. 33 God has declared us of value and worth: The only one who has the right to charge us has instead clothed us in His rightness and declared you of value that means not no matter what we experience day to day our security never changes. Jesus has already considered all our failures and defeats and has paid for our security. In Mark 16:19 we are told that after Jesus ascended into heaven that He sat down at the right hand of God. Hebrews 8:5 tells us that “Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle.” As God said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” A careful examination based upon these two verses reveals something interesting: In the tabernacle that Moses was divinely instructed to build according to the pattern there was no place for the priest to sit. There was a table to eat from, a lamp to see by, and a bowl to wash your hands in, an altar to sacrifice on but no chair! So why does the New Testament speak of Jesus sitting at the right hand? Well because prior to his coming the work of the priest was never done but when Jesus the Great High Priest became the sacrificial lamb on the cross His final words were “It is finished” and as such there is no more work to be done and a chair was placed in heaven for Him to sit. The application for you and I is since Jesus is sitting at the right hand in the tabernacle in Heaven why are we convinced that we need to keep working to earn His approval and acceptance? It is either “FINISHED” as Jesus declared, or it is not and I for one chose to believe Him and have received His love.
B. Vs. 34 Jesus intercedes on our behalf: In Rom. 8:26-27 we saw that the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf and here we see that Jesus does as well. The same person who died for us is now seen praying for us. He is praying His grace over us so that we can overcome temptation. He is being our advocate when we fail to appropriate His grace to restore us back to fellowship. The very One who hung on the cross for our sins now represents us before the throne of God in heaven, what security we have in Jesus.
Vs. 35-39 Who shall separate
3. Vs. 35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?: The 3rd thing that God’s love defeats is SEPARTION! Paul asks the question than divides his answer into two things that we often think cause separation, TROUBLES and POWERS or PEOPLE. God is completely and absolutely in love and committed to us.
A. Vs. 35-37 Taking a look at the things Paul lists here “Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword” we see that these 7 things all fall under the category of TROUBLE with a capital “T”. The word “distress” refers to a tight or narrow place and when we go through trouble or trials we can often feel distant or disconnected to God’s love. In reality these things ought to draw us back into His arms. In fact, He says they make us “more than conquerors” in Christ.
B. Vs. 38-39 Next taking a look at these 7 things together and they speak of another group that we tend to think can separate us from God’s love PEOPLE or POWERS. Be that supernatural forces or powerful people that attempt to create distance both now and in the future are even take our lives they will have no success in keeping us from the love of God.
- Vs. 35-39 Jesus loves us: In verses 31-34 Paul outlined how God cannot fail us but that is only one half of our security, can we fail Him and lose our earthly security? In Rev. 2:4 as Jesus spoke to the Church that was in Ephesus His indictment wasn’t that they “Lost” their first love rather it was that they “Left it”. Suppose some great trouble came our way that caused us to walk away from His love would we lose the opportunity to ever come back to that Love? Paul tells us that those troubles and trail aren’t meant to separate us from His love they are designed to cause us to cling tighter to His love. God’s trials aren’t there working against us they are instead working for us that is why God hasn’t sheltered us from the storms of life. But what about powers and people who are bent upon separating us from God’s love, causing us to become distant now and in the future? Paul’s words in verse 37 declares us “super-conquerors” more than just victorious and he has done so ahead of all the battles so that we will enter into the fight knowing that we have already won and are secure in God’s love. We’re to be lambs, salt added to flavor, create thirst, and bring healing. We’re to be light that illuminates, not dominates. And from the world’s perspective, we’ll never win or get it. If we don’t understand this than we’ll become frustrated, disillusioned, and embittered. Dear ones we aren’t called to be crusading conquerors we are called to be “MORE THAN” conquerors!