Romans 8:31-39

Main idea: There is an inescapable love to be experienced and victory to be enjoyed when we are led by the Spirit.

As we dig into the final verses of chapter 8, I think it is important to spend time on four aspects of this passage. Three aspects will reviews part of this chapter. The fourth aspect will provide six truths about the Lord.

The first aspect is the audience. US appears 7 times. WE appears 4 appears. Verse 33 says who is US and WE ~ God’s elect. Verses 29-30 define God’s elect.

I cannot say this enough ~ if you hear my voice and you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ and accepted him as your Savior, you are on your own. You do not have eternal life. You cannot be led by the Holy Spirit. You are not the audience in this chapter.

That can change today! Romans 10:9-10

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Verse 31 draws our attention to the second aspect. What is our response to THESE THINGS? Let’s review these things. There are four slides of review.

Will we respond in a way that more deeply surrenders to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives? Will we continue through life and try to remain just where we have been for some time? Will we ignore the truths of God’s Word and begin to slip away from Holy Spirit’s leading?

Verse 32 is where we find the third aspect. All things in a believer’s life is very different than all things in an unbeliever’s life. We need to look back at verses 27-28. Last week, we learned that ALL THINGS points to what the Holy Spirit intercedes for the saints.

If ALL THINGS in verse 28 points to what the Spirit intercedes for, then ALL THINGS in verse 32 has to point to the same thing.

The fourth aspect provides six truths about the Lord.

Verse 31 - God IS for us with a never-ending love

Verse 32 - God graciously gives to us “all things”

2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,”

Verse 33 - God justifies and redeems us

When God justifies and redeems, there is no room for any condemnation. When Christ died on the cross, he secured the removal of sin’s guilt. When Christ rose from the grave, he secured life and is able to give life to any who should believe.

Verse 34 - God intercedes for us

Looking back to last week, we learned the Holy Spirit is interceding for us at the same time that Christ is interceding for us while he is seated at the right hand of the father. Friends, we are a walking testimony of the Trinity’s work.

Verse 37 - God provides victory for us

Verse 35, 38-39 - God securely preserves us from being lured away by all that life throws at us

I understand a few things. People choose to live a devoted, victorious life for Jesus Christ. People choose to walk away. People choose to live as a casual, carnal Christian. Redeemed people choose to live an unredeemed life. People compromise in certain areas of life that make them feel unloved. These verses tell us there nothing in all of creation that can drive a wedge between the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and his redeemed people.

Application

It can be very easy to focus on what seems to be against us or not going well in life. It can be very easy to focus on things that would like to judge and condemn us. I encourage and challenge each of us to look beyond what attempts to tear us away from the love of Jesus Christ.

Let’s focus on the inescapable love that we experience and the victory that we enjoy when we are being led by the Spirit through life.