God Is For Us

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Romans 8:28–39 NASB95

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We cannot truly grasp the victory of chap 8, if we don’t see the defeat of chap 7. We will not appreciate the solution of 8 without seeing the problem in 7. There is the presence of death because of sin and the law in 7 but there is a shift to life in the Spirit in ch 8.

The struggle is passed, the wretched man that Paul says he is, is making way for a new man made in the Spirit. One law was mighty in ch. 7 it now has to trade places with a new law of the Spirit and of life (8:2). If there was a cry of defeat in ch. 7 there is now a shout of victory in ch 8.

The reason for the shift, the change, the solution is found in one person: JESUS

Romans chap 8 is considered the pinnacle of christian theology, the “Himalayas” of the New Testament. It begins by telling the christian they have “no condemnation” and it ends by letting us know we have “no separation”.

It is a chapter that not only informs us of the worth and blessings of our relationship with Jesus, but it helps us to know that with Jesus and the Spirit, we can navigate life with all the issues it brings, and remain assured that even in suffering, God will bring us to GLORY!

Romans 8 helps us have a proper perspective of some of the problems humanity faces by reminding us of the divine soultions God provided. E.g.

It shows the human problem of guilt for which Paul says there’s no condemnation for those that in Christ Jesus

It shows us the problem of human weaknesses, to which Paul says The Spirit helps us in our infirmities

It addresses the problem of suffering, to which Paul says, the suffering of this present time cannot be compared to glory that will be revealed in us

It addresses the issue of fear, Paul asks “Who shall separate us from the love of God?”

God is for us

Even if the world is against us, God is for us

Though sickness is wrecking our bodies God is for us

Though enemies surround us God is for us

Though friends and family turn their backs on you God is for us

When all around you looks dark GOD IS FOR US

Many times we feel like life is lifing too much, I feel like a leaf caught in the breeze, I feel unstable and unsure. I wonder is God still around?, does He still love me, is He seeing what is happening?

Paul wants to know that even though life will get chaotic, pressures may mount up, he is not going to argue that life is easy, but that in all of your trouble God is still on His throne.

That in you, there could be peace in while facing problems, calmness while your encircled in chaos, because GOD IS FOR YOU!

Paul does not intend to leave you hopeful or optimistic, he wants you assured and convicted there is nothing and nobody that can weaken the grip of God’s love for you - GOD IS FOR YOU!

By the time we get to chapter 8, Paul has already explained:

That we have no condemnation in Jesus and we must live life guided by the Spirit (Rom 8:1-17)

He gives a reassurance of the new hope for all believers - from present suffering to final glory (Rom 8:18-30)

Now he explains the absolute and certainty of our security in God. God is for us.

Paul builds a strong case to help convict you of this very fact

# 1 - He Works all things together for good “FOR US”

Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

We know, not we feel, or we think, or I opine - Paul says emphatically, “we know” [I possess this information and I comprehend it] that God works together[present tense] all things [any thing; bad thing or good thing - it doesn’t matter what the thing is]

God works all things together [synergeo - meaning in harmony, collaberation, all things become fellow workers together to produce the same out come]

The outcome is good - what is the good? Romans 8:29 “29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”

The evidence that God is working all things, is that He already begun to work all things - Romans 8:30 “30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

God is doing a work in us because one day

Philippians 3:21 “21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

The ultimate goal is to give you a resurrected body, a glorious body, a body not made with hands eternal in the heavens - to look like Jesus then. However, if I want to look like Jesus in the future. . .I need to look like Jesus right now!

And to look like Jesus right now, God is working all things together - nothing and nobody will stop God from accomplishing this.

That’s why I know that it might discourage me but it will not destroy me because God is working all things together for good to them that love God.

Whatever might come your way will, even if it kills you it cannot stop what God has planned - because He works all things together for good.

Whatever is happening in the believer’s life is under the sovereign supervision of God - it might surprise you but it doesn’t surprise God because He is working all things together for good.

Everything happening between the foreknown_predestination_calling_justifying cannot stop God from bringing you to being glorified - [in God’s eyes it’s already done] - GOD IS FOR US

#2 - He is so for us, Paul asks “what can Be against us?”

Romans 8:31 “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

What are these things?

Those He foreknew, predestined to be conformed to Jesus, those He called and justified and glorified.

Paul ask the question (one of 6 questions in the pericope), “If God is for us. . . who can be against us?

If God is so committed and powerful to accomplish His plan in us - who is going to stop Him from doing it?

If we are with God, and God is with us - who can really successfully be against us? If we are being led by the Spirit, with a mind set on the Spirit, walking in God’s purpose - who can be against us? Because anything that is against you, is automatically against God.

God is so for us our sin did not stop God from being “for us” - how do we know that?

Romans 8:32 “32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

Romans 5:6–8 “6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

APPL. Your sin did not stop God from loving you in the first place, why do you think it will stop God from loving you now? Because worked for you in the past (by saving you from your sins), He will work for you now in the present.

Romans 8:33 “33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;”

The idea here is not that no one will accuse you. Or that no one can hold you accountable. Or you can do what you want without regard to consequences or reprecussions of your actions

Who can stand before God to accuse you with the assumption that it will persuade God to forsake you? GOD IS SO FOR YOU that no one one can bring a charge against the elect.

APPL. Don’t be so spiritual that you think that if you’re against someone - God has to be against them too. Regardless of what they did, or what you think they did

There is only ONE accuser of the brethren Rev 12:10 - and He has been thrown down!

Romans 8:34 “34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

I’m thankful that while you are plotting and scheming Jesus is interceding

While you are hating and accusing Jesus is interceding

Psalm 118:6 “6 The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?”

#3 - He is so for us, Paul asks “who will Separate us from the love Christ?”

Romans 8:35 “35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

The answer is NOTHING & NOBODY.

Paul uses these rhetorical questions to highlight the arguements to follow. The premise of each question is rooted in what he said before. I.e. the answer is obvious based on what was said prior.

Romans 5:5 “5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

This love is unbreakable there is no creature or experience that can force God to relinquish His grip of love for you. While a sinner, He loved you, why won’t He freely give you all things? (Rom 8:32)

The things that Paul lists, are exisiting in the present, but you have a date with glory (Rom 8:30 “glorified”). And if you have a date with glory, nothing in the present will stop God from getting you to your date with glory.

However,

Romans 8:36 “36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.””

This verse (together with vs. 35) seems like defeat. It seems like death. But verse 37 tells me I am an overwhelming conqueror. How can there be death and defeat in vs 35-36 but victory in vs 37? - God is for us! He works all things together for good for us!

The imagery of the sheep led to salughter indicates the presence and persistence of the bad things that have the potential to make you abandon God.

The backdrop is Ps 44:22, the Psalmist is expressing an feeling of being overwhelmed, he feels rejected, he feels like a sheep sent to be killed, he feels abandoned, he feels like the enemies are making progress, he feels oppressed.

Paul says “Nay” in all of these things we already have the victory.

The word means completely and through victory, this is not a nail-biter victory, not a by the skin of yout teet victory, a super over/penalty shootout victory

This is a blowout, a landslide a big and noticable win

More than a conquerors means the stuff you know about and stuff you don’t know about.

Thank God that God fights your battles, even the ones happening behind your back.

Thank God that He deals with threats before they even become known to you.

You can plot against me in secret but my God sees in secret! That’s why I’m more than a conqueror

Psalm 27:1 “1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?”

Rom 8:38-39. Paul lists 10 more things that have potential to separate, but because God is for us, there is no possibility.

He uses a literary device to convey a child-like, emotional and enthusiastic message that nothing and noobody can separate us from the love of God.

Not life, nor death, nor angels, nor pricipalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature - Can separate us

God is For Us!

If God is for us, we need to be for God

Romans 8:39 “39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

First mention in chap 8. of the word Lord is in the last verse, and the last word

You cannot Desire God’s blessings and not desire His Lordship.