Our Good, His Glory

Romans 8:28–39 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He takes our groanings (v23) and makes them His groanings (v26) as He is constantly interceding on our behalf.

This last part of contains several verses we love to use. But too often, people will pluck them out of context. So let’s look

28 All things work together: FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD

He is still holding the present and the future together: all things are now and continually working for good...

Our Good

All the infirmities you will ever have will happen in the short window of this life. There will be none in the rest of eternity!

And what infirmities we have witness to in scripture. Job, Joseph and David. All able to say, in their own words, what man meant for evil, God meant for good.

All things as all circumstances, conversations, consequences, changes in life and even schedule.

Ultimately, our good is conformity to the likeness of Christ. See v.29. We say that salvation is the goal, but there is much after salvation to happen in us. It is a continuing affair. We are constantly growing and working out our salvation (letting salvation have its desired effect in us) with fear and trembling.

His Glory

Those He foreknew, He predestined.

Predestined: marked out a boundary beforehand. This context is not related to salvation, but the result of it. We who are saved are predestined to become like Christ. That there be a ‘family resemblance’. Saved people, growing in our faith to be like Jesus, glorify God. AAMOF that whole process causes people who dont yet know Him to want to know HIm. ()

Called, justified, glorified…

31 If God is for us, who can be against us?

The unanswered response is, of course, NO ONE! No one can stand against the creator of the cosmos! Do we believe that? Do we believe our God is so much for us that victory is assured? That defeat is an impossibility? Do we carry a childlike view of Father God?

You’ve had the discussion before: If God wanted to, He could pick up this whole school. To then be asked if He could pick up this pencil would be seen as ridiculous. If the larger is true, of course the smaller would be.

We find the answer in v.32. Since God did not spare HIs own Son, but… A God who gave His own Son on our behalf will certainly not withhold what by comparison is so small.

So if God, who orchestrated the events of Calvary, could raise Jesus from the grave, giving Him victory over death and hell, what could we possibly face that cant be overcome by His power THAT LIVES IN US!?!?

At some point between this question, who can be against us, and the next statement, we are more than conquerors, we need to acknowledge he doesnt start listing people. The question was who, but the answer comes in the form of circumstances and things. Once again, the people are never the enemy.

Because…37 We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Who is to condemn us? Christ has done the work. And is still doing the work of interceding for us. Along with the Holy Spirit, in a slightly different way, Jesus is interceding on our behalf.

This letter has already given us (just a few lines before) ‘there is now, therefore, no condemnation… so when the question is posed again, the answer is fresh on our minds. NO ONE

In the tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword we are more than conquerors. These events are assumed, but never to be seen as overwhelming.

Not just conquerors, more than. Similar to how His grace is not only sufficient, but according to it is abundant. More than enough. Everything about this life is more than.

All these things: death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, are LESS. Jesus is more. His grace is more. His mercy is more. Which means we are more.