Assurance of Hope (8:18-39)

Introduction:

As we close this chapter, we will also close this section and are able to look back and see how from Romans 1:18 forward we revealed God righteousness in the gospel.

From sinners to saints

From slaves to sin, to slaves to righteousness

From condemned people to sons of God

From hopelessness to hopefulness

A. THE GLORY TO BE REVEALED IN US (18-25)

1. Present sufferings don't even compare (18)

Sufferings…not worth comparing (ou axios) - not worth as much as

Glory that is to be (mello [pre, act, par])- destined or inevitable

to be revealed (apokalypto)- become made known

2. The whole creation eagerly awaits for the revealing and glorious liberty of the children of God (19-22)

Creation was made a curse by the fall of man in the garden

Creation is waiting to be set free from this curse

The present condition of creation is not its final one; it is like a mother groaning in labor pains. The entire creation has a destiny planned by God, and longs to be fulfilled

on the last day creation will be transformed and freed from the effects of sin and will instantly become far more beautiful, productive, and easy to live in than one can ever imagine.

3. We also eagerly wait with perseverance for this hope (23-25)

God’s people also groan and long for the completion of his saving work. The tension is seen here between the already and not yet in Paul’s theology.

Christians already have the firstfruits (a word borrowed from the OT to indicate that first harvest offered to God was a promise of more to come) of the Spirit (the Spirit is our promise of more to come), but they still await the day of their final adoption when their bodies are fully redeemed and they are raised from the dead.

Their adoption has already occurred in a legal sense (v. 15), and they already enjoy many of its privileges, but here Paul uses “adoption” to refer to the yet greater privilege of receiving perfect resurrection bodies.

B. THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (26-27)

So how do we persevere in this present existence waiting for the not yet to happen? This is where the Holy Spirit comes in...

1. Helps in our weakness as we pray (26a)

The Holy Spirit helps (synantilambanomai [pre, pas or mid, ind] - assist in gaining) - used only 2x in NT, once in Luke 10:40 “40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.””, and here.

2. By interceding for us as we pray (26b-27)

Explains how the Holy Spirit assists...helps us pray

intercedes for us when we don’t know how or what to pray

prays according to God’s will, since He knows our hearts and God’s heart

C. ALL THINGS WORKING TOGETHER FOR GOOD (28-30)

1. For those who love God, called according to His purpose (28)

for those who:

love God

are called according to his purpose

all things work together for good - this phrase is the link between those who love God and those who are called according to his purpose, thus helping us understand that this good is defined by God, not us, and is unpacked clearly in the next two verses

2. For such, whom God foreknew, He will carry out His ultimate purpose (29-30)

Golden chain of redemption

foreknew and predestined - eternity past

foreknew (proginosko) - to befriend or be acquainted with someone in a familiar way ahead of time or before meeting; implying an exclusivity of choice relative to those not befriended.

predestined (proorizo) - to determine something ahead of time or before its occurrence.

called & Justified - eternity present

glorified - eternity future

D. GOD'S LOVE TOWARD HIS ELECT (31-39)

Paul asks a series of challenges, put forth as rhetorical questions to help us understand this relationship we have with God our Father

What then shall we say to these things (demonstrative pronoun)? - begins these challenges and refers back to all that has been said thus far from 1:16-8:27

1. God, who spared not His own Son, is on our side (31-33)

If God is for us, who can be against us? (31-32)

God did not spare his own son, is an effective echo of the Septuagint (Greek translation) text of Gen. 22:12.

Paul reasons from the greater to the less: for God to give His Son to die for us was the supreme gift, guaranteeing the subsequent gift of everything else that we need for our full and final glory (v. 30).

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? (33)

It is God who justifies - there is no court or judge higher then God

2. Christ, who died for us, now intercedes for us at God's right hand (34)

Who is to condemn? (34)

Christ Jesus

died and was raised

seated at the Father’s right hand interceding for us

3. Through such love we are more than conquerors over all things (35-39)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (35)

No tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword will be able to (trials associated with the physical world)

Paul quotes from Psalm 44:22 “22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” to show these trials will always be associated with God’s people.

These things in our lives along with the reality of God’s love makes us more then conquerers

No death or life, angels or rulers, things present or future things, height or depth, or anything else in all creation will be able to (trials associated with the supernatural world)