Last week in verses 29-30 of Romans 8. we looked at the five links in the Golden Chain of Salvation…foreknowledge…predestination…called…justified…and glorified.
A chain God has bound us with…another verse that confirms and secures our salvation…a chain that stretches back into eternity past and stretches forward into future eternity…a chain that will never be broken.
In these verses Paul expounds on the unsurpassed privileges and blessings that belong to every believer…we who deserve punishment…but instead have been justified and glorified because we have trusted Jesus as our Savior.
In light of the fact that God foreknew us…predestined us…called us…justified us…and will glorify us…Paul comes to an undeniable conclusion…God must be for us…that He is for all who are in Christ by faith.
All views that deny the reality of eternal security and deny the possibility of the full assurance of salvation are shattered in this one verse…it should be more than plain that the justified will be glorified.
In this passage Paul brings us the truth that a believer’s eternal salvation is completely secure in God’s hands.
It’s important to note the wording ‘What then shall we say to these things?’ is in reference to saved Christian believers…the reference to ‘us’ and ‘we’ does not include the entire human race…BUT…only those who have accepted Jesus as Savior…never in Scripture do you find a blanket statement that includes the salvation of the entire human race.
Paul is talking about “those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose” [v. 28] …he is talking only about those whom God foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified [29-30] it is only these who are…to be conformed to the image of His Son.
These words really define the Church’s position on the abortion issues… typically I stay away from controversial issues…but I really don’t see this as a controversial issue.
Clearly the Bible speaks on the issue of abortion…it’s a moral issue that has become a political issue…in [v. 29-30] Paul’s wording in the Greek identifies the fact that while we were in our mother’s womb…before we were ever born…God was aware of us.
You hear people talk about the “baby” when someone is pregnant…there are specific terms that describe the different stages of pregnancy based on how the different stages of pregnancy are measured.
At conception a zygote is formed and quickly begins dividing to become an embryo…as the pregnancy progresses the embryo becomes a fetus and the fetus becomes a baby at birth…all these words can be used to explain embryonic and fetal development of an unborn.
The position taken by Southern Baptists…not saying the Church because different denominations within the church have opposing views on the issue of abortion…but to quote the official teachings of the Catholic Church which could also represent what we adhere to as well:
To oppose all forms of abortion procedures whose direct purpose is to destroy a zygote, embryo or fetus, since it holds that “human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.”
That position agrees with the scientific evidence proposed by a Harvard University Medical School professor (Micheline Matthews-Ross) who testified in 1981 before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee that: “It is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception … and that this developing human always is a member of our species in all stages of life” (New York Times, April 26, 1981).
Again…this verse along with many others in Scripture explains that God knew us before we were formed in our mother’s womb…these five links confirm the redemptive plan of God that stretches back into eternity past and into the eternal ages that are to come.
Reading this in English you miss out on the truth regarding God knowing us before we are born…when you look at verses 29-30 in the Greek…all the links in the chain…foreknowledge…predestination…called…justified…and glorified are in the aorist tense indicating completed action…we read this and assume that Paul is referring to a distant time in the future…he’s not.
Paul wrote this in the past tense to show that in God’s mind it’s as if all those links have already been accomplished…Paul is so certain that all these links in the life of a believer…even though they have not yet been born…have already taken place…he speaks of them as already occurred.
Beginning in Romans 3 Paul began a question-and-answer session with an imaginary opponent that continues throughout the book of Romans.
This is known as the diatribe genre…a genre that includes a dialogue with an imaginary questioner or opponent using questions or hypothetical objections to transition from one topic to the next…using rhetorical questions.
In other words Paul is anticipating what questions he thought the Jews might ask him in response to his teaching so he writes them down as if they were real.
When you look at the first eight chapters of Romans Paul asks a lot of questions:
in Romans 2, there are eight questions.
In Romans 3, there are fifteen questions.
in Romans 4, there are five questions.
In Romans 6, there are seven questions.
in Romans 7, there are five questions.
in Romans 8, there are seven questions.
There are forty-seven different questions Paul asks in just the first 8 chapters as he writes to the church in Rome…all intended to teach doctrine, to teach theology, and also to make application to our lives.
In today’s passage Paul asks a single question then responds to it with a series of six additional questions he believes his imaginary opponent might ask…Paul begins in verse 31 with the single question:
First question: What then shall we say to these things? (Rom 8:31a)
There are a number of ways we can look at this question:
FIRST…Paul could be addressing the issue he just wrote about since the question…What then shall we say to these things…immediately follows the five links in the Golden Chain of Salvation…Paul is revealing a never before know truth…what can we possible say about the concept that God knew us before we were born?
SECOND…the book of Romans is divided into four sections: righteousness needed 1:18-3:20…righteousness provided 3:21-8:39…righteousness vindicated 9:1-11:36…and righteousness practiced.
Verses 31-39 serve as the conclusion of the second part of the first eight chapters of Romans…righteousness provided 3:21-8:39.
‘These things’ could mean what Paul has been teaching on thus far …the sinfulness of man…the salvation of God…justification by faith…the result of justification…our unification to Christ…Christians’ deliverance from bondage.
THIRD…in the more immediate context of Romans 8 these things could include the promise of no condemnation…the giving of the Holy Spirit …and the sovereignty of God in salvation.
FOURTH…”these things” could refer to the good that God intends all things to come together for…that we will be conformed to the image of His Son…that we become more like Jesus and less like ourselves.
FIFTH…he could be referring to what immediately follows… ‘if God is for us, who is against us?’ Focusing on another tactic of Satan…to separate us from the love of God…every day we are confronted with things that will try to separate you from God and His plan for you…if he succeeds in separating us from the love of Christ, he has completed his purpose.
SO…regardless of which of the five you might think Paul’s asking …What then shall we say to these things…it’s a question that demands a response …a question that requires an answer.
God’s Word is not information to be filed away…it’s not an academic exercise…the Word of God is given to us to act upon.
Just like the question Jesus asked the disciples…who do you say that I am [Mark 8:29] …every person who has ever lived will be asked that exact same question…how you respond to that will depend on where you spend eternity.
Paul then follows with six additional questions.
…If God is for us, who is against us? (question mark)
…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? (question mark)
…Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? (question mark)
…Who is the one who condemns? (question mark)
…Who will separate us from the love of Christ? (question mark)
…Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (question mark).
Second question: If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31b)
Paul uses the word “for” and “against” in this question…his choice of words brings to mind…as he often does…a courtroom scene.
If this was a courtroom, God would be your lawyer…I don’t totally understand how all this works, but Scripture says Satan is the accuser of the brethren [Rev. 12:10] and he brings accusation against you and against me every day.
When Satan brings charges against us, you have a defense attorney who will successfully defeat all accusations that the devil brings against you.
That’s what the wording God is “for us” means…but…it is only for a small circle within all humanity…only for those who are foreknown…predestined …called… justified…and glorified as shown in last week’s sermon.
Essentially…it’s all who are known by God because they believe in His Son Jesus for their salvation.
Paul is asking in effect…What difference does it make who is against us?
Who can take away our no-condemnation status…is there anyone stronger than God…if anyone were able to rob us of our salvation, they would have to be greater than God Himself because He is the giver and the Sustainer of salvation.
Paul’s line of thinking is not in the form of a hypothetical condition…as if there was a question whether God was for us or not…Paul’s thought is…in view of the fact that God is for us who can be against us to do us harm…he answers his own question with the third question:
Third question: 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? (Rom 8:32)
Paul’s third question is arguing that the Son is infinitely more valuable and infinitely worth more than all things…therefore…if God has freely given us His Son, will He not also freely give us all things.
Why would God keep anything from you…He’s already given you everything …it is not logical for God to withhold good from us when He has given us His ultimate good…as a result:
Fourth question: Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? (Rom 8:33)
Paul is asking about charges against the saints…against God’s chosen, and replies that because God is the one who justifies…no one can bring a charge against God’s elect.
Why is this important? Even psychologists have identified that our guilt and shame are our greatest struggles and problems…no matter what front we put on…some people deep down inside constantly battle accusations.
Satan constantly and daily brings accusations to the elect. [Rev. 12:10]… we know this only too well…feelings of doubt…shame…guilt…and insecurities.
Here’s the frustrating part…Satan is half right…although Scripture says he’s a deceiver he is not totally wrong …look at words of Satan in Scripture where they are recorded in Genesis…Job…Matthew…and Luke and compare what Satan says as being true against what he says is a lie…in every case Satan’s words are about 46% true. https://people.engr.tamu.edu/davis/OLD/Precept/Rev1/words_of_satan.pdf
Satan…knowing that at times we are less than righteous…and at times we are sinful…comes to accuse us of our sins…causing guilt and shame…because in most cases he’s right…at times we are less than righteous.
Go back to the original question…Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect…Christ our defender bore our sins…our guilt….and shame…so the question is…why do you respond to the charges of Satan with so much fear? You shouldn’t…and the reason is found in two verses:
There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8:1
Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? Romans 8:33
Both verses reassure and remind us that God has justified us…both are as important as John 3:16…Eph 2:8-9…Romans 10:13.
That leads to the fifth question…if we are justified…who then is the one who condemns?
Fifth question: Who is the one who condemns? (Rom 8:34)
The word ‘condemns’ is a present participle…it’s referring to those who would condemn you today…right now…it’s bad enough we have to put up with Satan condemning us…then there’s people who also bring a charge against you for something you’ve done.
People you work with…people you live with …people you know…people you went to school with…people you have had association with…people who know the worst about you…people who could dig up dirt on you right now…there’s never a shortage of those people.
At first glance, Paul’s answer doesn’t seem to address the question regarding these kinds of people…he answers with something that doesn’t appear relevant at first…but Paul answers with four things Jesus has done for us.
Christ Jesus is the one who died…who was raised…who is
at the right hand of God…who intercedes for us [8:34].
In this verse there are three actions…these three actions undergo a change of tense from…past…to present…to present continuous. What does this mean?
Because of what God did in raising Jesus…He justified us…past tense
Because He is now at the right hand of God…present tense
He continues to intercede and stand for us before God…present continuous.
Do you see the security and certainty in these verses?
There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?
Christ Jesus is the one who intercedes for us.
Having the promise of these verses will quiet the accusatory voice of Satan and those who would love the opportunity to degrade you…make you feel less than a child of God…bring up trash about you…make accusations against you… shame you for what you have done in the past…because they want to drag everyone down with them.
Here’s what this verse is saying…it doesn’t matter what anybody else has to say. God is the supreme Judge of heaven and earth…God is the One who justifies…God is the One wearing the black robe…the One who has the gavel…God is the only One sitting behind the judge’s bench…God is the One who takes the perfect righteousness of Jesus and credits it to your account.
We need to learn to use these verses…put them in our hearts when we’re doubtful…afraid…or uncertain about God’s affection for us.
Paul askes a final climactic question in Romans 8:35…the last question is really two questions.
Sixth question: Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Seventh question: Will tribulation…distress…persecution…famine… nakedness…peril or sword? (Rom 8:35)
This is not a hypothetical list…this is what the early believers were actually facing…it’s what believers have faced down through the centuries…it’s what believers are facing right now in the world…in America we’re living is good times…but it’s not that way around the world.
So Paul answers the sixth question with the seventh question…will the perils and difficulties of life separate us from the love of Christ?…the answer is “No”
Nothing will ever separate us from the love of Christ.
Then in [38/39] Paul adds to the list virtually everything his imaginary friend might think would challenge God’s love or that might separate us from God’s love:
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Paul plainly says…that nothing will separate us from the love of Christ because Christ is alive and is living in us now…He is at the right hand of God interceding for us…He is seeing to it that His finished work of redemption will one day bring us safely into an everlasting joy.
In [37] Paul sums up by saying…“But in all these things,” meaning…in everything I’ve mentioned and everything I haven’t mentioned…in “all these things,” we overwhelmingly conquer…not by whining…not by complaining… not by feeling sorry for ourselves…“Woe is me!” …but in all things we are triumphant.
We are dynamic in our faith because we know if God is for us who can be against us…in saying that, Paul was not suggesting that God will give us whatever we need…the truth is, God is the One who controls our destiny and when we are in a right relationship with God, through Him He is able to sustain us through any adversity that comes against us.
God wants to be a part of our lives…and share in His love, but He needs to be invited into our hearts…because people can reject Christ and be separated from His love.
He won’t break down a door where He’s not welcome….behold I stand at the door and knock…being separated from God is a choice…to accept Christ is to inherit God’s promises of Heaven…a promise for all who have trusted Jesus’ finished cross work at Calvary as sufficient payment for their sins [1 Cor. 15:3-4].
See how great it is to be a believer in Jesus Christ?