What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 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. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (Rom. 8:31-35 ESV)
For I am sure that neither 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, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:38-39 ESV)
Wow. What a statement. Paul says that absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. That means that no matter what our circumstances, God is for us. God loves us and is working for our good. What could be better than this? Absolutely nothing!
But how do we get to this point? How do we – wretched sinners who curse God every chance we get – how do we see these truths come to pass in our lives? Well, to understand this passage, you’ve got to look at the context. Paul says, “What then shall we say to these things?” What things? Paul talks about that in the preceding verses of the chapter.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Rom. 8:1-8 ESV)
Paul says that for the Christian, for the believer, there is no condemnation. No judgment awaiting our sin. No wrath of God that can befall us. No, God has done this. God has, through the blood of Christ Jesus, has made us acceptable in His sight. And if God has done this, it won’t be undone. Why? Look at verses 14-17:
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Rom. 8:14-17 ESV)
God not only sees us as acceptable though Christ, but He goes farther. Paul says that we not only become acceptable…we become sons and daughters of God! We’re not just saved, but we’re brought into the family and we share in the inheritance with our older brother, Jesus Christ! This is what awaits the believer; not the promise of physical blessings in this life, but the eternal blessing of adoption. The blessing of life, as heirs, with Christ. This is why Paul can say in verse 18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Persecution and trouble here are nothing compared to the glory of an eternity with God!
Next, Paul says something that, outside of Christ, is preposterous in verse 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. (Rom. 8:28 ESV)
So, Paul says that “all things work together for good” for those who love God. The problem is that our experience doesn’t seem to show that to be true. I mean, believers get sick, believers get divorced, believers have financial problems, believers have family problems, believers die. So Paul can’t be saying, “Just believe and have faith and everything will be sunshine and lollipops!” There must be a greater definition of “good” that we as humans can’t understand by ourselves. That greater definition of “good” is eternal life with Christ.
So, how do we get there? How are we adopted as sons and daughters? How can we say with Paul, “This life may be hard, but it’s nothing compared to the greatness of eternity”? Look at verses 29-30:
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. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Rom. 8:29-30 ESV)
God foreknew us. The word in the Greek is proginosko, which means “to know beforehand”. But is this a cold, intellectual “knowing”? The word carries the idea of affection with it, almost to the point that one could say that God “fore-loved” us. And that understanding explains the rest of these verses. God foreknew, or fore-loved, us, then He predestined us, and because He predestined us, He called us, and because He called us, He has justified us, and because He has justified us, He has glorified us. Notice something about this: all of these words are past tense. They’ve all been completed already. In the Greek, they are all in the same voice, tense, and mood, and indicate that these are actions that were completed at a specific point in time, and they remain in effect. God has done this beforehand.
This is what Paul is talking about when he mentions “these things” – the things that God has accomplished beforehand on our behalf. This is why nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. The Almighty Sovereign One of the universe has determined beforehand that those who believe would belong to Him, and that determination cannot be overcome. O, give Him glory and praise for His mercy and grace!
Jim M.
06.24.10
I too am a charismatic reformed brother in Christ and also have a blog dealing with such subjects.
Great to find you!
Jim :-)