Romans 8:31-39 NET.
31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are in the Summer Olympic season. Athletes from all over the globe have convened in Paris to compete against others and to show their strength. Some will emerge triumphant and earn the right to stand on the podium and hear their country’s national anthem played in honor of their achievement. They will carry home Olympic medals of bronze, silver, and gold. Others will not taste victory this year, but perhaps they will have another opportunity four years from now. Even if they do not, it will be worth it just to be chosen to compete. Not everyone can be a winner in the Olympic games.
We have been looking at the gospel as described by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. In chapter 8, Paul explains the Christian life as a major competition. We fight against trouble, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and sword. Our competitors are death, life, angels, heavenly rulers, things that are present, things to come, powers, height, depth, and anything in creation.
But there is one major difference between Christian’s battle and that of the Olympic athlete. When the Olympic athletes get into the arena and begin to warm up for the competition, they know that anything can happen. They can emerge as winners and bring pride to their country, or they can lose and bring shame. They have absolutely no guarantee of a positive outcome. Every one of their competitors is well-trained and physically fit, so they might possibly get defeated.
Not so, the faithful Christian. The principle that Paul teaches in Romans 8 is that even though we as Christians face extreme challenges in this life, we are assured complete victory in Christ. No one in Christ is ultimately a loser. In verse 37, Paul says, “In all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!” It is not a partial victory. If your faith is genuine, your faith is enough.
Today, we are going to examine the principle that Paul teaches in this chapter by asking six questions.
What shall we say? (v. 31).
Paul asks, “What then shall we say about these things?” What things? Paul had said in verse 28 “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” He did not say that all things are good. He said that all things work together for our good. If you look back on your life, you will probably be able to testify to some pretty terrible things that have happened to you and your family. But if you examine how you faced those calamities, you will probably also recognize that your ordeals made you a better person. You gained strength for having to deal with the crisis. You learned to work with other believers because you faced more than you could handle alone.
But Paul is saying something else here. He is pointing out that amid the severe challenges we face as believers, strength comes to us that cannot be explained by our spiritual growth or the help we get from other believers.
Tim Keller summarizes this principle well: “For the believer, there can never be any condemnation by, nor separation from, their heavenly Father. Why? Because of the work of his Son on the cross and the work of his Spirit in our hearts.”[1] Our experience as believers facing life’s challenges is the outworking of God’s plan for our lives. Three things will never change according to that plan. We have a relationship with God the Father that will never change. What Jesus has done for us on the cross will never change. The power we access because of the Holy Spirit’s presence within us will never change.
Who can be against us? (v. 31).
These three constants in our lives are why we can ask who would dare be against us. God is for us, and he is supreme. There is no challenge we can face that can undo the will of God. We are like the team captain on the playground who gets to choose the first player on his team. Who does that captain choose? He chooses the most significant player. He wants the most vital, most intimidating team member. He knows that the game will always come out in his favor if he chooses the right team member.
So, Paul asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” If God is on our team, it does not matter who is on the opposing team. Pharaoh can bring his entire army with all their chariots. It does not matter. There can even be a Red Sea between us and the victory. It does not matter. If the sea is in the way, God can part the sea.
If God is on our side, our numbers don’t matter. Gideon can turn hundreds of soldiers away. “Sorry, your services are not required for this battle because God is fighting for us.” Elijah can stand alone against all the prophets of Baal because he is not alone. God is on his side and can defeat Elijah’s enemies with or without Elijah.
How will He not give us all? (v. 32).
Paul says, “Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?” If you need a contribution, you do not look for it from a stingy person. A stingy person is likely to shut his door in your face. So, if you need help, you go to a generous person—someone who has shown kindness to you in the past.
What Paul is getting at in verse 32 is that God has already shown his generous disposition toward us by giving his own Son on the cross for our sins. There is no more excellent gift in all the universe than that. So, now that we need help living the Christian life and having victory over life’s challenges, should we expect God to shut his door in our faces? Absolutely not. If he gave us Jesus, will he not provide us with everything else we need? Oh, yes, he will. Our God is not stingy. If ever we have not it is because we ask not.
Who will bring a charge? (v. 33).
In a court of law, the prosecution brings charges against the defendant. The defense seeks to get the defendant acquitted of all charges. They never bring charges against the defendant because that is not their role. Paul says in verse 33, “Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” The world, the flesh, and the devil are your enemies. They work for the prosecution. They are going to find all kinds of charges and accusations against you. But God is on the other side. He saw it when you applied the blood of Christ to your sins. He declared you justified from that point on. There is, therefore, now no condemnation.
Who will condemn us? (v. 34).
Paul says, “Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us.” Not only did Jesus pour out his life’s blood on the cross for you, but he is also now pouring out prayers of intercession for you. He didn’t go to heaven and forget you. He is still fighting for you at the Father’s right hand.
So, no matter what we face, we have a defense team in heaven that does not seek to condemn us but to support us during the challenges we face.
Joni Eareckson Tada is no stranger to difficulty. A tragic accident as a young adult disabled her during her entire life and ministry. Her attitude about facing trials is this: “We are the Lord’s, and He will not forsake us. We are assured that God will be with us through whatever difficulty we face.”[2]
Who will separate us? (35).
Paul asks, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” No, none of these things are designed to separate us from our defense team.
Ray Ortlund says, “Certainty in the love of God is how the gospel makes heroes out of ordinary sinners. Life is mean. It is hard to bear. But real life does not mean that God no longer cares. In it all, we move forward not as victims but as victors because everything happening to us, while not necessarily good in itself, is working for our good and is guided by God’s love. The love of God is the key to the narrative of our lives. Your life is a love story! So stop thinking of yourself as a victim. You are more than a victor. Your real life just happens to be the vehicle God is using to bring you to splendor. Your sufferings do not define you; the love of God defines you.”[3]
Jacob met up with God and got into a fight with him. He realized who he was wrestling with and he said, “I’m not letting you go until you bless me.” This was a sign of spiritual maturity for Jacob. He could have turned away from God and tried to live his way. But he understood that if his life were going to be blessed, it would have to come from God, not himself. So, he hung on to God. All the while, God was hanging on to him. That’s how the Christian life works. Physically, Jacob came away from that fight with a limp – an injury. But spiritually, he came away blessed and strengthened.
The Apostle Paul struggled with God and came away blind for a time. But he was blessed with spiritual insight that still astounds his readers today. The principle he teaches in today’s text is simple: God will finish what he started. You will struggle in this life, but that does not mean you can be defeated. If you are a believer, a gold medal is waiting for you to claim. Complete victory is yours. Nothing can separate us from that victory.
[1] Keller, Timothy. Romans 8-16 for You. The Good Book Company, 2015. P. 7.
[2] Klicka, Christopher J., and Joni Eareckson Tada. Power Perfected in Weakness: The Journal of Christopher J. Klicka. Shepherd Press, 2010. P. 23.
[3] Ortlund, Raymond C. Supernatural Living for Natural People: Studies in Romans 8. Christian Focus, 2001. P. 168.
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