Lesson 20 – Romans Chapter 8:30-39
In our previous verses we were shown by Paul that our hope is in our Lord, and everything He says in His Word will come to pass for us.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Remember, God has two purposes; our “good,” and His glory. So even when hard things come into our lives, God has our “good” in mind. (Jer. 29:11)
We have been “called” by God to be a part of His family… what an awesome privilege that is!
Rom. 8:30
“And these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
In the last lesson we studied about predestination, and how we are predestined because God foreknew the choice we would make, that we would indeed choose Him. People do have free will and they also have a choice to make while on this side of eternity.
Jon Courson; “You see, the singular issue concerning predestination is neither intellectual nor theological.
It’s moral. Through His foreknowledge, God sees the person who wants to continue to walk in darkness… and doesn’t choose Him. So too, before the foundation of the world, He saw those who, like you, wanted to walk in the light… and choose them.”
I John 1:7
“But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Here we have, “being called,” following “being predestined.” We are called through the message of the gospel.
Matt. 22:14
Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Rom. 1:6
“Among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;”
Rom. 9:24
“Even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”
Eph. 4:4
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;”
John MacArthur; “In God’s divine plan of redemption, predestination leads to calling. Although God’s calling is also completely by His scheme, it is here that His eternal plan directly meets our lives in time. Those who are called, are those whose hearts the Holy Spirit works in to lead them to saving faith in Jesus Christ.”
I Cor. 1:9
“God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Our “calling” is totally the work of God. There is an outward call, which comes in the form of a person hearing the gospel. Then there is the inward call, in which the Holy Spirit is speaking to our hearts. I think if you search deep within the recesses of your heart, you might recall a little tug in your heart that took place, telling you that you really wanted to give your heart to Jesus… and that He was the One you could trust. That my friends, that was the Holy Spirit working in you.
From beginning to end, our salvation is God’s work, not our own.
I Peter 2:9-10
“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”
God did this for us… from eternity past He called us by name, then the Holy Spirit stepped in and convicted our hearts, enabling us to receive God’s saving grace.
And these whom He called, He also justified;
Justified… is the sole act of Jesus’ work on the cross, His death and resurrection from the dead. It’s His complete victory over sin, death, and satan that justifies us. This puts us in a “pre-act” of disobedience position, “just as if we had never sinned at all,” like Adam and Eve were before the fall in the garden. This is how God now sees us.
Just as we are predestined and called by God, our justification is the work of God as well.
Rom. 3:24
“Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;”
We are saved by grace, we are justified by grace, and both are a gift from God. God is so good!
According to one theologian, “the root idea in justification is the declaration of God, the righteous judge, that the man who believes in Christ, sinful though he may be, is righteous—is viewed as being righteous, because in Christ he has come into a righteous relationship with God” (G.E. Ladd)
To be properly understood, justification has to do with God’s declaration about us, the sinner, it’s not any change within us. Remember we still have indwelling sin that we’re dealing with. Justification, by itself, does not make anyone holy; it simply declares him to be not guilty before God and therefore treated as holy.
Justification is more than a cleansing from our sins; it’s a full acceptance by God. We are now friends of God.
John 15:14
“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.” (NLT)
And as we learned earlier in chapter 8, we are co-heirs with Christ, this is one result from us being justified.
Romans 8:17a
“And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.”
We are justified, declared righteous by God at the moment of our salvation. Jesus Christ finished the work required for our justification on the cross.
“Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!” (Romans 5:9). He was then “raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25).
Being justified is a gift from God.
Rom. 8:31
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”
What things is Paul talking about? …being predestined, called, and justified. There’s great value in being a Christian. Just what we’ve covered so far in Romans 8 can be quite overwhelming, someone might say, “This is all too good to be true.” But, it’s all true, and we’ve seen from the Word of God, that God is worthy to be praised and trusted.
Paul continues to offer encouragement to us on this side of eternity. It’s true that we are suffering, as is all of creation. But until God takes us home, we wait to be glorified with Him forever. There will be times that we do suffer, but this doesn’t mean that God isn’t with us, or for us. In the previous verses, Paul has shown us that God is working to complete His purpose in us, and that He set out to do this before He had even formed the world. His plan and purpose is to make us like Christ, and God is still using “all things” to finish this process (Romans 8:28).
It is amazing to realize that our salvation is part of a never-ending plan by God… a holy journey that that stretches from eternity past, into the eternal ages that are to come.
If God is for us, who is against us? (a better translation is; “since” God is for us)
Since God is on our side, since God is with us, who can successfully oppose us? We have God on our side, more accurately, God has us!
Then who is against us? The principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). Who is the ruler above all these things? Our God is, of whom there is none greater.
God is in control, and God can use evil for our ultimate good. We can also say without hesitation, that God will ultimately defeat evil and He will put an end to our suffering. Just because God hasn’t eliminated evil and suffering in the world yet, it doesn’t mean He is not going to do so in the future. Yes, the world is against us, but God is for us.
Psalm 118:6
“The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Everyone who starts with God, ends with God. The Father is for us, the Son is for us, and the Holy Spirit is for us.
Rom. 8:32
“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?”
“Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else? (NLT)
“He who did not spare His own Son”
The word “spare” (KJV) is used only in one other place in the Septuagint, (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). When Abraham took his son Isaac to Mount Moriah, God said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Gen 22:12). The word “withheld” is the same word translated “spare” here in Romans.
What Abraham did (his willingness to sacrifice is son which he loved so much) became a picture of the future, where God the Father would sacrifice His only begotten Son.
Gen. 22:8
“Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.”
God provided His Lamb… who did not spare His own Son.
Because…
John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
Rom. 5:8
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
“But delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”
Warren Wiersbe; Christ died for us. The argument here is from the lesser to the greater. If when we were sinners, God gave us His best, now that we are God’s children, will He not give us all that we need? Jesus used the same argument when He tried to convince people that it was foolish to worry or fear. God cares for the birds and sheep, and even the lilies; surely He will care for you! God is dealing with His own on the basis of Calvary grace, not on the basis of law. God freely gives all things to His own.”
Within our verse the phrase “all things” is the idea of “all good things.” In other words, if it’s a good thing, God will give it to you because He gave you the very best which is Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom. 5:16
“And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.”
Rom. 8:33
“Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;”
“Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself.” (NLT)
If it’s God who justifies us, only He can condemn, so if you come to Christ, why would God want to condemn you?
Isa. 50:8-9
“He who gives me justice is near. Who will dare to bring charges against me now? Where are my accusers? Let them appear! See, the Sovereign LORD is on my side! Who will declare me guilty? All my enemies will be destroyed like old clothes that have been eaten by moths!”
Satan would love to bring charges against us…
Zec 3:1-4
“Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD.
The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Joshua. And the LORD said to Satan, “I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” Joshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Joshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.”
Rev. 12:10
“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.”
The accuser of our brethren, is satan… and that’s all he can do, accuse all the believers… and he can do it till he’s blue in the face. The accuser is cooked, his fate is sealed… when his time comes he will be thrown into the lake of fire.
Rom. 8:34
“Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”
“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” (NLT)
Before we came to Christ we were indeed condemned, lost in our sins. Those who are not born-again will one day face God’s condemnation. But, after we’re born into “new life” through Christ, there is no one who can condemn the believer.
Rom. 5:6
“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised… in this phrase we see the pure power of God. Through God’s holy sacrifice, the death sentence that would fall on anyone separated from God was now destroyed by Jesus.
By His very own blood, Jesus has declared us not guilty. The one who wants to condemn us is already DEAD… stick a pitch-fork in him, and use his own fork (pun intended).
“He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand”
If you’ve studied God’s holy temple or tabernacle at all, you’ll find that it’s made up of many components. There was a table to eat from, a lamp stand to see by, a laver to wash in, and alter to sacrifice on. Deep within the temple you’ll find the Holy of Holies, separated from the rest of the temple by a vail.
In the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat on top of the ark. What you wouldn’t find in the Holy of Holies was a chair.
Only the high priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies, and that was only once a year at the Day of Atonement. The high priest would go in with a sacrifice for himself and for the people, but there was no chair to be found in the Holy of Holies, because the high priest’s work was never done.
According to Jewish custom, whenever a man’s work was done, he would then sit down. Sacrifices done by the high priest had to be done over and over again.
Heb. 10:11
“Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;”
In our verse it says, “He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand,” this is Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father… Jesus is sitting because His work was finished.
John 19:30
“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
Heb. 10:12
“But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,”
Jesus is sitting in the place of honor, right next to His Father.
Who also intercedes for us…
Christ’s work to secure our salvation was completed on the cross, we saw this when He said “It is finished!” Jesus’ care for His redeemed children will never be finished.
I John 2:1
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;”
Jesus’ work on the cross is finished, but clearly, Jesus is still very active in heaven, working on our behalf.
Jesus intercedes for us and He is our Advocate as well.
Psalm 121:4
“Indeed, He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.”
Jesus is interceding for us while satan (whose name means “accuser”) is accusing us, he’s pointing out our sins and weaknesses before God, just as he did with Job (Job 1:6-12). But all the accusations from satan fall on deaf ears in heaven, because Jesus’ work on the cross paid our sin debt in full; therefore, God always sees in His children through the perfect righteousness of Jesus. Satan hates that.
Rom. 8:35
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?” (NLT)
If nobody can successfully oppose us, charge us, or even condemn us when it comes to our personal relationship with God… and it goes without saying, that no one can ever separate us from the love that Jesus has for us.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? At this point this is pretty much a rhetorical question from Paul, because the answer is clearly, no! Why? Because nobody could overpower Jesus… the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
El Shaddai… translates to “God Almighty.” Coinciding with this, one suggested root meaning for El Shaddai is “The Overpowerer,” meaning God will do what He purposes to do, overpowering all opposition. When it comes to God’s love for us, nothing can take us out of His hand!
Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?”
John 16:33 Jesus said;
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Jesus didn’t say “if” we have tribulation, He told us that tribulations are going to happen on this side of eternity… “In the world you will have tribulation.” I think we can all testify to this one, especially if you’re living your life for Christ. In fact, the “world” will come after you if you are living for Christ! But, no matter what happens to us, Jesus will always love us.
Let’s not forget verse 28, “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Even when the very hardest things happen, God is with us, He loves us, and He is always working.
Rom. 8:36
“As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” (Ps. 44:22)
Those who love God have had to face death daily. In other words, believers shouldn’t be surprised when they have to endure suffering for the sake of Jesus.
Rom. 8:37
“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (NLT)
“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” (NASV)
No matter what this world or satan throws at us, we will be conquerors, because we have the victory of Jesus. God loves us so very much, and He promises to take us home to the other side!
Rom. 8:38-39
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In closing out chapter 8, Paul gives a GREAT declaration that can restore the hope in your heart if there was any doubt whatsoever that God keeps His promises. God has us!
John 10:28
“And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
Rom. 8:31
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”
El Shaddai… “God Almighty!”