Author Archives: Gary Davenport

Here we have Paul following the pattern he always followed when he wrote to his friends. He always ends his letters with practical advice. The sweep of his mind may search through the infinities, but he never gets lost in them; he always finishes with his feet firmly planted upon the earth. He can, and does, wrestle with the deepest problems which theology has to offer, but he always ends with the ethical demands which govern every man.

One of the biggest problems American people face is the problem of debt. We have a huge national deficit and many are overwhelmed by personal debt. In these times of easy credit, many American families have used their charge cards to the limit; some of them will be unable to pay their debts. Maybe we should throw away the cards and live within our incomes. We need to pay our debts.

Think of another kind of debt. What do you owe God? Are we indebted to Him?

Romans 12 begins the practical application of the great truths that Paul had presented in the first eight chapters. In this chapter he is answering the question, “Now what?” God has acted in history. He has shown us the way out of our trouble. We have responded to His gift of grace in Christ. How are we to live in this present world?

1. I. BY PRESENTING OUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE

Romans 12 begins with the words, “I urge you therefore, . . .” (12:1). “Therefore” says that what Paul is about to say is inseparably joined to everything he has said before. As an apostle of Christ he could have said, “I command you”; but he did not use that word. He is saying, “I am tenderly urging you; I am begging you.”

He says, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, . . .” Everything that God has done for us is because He is merciful. God is just and holy and can have nothing to do with our sins. The justice of a holy God who is outraged by man’s rebellion must be fulfilled.

Justice says according to 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.” Justice demands death because of our sin. But in the fulfillment of God’s justice, Christ died; He died in our place. God could show mercy to poor lost sinners. He wants to save sinners through the gift of Jesus.

What is the request? What is this debt that we owe that we can never fully pay? Paul says, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, . . .” (12:1).

“Present your bodies to God,” he says. There is no more characteristically Christian demand. We have already seen that that is what a Greek would never say. To the Greek, what mattered was the spirit; the body was only a prison-house, something to be despised and even to be ashamed of. No real Christian ever believed that. The Christian believes that his body belongs to God just as much as his soul does, and that he can serve him just as well with his body as with his mind or his spirit.

The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and the instrument through which the Holy Spirit works. After all, the great fact of the incarnation basically means that God did not grudge to take a human body upon himself, to live in it and to work through it. Take the case of a church or a cathedral. It is built for the offering of worship to God. But it has to be designed by the mind of some architect; it has to be built by the hands of craftsmen and of labouring men; only then does it become a shrine where men meet to worship. It is a product of the mind and the body and the spirit of man.

“So,” Paul says, “take your body; take all the tasks that you have to do every day; take the ordinary work of the shop, the factory, the shipyard, the mine; and offer all that as an act of worship to God.” The word in Rom 12:1 which we along with the Revised Standard Version have translated worship, has an interesting history. It is latreia (<G2999>), the noun of the verb latreuein (<G3000>). Originally latreuein (<G3000>) meant to work for hire or pay. It was the word used of the labouring man who gave his strength to an employer in return for the pay the employer would give him. It denotes, not slavery, but the voluntary undertaking of work. It then came to mean quite generally to serve; but it also came to mean that to which a man gives his whole life. For instance, a man could be said latreuein kallei, which means to give his life to the service of beauty. In that sense, it came very near meaning to dedicate one’s life to. Finally, it came to be the word distinctively used of the service of the gods. In the Bible it never means human service; it is always used of service to and worship of God.

Here we have a most significant thing. True worship is the offering to God of one’s body, and all that one does every day with it. Real worship is not the offering to God of a liturgy, however noble, and a ritual, however magnificent. Real worship is the offering of everyday life to him, not something transacted in a church, but something which sees the whole world as the temple of the living God. As Whittier wrote:

“For he whom Jesus loved hath truly spoken: The holier worship which he deigns to bless,

Restores the lost, and binds the spirit broken, And feeds the widow and the fatherless.”

A man may say, “I am going to church to worship God,” but he should also be able to say, “I am going to the factory, the shop, the office, the school, the garage, the locomotive shed, the mine, the shipyard, the field, the byre, the garden, to worship God.”

In all of history, sacrificing has been an opportunity for man to give the best he has to God. In the very first sacrifices that were made by Cain and Abel (Genesis 4), Abel brought the firstling of his flock and Cain brought of the fruit of the ground. The Bible says God had respect unto Abel and his sacrifice, but unto Cain and his offering he had not respect.

He accepted Abel’s offering of the lamb, but He rejected Cain’s offering of the fruit of the ground. Hebrews 11 says, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than did Cain.” Abel offered by faith. God had given commandments to those boys. Abel had listened to God; Cain had not.

God has never accepted less than the best from any man. Abel offered the best he had. He was a shepherd; natu-rally he would have sheep. He offered a lamb that was the best from his flock. Cain was a farmer and offered the fruit of the ground. Nothing in the text says that Cain offered the first or the best. God, therefore, had respect unto Abel, but no respect for Cain. That teaches us an important lesson.

Sacrifices have always been an opportunity for man to present the best he has to God.

Because we owe so much let us give God the best we have. What is the best a man can present to God? Is it not himself? Paul says, “Present your bodies.” Man is a soul who lives in a body. Our bodies belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:19,

20). We are stewards of our bodies which belong to God. Let us use them in offering the best we have to God.

How can the body be a sacrifice? Let the eyes look on no evil; let the ears listen to no evil; let the tongue speak no evil; let the hands do no evil; let the feet never take us into the presence of evil. Let the eyes be open to that which is good; let the ears be subject to the will of God; let the tongue be used for speaking good and especially praise for God; let the hands be used in service to God: let the feet take us into the places where we are needed most. God is saying, “Give Me your best.”

Paul says the sacrifice is “living.” In the Old Testament when animal sacrifices were offered to God, they were offered once, in death. God is asking us to present ourselves in life to Him—a living sacrifice, a perpetual sacrifice, a continual sacrifice. Is it not wonderful that we can present ourselves to God on a daily basis? Present your body a living sacrifice to God.

Next, Paul says, “Acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (12:1). Paul says it is spiritual because God deserves it. Life is worship because life is to be presented to God. What is worship but presenting something to God.

It is true that the church assembles to worship. God has designated in His Word what we are to do when the church comes together. We are to sing praises, pray, and study His Word. On the first day of the week we are to observe the Lord’s Supper and give of our financial resources for the work of God. In another sense all of life is worship. Your spiritual service is presenting your very self to God.

1. II. BY ALLOWING OUR MINDS TO BE TRANSFORMED BY HIS WORD

Paul takes us a step further and shows how we may present ourselves to God as our spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed. . . .” Do not allow the world to squeeze you into its mold. This verse further says to not be conformed “to this world.” The world is not your standard any longer. Christ is your standard. You are set apart from the world, and you are different from the world.

The next line says, “Be transformed. . . .” Be changed for the better. That word transformed reminds us of a term that is used in biology, metamorphosis. It speaks of the woolly worm that becomes the beautiful butterfly. We are like the worm, but we can become the butterfly. We can become something beautiful and useful to God.

But how can I overcome conformity to the world and be transformed? “By the renewing of your mind.” You have to change your mind if you are going to be God’s person. You are God’s person not by accident, but by choice. In Ephesians 4:22-24 Paul said, That, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

The old man is put off when we die to sin, are buried with Christ when we are baptized, and raised to walk in newness of life. He said it is possible by the renewing of your mind to be transformed to become something beautiful and wonderful for God.

He concludes the thought by saying, “That you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (12:2). You will demonstrate the way of God is best. You will prove it if you will give yourself as a living sacrifice to God, not being conformed to the world but being transformed or changed for the better. That is your possibility; that is your responsibility.

This, Paul goes on, demands a radical change. We must not be conformed to the world, but transformed from it. To express this idea he uses two almost untranslatable Greek words—words which we have taken almost sentences to express. The word he uses to be conformed to the world is suschematizesthai (<G4964>); its root is schema (<G4976>), which means the outward form that varies from year to year and from day to day. A man’s schema (<G4976>) is not the same when he is seventeen as it is when he is seventy; it is not the same when he goes out to work as when he is dressed for dinner. It is continuously altering. So Paul says, “Don’t try to match your life to all the fashions of this world; don’t be like a chameleon which takes its colour from its surroundings.”

The word he uses for being transformed from the world is metamorphousthai (<G3339>). Its root is morphe (<G3444>), which means the essential unchanging shape or element of anything. A man has not the same schema (<G4976>) at seventeen and seventy, but he has the same morphe (<G3444>); a man in dungarees has not the same schema (<G4976>) as a man in evening dress, but he has the same morphe (<G3444>); his outward form changes, but inwardly he is the same person. So, Paul says, to worship and serve God, we must undergo a change, not of our outward form, but of our inward personality. What is that change? Paul would say that left to ourselves we live a life kata (<G2596>) sarka (<G4561>), dominated by human nature at its lowest; in Christ we live a life kata (<G2596>) Christon (<G5547>) or kata (<G2596>) pneuma (<G4151>), dominated by Christ or by the Spirit. The essential man has been changed; now he lives, not a self-centred, but a Christ-centred life.

This must happen, Paul says, by the renewal of your mind. The word he uses for renewal is anakainosis (<G342>). In Greek there are two words for new—neos (<G3501>) and kainos (<G2537>). Neos (<G3501>) means new in point of time; kainos (<G2537>) means new in point of character and nature. A newly manufactured pencil is neos; but a man who was once a sinner and is now on the way to being a saint is kainos (<G2537>). When Christ comes into a man’s life he is a new man; his mind is different, for the mind of Christ is in him.

When Christ becomes the centre of life then we can present real worship, which is the offering of every moment and every action to God.

CONCLUSION

By doing this, we are reaching toward fulfilling our debt to God for all the wonders He has done in our lives.

 

 

It is absolutely essential in our service to God that our service come from our hearts. We must always be honest and genuine in our approach to God. But what about this question: If a person is honest and sincere is God obligated to accept him? Is honesty and sincerity enough?

Romans 9-11 concern a problem which would exist in the Jews’ mind: For 15 centuries the nation of Israel had been God’s chosen people, but now Paul has announced that the chosen people of God are men out of every nation who will by obedient faith in Christ accept God’s will.

A Gentile man upon the acceptance of God’s will made known through Christ can be right with God. What about that 1,500 years of heritage that ancient Israel had? Paul affirms that Israel can continue to be God’s chosen people, but not because of the fleshly bloodline. As with the Gentiles, the Jews must accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah, Savior, and King upon the conditions of His will to continue as God’s chosen people. In Romans 10

Paul explains that God has not gone back on His word. He points out that Israel was wonderfully excited in their service to God. They were earnest in what they were trying to do.

Romans 10:1-3 (ESV) Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. ²For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge ³For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

What is the attitude of Paul toward his own people, Israel? He had a great feeling in his heart toward them, earnestly desiring their salvation. He had made that earnest desire known to God in prayer (10:1). What is the prayer? Paul prayed for their salvation. Obviously, he would want his own people to be saved.

The two main words in this text are zeal and knowledge. What do those two words mean? Paul said, “They have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.” Zeal literally means to boil up. Zeal means excitement, enthusiasm, to be on fire. That about which one is excited and on fire is something worthwhile. In verse 2 Paul is referring to service to God. The object of their excitement is wonderfully worthwhile. It is God Himself and His will.

The other word is knowledge. Literally, knowledge is light. If somebody has enlightenment, he has knowledge. From the practical standpoint, knowledge is understanding.

10:1 Brothers. Though fully engaged in matters concerning his fellow Jews, his blood brothers, Paul also includes his broader audience in the Roman church by calling them brothers. He knows that neither Jews nor Gentiles can, claim superiority in the church. And any unity apart from Christ would not be real. Meanwhile, Paul’s concern for the Jews is genuine and heartfelt; his desire and prayer is that they may be saved (see also 9:1-3).

What will happen to the Jewish people who believe in God but not in Christ? Since they believe in the same God, won’t they be saved? If that were true, Paul would not have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to teach Jews about Jesus Christ. Because Jesus is the most complete revelation of God, no one can fully know God apart from knowing Jesus; and because God appointed Jesus to bring God and human beings together, no one can come to God by another path. The Jews, like everyone else, can find salvation only through Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Just as Paul did, we should wish that all Jews might be saved. We should pray for them and lovingly share the Good News with them. In fact, we should ask ourselves, Who do I desire to be saved, and am I regularly praying for them?

10:2 They are zealous for God.^NIV The Jews certainly were zealous in their devotion to God and their practice of the law. Paul knew that from his own experience. However, their zeal is not based on knowledge.^NIV The people Paul loved (the Jews) were so busy trying to keep the law that their zeal was actually keeping them from understanding God’s way of salvation. This was exactly Paul’s state of mind before Christ confronted him. He was so zealous for God and for his religion that he persecuted Christians (see Acts 9:1-2; 22:3-5; 26:4-11). His zeal was based on a misunderstanding of God’s Word, and so was the zeal of his fellow Jews (see chapter 9).

WHY GOOD INTENTIONS CAN’T SAVE US

·       Starting out with good intentions does not ensure the results will be good.

·       Possessing good intentions does not guarantee that any action will be taken.

·       Good intentions by themselves do not fulfill the demand to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

·       Our ever-present bad intentions are often hidden from us.

·       Good intentions can lead to false pride.

·       Good intentions can seek to bypass and alter God’s clear commands.

·       Good intentions can be a cover-up for ignoring or willfully disregarding God’s desires.

·       Good intentions may appear to do so, but they cannot actually make up for bad deeds.

·       Many people claim that they are acting with good intentions when, in fact, their efforts are halfhearted. They want to dictate the way God should accept them. But none of our best intentions can save us.

10:3 Being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God.^NRSV The Israelites did not understand the extent of God’s righteousness, how it would be achieved, and how it would be made available to all people (the point Paul explained in chapters 3-6). Instead, they sought to establish their own. They were not creating some new kind of righteousness; rather, they wanted to achieve God’s righteousness by observing the law and their rituals. Once their minds were set, they could no longer submit to God’s righteousness,^NIV the righteousness that God, provided for them through faith in Jesus Christ.

We are made righteous by humbly submitting to God. The Israelites had understood the need for obedience, but they had become so zealous in carrying out their duties and rituals without love that they had actually become disobedient. And when they tried to make God’s righteousness exclusively theirs, they were putting themselves out of its reach. They misunderstood their own Scriptures: they saw righteousness in terms of outward actions, rituals, and customs; they did not see that their Scriptures pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. When Israel rejected Christ, they rejected their own Scriptures with the promises and blessings in them. According to Philippians 3:1-9, Paul remembered being stuck on the treadmill of effort. By human standards he had been quite successful in what he later realized was actually a self-styled, self-approved, and self-justified religion. In order to believe in Christ, Paul had “lost” all those things, only to discover that what he had gained was of immeasurable value. “What is more,” he said, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things” (Philippians 3:8 niv).

RECEIVE THE GIFT

Rather than living by faith in God, the Jews established customs and traditions (in addition to God’s law) to try to make themselves acceptable in God’s sight. Regardless of our sincerity, no human effort can ever substitute for the righteousness that God offers us by faith. The only way to earn salvation is to be perfect—and that is impossible. We can only hold out our empty hands and receive salvation as a gift.

10:4 Christ is the end of the law. There are at least three possible explanations for what Paul meant by Christ being the end of the law. In Jesus, the law was:

(1) Terminated. Instead of seeking justification through the law, we receive justification by faith and use the law to guide our obedience to God. Through Christ, the offer of grace is universal.

(2) Replaced. The law literally pointed to Christ. The law was only the teacher, or mentor, until Christ came (see Galatians 3:24). Now we follow his lead.

(3) Fulfilled. Christ was the law in human form. He met every criteria of the law, completing it and transcending it (see Matthew 5:17-20). He spoke with authority to divide the unchangeable law from the human additions and twisted interpretations.

While each of these is a valid explanation of part of the relationship of Christ to the law, Paul seems to have had the first in mind at this point in Romans. The law, however, is terminated only in the sense of 7:6—that is, we have been released from the law to serve in the newness of the Spirit. We no longer seek justification by keeping the law.

Whatever reasons Israel had for misunderstanding God’s law and God’s righteousness, those ended with Christ. Christ is the end of the law in several possible ways (see the chart). Christ fulfills the purpose and goal of the law (Matthew 5:17) in that he perfectly exemplified all that the law requires. But he is also the termination of the law, because with the coming of Christ, the law became powerless to save (3:20; 7:7).

However, Paul does not mean that the law has been cast aside and is no longer of any value. Jesus completed the law. With the coming of Christ, the puzzle that looked like it was going to be a picture of human righteousness suddenly turned out to be a picture of God’s grace. Jesus did not change the law—he changed our way of seeing the law. Paul has amply explained this in such verses as 3:31 and 8:4. What ended was the view that the law was the way to achieve righteousness and the belief that Israel was the only recipient of that righteousness.

Righteousness for everyone who believes.^NRSV Christ perfectly fulfilled the law; then he gave his life to pay the penalty that we deserved for breaking the law. So, instead of “seeing” ourselves fearfully attempting to meet the demands of the law (With death as the consequence for failure), we are now freely invited to “see” ourselves in Christ. His righteousness becomes our righteousness. When we believe in him, he gives us righteousness (8:3-4) and makes us acceptable to God.

1. ZEAL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE

There  are  three  possible  relationships  between zeal and knowledge, but only one of these relationships is accepted by God. The first is zeal without  knowledge.  Zeal  without  knowledge means to boil up without light. Zeal without knowledge is running, but running in the dark. Zeal without knowledge is excitement without understanding. In this description of zeal without knowledge, we can see that this relationship between zeal and knowledge is not acceptable.

Zeal without knowledge has caused tremendous problems in ancient and modern history. To illustrate, zeal without knowledge caused Christ’s death. Jesus Christ did not die because He was a criminal; to the contrary, He never violated the laws of God or man. During His personal ministry, Jesus sometimes violated human tradition. The Jewish leaders of His day had difficulty in seeing the difference between God’s law and their human traditions. Human traditions are never on an equality with God’s law. Jesus opposed making human traditions binding upon men as though they were from God. It was zeal without knowledge that led to Christ’s death. Peter in his sermon on Christ in Acts 3 said, “I know that through ignorance you did it.” There was zeal, fervor, and excitement. But that zeal was without correct enlightenment. Zeal without knowledge is activity. Fervor without knowledge has no direction.

Second, it was zeal without knowledge that caused Israel to be cut off as a fruitless branch. What had that unenlightened enthusiasm of Israel led to? Verse 3 says, “For not knowing about God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject them- selves to the righteousness of God.” The righteousness of God revealed in the gospel (1:16, 17) is not so much an attribute of God, though God is righteous, as God’s plan made known in the gospel to make men right with Himself though they be sinners. Righteousness with God, right standing with God, is possible because Jesus died and lived again. It is possible because we can be forgiven. The gospel contains God’s plan to make men right with Himself. I am sure that many more people would be saved if they could be saved on their own terms. Very plainly Paul says in verse 3 that when one rejects God’s plan and goes about to establish his own plan he may have excitement but there is no light.

This answers the question we asked in the beginning. Is being sincere enough to make a man right with God? The answer is no. One needs to be fervent in his search for God, but he must search according to light. David said in Psalms 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” The Word of God gives light. “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” (1 John 1:7). Zeal without knowledge led Israel to reject God’s plan, the only plan to make one right with Himself. Going about to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit  themselves  unto  the  righteousness  of God.

Zeal without knowledge led Saul of Tarsus to be a persecutor of Jesus’ church. When we first

meet Saul, he is not a follower of Jesus. He was trying to stamp out the very name of Christ from

under heaven. He gave his voice against those who were thrown into prison because they followed Jesus. Some of them were even put to death. We first meet Saul when those who stoned Stephen laid down their clothes at his feet. He was consenting unto the death of Stephen. He was zealous for God, but his zeal was without knowledge, without direction.

What made the loss of Israel so tragic was the fact that they were actually a very zealous and God-fearing people, superior in every way to the Gentiles, whose godlessness was the shame of all nations. Sanday’s quotation from Josephus stresses this character of the Jews, thus:

They had a zeal of God …. The Jew knew the Law better than his own name …. The sacred rules were punctually obeyed …. The great feasts were frequented by countless thousands …. Over and above the requirements of the Law, ascetic religious exercises advocated by the teachers of the Law came into vogue …. Even the Hellenized and Alexandrian Jews under Caligula died on the cross and by fire, and the Palestinian prisoners … died by the claws of African lions in the amphitheater, rather than sin against the Law …. The tenacity of the Jews, and their uncompromising monotheism, were seen in some conspicuous examples. In the early part of his procuratorship, Pilate, seeking to break through their known repugnance to everything that savoured of image-worship, had introduced into Jerusalem ensigns surmounted with silver busts of the emperor. Upon this, the people went down in a body to Caesarea, waited for five days and nights in the marketplace, bared their necks to the soldiers that Pilate sent among them, and did not desist until the order for the removal of the ensigns had been given. Later, he caused to be hung up in the palace in Jerusalem certain gilded shields bearing a dedicatory inscription to Tiberius. Then again, the Jews did not rest until, by their complaints addressed directly to the emperor, they had succeeded in getting them taken down. The consternation caused by Caligula’s order for the erection of his own statue in the Temple is well known. None of the Roman governors dared to carry it into execution; and Caligula himself was slain before it could be accomplished.

It would take volumes and libraries to recount the heroic zeal of the Jews which finally culminated in the bloody sorrow of Masada, where Eleazar ben Yair made his courageous stand against the Tenth Legion of Rome. When all hope was cut off:

Rather than become slaves to their conquerors, the defenders – 960 men, women, and children thereupon ended their lives at their own hands. When the Romans reached the heights next morning, they were met by silence.

How fitting it was that Paul should have here paid his tribute to the nobility and zeal of that wonderful people who were, until they rejected the Christ, God’s chosen people.

But not according to knowledge … is a reference far more than Israel’s rejection of our Lord and their failure to recognize him as the Messiah. As just noted, Josephus said that they knew the Law “better than” their own names; but it was such a knowledge as failed to take account of the spiritual nature of God’s word. Jesus said to the Jews of his day:

Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God (Matt. 22:29).

Ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition …. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men (Matt. 15:6,9).

Thus the Jewish ignorance of God’s word extended to the very heart of it, which they had so corrupted with human tradition and so glossed over with their own interpretations that many of the plainest precepts were countermanded. Thus, the failure of Israel, about to be mentioned in the next verse, refers not merely to their rejection of Christ (which they also did), but to their failure to keep even the commandments of the Law which they acknowledged, preferring their own traditions and precepts instead of it.

1. II. KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT ZEAL

A second relationship is knowledge without zeal. If zeal without knowledge, excitement without proper light, is a tragedy, knowledge without zeal  is  a  greater  tragedy.  When one  has knowledge without zeal, it means he knows the correct way; he just does not have enough interest to walk in it.

Numerous examples are given in the New Testament, but I shall cite only two from Revelation 2 and 3. Jesus instructed John the apostle to write letters to seven churches in Asia Minor. The first letter was written to the church at Sardis.

Jesus said of the church at Sardis, “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1). Here was a church that was well thought of. It had a good name. Maybe it had a large membership. Maybe it had a wonderful place to meet. Maybe it had many wealthy members. I do not know why it had a good name. But Jesus who sees behind the scenes, who sees the hearts of men, said that even though they had a name that they were alive they were dead.

What was the problem? Did they understand? Oh, yes. They had correct understanding, but they did not have enough enthusiasm to live according to the light they had. That is a problem that often faces people who have understood the truth for a long time. Maybe in the beginning there was zeal, enthusiasm, and excitement; but as time went on, the fires of enthusiasm burned low. Knowledge without zeal must be the greatest tragedy of all.

Another  letter  was  sent  to  the  church  at Laodicea. Jesus spoke some of the saddest words of Scripture to this church: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:15, 16). The Laodicean church knew what was right; they had enlightenment, but they had no excitement. Jesus is actually telling the Laodicean church, “I wish you were altogether for Me or against Me. I would rather you would be completely cold than lukewarm.”

It seems from a human standpoint that it would be better to be lukewarm, sort of on Jesus’ side, than to be altogether cold. But not so. He said, “I would that you were cold or hot.” The person who makes no profession of following Jesus would do less harm to the cause of Christ than the professed follower who has no real interest in Christ. It is knowledge without zeal. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me,

‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). No, it is not enough to know. There must be the doing of it.

IIL KNOWLEDGE PLUS ZEAL

There is a third relationship between zeal and knowledge. That is when one has knowledge plus zeal. Knowledge plus zeal is knowing the correct way to God and being excited about it—wanting to live in it and walk in it. We must find ourselves in these relationships. We owe it to ourselves and God to search His Word and discover what is right. Having discovered what is right, we must have enough interest in it to walk in His way.

CONCLUSION. No, it is not enough just to be sincere. One’s excitement must be governed by “thus saith the Lord.” This is what we plead for. It certainly is not enough to know the correct way and have no real excitement about doing it. But when one has understanding, correct understanding, and excitement about it, you have the  correct  relationship  between  zeal  and knowledge.

 

 

This section provides a summary in the middle of Paul’s exposition on God’s sovereign plan and an expanded explanation of the present position of the Jews. He realized that his teaching was creating a paradox, especially for his Jewish audience. How could it be that the acknowledged experts in righteousness would find their way to God barred, while those who were ignorant of righteousness were welcomed by God as long-lost children? Paul here contrasts the way of faith with the way of the law. Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not attain it—while the Gentiles, not seeking righteousness by the law, found it by faith in Christ.

Whereas chapter 9 has focused primarily on God’s sovereignty, chapter 10 outlines the extent of human responsibility. Note that Paul did not say “elect” and “nonelect,” but rather emphasized faith. Here is a paradox: the Jews sought for righteousness but did not find it, while the Gentiles, who were not searching for it, found it! The reason? Israel tried to be saved by works and not by faith. They rejected “grace righteousness” and tried to please God with “Law righteousness.” The Jews thought that the Gentiles had to come up to Israel’s level to be saved; when actually the Jews had to go down to the level of the Gentiles to be saved. “For there is no difference: for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:22-23). Instead of permitting their religious privileges (Rom. 9:1-5) to lead them to Christ, they used these privileges as a substitute for Christ.

But see the grace of God: Israel’s rejection means the Gentiles’ salvation! Paul’s final quotation was from Isaiah 28:16. It referred to Christ, God’s Stone of salvation (see Ps. 118:22). God gave Christ to be a Foundation Stone, but Israel rejected Him and He became a stumbling stone. Instead of “rising” on this Stone, Israel fell (Rom. 11:11); but, as we shall see, their fall made possible the salvation of the Gentiles by the grace of God.

We need to decide what kind of righteousness we are seeking, whether we are depending on good works and character, or trusting Christ alone for salvation. God does not save people on the basis of birth or behavior. He saves them “by grace, through faith” (Eph. 2:8-9). It is not a question of whether or not we are among God’s elect. That is a mystery known only to God. He offers us His salvation by faith. The offer is made to “whosoever will” (Rev. 22:17). After we have trusted Christ, then we have the witness and evidence that we are among His elect (Eph. 1:4-14; 1 Thes. 1:1-10). But first we must trust Him and receive by faith His righteousness which alone can guarantee heaven.

No one will deny that there are many mysteries connected with divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Nowhere does God ask us to choose between these two truths, because they both come from God and are a part of God’s plan. They do not compete; they cooperate. The fact that we cannot fully understand how they work together does not deny the fact that they do. When a man asked Charles Spurgeon how he reconciled divine sovereignty and human responsibility, Spurgeon replied: “I never try to reconcile friends!”

But the main thrust of this chapter is clear: Israel’s rejection of Christ does not deny the faithfulness of God. Romans 9 does not negate Romans 8. God is still faithful, righteous, just, and gracious, and He can be depended on to accomplish His purposes and keep His promises.

9:30 Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness [i.e., a law that produces righteousness], have attained to righteousness.^NKJV The gospel was preached to both Jews and Gentiles, but it was being accepted by far more Gentiles than Jews. The Gentiles did not have God’s law, did not even know God, and were not even “trying to be righteous,” yet they were obtaining righteousness. Why? Because they were coming in faith to God.

9:31 Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness,^NIV has not attained it. In contrast to the Gentiles, the Jews tried to obtain righteousness by obeying the law, only to never attain it. They had incorrectly understood righteousness in terms of works. They could not keep the law perfectly, therefore they could not keep it at all. Thus God could not accept them.

9:32 They pursued it not by faith.^NIV Instead of admitting that they could not keep God’s law and pursuing righteousness by faith in God, the Jews kept trying to pursue righteousness by their works. They had a worthy goal to “obtain” God’s righteousness. But they tried to achieve it the wrong way—by rigid and painstaking obedience to the law. Thus some of them became more dedicated to the law than to God. They thought that if they kept the law, God would have to accept them as his people. But God cannot be obligated by us. The Jews did not see that their Scriptures, the Old Testament, taught salvation by faith and not by human effort—the point Paul made in the first part of this letter. As a result they stumbled over the stumbling stone^NRSV—the Lord Jesus Christ (see 1 Peter 2:4-8). Jesus was not what they expected, so they missed him. In so doing they missed their only way of salvation. Jesus is a stumbling block to Jews and to all who by pride would rather have recognition for doing it on their own than for trusting Christ and his goodness.

Some people still stumble over Christ because salvation by faith doesn’t make sense to them. They would rather try to work their way to God, or else they expect him simply to overlook their sins. Others stumble over Christ because his values are the opposite of the world’s. Christ asks for humility, and many are unwilling to humble themselves before him. He requires obedience and many refuse to put their will at his disposal. The “stone” has caused them to stumble. They heard about Christ and misunderstood, so they tripped over the one thing that could have saved them.

NEVER GOOD ENOUGH

Sometimes we are like those people who try to achieve God’s approval by keeping his laws. We may think that going to church, doing church work, giving offerings, and being nice will be enough. After all, we’ve played by the rules, haven’t we? But Paul’s words sting—this approach never succeeds. Paul explained that God’s plan is not for those who try to earn his favor by being good; it is for those who realize they can never be good enough and so must depend on Christ. Only by putting our faith in what Jesus Christ has done will we be saved. If we do that, we will never be “put to shame” or disappointed.

9:33 As it is written. Paul quotes from Isaiah 28:16. Isaiah declared God’s warning of destruction to Israel by Assyria. Then he said, “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”^NIV This stone refers to the righteous remnant and to Christ.

“The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”^NIV When we put our trust in Christ, we need never fear that we have put it in the wrong place. When we have placed our feet on the Rock of Zion, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, we can be confident of our salvation.

THE STUMBLING OR HUMBLING STONE

Jesus is a stumbling block to Jews and to all who would rather have the satisfaction of gaining God’s acceptance on their own than admit their inability and then submit to God’s grace. When we are presented with Christ, we have only two possible responses, to reject or accept. Any form of rejection will result in our stumbling over him, resulting in judgment. But trusting submission to him will gain for us what we could never hope to gain by ourselves—a righteous standing with God. Isaiah showed the way by personally applying the phrase he used above, “I will put my trust in him” (Isaiah 8:17 niv). Are you stumbled or humbled by Jesus?

Here Paul draws a contrast between two ways of feeling towards God. There was the Jewish way. The aim of the Jew was to set himself right with God and he regarded a right relationship with God as something which could be earned. There is another way to put that which will show really what it means. Fundamentally, the Jewish idea was that a man, by strict obedience to the law, could pile up a credit balance. The result would be that God was in his debt and owed him salvation. But it was obviously a losing battle, because man’s imperfection could never satisfy God’s perfection; nothing that man could do could even begin to repay what God has done for him.

That is precisely what Paul found. As he said, the Jew spent his life searching for a law, obedience to which would put him right with God, and he never found it because there was no such law to be found. The Gentile had never engaged upon this search; but when he suddenly was confronted with the incredible love of God in Jesus Christ, he simply cast himself upon that love in total trust. It was as if the Gentile saw the Cross and said, “If God loves me like that I can trust him with my life and with my soul.”

The Jew sought to put God in his debt; the Gentile was content to be in God’s debt. The Jew believed he could win salvation by doing things for God; the Gentile was lost in amazement at what God had done for him. The Jew sought to find the way to God by works; the Gentile came by the way of trust.

The stone is one of the characteristic references of the early Christian writers. In the Old Testament there is a series of rather mysterious references to the stone. In Isa 8:14 it is said that God shall be for a stone of offence and a rock of stumbling to the houses of Israel. In Isa 28:16 God says that he will lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation. In Dan 2:34-35, Dan 2:44-45, there is a reference to a mysterious stone. In Ps 118:22 the Psalmist writes: “The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner.”

When the Christians began to search the Old Testament for forecasts of Christ they came across these references to this wonderful stone; and they identified Jesus with it. Their warrant was that the gospel story shows Jesus himself making that identification and taking the verse in Ps 118:22 and applying it to himself (Matt 21:42). The Christians thought of the stone which was the sure foundation, the stone which was the corner stone binding the whole building together, the stone which had been rejected and had then become the chief of all the stones, as pictures of Christ himself.

The actual quotation which Paul uses here is a combination of Isa 8:14 and Isa 28:16. The Christians, including Paul, took it to mean this—God had intended his Son to be the foundation of every man’s life, but when he came the Jews rejected him, and because they rejected him that gift of God which had been meant for their salvation became the reason for their condemnation. This picture of the stone fascinated the Christians. We get it again and again in the New Testament (Ac 4:11; Eph 2:20; 1 Pet 2:4-6).

The eternal truth behind this thought is this. Jesus was sent into this world to be the Saviour of men; but he is also the touch-stone by which all men are judged. If a man’s heart goes out in love and submission to him, Jesus is for him salvation. If a man’s heart is entirely unmoved or angrily rebellious, Jesus is for him condemnation. Jesus came into the world for our salvation, but by his attitude to him a man can either gain salvation or merit condemnation.

Additional Notes

Israel’s Unbelief Is Consistent with God’s Plan–parts 3-4: It Is Consistent with His Prophetic Revelation and His Prerequisite of Faith (Romans 9:25-33)

As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.'” “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God.” And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; for the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly.” And just as Isaiah foretold, “Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, we would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah.”

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed” (9:25-33)

Continuing his argument that Israel’s unbelief is not inconsistent with God’s promised covenant of redemption, Paul proceeds to give two more features from the Old Testament that support divine integrity. He confirms the truth that Israel’s unbelief is perfectly consistent with God’s revelation through the Old Testament prophets. He then confirms that Israel’s unbelief is consistent with God’s eternal prerequisite of faith on the part of those He saves.

Israel’s Unbelief Is Consistent With God’s Prophetic Revelation

As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.'” “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God.” And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; for the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly.” And just as Isaiah foretold, “Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, we would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah.” (9:25-29)

Paul uses two quotations from Hosea and two from Isaiah to show that Israel’s unbelief and rejection of the Messiah and His gospel fit what the prophets had predicted.

Paraphrasing the prophet, Paul declares that He, that is, God, says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved, ‘beloved'” (see Hos. 2:23).

To understand the full meaning of that truth it is necessary to look at the first chapter of Hosea, where we read, “The Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry, and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord'” (Hos. 1:2). It is not clear from the text whether Gomer, Hosea’s wife, was a harlot before she married him or became one after the marriage. In either case, the Lord commanded the prophet to keep her as his wife, despite her adultery—or more correctly, because of it.

So [Hosea] went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. And the Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.”… Then she [Gomer] conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I should ever forgive them.”… When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people and I am not your God.” (Hos. 1:3-4, 6, 8-9)

Gomer’s moral unfaithfulness to Hosea provided a vivid analogy to Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness to God. By His sovereign design and provision, she would bear Hosea a son whose name means “God sows” (referring to the scattering of seeds, as well as to the place where Jehu murdered Ahab’s sons). Hosea then had a daughter whose name means “not pitied” or “not having obtained compassion,” and another son whose name means “not My people.” Those three names represented God’s attitude toward Israel, His chosen but disobedient people. For a divinely determined period of time, they would be scattered like sown seeds, unpitied by the world, and forsaken by God.

The Lord goes on to promise, however, that His people will not be permanently forsaken. Applying the analogy to unfaithful and spiritually adulterous Israel God says, “I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness, and speak kindly to her,” and speaking to Israel, He adds, “And I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion” (Hos. 2:14, 19). Just as Hosea protected and supported Gomer, even during her harlotries, and one day bought her as a slave on the block in the open market, naked and full of shame, so God someday will redeem Israel.

Until that time, God not only will treat Israel as not being His children but will treat Gentiles, who were not His people, as His people. It is that converse truth, found in Hosea 2:23, that Paul paraphrases: “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’ And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God.”

Hosea already had witnessed the Assyrian conquest and devastation of the northern kingdom of Israel, which occurred in 722 b.c., some twelve years before the prophet wrote his book. That pagan nation became the rod of God’s anger (see Isa. 10:5), which He used to chastise His rebellious people. When God removed His protective hand, Israel became subject to the military expansionism of Assyria and thereby became, for a while, not God’s people. Israel was scattered, unpitied, and forsaken by God, just as He had declared. In 586 b.c. the southern kingdom of Judah would meet a similar fate at the hands of the Babylonians. Only after many years of exile in foreign lands would God bring His chosen people back to their promised land. Even today, He has not yet redeemed them from the slave market of sin.

It is important to understand that Paul is here speaking about Israel as a nation and that they will be the focus of his message through the end of chapter 11. Paul’s purpose is to show that Israel’s unbelief was no surprise to God and was in no way inconsistent with His divine plan for His chosen people or for the world.

Paul was also referring to Israel’s rejection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, at His first coming. Rejecting God’s own Son was Israel’s supreme unfaithfulness to God, her consummate act of spiritual adultery, in which she still lived when Paul wrote his letter to Rome and still lives today. Like her rejection of God in the time of Hosea, Israel’s rejection of Christ in the time of Paul was perfectly consistent with God’s divine plan. Israel responded to Christ exactly as the prophets had predicted hundreds of years earlier.

Paul says, in effect, “We are not surprised when we see Jewish unbelief and we see them denying the gospel. We are not surprised when they enter into unbelief and sever themselves from God.” Through the prophet Hosea, the Lord revealed what kind of people they would be. The prophet saw and understood Israel’s unfaithfulness and God’s scattering and rejection of her during that ancient time, and through Paul, the Holy Spirit applies to New Testament times what Hosea both envisioned and witnessed in regard to the Israel of his day. In a.d. 70, about ten years after Paul wrote to the Romans, the city of Jerusalem, including its magnificent temple, was totally destroyed by the Roman general Titus, under direct orders from the emperor. At that time a large percentage of the surviving Jews fled Israel, and in 132 the remainder of them were forcefully expelled by Rome. They remained a scattered people until 1948, when the modern state of Israel was formed and became recognized as such by most of the world.

Yet the great majority of Jews do not now live in Israel but are still scattered throughout the world. And that nation still rejects her Messiah and is not yet again the people of God. But, as Paul explains later in this epistle, God has not permanently rejected His people. One day, when “the fulness of the Gentiles has come in,… all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:25-26). God promises through Hosea and through Paul that those who had become, for a long time, not My people would, by His gracious plan, someday become again My people.

Drawing from the same passage in Hosea and referring to that same divine graciousness, the Lord says through Peter, “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” (1 Pet. 2:10). Here the words refer to the church, God’s chosen people of this present age.

Paul’s focus, however, is Israel. When the Jews rejected God and became scattered, unpitied, and not My people, they became just like the Gentiles as far as their relation to God was concerned, scattered and unsaved.

Paul continues to explain that it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, “you are not My people,” there they shall be called sons of the living God. Paul again quotes from Hosea, but this time does not paraphrase, using the prophet’s own words almost verbatim (see Hos. 1:10). The place of which Hosea spoke was every place to which the Jews had been scattered. In those places they have been called not My people, but one day they will in those same places be called sons of the living God.

As Hosea did with his wife, after the scattering of God’s people in Hosea’s day, God eventually brought them back. And after their present scattering, He will again bring them back, not only to their own land but to their true Lord, as sons of the living God. The redemption of Israel will come.

But Paul’s emphasis in this passage is not Israel’s ultimate restoration to God but her present alienation from God. As already noted, the apostle’s primary point is that the unbelief of Israel that caused her alienation and scattering was not inconsistent with God’s sovereign plan for His people. On the contrary, historically and in regard to the time of Messiah, God foresaw and predicted Jewish rejection and its consequences long before it occurred.

Paul next cites another prophet, a contemporary of Hosea, saying, Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved.” (see Isa. 10:22). The Greek term krazō (cries out) behind Paul’s quotation of Isaiah carries the sense of crying out with great emotion, as from fear or pain, and was often used of a scream of despair and agony. The truth he was divinely called to proclaim tore at the prophet’s heart. When he uttered that sorrowful truth, he doubtless wept for his brethren. Of the vast number of the human descendants of Abraham through Isaac—a number as great as the sand on the sea—only the remnant, a very small remnant at that, will be saved.

Beginning about 760 b.c., Isaiah prophesied to the southern kingdom of Judah for some forty-eight years. Like Hosea, he was given the divine revelation that God’s people in Judah, just as those in Israel, would be conquered, scattered, and temporarily forsaken by God because of their unbelief. It is likely that Isaiah, as Hosea, personally understood that truth as relating to a judgment that would come in his own age, when Judah’s rejection of God would lead to her conquest and exile by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

Paul is saying that as important and tragic as those two scatterings were, they were only previews of Israel’s immeasurably greater and more tragic rejection of the Messiah, and the subsequent conquest, slaughter, and scattering of Jews that has followed.

Quoting from the following verse in Isaiah 10, Paul declares, For the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly (see Isa. 10:23). When God used the Babylonians to judge Israel for her unbelief and unfaithfulness, His justice was thorough and fast, and only a few, the remnant of true believers, escaped. So also was it in the destruction of Jerusalem and devastation of Palestine in a.d. 70.

The prophet Amos, who prophesied in Judah shortly before Isaiah, declared, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘An enemy, even one surrounding the land, will pull down your strength from you and your citadels will be looted.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Just as the shepherd snatches from the lion’s mouth a couple of legs or a piece of an ear, so will the sons of Israel dwelling in Samaria be snatched away—with the corner of a bed and the cover of a couch!'” (Amos 3:11-12).

If a shepherd could not rescue a sheep from a predator, he would make every effort to snatch at least part of the carcass to take back to the owner as proof that the sheep was indeed attacked and devoured by a wild animal, rather than stolen or sold by the shepherd.

Just as a shepherd snatches a small part of a sheep from a lion’s mouth, God will snatch for Himself, as it were, only a small part of Israel from unbelief and condemnation.

To further press home the truth he is declaring, Paul quotes again from Isaiah, who foretold, “Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, we would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah” (see Isa. 1:9).

Lord of Sabaoth is often translated “Lord of hosts” and refers to God’s all-encompassing lordship of the universe, of everything He has created. Posterity translates sperma, which literally means “seed” but, by extension, can also refer to the descendants of the seed or sperm. The Jews of Isaiah’s day and, even more so the Jews of Christ’s day, faced terrible judgment for their unbelief. They not only killed many of God’s ancient prophets but even killed God’s very Son, their Messiah and Savior. And since that day, all Jews who reject Christ continue to face the same terrible judgment.

But the Lord of Sabaoth graciously left to us a posterity, a remnant, apart from which no one would be saved but every human being, Jew and Gentile alike, would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah—divinely judged and destroyed. The Lord’s destruction of those two morally perverted cities became a byword for total annihilation without a trace remaining. Only God’s grace has prevented such ultimate and total destruction of the entire world.

The swift and sudden destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Abraham’s time, and of Israel and Judah in a.d. 70, illustrate how the Lord will execute His word of judgment upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly, when the time has come. Only God’s sovereign mercy spares the remnant.

Israel’s unbelief, therefore, is not inconsistent with God’s revelation through His prophets. They predicted it, stretching all the way from their own day to the day of Messiah.

Israel’s Unbelief Is Consistent With God’s Prerequisite of Faith

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed” (9:30-33)

Paul’s fourth and final point in this section is that God’s prerequisite of faith for salvation does not conflict with or violate His divine plan of redemption but has always been an inseparable requirement of that plan.

God’s demand for faith on the part of men is in no way inconsistent with His sovereignty. By His own sovereign decree, His gracious offer of salvation becomes effective only when it is willingly received by faith. In regard to salvation, the other side of divine sovereignty is human responsibility. From the human standpoint there is a tension, even a seeming contradiction, between those two realities. By human reasoning, they seem mutually exclusive. But both of them are clearly taught in God’s Word, and when one is emphasized to the exclusion of the other, the gospel is invariably perverted. By His own determination, God will not save a person who does not believe in His Son, and a person cannot save himself simply by the act of his own will, no matter how sincere and heartfelt. In God’s sovereign order, both His gracious provision and the exercise of man’s will are required for salvation. Like many other revelations in Scripture, those two truths cannot be fully harmonized by reason, only accepted by faith.

Paul therefore declares, What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith.

Paul is not implying that Gentiles are saved on a different basis than Jews. He is simply stating the human requirement for salvation that has always been the only means of attaining the righteousness that is necessary for salvation—the righteousness which is by faith.

Pursue is from diōkō, which means to run swiftly after something, and was therefore frequently used of hunting. It was also used metaphorically of earnestly seeking a desired goal or objective.

The implication for Jews was that they did not pursue… the righteousness which is by faith, but instead relied on their birthright as Jews or on their supposed good works in obedience to God’s law. But no person has ever been saved, at any time, under any dispensation or covenant, on any other basis than faith exercised in response to God’s gracious call. It is that truth that the writer of Hebrews makes so clear. From Abel through the prophets, men “gained [God’s] approval through their faith” (Heb. 11:4-39). As Paul explicitly establishes earlier in this letter, Abraham, “the father of all who believe,” was saved by his faith, which God “reckoned as righteousness”—before He required the rite of circumcision and long before He gave His law through Moses (Rom. 4:1-11).

Paul is not saying, of course, that the pagan Gentiles naturally sought God’s righteousness through faith. Whether Jew or Gentile, the natural man never seeks God by his own independent choice. “The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:7-8; cf. 5:10). Despite their being called as God’s chosen people and their having received His divine revelation through Moses, the psalmists, the prophets, and other inspired men of God, the Jews were no more naturally inclined to seek or to obey God than was the most pagan Gentile.

In fact, when the gospel came through Christ, far more Gentiles than Jews believed. The greatest obstacle to salvation is self-righteousness. The person who thinks he is already righteous and pleases God will see no need for salvation. As noted above, because most Jews thought they had satisfied God by their Jewishness or their works righteousness, they felt no need for the gospel of grace through faith.

Consequently, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. What a tragic commentary on a wasted effort. God’s righteousness cannot be achieved by man’s works, because they are always sin-tainted and fall short of God’s perfect and holy standard. By his own effort, no person can arrive at that law.

Why did self-righteous Jews fail? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. The only thing that any person, Jew or Gentile, can do to be saved is to believe that he can do nothing to merit salvation and to cast himself at God’s feet for His mercy for the sake of Christ. Jews were incensed at the gospel of grace made effective by faith because it nullified all the good works by which they thought they could please God. Several years before he wrote the epistle to Rome, Paul had reminded the church at Corinth that “For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:22-23).

Again quoting from Isaiah, Paul explains that, Just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed” (see Isa. 28:16; cf. 8:14; 1 Pet. 2:8). Long before their Messiah came, the Lord had predicted in many ways and through many prophets that Israel would reject Him. Far from being inconsistent with God’s Word, Israel’s unbelief verified that Word. Just as Isaiah declared, she tripped over the stone of stumbling, refusing to receive her Savior and Lord, because He did not fit their understanding of the Messiah and because, as a rock of offense, He declared their works to be worthless. Daniel completes the picture by adding that the One who was the stone over which the Jews stumbled and the rock that offended them will, in the future, be the Stone that will break in pieces all the kingdoms of the world (Dan. 2:45).

But the good news of the gospel is that, unlike those who reject Him, he who believes in Him—the one who has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the divine stumbling stone and rock of offense—will not be disappointed.

The issue on the human side is faith, which alone can bring the salvation that God’s grace provides. Man is justified by grace through faith. But Israel’s unbelief, her lack of faith, did not surprise the Lord or nullify His plan. God’s prerequisite of faith has always been the same, and His choosing a remnant in Israel for salvation was in perfect harmony with His omniscient awareness that only a few would believe in His Son and be saved. That is the way God knew it would be and planned it to be, and that, of course, is the way it turned out to be.

Romans 9:15-18 (ESV)  For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶  So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. ¹⁷  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” ¹⁸  So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

I have explained the statement about “God hardened Pharoah’s heart” this way. God gave the Egyptian leader 10 opportunities to see He has YAHWEH…The God of creation and of heaven and earth…through the 10 plagues. Each of the acts of God were against the gods of Egypt, and Pharoah had every opportunity to make the best choice for himself and his nation.

War Is Declared Exodus 5:1-8:19

Moses and Aaron stood before the ruler of one of the greatest kingdoms of the ancient world…sent by God to inform Pharaoh that if he didn’t release the Jewish people, Jehovah would declare war on him and his gods and wouldn’t stop attacking Egypt until the people of Israel were set free.

Pharaoh rejects God’s Word (Ex. 5:1-6:27)

Their request was a simple one: Moses and Aaron wanted permission to take the Jewish people three-days’ journey into the desert to a place where they could worship the Lord. Six days of travel and one day of worship would add up to a week away from their work.

Pharaoh: “Why should I obey the Lord?” (5:1-3) This was a reasonable question because the Egyptian people considered Pharaoh to be a god, and why should their king obey a strange god that neither Pharaoh nor the Egyptians knew?

If Pharaoh obeyed the edict, he would be acknowledging a deity greater than himself, and he wasn’t about to do that. In his pride and false security, Pharaoh wouldn’t listen to the words of the living God.

Moses mentioned that the Israelites might be in danger of being killed if they failed to obey the Lord. Moses was hinting that Pharaoh’s stubbornness might cost him his slaves and that he’d be better off to give the Jews a week off and thereby protect his cheap labor.

Moses was telling Pharaoh that the God of the Hebrews was a powerful God who could kill the Egyptians as well as the Jews. Pharaoh needed to understand that the demands Moses and Aaron were making were not to be taken lightly, for this was a matter of life and death.

Pharaoh belittles God’s miracles (Ex. 6:28-8:7)

Up to this point in their confrontation with Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron had simply delivered God’s ultimatum. Now the time had come for them to reveal God’s power and perform the miraculous signs that proved they were truly sent by God. Reasons why the Lord took this approach in dealing with Pharaoh and sent these sign judgments to the land of Egypt. The ultimate purpose, of course, was to bring Pharaoh and the Egyptians to their knees so they’d be willing for the Jews to leave the land. But at the same time, the Lord was revealing Himself to both the Israelites and the Egyptians and proving that He alone is God (7:5).

The miracles and plagues were also God’s way of judging the gods of Egypt and proving them false and futile. “Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord” (12:12; and see 18:11 and Num. 33:4). More than eighty different deities were worshiped in Egypt, but they could do nothing to deliver the land and the people from the terrible judgments Jehovah sent. If nothing else, the Egyptians learned that Jehovah was the true and living God.

But the people of Israel also needed to learn this lesson. According to Ezekiel 20:1-9, some of the Jews had begun to worship the Egyptian gods; and when they were delivered from Egypt, they took their gods with them! Did they compromise their faith in an attempt to please their captors and receive better treatment? But how could they forsake Jehovah after seeing all the demonstrations of His power? “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of Your mercies” (Ps. 106:7, nkjv).

Pharaoh hardens his heart against God (Ex. 8:8-19)

Pharaoh began to harden his heart when Moses and Aaron performed the first miraculous sign before him, just as God said he would do (7:3, 13-14). He hardened his heart further when his magicians counterfeited the signs (v. 22) and even when they couldn’t duplicate what Moses and Aaron had done (8:19). When Moses succeeded in stopping the plague of frogs, Pharaoh’s heart again hardened (v. 15). This hardening continued throughout the entire series of plagues (v. 32; 9:7, 34-35; 13:15).

What does it mean to harden your heart? It means to see clear evidence of the hand of God at work and still refuse to accept His Word and submit to His will.

It means to resist Him by showing ingratitude and disobedience and not having any fear of the Lord or of His judgments. Hardhearted people say with Pharaoh, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” (5:2)

Does this mean that God was unfair and that Pharaoh shouldn’t be held responsible for what he did? No, for the same sun that melts the ice also hardens the clay. It all depends on the nature of the material.

To the very end of the contest (14:5ff), Pharaoh was a proud, unrepentant sinner who refused to hear God’s Word, do God’s will, or even keep his own promises to the Jewish people.

The Lord gave him more than enough evidence to convince him that the gods of Egypt were false and the God of the Hebrews was the true and living God. Pharaoh sinned against a flood of light; and though God used him to accomplish His own purposes, Pharaoh made his own decisions and hardened his own heart against God.

As long as there have been Scriptures, there have also been those unwilling to submit to the Scriptures’ authority.

• Many treat the Bible as an old book, a leatherbound relic to display and keep dusted.
• Others turn to it only in times of crisis or in worship.
• But even studying the Bible and knowing it well doesn’t guarantee a right relationship with God. Obedience proves whether or not a person considers the Bible to be, in fact, God’s Word.
• So people who do not read, study, understand, and obey God’s Word may doubt its power. But God’s Word never fails, even though some doubt it.

If you want to see God’s Word succeed in your life, if you want to experience God’s power, treat the Bible as though it is what it claims to be, the infallible Word from almighty God—read it, study it, understand its principles for living, and apply those truths to your life. In short, do what the Bible says—LIVE it.

 

STAGES IN THE HARDENING PROCESS

Stage 1	Example
Abandoning God’s guidance from his Word or guidance from believers	“I don’t read the Bible or attend church.” “Who are they to tell me what to do?”
Stage 2
Willfully disobeying God, based on desire for sin or unresolved conflict with God	“I know it’s wrong, but I want it.” “Where was God when I needed him?” “How could he do this to me?”
Stage 3
Justifying sin as not really being sin, but as being essential for the person’s welfare	“I’m not sure this is really wrong.” “I’m not as bad as others.” “I’ll feel better.”
Stage 4
Rejecting the Holy Spirit’s conviction	“I know I’ll feel guilty, but I don’t care.” “I’ll just ignore it.”
Stage 5
Becoming entrenched in the sinful behavior	“I’m in too deep to get out.” “I might as well finish what I started.”

9:6 It is not as though God’s word had failed.^NIV The Jewish nation as a whole did not respond to the gospel, even though God’s gifts had made them better prepared than any other nation to receive Christ. On the surface, the covenants and promises seem not to have accomplished their purpose, but this does not mean that God’s word had failed. Human beings failed.

Earlier in this letter, Paul clarified that not all who are descended from Israel are Israel—that is, not all Jews are part of spiritual Israel (see 2:28-29; 11:5-6; Galatians 3:7-9). Israel’s history demonstrates that God was fulfilling his promises, apart from human failures and misunderstandings.

Paul illustrates this from three Old Testament events: (1) verses 7-9, the lineage passing from Abraham to Isaac, rather than Ishmael (see Genesis 16-21); (2) verses 10-16, the lineage passing from Isaac to Jacob, rather than Esau (see Genesis 25-28); (3) verses 17-18, the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart (see Exodus 7-12)

1. I. HISTORY HAS MEANING BECAUSE GOD HAS A PURPOSE

God has a purpose. God has always had a purpose. What is the purpose? To build from alienated humanity a group of people who would be His own. He chose in His purpose to make people His own people through Jesus Christ.

Man is a sinner. He can never be right with God on the basis of merit. He needs somebody else to take his place, to pay his sin-debt. God sent Jesus into the world for that purpose. Jesus lived perfectly. Never did He disappoint God. He was qualified to be the Savior of alienated men. Through His cross and, ultimately, His resurrection and glorification, He opened the way so that men could be reconciled to God.

9:7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children.^NIV Paul’s first illustration of God’s sovereign choice is Abraham and his children. Just being Abraham’s physical descendants did not guarantee an inheritance. The line of natural descent was not the same as the line of promise. Abraham had children by three different women (Isaac, by Sarah—see Genesis 21:1-7; Ishmael, by Hagar—see Genesis 16; and six sons by Keturah—see Genesis 25:1-4). But God made it clear that the line of promise would be through Isaac only: “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” (Genesis 21:12 niv). God made a sovereign choice regarding who among Abraham’s physical descendants would carry the line of promise, the line that would result in the Messiah. God did not choose Isaac because he was better than his half brothers; the choice was made before Isaac was even born. Instead, it was simply God’s sovereign choice.

The Jews were chosen as special recipients and emissaries of God’s grace. Their opportunity to participate in that plan arrived with the coming of Christ. As John puts it, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:11-13 niv). That gracious opportunity to receive Christ and become a child of God is still producing offspring today!

9:8 Not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.^NIV Paul repeats the statement of verse 7 in other words. The “children of promise” are the spiritual offspring of Abraham, including all true believers. It is not by being natural children, born in the line of Abraham and Isaac, that the Jews can be saved and considered God’s children and children of the promise (notice the distinction between “natural children” and “God’s children”). Instead, it is by believing in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

9:9 This is what the promise said.^NRSV God made a promise to Abraham when he and Sarah were childless and very old. The promise said, “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son”^NIV (see Genesis 18:10). Abraham believed this promise. As Paul has already explained in chapter 4, it was Abraham’s faith—his belief in God’s promise—that justified him before God. Abraham is a helpful model of faith in two ways: (1) he believed the specific promise that God gave to him and his descendants (Genesis 12:1-7); (2) more significant, he trusted in the God who keeps promises. Between Abraham and God there was an agreement, but there was also a personal relationship.

Trusting God will also push us beyond our comfort zone. Abraham trusted God when the covenant was made, but his trust grew when he packed his bags and traveled into the unknown. How often do you act simply out of trust that your action is what God wants you to do?

9:10 Rebekah’s children had one and the same father . . . Isaac.^NIV Paul’s second illustration of God’s sovereign choice focuses on Isaac and Rebekah’s twin sons, Jacob and Esau. God chose to continue the line of blessing through the younger son, Jacob, rather than Esau (Genesis 25:23). This was quite unusual in the Hebrew culture, where the firstborn son was highly honored. In Abraham’s case, Isaac and Ishmael were sons of different women—each was a firstborn, so a choice had to be made. But Isaac and Rebekah were the parents of children over whom God had a sovereign purpose. Again, this had nothing to do with either son’s character, because the choice had already been made.

9:11 Before they had been born or had done anything good or bad.^NRSV Jacob was not chosen because he was “better” than Esau; he was chosen not by works but by him [God] who calls^NIV (see 9:12). Jacob’s future conduct does not even enter into the discussion because it was unrelated to God’s choice.

In order that God’s purpose in election might stand.^NIV God’s sovereignty, not people’s works or character, is the basis for election. The Jews were proud of the fact that their lineage came from Isaac, whose mother was Sarah (Abraham’s legitimate wife), rather than from Ishmael, whose mother was Hagar (Sarah’s maidservant). Paul asserts that no one can claim to be chosen by God because of his or her heritage or good deeds. God freely chooses to save whomever he wills. The doctrine of election teaches that it is God’s sovereign choice to save us by his goodness and mercy, and not by our own merit.

The word election actually takes on a technical sense within the letter to the Romans. The fact of God’s choice was important to Paul, but the words he uses (eklektos, ekloge) are the natural expressions for “choice.” We find them in this letter in the following sequence: 8:33; 9:11; 11:5, 7, 28; 16:13. The doctrine of election emerges when we use the entire Bible as a source. But, assuming that the original readers did not have other Pauline letters to consult for corroboration, what would they have learned from this letter about the ways that God chooses?

• Once God chooses, no charges against that person will hold (8:33).
• God’s choices are not based on the character or actions of the one chosen, but on his own merciful purposes (9:11; 11:5).
• God’s chosen ones will be faithful, while others, with the same evidence, will turn away (11:7).
• God’s love for his original chosen ones (Israel) is based on his promises to the patriarchs (11:28).
• God’s choosing is personal and specific, not general (16:13).

Election is like receiving an invitation for a banquet that we know will be wonderful. But the invitation comes unearned. No friendship or effort has created an expectation that we ought to be on the invitation list. The choice to invite is purely the host’s. After all, it is his banquet. The invitation comes with the traditional R.S.V.P. God’s gracious invitation does request our response and attendance.

9:12 By him who calls.^NIV When Paul uses call, the context often indicates that he also has response in mind (see 8:28ff.), emphasizing the effectiveness of the call. The source of the call is God, and the vehicle of the call is the gospel that sets into motion a life of faith. Salvation and sanctification make the call effective. Jesus explained the other side of this concept when he differentiated between the “called” (“those who hear”) and the “chosen” (“those who respond”) (Matthew 22:14).

She was told, “The elder shall serve the younger.”^NRSV God told Rebekah, while the twin boys were still in her womb, that Esau (the elder twin) would serve Jacob. Esau himself did not serve Jacob, but Esau’s descendants, the Edomites, (did serve Jacob’s descendants, the Israelites (see 1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Kings 11:15-16; 2 Kings 14:7).

Was it right for God to choose Jacob, the younger, to be over Esau? God chose Jacob to continue the family line of the faithful because he knew that Jacob was teachable. But he did not exclude Esau from knowing and loving him. We must remember what God is like: he is sovereign; he is not arbitrary; in all things he works for our good; he is trustworthy; he will save all who believe in him. When we understand these qualities of God, we will know that his choices are good even if we don’t understand all his reasons.

9:13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”^NKJV These words refer to the nations of Israel and Edom rather than to the individual brothers (see Malachi 1:2-3). God chose Jacob to continue the family line of the faithful. Esau I have hated refers only to God choosing Jacob and rejecting Esau for continuing the line of promise. The choice of Jacob for such a great privilege made the rejection of Esau seem like hatred by comparison. God did not exclude Esau from knowing and loving him. God was not rejecting Esau’s eternal salvation; he was choosing Jacob to lead the nation. (Other such uses for hate and hatred are found in Luke 14:26 and John 12:25.)

Paul answers the concern voiced in verse 6 and shows that God’s Word has not failed. The Jews have simply misunderstood it. They missed the truth that God’s election never has anything to do with works of the law, rituals, even family or community ties. They misunderstood their own election as God’s people. They settled on enjoying the benefits of God’s promises, rather than fulfilling their role as emissaries for sharing God’s promises with the world. While we enjoy the gracious benefits of our salvation, we must not ignore the others whom God wants to reach through us.

1. II. HISTORY HAS MEANING BECAUSE GOD IS MERCIFUL

God is merciful in the working of His purpose in the world. In 9:14 the apostle speaks of God’s mercy:

“What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!” God is just in choosing Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel, and men who are in Christ. For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” God is merciful. He shows His mercy upon whomsoever He wills.

An illustration is given in Romans 9. It is a most interesting point that Paul makes. When Moses went into Pharaoh’s court and demanded that he let Israel go, Pharaoh would not agree. Even though he would say on occasions they could go, he would change his mind. Ten devas- tating plagues were brought upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians. How was God merciful to Pha- raoh when He brought ten plagues upon him? The ten plagues were not the point. God was saying, “Pharaoh, I am working out a purpose in the world, and I want you to let My people go. I want your heart to be changed so that your heart will be in tune with My will.” Pharaoh said no. So God brought the first plague. Pharaoh changed his mind; he decided he would do God’s will. But when the plague was stayed, he said, “No, I will not.” God brought a second plague. The same thing happened. A third plague came. God was saying to Pharaoh after each of those plagues, “Pharaoh, why will you not repent? Why will you not change your mind? Why will you not bring your will into subjection to My will? Pha- raoh, you are not dealing with just another king. You are dealing with almighty God.” God was giving Pharaoh an opportunity to repent, but Pharaoh hardened his heart.

God did not make Pharaoh into a tyrant and then destroy him for being a tyrant. God had a will for Pharaoh, and Pharaoh said no to that will. The Bible says God hardened him. How did God harden Pharaoh? He hardened Pharaoh by making a demand of Pharaoh. The demand of God hardened Pharaoh. God did not make him rebel. Pharaoh chose to rebel. God had a will for Moses too. Moses said yes. The will of God softened one man and hardened another. It all depends on how a man responds to God’s will. The same thing is still happening. God has a will for you and me. We can exercise our freedom of choice. God is not going to force us to do His will. We choose. When we choose by saying yes or no to the will of God, we are either softened or hardened by His will. Paul is saying God declared His mercy through Pharaoh.

9:14 Is God unjust?^NIV God chose Isaac over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau, not because of their character or their actions, but simply because that was his choice. “Doesn’t that seem a bit unfair?” we might ask. “Surely those Jews who are working so hard to follow all of God’s laws should be chosen. Isn’t it rather arbitrary of God to just choose some and reject others?”

Paul’s wording of the question in Greek expects a negative answer, which he emphatically supplies: Not at all!^NIV If God gave anyone exactly what they deserved the results would be disastrous! Both Isaac and Jacob were scoundrels. God demonstrated unexpected grace when he chose these men in spite of their weaknesses and failures. That same grace is available to us in God’s offer of salvation. If we were to receive what we deserve, we would have no hope. We should come to God for mercy, not for justice.

9:15 He says to Moses. God is absolutely sovereign. He had explained to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion”^NRSV (see Exodus 33:19). We might still be tempted to say, “Doesn’t that seem a bit unfair?” But by asking such a question we are claiming a higher understanding of fairness than God himself. We must remember that God has no obligation to show mercy or compassion to any of us—not one of us deserves his slightest concern. For God to even choose anyone is evidence of his great mercy. These words of God reveal that he does show mercy and compassion, but they are by his sovereign choice.

We tend to read God’s statement to Moses (which was a response to Moses’ request to see God’s glory) as if it were an expression of God’s withholding mercy rather than a statement of his merciful generosity. In the context of this statement in Exodus, God was not justifying himself, but saying in effect, “I will have mercy on people you would not expect, and I will have compassion in ways that will surprise you, especially when I am compassionate with you!” No one can know the heart of a person in the way that God knows. No individual, court of law, or group can perfectly assess the righteousness of a person. So we must leave the choosing and judging to God.

9:16 It does not . . . depend on man’s desire or effort.^NIV God chose Israel out of mercy, and he will keep his promises to them regardless of their works. God chose them, but they still held on to the belief that their strict adherence to the law was a condition for them to maintain their “chosen” status. Paul makes it clear that God’s mercy and compassion have nothing to do with what people want or try to achieve.

In working out His purpose, God chose Abraham out of all the men who lived in the world of that day. God chose Abraham to be the head of a nation through whom the Savior would come. Did God have the right to choose Abraham? Of course He did.

Of Abraham’s two sons, God chose Isaac to do this special work in the development of a nation that would produce the Savior. Of Isaac’s two boys, God chose Jacob. Through Jacob came those boys who became the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel.

You will remember in your studies of the Old Testament that God changed the name of Jacob to Israel. That nation that developed through Jacob—the nation of Israel—God chose from all other na- tions to be the nation to bring the Savior into the world. Did God have the right to choose Israel? Out of all the nations that existed, did He have the right to choose Israel? Of course He did.

What about all the other nations? All the other nations were responsible to God to respond to the light that He gave them. Did God have the right to choose Israel to do a special work for Him?

In Romans 1 Paul spoke of those other nations. They did not have a written law like Israel, but God had given them an inner consciousness that they were not mere beasts. There is a longing for God within every man. God gave them the created world as a testimony of His existence. God expected them to accept that testimony and respond to Him according to the light they had.

God today chooses to accept men who are in Christ. Does God have that right? There might have been those in ancient Israel who said, “No, God does not have the right to limit who He will accept.” If He had the right to choose Abraham instead of other men, if He had the right to choose Isaac rather than Ishmael, if He had the right to choose Jacob over Esau, if He had the right to choose Israel over the other nations, why does He not have the right in His purpose to say, “Those who accept Christ upon the condition of obedient faith I will accept as my own people”? He does have that right. That is Paul’s argument in 9:6-13. He concludes that section by saying, “‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’” He does not mean that He despised Esau; he just loved Jacob more. He chose to do a work through Jacob and Israel. God has that right in His purpose.

Does history have a meaning? Yes, first of all, God in history has a purpose.

 

9:17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh.^NKJV For a third illustration of God’s sovereign choices, Paul recalls Pharaoh. Through Moses, God told Pharaoh, “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth”^NIV (see Exodus 9:16). God had purposely placed that particular Pharaoh in that particular position at that particular time in history so God’s great power would be displayed (through the miracles witnessed in Egypt and by the incredible release of the Hebrew slaves), and so his name would be known over all the world. God put up with Pharaoh’s fickleness and defiance for quite some time, but all for the same purposes. Pharaoh became mired in his own rebelliousness. In fact, part of God’s judgment on Egypt was the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. Eventually, those nations who heard what God had done for his people in Egypt greatly feared the Israelites and their God (see Joshua 2:10-11; 9:9; 1 Samuel 4:8).

 

THE TRAGEDY OF A HARDENED HEART

God gave Pharaoh many opportunities to heed Moses’ warnings. But finally God seemed to say, “All right, Pharaoh, have it your way,” and Pharaoh’s heart became permanently hardened. Did God intentionally harden Pharaoh’s heart and overrule his free will? No, he simply confirmed that Pharaoh freely chose a life of resisting God. Similarly, after a lifetime of resisting God, we may find it impossible to turn to him. We can’t wait until just the right time before turning to God, because we won’t see it when it comes. The right time is now. If you continually ignore God’s voice, eventually you will be unable to hear it at all.

9:18 God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy.^NIV Again someone might ask, “Doesn’t it seem a bit unfair that God would just use somebody to glorify himself?” But Paul answers the implicit question as before: God has mercy on whomever he chooses; and conversely, he hardens whom he wants to harden.^NIV God’s judgment on Pharaoh’s great sinfulness was to “harden” his heart, to confirm his disobedience so that the consequences of his rebellion would be his own punishment. “Hardening” occurs when a person has a track record of disobedience and rebellion. From the human perspective, it is difficult to know exactly at what point God confirms our own resistance as hardness. Paul’s implicit warning is to avoid attitudes that lead to hardness of heart (see 1 Corinthians 10:6; Hebrews 3:8).

                                               STAGES IN THE HARDENING PROCESS

Stage 1	Example
Abandoning God’s guidance from his Word or believers	“I don’t read the Bible or attend church.” “Who are they to tell me what to do?”
Stage 2
Willfully disobeying God, based on desire for sin or unresolved conflict with God	“I know it’s wrong, but I want it.” “Where was God when I needed him?” “How could he do this to me?”
Stage 3
Justifying sin as not really being sin, but as being essential for the person’s welfare	“I’m not sure this is really wrong.” “I’m not as bad as others.” “I’ll feel better.”
Stage 4
Rejecting the Holy Spirit’s conviction	“I know I’ll feel guilty, but I don’t care.” “I’ll just ignore it.”
Stage 5
Becoming entrenched in the sinful behavior	“I’m in too deep to get out.” “I might as well finish what I started.”

9:19 Why then does he still find fault?^NRSV Paul probably had countless discussions with fellow Jews about these issues. So he can anticipate their questions. If God simply chooses those on whom he will have mercy and those whom he will harden, why would he punish those whom he has hardened? They were acting in accordance with his will, right? How can God hold people responsible for his choices—for who has resisted His will?^NKJV

Occasionally these questions are asked by those who are genuinely seeking to understand God and his ways with people. Usually, however, they are used to excuse certain behavior—”It’s not my fault, God; it’s your fault!” In either case, as Paul explains, the answer is the same. We ourselves are to blame because we are guilty of trying to reject or resist God. And even this questioning of God is an attempt to bring him down to our level. It is impossible for finite beings to totally understand an infinite God and how he works. We do know, however, that we have made choices to do what we know is wrong, to disobey God. Therefore, we are guilty. In fact, our consciousness of blame is practically an admission of blame. We ask why God blames us, while inside our consciences are blaming us. We may sincerely wonder just how much freedom we have to act within God’s sovereignty, but there is little doubt that we use the freedom we do have to sin.

9:20 Who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God?^NRSV Paul has little patience for such questions, and he supposes that God doesn’t either. When it comes down to it, we cannot question God. He is absolutely sovereign. We are extremely privileged to have any relationship with him at all. His dealings with all the world are not to be judged by us. Quoting from Scripture, Paul illustrates the absurdity of such questions: “Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?'”^NKJV This passage was taken from Isaiah 29:16 and/or Isaiah 45:9; in context it expresses God’s response to his rebellious people. Isaiah 64:8 conveys the correct attitude, “O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (niv).

While God welcomes our sincere questions and concerns (see for example, John the Baptist in Matthew 11:1-6, and Thomas in John 20:24-29) and patiently answers us, he will not allow sinners to question his sovereignty. The creature has no right to sit in judgment on the Creator.

9:21 The potter. To further illustrate God’s sovereignty, Paul compares God to a potter (a very common and necessary vocation in ancient times, since most cooking and storage was done in various types of clay pots). The potter has every right to take one large lump of clay and use part of it to make a delicate vase (one object for special use) and another part of it to make a pot for cooking (and another for ordinary use)^NRSV. Neither vase nor pot has any fight to complain and ask why the potter did what he did. The potter has every right to do what he pleases with the clay; and God has every right to do what he pleases with people, who are his creation. The lesson of the potter points to equal worth among lumps of clay, while the artist’s purpose and design may differ. The proper attitude for clay is to be pliable rather than stiff, receptive rather than rebellious, and grateful for the potter’s touch rather than resentful of the potter’s purpose for us.

Jeremiah 18:1-10 also refers to a potter and clay. In this case, the potter began making a pot, but it “was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him” (Jeremiah 18:4 niv). Not only does the potter make

Though justice be thy plea, consider this, That in the course of justice, none of us Should see salvation. William Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice)

whatever he wants; he may also change and reform the clay as needed. Paul points out that all people must humbly submit to their Creator, performing the tasks for which they have been made. God wants all his creation to be flawless—for some that means being remade. We should look to God to discern his ultimate purpose for our life instead of comparing ourselves with others.

9:22 What if God . . . bore with great patience the objects of his wrath.^NIV The two “what if” questions in verses 22 and 23 again focus on God’s sovereignty. What if God does these things? Who has the right to question him? The Creator can do as he chooses with his creation.

The objects of his wrath are unbelievers, and especially, in context, Jewish unbelievers (1:18). God has been patient with their antagonism, rebellion, blasphemy, and hatred because he is giving them time to repent (2 Peter 3:9). But those who refuse to repent are prepared for destruction.^NKJV Their doom is coming. They had rebelled and refused to turn to God for salvation, and thus they took responsibility for their own destruction. So God has prepared the punishment for their sin. They will experience his wrath for their sins and his power that they had constantly refused to acknowledge.

Without God’s mercy and great patience, shown to us completely apart from our performance, we would have no hope at all. If God did not do this for his own purposes, we would be instantly destroyed.

9:23 What if he did this to make . . . his glory known to the objects of his mercy.^NIV In contrast, the objects of his mercy are Gentile believers whom he prepared in advance for glory.^NIV The objects of his mercy are true believers, whether Jews or Gentiles, so no one can claim God by right of birth. Three of God’s purposes are mentioned in verses 22-23: (1) to show his wrath; (2) to make his power known; and (3) to make . . . his glory known.^NIV But what is the this to which Paul is referring? This is God’s sovereign choosing when he works with “pots” prepared for destruction (9:22) or with “pots” prepared for glory. The key point to remember is that all this has been in God’s plan from the beginning. When God’s dealings with his creation have been summed up, there will not be a shred of doubt about his wrath, power, and glory. God did not change his plans just because his people were disobedient. Instead, God knew all that would happen to both Jews and Gentiles, and God does everything to display his great mercy.

Believers still may wonder why they would be chosen while others were rejected. Paul’s point is that God is sovereign and that no one has any claim on his mercy. He prepared us in advance by his gift of salvation, and he will reveal his glory when we are finally with him for eternity. Instead of focusing on God choosing some and rejecting others, we should stand in awe at God’s offer of grace to any of us. Thus, no one can demand that God explain why he does what he does. He makes all the rules. But he loves to show mercy to us—what an amazing God he is!

 

MAKING GLORY KNOWN

To what lengths will our sovereign God go to make his glory known? We may assume that God will show his anger before his mercy. Consequently, when unexpected hardships come, we may think that God is punishing us for something. We find it difficult to believe that God would allow us to experience pain in order that we might grow in our understanding of his mercy and himself.

That was certainly the disciples’ problem in John 9. They assumed that the man born blind was suffering the consequences of some sin that he or his parents had committed. Jesus surprised them with the true explanation: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned . . . but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3 niv). Jesus used a healing touch to demonstrate the mercy of God. When you are experiencing difficulties, remember that your response to your problems and God’s work in your life can glorify God.

9:24 Including us whom he has called.^NRSV Paul and the Roman Christians were a part of that group of objects of mercy whom God had called and was preparing for glory. This group obviously was made up not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles.^NIV God’s choices are always sovereign. He sovereignly chose a messianic line from Abraham, and he sovereignly chose many Gentiles to receive salvation. Only those who respond to God’s call receive the gift of salvation; it is “by invitation only.” It comes to us completely undeserved so that we might have no basis for pride. When we understand God’s mercy, we respond with humility and gratitude that God would be merciful to even us.

9:25-26 He says in Hosea.^NRSV To back up the statement that God also calls the Gentiles, Paul quoted two verses from the prophet Hosea. Several hundred years before Jesus’ birth, Hosea told of God’s intention to bring Gentiles into his family after the Jews would reject his plan. God was not surprised by Israel’s rejection. Israel thought that they alone were God’s chosen because of their lineage and their laws. But God’s plan never was to save only the Jews. His call was for people from all nations. Verse 25 is a quotation from Hosea 2:23, and verse 26 is from Hosea 1:10.

Hosea had married Gomer. Hosea named their firstborn child Jezreel. But the next two children were not his, so he obeyed God and named them Lo-Ruhamah and Lo-Ammi, meaning, as the words of verse 25 indicate, not my people and not my loved one.^NIV

Hosea’s situation and his children’s names pictured God’s attitude toward Israel—they had turned away from him and were no longer called his people or his loved ones. But God would not let this situation remain forever; one day he would call Israel back to himself God would also turn to the Gentiles, those who are outside his chosen nation. Some day, many Gentiles would be considered God’s people, his loved ones, his children. Paul saw that while God’s plan had always made room for the Gentiles, with the advent of Christ, the doors to the kingdom were opened wide. Those not known as God’s people were becoming his people by God’s mercy and grace, shown through Christ.

9:27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel.^NKJV But the Jews, the people who were in number like the sand of the sea in number (niv; see Genesis 32:12; Isaiah 10:22), will not be forgotten. God’s sovereign choice always includes some Jews, but his promises were not a blanket guarantee for all Israel. Isaiah prophesied that only a small number—a remnant—of God’s original people, the Jews, will be saved. Paul saw this happening in every city where he preached. Even though he went first to the Jews, relatively few ever accepted the gospel message. Quoting from Isaiah 10:22-23 and 1:9, Paul explained that the majority of Israel had turned away from God. But God always preserves a remnant for himself, “a remnant chosen by grace” (11:5). The remnant are those people who remain faithful to God whenever the majority doesn’t (see Micah 5:7-8).

9:28-29 Carry out his sentence.^NIV Continuing the quote from Isaiah (Isaiah 10:23), God will punish his people for turning away from him. In the captivity and the exile, much punishment had been meted out.

Had left us descendants.^NIV If God had not spared a remnant of faithful believers, all of Israel would have been destroyed. But God always saved a remnant. Having chosen Israel, God remained faithful to her. If he had not Israel would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah, the ancient cities that were completely destroyed by God for their horrible wickedness (see Genesis 19:24-29; Isaiah 1:9). Nothing was left of Sodom and Gomorrah. But God never completely destroyed his people. Today the Gentiles are the, majority in the church, but one day, many Jews too will come to their Savior. There is a final judgment to come, and God will carry it out. There is no time to delay. A remnant will be saved—who of God’s people, the Jews, will become part of that remnant? Paul explores this further in chapter 11.

ISRAEL’S UNBELIEF OF THE GOSPEL / 9:30-10:21

This section provides a summary in the middle of Paul’s exposition on God’s sovereign plan and an expanded explanation of the present position of the Jews. He realized that his teaching was creating a paradox, especially for his Jewish audience. How could it be that the acknowledged experts in righteousness would find their way to God barred, while those who were ignorant of righteousness were welcomed by God as long-lost children? Paul here contrasts the way of faith with the way of the law. Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not attain it—while the Gentiles, not seeking righteousness by the law, found it by faith in Christ.

Whereas chapter 9 has focused primarily on God’s sovereignty, chapter 10 outlines the extent of human responsibility.

III. HISTORY HAS MEANING BECAUSE GOD IS SOVEREIGN

God is sovereign. In 9:30-33 Paul says, What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at the law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

Paul is saying God is sovereign. God reigns. He has the right to offer to all—Jew and Gentile— redemption through Christ by faith.

9:30 Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness [i.e., a law that produces righteousness], have attained to righteousness.^NKJV The gospel was preached to both Jews and Gentiles, but it was being accepted by far more Gentiles than Jews. The Gentiles did not have God’s law, did not even know God, and were not even “trying to be righteous,” yet they were obtaining righteousness. Why? Because they were coming in faith to God.

9:31 Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness,^NIV has not attained it. In contrast to the Gentiles, the Jews tried to obtain righteousness by obeying the law, only to never attain it. They had incorrectly understood righteousness in terms of works. They could not keep the law perfectly, therefore they could not keep it at all. Thus God could not accept them.

9:32 They pursued it not by faith.^NIV Instead of admitting that they could not keep God’s law and pursuing righteousness by faith in God, the Jews kept trying to pursue righteousness by their works. They had a worthy goal to “obtain” God’s righteousness. But they tried to achieve it the wrong way—by rigid and painstaking obedience to the law. Thus some of them became more dedicated to the law than to God. They thought that if they kept the law, God would have to accept them as his people. But God cannot be obligated by us. The Jews did not see that their Scriptures, the Old Testament, taught salvation by faith and not by human effort—the point Paul made in the first part of this letter. As a result they stumbled over the stumbling stone^NRSV—the Lord Jesus Christ (see 1 Peter 2:4-8). Jesus was not what they expected, so they missed him. In so doing they missed their only way of salvation. Jesus is a stumbling block to Jews and to all who by pride would rather have recognition for doing it on their own than for trusting Christ and his goodness.

Some people still stumble over Christ because salvation by faith doesn’t make sense to them. They would rather try to work their way to God, or else they expect him simply to overlook their sins. Others stumble over Christ because his values are the opposite of the world’s. Christ asks for humility, and many are unwilling to humble themselves before him. He requires obedience and many refuse to put their will at his disposal. The “stone” has caused them to stumble. They heard about Christ and misunderstood, so they tripped over the one thing that could have saved them.

NEVER GOOD ENOUGH

Sometimes we are like those people who try to achieve God’s approval by keeping his laws. We may think that going to church, doing church work, giving offerings, and being nice will be enough. After all, we’ve played by the rules, haven’t we? But Paul’s words sting—this approach never succeeds. Paul explained that God’s plan is not for those who try to earn his favor by being good; it is for those who realize they can never be good enough and so must depend on Christ. Only by putting our faith in what Jesus Christ has done will we be saved. If we do that, we will never be “put to shame” or disappointed.

9:33 As it is written. Paul quotes from Isaiah 28:16. Isaiah declared God’s warning of destruction to Israel by Assyria. Then he said, “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”^NIV This stone refers to the righteous remnant and to Christ.

“The one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”^NIV When we put our trust in Christ, we need never fear that we have put it in the wrong place. When we have placed our feet on the Rock of Zion, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, we can be confident of our salvation.

THE STUMBLING OR HUMBLING STONE

Jesus is a stumbling block to Jews and to all who would rather have the satisfaction of gaining God’s acceptance on their own than admit their inability and then submit to God’s grace. When we are presented with Christ, we have only two possible responses, to reject or accept. Any form of rejection will result in our stumbling over him, resulting in judgment. But trusting submission to him will gain for us what we could never hope to gain by ourselves—a righteous standing with God. Isaiah showed the way by personally applying the phrase he used above, “I will put my trust in him” (Isaiah 8:17 niv). Are you stumbled or humbled by Jesus?

CONCLUSION. That is the meaning of history. God is working out a purpose. That purpose reflects His

mercy. He wants to save everybody. He will not force it on you. You have to decide. Remember God is sovereign. He rules in this world. He has the right to make the plan and reveal the plan. You and I have the privilege of responding to the plan.

 

 

Chapter 9 of Romans has as its theme, “Wasted Opportunities,” which we will explore today.

Paul has developed the great doctrine of sanctification. justification and glorification in the first 8 chapters of Romans. This section reaches a climax in Romans 8 as he shows us the great blessings of being in Christ Jesus.

When we study carefully the first 8 chapters of Romans, we conclude that the only reasonable response to what God has done is to throw ourselves before God and give Him the best we have because He has given us the best He has.

But before Paul moves on to address practical concerns of local church life (in chapters 12-15), he feels compelled to speak about God’s plan for the Gentiles and the Jews, Paul’s very own people.

If the Jews were God’s chosen people, why did most of them oppose the gospel? If the gospel really is the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures, why don’t the Jews recognize it as such? And how does one make sense of God’s choice of Israel and his promise to bless the world through them when the Jews had rejected the gospel?

Paul completely understood the feelings of the Jews who refused to accept Jesus as their Messiah—he had once been so opposed to Christ that he had hunted down and imprisoned Christians. But then Paul was confronted by Christ and became a changed man.

Paul knew that the church at Rome had a unique opportunity to use the diverse personal backgrounds of its members to strengthen the cause of Christ. Paul tackled many of the issues in this letter for the sake and unity of both Jewish and Gentile Christians.

Romans 9:1-3 (ESV) I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

9:1 My conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit.^NRSV Paul uses conscience to refer to that inner prompting that confirms or disapproves of our conduct. Believers should have well-tuned consciences because they also have the Holy Spirit within. The words Paul would write bear the truth—he is not lying, as his conscience confirms. Paul reveals his depth of feeling here; as the apostle to the Gentiles, with his great zeal for preaching to the Gentiles, he was probably often accused of turning his back on his own people.

9:2 Great sorrow and unceasing anguish.^NRSV Despite his great success as a missionary to the Gentiles, a church planter, and a writer of letters of teaching and assurance to those churches, Paul still feels great sorrow. Most of the Jews, his people, the chosen people of God, were rejecting the gospel. The Jews should have been the first to recognize the gospel as the promised fulfillment of their Scriptures, but somehow they missed it. They were missing out on salvation, and this hurt Paul deeply.

Though his commission to preach the gospel took him outside Jewish boundaries, Paul never lost his love for his Jewish brothers and sisters. In his travels for the gospel, Paul always kept the door of the gospel open to those from his own race.

9:3 I could wish that I myself were accursed.^NKJV Anathema.

It is remarkable how Paul moved from the joy of Romans 8 into the sorrow and burden of Romans 9. When he looked at Christ, he rejoiced; but when he looked at the lost people of Israel, he wept. Like Moses (Ex. 32:30-35), he was willing to be cursed and separated from Christ if it would mean the salvation of Israel.

Paul has just written of the dependability of God’s love (8:35-39); here he expresses desire that his people could take his place in knowing God. Paul knew that it was only a short step of faith from all the past blessings the Jews already had to the infinitely greater gift that God wanted to give them.

1. I. WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES

These address the privilege of the Jews. The privilege simply stated is this: For fifteen hundred years, the nation of Israel had been God’s chosen people. He had chosen them not because they  were  the  greatest  of  all  nations….He chose them when they were no nation at all.

He had brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage; He had nurtured them under Moses in a wilderness for 40 years. He had given them a written law by which to live, the heart of which was the Ten Commandments.

He had brought them to the promised land of Canaan. Upon the death of Moses Joshua led them to victory in the land of Canaan. They came into the land and dwelt in it.

All of the land promises were fulfilled to Israel. Before Joshua’s death he called the people of Israel together and said, “Not one good thing of all the things that God has promised to us has failed; all have been fulfilled.” They possessed the land, and they dwelt in it.

God nurtured them through ups and downs until finally, in cooperation with God, Jesus of Nazareth came into the world through his nation.

According to Galatians 4:4, in the fullness of time “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.” Jesus was a part of Israel. That is one of the reasons God kept the nation intact. The Messiah was the God-man, the perfect combination of deity and humanity.

When He came He was born miraculously. Mary, His mother, was with child of the Holy Spirit. No man was His father. Jesus’ deity was demonstrated by His perfect life, the way He taught. His miracles, and the voice of God which spoke three times from heaven designating Him as God’s only begotten Son.

The supreme evidence of who He was came when He was crucified on a Roman cross between two thieves and on the third day arose. I believe Him to be all that He claimed to be. Faith is not a leap into the dark, for faith is based upon evidence. He came and demonstrated who He is.

When the church He promised to build came into existence on the first Pentecost following Jesus resurrection, three thousand of Israel were obedient to the faith. Soon that number grew to five thousand. Luke tells us that the disciples were multiplied. The good news of Jesus was first preached to Israel, and the first followers of Christ were Israelites.

When Paul develops his theme in Romans, he shows us that men who were of the Gentile people stood in the presence of God undone and lost because even though they did not have a written law from God, they rejected the light that God gave them.

1. II. WASTED OPPORTUNITIES

After speaking of his heartbreak, he moves to the wasted opportunities. He speaks in verse 4 of the great privileges that the nation of Israel had. What were these privileges that belonged to the nation of Israel?

Adoption Number one is found at verse 4. He says,“Who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption.” Adoption. God had adopted the nation of Israel to be His own people. He said through His prophet Hosea, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” In Exodus 4:22 God affirmed that He was their God and they were His people.

Glory. The second blessing is “the glory.” They had experienced God’s own glory. First, the glory of God came to the Israelites from Mt. Sinai when He gave the law; but they saw the glory of the law as He led them by the pillar of fire at night and the cloud by day. They saw His glory as it settled upon the tabernacle, their tent of meeting.

The Covenant. There is a third blessing or privilege: “The covenants.” A covenant is an agreement between two parties involving promises. God made covenants with the fathers of Israel and then with

Israel herself.

The Law. Next is the giving of “the law.” The blessing of Israel included the law that governed them given at Mt. Sinai.

The Temple Service. Next he says, “And the temple service.” The Levitical service, the service of the priesthood around the tabernacle and later the temple, was theirs.

The Promises. The next word is “the promises.” All the promises pertaining to the coming Messiah were made to the nation of Israel.

The Fathers. A seventh blessing or privilege is “the fathers.” He says, “Whose are the fathers, . . .” He refers to the patriarchs, those who had led the way and blazed the trails.

The Messiah. The eighth blessing is that through Israel “is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever.” Jesus was born of the nation of Israel.

After  enumerating  these  wonderful  blessings, we must acknowledge and even be impressed with the wasted opportunities, for the nation rejected Messiah.

CONCLUSION. As long as there have been Scriptures, there have also been those unwilling to submit to the Scriptures’ authority.

Many treat the Bible as an old book, a leatherbound relic to display and keep dusted. Others turn to it only in times of crisis or in church.

But even studying the Bible and knowing it well doesn’t guarantee a right relationship with God. Obedience proves whether or not a person considers the Bible to be, in fact, God’s Word. So people who do not read, study, understand, and obey God’s Word may doubt its power.

But God’s Word never fails, even though some doubt it. If you want to see God’s Word succeed in your life, if you want to experience God’s power, treat the Bible as though it is what it claims to be, the infallible Word from almighty God—read it, study it, understand its principles for living, and apply those truths to your life. In short, do what the Bible says—LIVE it.

To what lengths will we go to offer the gospel to someone else? Paul consistently loved the Jews. They are one group that still needs to hear the gospel. But there are others, too. Sometimes the barriers to overcome are racial, linguistic, or cultural. Other times the distance is nothing more than social or geographical.

Our lack of compassion is directly addressed in Scripture: “if anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20 niv). One of our persistent prayers needs to be for more love.

By way of application I would ask, “What about  us?  What  about  our  privileges?  What about our opportunities?” Let me enumerate three blessings or opportunities that belong to us today.

First, there are family and friends. We are surrounded by people whom we love and by whom we are loved. It is so easy to squander opportunities to speak a word of encouragement, or a word of love. One time Jesus said, “Me you have not always.” That is true of our loved ones and friends. If we are ever going to say, “I love you,” if we are ever going to give a hand to help, we should do it now. We have the opportunity, but the opportunity may be wasted.

Second, there is the call of Christ, which says to all of us, “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.” Many are still rejecting His call. Others are wanting to accept the call but on the basis of their own terms. Jesus shows that men who are born of the water and Spirit are in His family. We must give serious attention to His call.

Third, there is the opportunity for faithfulness. How many people began to follow Christ and then after a while gave up? In giving up, faithfulness is gone.

You and I are surrounded by opportunities and privileges. We must not waste them. May we give ourselves to the very best that is within us in fulfilling the opportunities we have.

About the only time I play golf is when I play with Eric or Gregory. Eric and I try to play at least once each trip to Tennessee.

On one occasion, we were walking to the club house just before we were to tee off. Knowing I had not played for some time, Eric offered me a word of advice: “Dad, until you build up your confidence, why don’t you drive with an iron at first?” “Eric,” I responded, “I have all the confidence in the world. What I lack is ability.”

Confidence can be a very good thing. It can also be a mill stone around one’s neck. Being confident simply is not enough. The crucial issue is in whom, or in what, is our confidence. Ill-founded confidence is deadly. Well-founded confidence is proper and good.

Some Christians have no confidence at all, believing that with one slip, one sin, they are out of the faith. Agonizing their way through life, they hope no sin has gone unnoticed and unconfessed; if so, they fear they will not get to heaven. These Christians desperately need the confidence of which Paul speaks in Romans 8:31-39:

 

Romans 8:31-39 (ESV)
³¹  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
³²  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?
³³  Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
³⁴  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.
³⁵  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
³⁶  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
³⁷  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
³⁸  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
³⁹  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.

(Romans 8:31-39 NASB)  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? {32} He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? {33} Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; {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. {35} Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? {36} Just as it is written, “FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” {37} But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. {38} For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, {39} nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

8:31 What then are we to say about these things?^NRSV Paul’s questions fall into three categories:

1. Will opposition from people or Satan be too great? (8:31-32)
2. Will we fail because of our tendency to sin? (8:33-34)
3. Will we be overcome by difficult times? (8:35-39)

In broad terms, Paul may be encouraging specific reflection on the evidences we have that God is for us. One way of doing this is to replace these things with some of the phrases Paul has used earlier in this chapter. For example, what then shall we say in response to^NIV the fact that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1)? Or, what then shall we say in response to the fact that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (8:26)? What then shall we say in response to the fact that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (8:28)?

The other option for considering what to say in response is the choice Paul makes. He asks rhetorical questions, the answers to which require application of the pattern God has already established for our day-to-day experiences. So, for instance, since God has shown that he is for us, who of any real significance can be against us? Or, since God “did not spare his own Son . . . how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (8:32). Paul wants to let believers know, in no uncertain terms, that their salvation is sure and secure. When we fully realize that God has called, justified, and glorified us, we can do nothing but fall before him in humble gratitude.

If God is for us, who can be against us?^NKJV Satan and those under his power are against us, but in the end, God promises the victory. No one will oppose God and his followers forever; their dreadful end is also sure.

8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all.^NIV How much is God “for” us? So much that he gave us his only Son to die for us. (The Greek word behind “for” is huper, a benefactive pronoun meaning “on behalf of.”) Only through Christ’s death are we been made acceptable to God. The word for spare is the same word for “withheld,” used in Genesis 22:12, when God said to Abraham, “You have not withheld from me your son, your only son” (niv).

Our major struggle with prayer is not that God doesn’t answer. What upsets us is that he seldom answers in line with our plans or schedule. At those times we may think that God is intentionally withholding something from us. But God has already given us the greatest gift of all. Remembering God’s gift will help us see that God is working for our good even when we can’t immediately see it. So when we are most tempted to doubt God’s love for us, we ought to express our love to him. This allows us to apply the lesson of verse 28, trusting that God is working in all things for our good.

How will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?^NIV God sacrificed his Son to save us; will he now invalidate that sacrifice by refusing to help and guide believers? No, instead, he promises to give us all things to bring us to the ultimate goal—our sanctification and glorification. These things come under the guideline as the things in verse 28; they are experiences God will give us as he “works for the good” that he has planned for us (see also Matthew 6:33). When the Bible promises that God will answer our prayers, it does not oblige God to give us anything we ask of him. Rather, these promises are reminders that we are presenting requests to someone who is infinitely free and powerful to act. The fact that his grace motivates his giving ensures that his gifts are best for us.

8:33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?^NIV Paul’s next question is, Who can press charges or accuse us? At first we might think of Satan because he is our accuser (Revelation 20:10). And his charges will contain truth, because despite being saved, we still will sin. But the charges won’t stick—God will throw Satan’s accusations out of court because he has chosen us. The word chosen (eklekton) has been transliterated from Greek and Latin into English as the word elect. In the Bible, election refers to God’s choice of an individual or group for a specific purpose or destiny (see 9:10-13). God is the one who chooses us, and he is also the Judge who has already declared us “not guilty.” When Satan accuses us, Jesus, the advocate for our defense, stands at God’s right hand to present our case (8:34). Thus, the result is that no one can bring a charge against God’s chosen ones. (See also Isaiah 50:8-9. For more on the concept of Christ as our advocate, see the notes in Hebrews 4:14-16.)

8:34 Who is he who condemns?^NKJV Like the last question, this one focuses on charges, but in Greek it carries a future tense: Who will condemn? Jesus Christ has been appointed by God to judge the world (John 5:22, 27; Acts 17:31), but Christ Jesus, who died . . . is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.^NRSV This is a divine court. God has already declared us “not guilty.” Any further charges of guilt are thrown out of court. Jesus would not condemn those for whom he died. Because he was raised to life,^NIV Christ Jesus is at God’s right hand interceding for us in heaven (see also Psalm 110:1; Mark 12:35-37; Hebrews 4:14-16). The Spirit intercedes for us (8:27) and Christ intercedes for us. How much more advocacy do we need?

 

A LETTER TO YOU

Do you ever think that because you aren’t good enough for God, he will not save you? Do you ever feel as if salvation is for everyone else but you? At those times, make verses 31-34 your constant companions. If God gave his Son for you, he isn’t going to hold back the gift of salvation! If Christ gave his life for you, he isn’t going to turn around and condemn you! Christ will not withhold anything you need in order to live for him. The book of Romans is more than a theological explanation of God’s redeeming grace—it is a letter of comfort and confidence addressed to you.

8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?^NIV The next questions help seal our assurance in God. Nothing can separate us from Christ’s love for us. Then Paul lists several situations we might think could come between us and God. Paul knew from experience that these could not separate believers from God—he had already experienced them (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-28). This means that the love of Christ doesn’t separate us from these experiences, but that even in the most devastating of these, the love of Christ is with us.

Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?^NIV These words are almost eerily prophetic. The Roman church would face severe persecution within just a few years. But no matter what happens, believers can never be lost to God’s love. When suffering comes, it should not drive us away from God, but rather help us to identify with him further and allow his love to reach us and heal us.

8:36 As it is written . . . Paul quotes from Psalm 44:22 to remind the believers that people who trust in God must expect to face persecution, even death. In that psalm, the poets made the specific point that difficulties and suffering were coming to people who had been faithful. The two verses preceding the one that Paul quotes say, “If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?” (Psalm 44:20-21 niv). Believers who suffer are the rule, not the exception.

8:37 We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.^NRSV No, instead of being separated from Christ through all these things (the trials and hardships mentioned in 8:35), we are the conquerors. This does not mean that we will be superheroes, but that our victory will be intensified by virtue of our union with Christ.

 

WHAT MEANS MORE THAN VICTORY?

Paul tells us that through Christ we are more than conquerors. Paul is saying that we surpass Alexander the Great and Caesar because of our faith in Christ. For high achievers, this is good news indeed. There is something better than winning. Perhaps the best way to grasp what Paul means is to realize that the experience of victory can be extremely selfish. To be more than conquerors means that our moments of spiritual achievement coincide with moments of realization that we have succeeded through him who loved us. The glow of the greatest victory dims in the light of Christ’s love for us.

8:38 I am convinced.^NIV Or, “I have been persuaded,” implies a deep and settled frame of mind. When we express our beliefs, we may say, “I think.” When speaking of the most important matters of time and eternity, we need to become not people who happen to think a certain way, but people who are convinced. ‘For Paul, conviction was a matter of faith confirmed by God’s Word, experience, and a transformed mind. In a similar context, when Paul is explaining to

Timothy the tension between being a servant of the gospel of Christ and yet experiencing suffering, he shares his conclusions: “Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day” (2 Timothy 1:12 niv; see also 2 Corinthians 5:11-15; Galatians 5:7-9; 2 Timothy 3:14-17).

It is very hard for a man to defend anything of which he is entirely convinced . . . but a man is not really convinced of a philosophic theory when he finds that something proves it. He is only really convinced when he finds that everything proves it. G. K. Chesterton

Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers.^NIV Yes, we are secure in Christ—Paul was convinced, and so should we be. Nothing will separate us from God’s love for us (8:39). In both death and the trials of life in this evil world, we will be in God’s presence. No spiritual forces, such as angels or demons, are powerful enough to undo what God has done for us. Nothing in the sphere of time itself can threaten us; nothing that can happen in the present and nothing that can happen in the future, such as persecution and hardship, would cause God to leave us. No powers that exist (Satan, human governments, etc.) are more powerful than God; they can have no effect on our relationship with him.

8:39 Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.^NIV Nothing in space, from height or depth, can take us away from God’s love; these words denoted astronomical terms that cover the entire heavens; thus, no supposed astrological powers that might have been thought to determine people’s fate have any power over God. Nothing in all creation can take us away from God’s love or thwart his purposes for us.

Here Paul defends the claim of Christ’s love against all that might seem to offer a threat. Elsewhere, he describes that love itself: “And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself’ (Ephesians 3:17-19, tlb). Paul’s point is simple and compelling: once in his care, it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of his unconquerable love. Nothing can stop his constant presence with us. God tells us how great his love is so that we will feel totally secure in him.

Other Christians have great confidence but in the wrong thing. The lyrics of a popular “Christian” song say something like: “I have determined … to be invincible …” This song writer has far too much confidence—in himself.

The writer should spend some time in Romans 7 and 8 where the fallibility of the Christian is in view. When the reality of Romans 7:24 settles in on the believer, self-confidence is seen to be both foolish and sinful.

In our text, Paul gives us every reason to be confident, not in ourselves but in our salvation and in the sovereign God who is accomplishing it. Heed well Paul’s words here. They offer hope and confidence in the midst of a fallen world. To everyone who is in Christ by faith, they are words of comfort and reassurance.

Paul makes two main points in our text which provide us with the key to the structure of his argument. In verses 31-34, the emphasis is on “no condemnation.” In verses 35-39, Paul stresses “no separation” from the love of Christ our Lord. The structure can be outlined in this way:

(1) No condemnation (verses 31-34)

(2) No separation (verses 35-39)

Beginning with some general observations of our passage as a whole will provide additional insight to our study.

(1) This passage is a conclusion. These verses are the final verses of Paul’s argument in Romans 5-8 dealing with the present and future outworkings of justification by faith. In Romans 9-11 Paul will deal with Israel and the Gentiles in God’s eternal plan of salvation. These final words of chapter 8 are thus the conclusion, not only to chapter 8 but to the first 8 chapters.

(2) The closing verses return to the theme with which Paul began chapter 8—“no condemnation.” Verse 1 began by assuring the Christian that there is “no condemnation.” Verses 31-39 close with that same assurance.

(3) The mood of the passage is that of confident praise.

(4) This passage is God-centered. Paul speaks of a confidence and assurance based in God.

(5) The confidence and assurance is for Christians, for those who are in Christ. “We” and “us” refer to Christians. Paul is writing to Christians concerning the confidence they have in Christ. No confidence or assurance is offered to the non-believer here or elsewhere in the Bible.

(6) Those things which are dreaded, and from which the Christian is delivered, are all the consequences of sin. Accusation, condemnation, and separation from God are all divine judgments for sin. Our text thus offers the Christian assurance that he is delivered from the consequences of sin.

(7) The cross of Jesus Christ is the basis for our deliverance and confidence. God’s love for us is evidenced at the cross. Our justification was achieved at the cross. Our confidence is in God and in the cross of Christ.

(8) Paul uses a question and answer format. Verses 31-35 all contain one or more questions. The questions are personal, “Who?” rather than impersonal, “What?” The confidence and comfort Paul wishes his Christian reader to experience results from the fact that there is no answer. The question, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” (verse 33), gives great comfort because there is no answer. No one will bring a charge against us. This is true also of his other questions.²¹⁷

What Then Shall We Say to These Things? (8:31)

What things is Paul referring to by the expression, “these things”? Since verses 31-39 serve as the conclusion to all of chapters 1-8, we could rightly think of “these things” as Paul’s teaching on the sinfulness of man, the salvation of God, and the hope of the Christian. In the more immediate context of Romans 8, we could include the promise of no condemnation (8:1), the provision of the Holy Spirit (8:4-27), and the sovereignty of God in salvation (8:28-30). I personally believe Paul is referring primarily to the sovereignty of God in our salvation which he has just taught in Romans 8:28-30.

The question Paul asks here explores the implications of what he has been teaching to this point. It also conveys a very important inference: REVELATION REQUIRES MAN’S RESPONSE. Paul does not ask, “Shall we say something?” Instead, he asks, “What shall we say …?” In Paul’s mind, it is necessary for us to say something in response to what God has revealed through him. God’s Word is not information to be filed away. It is not given to us as an academic exercise. The Word of God is given to us to act upon and to obey. Romans 8:31-39 is the bottom line of the doctrines taught thus far.

God is for us (v. 31). The Father is for us and proved it by giving His Son (Rom. 8:32). The Son is for us (Rom. 8:34) and so is the Spirit (Rom. 8:26). God is making all things work for us (Rom. 8:28). In His person and His providence, God is for us. Sometimes, like Jacob, we lament, “All these things are against me” (Gen. 42:36), when actually everything is working for us. The conclusion is obvious: “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

The believer needs to enter into each new day realizing that God is for him. There is no need to fear, for his loving Father desires only the best for His children, even if they must go through trials to receive His best. “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope'” (Jer. 29:11, nasb).

Christ died for us (v. 32). 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 this same argument when He tried to convince people that it was foolish to worry and fear. God cares for the birds and sheep, and even for 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!

God has justified us (v. 33). This means that He has declared us righteous in Christ Satan would like to accuse us (Zech. 3:1-7; Rev. 12:10), but we stand righteous in Jesus Christ. We are God’s elect—chosen in Christ and accepted in Christ. God will certainly not accuse us since it is He who has justified us. For Him to accuse us would mean that His salvation was a failure and we are still in our sins.

Understanding the meaning of justification brings peace to our hearts. When God declares the believing sinner righteous in Christ, that declaration never changes. Our Christian experience changes from day to day, but justification never changes. We may accuse ourselves, and men may accuse us; but God will never take us to court and accuse us. Jesus has already paid the penalty and we are secure in Him.

Christ intercedes for us (v. 34). A dual intercession keeps the believer secure in Christ: the Spirit intercedes (Rom. 8:26-27) and the Son of God intercedes (Rom. 8:34). The same Saviour who died for us is now interceding for us in heaven. As our High Priest, He can give us the grace we need to overcome temptation and defeat the enemy (Heb. 4:14-16). As our Advocate, He can forgive our sins and restore our fellowship with God (1 John 1:9-2:2). Intercession means that Jesus Christ represents us before the throne of God and we do not have to represent ourselves.

Paul hinted at this ministry of intercession in Romans 5:9-10. We are not only saved by His death, but we are also saved by His life. “Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25, NIV). Peter sinned against the Lord, but he was forgiven and restored to fellowship because of Jesus Christ. “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has asked permission to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed especially for you that your own faith may not utterly fail” (Luke 22:31-32, wms). He is interceding for each of us, a ministry that assures us that we are secure.

Christ loves us (vv. 35-39). In Romans 8:31-34 Paul proved that God cannot fail us, but is it possible that we can fail Him? Suppose some great trial or temptation comes, and we fail? Then what? Paul deals with that problem in this final section and explains that nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus Christ.

To begin with, God does not shelter us from the difficulties of life because we need them for our spiritual growth (Rom. 5:3-5). In Romans 8:28 God assures us that the difficulties of life are working for us and not against us. God permits trials to come that we might use them for our good and His glory. We endure trials for His sake (Rom. 8:36), and since we do, do you think that He will desert us? Of course not! Instead, He is closer to us when we go through the difficulties of life.

Furthermore, He gives us the power to conquer (Rom. 8:37). We are “more than conquerors,” literally, “we are superconquerors” through Jesus Christ! He gives us victory and more victory! We need not fear life or death, things present or things to come, because Jesus Christ loves us and gives us the victory. This is not a promise with conditions attached: “If you do this, God will do that.” This security in Christ is an established fact, and we claim it for ourselves because we are in Christ. Nothing can separate you from His love! Believe it—and rejoice in it!

A review of this wonderful chapter shows that the Christian is completely victorious. We are free from judgment because Christ died for us and we have His righteousness. We are free from defeat because Christ lives in us by His Spirit and we share His life. We are free from discouragement because Christ is coming for us and we shall share His glory. We are free from fear because Christ intercedes for us and we cannot be separated from His love.

No condemnation! No obligation! No frustration! No separation!

If God be for us, who can be against us!

This is one of the most lyrical passages Paul ever wrote. In Rom 8:32 there is a wonderful allusion which would stand out to any Jew who knew his Old Testament well. Paul says in effect: “God for us did not spare his own Son; surely that is the final guarantee that he loves us enough to supply all our needs.” The words Paul uses of God are the very words God used of Abraham when Abraham proved his utter loyalty by being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac at God’s command. God said to Abraham: “You have not withheld your son, your only son, from me” (Gen 22:12). Paul seems to say: “Think of the greatest human example in the world of a man’s loyalty to God; God’s loyalty to you is like that.” Just as Abraham was so loyal to God that he was prepared to sacrifice his dearest possession, God is so loyal to men that he is prepared to sacrifice his only Son for them. Surely we can trust a loyalty like that for anything.

It is difficult to know just how to take Rom 8:33-35. There are two ways of taking them and both give excellent sense and precious truth.

(i) We can take them as two statements, followed by two questions which give the inferences to be made from these statements. (a) It is God who acquits men—that is the statement. If that be so who can possibly condemn men? If man is acquitted by God, then he is saved from every other condemnation. (b) Our belief is in a Christ who died and rose again and who is alive for evermore—that is the statement. If that be so, is there anything in this or any other world that can separate us from our Risen Lord?

If we take it that way two great truths are laid down. (a) God has acquitted us; therefore no one can condemn us. (b) Christ is risen; therefore nothing can ever separate us from him.

(ii) But there is another way to take it. God has acquitted us. Who then can condemn us) The answer is that the Judge of all men is Jesus Christ. He is the one who has the right to condemn—but so far from condemning, he is at God’s right hand interceding for us, and therefore we are safe.

It may be that in Rom 8:34 Paul is doing a very wonderful thing. He is saying four things about Jesus. (a) He died. (b) He rose again. (c) He is at the right hand of God. (d) He makes intercession for us there. Now the earliest creed of the Church, which is still the essence of all Christian creeds, ran like this: “He was crucified dead and buried; the third day he rose again from the dead; and sitteth at the right hand of God from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.” Three items in Paul’s statement and in the early creed are the same, that Jesus died, rose again, and is at the right hand of God. But the fourth is different. In the creed the fourth is that Jesus will come to be the judge of the quick and the dead. In Paul the fourth is that Jesus is at God’s right hand to plead our case. It is as if Paul said: “You think of Jesus as the Judge who is there to condemn; and well he might for he has won the right. But you are wrong; he is not there to be our prosecuting counsel but to be the advocate to plead our cause.”

I think that the second way of taking this is right. With one tremendous leap of thought Paul has seen Christ, not as the Judge but as the lover of the souls of men.

Paul goes on with a poet’s fervour and a lover’s rapture to sing of how nothing can separate us from the love of God in our Risen Lord.

(i) No affliction, no hardship, no peril can separate us. (Rom 8:35.) The disasters of the world do not separate a man from Christ; they bring him closer yet.

(ii) In Rom 8:38-39 Paul makes a list of terrible things.

Neither life nor death can separate us from Christ. In life we live with Christ; in death we die with him; and because we die with him, we also rise with him. Death, so far from being a separation, is only a step into his nearer presence; not the end but “the gate on the skyline” leading to the presence of Jesus Christ.

The angelic powers cannot separate us from him. At this particular time the Jews had a highly developed belief in angels. Everything had its angel. There was an angel of the winds, of the clouds, of the snow and hail and hoarfrost. of the thunder and the lightning, of cold and heat, of the seasons. The Rabbis said that there was nothing in the world, not even a blade of grass, that had not got its angel. According to the Rabbis there were three ranks of angels. The first included thrones, cherubim and seraphim. The second included powers, lordships and mights. The third included angels and archangels and principalities. More than once Paul speaks of these angels (Eph 1:21; Eph 3:10; Eph 6:12; Col 2:10, 15; 1 Cor 15:24). Now the Rabbis—and Paul had once been a Rabbi—believed that they were grudgingly hostile to men. They believed that they had been angry when God created man. It was as if they did not want to share God with anyone and had grudged man his share in him. The Rabbis had a legend that when God appeared on Sinai to give Moses the law he was attended by his hosts of angels, and the angels grudged Israel the law, and assaulted Moses on his way up the mountain and would have stopped him had not God intervened. So Paul, thinking in terms of his own day, says, “Not even the grudging, jealous angels can separate us from the love of God, much as they would like to do so.”

No age in time can separate us from Christ. Paul speaks of things present and things to come. We know that the Jews divided all time into this present age and the age to come. Paul is saying: “In this present world nothing can separate us from God in Christ; the day will come when this world will be shattered and the new age will dawn. It does not matter; even then, when this world has passed and the new world come, the bond is still the same.”

No malign influences (powers) will separate us from Christ. Paul speaks about height and depth. These are astrological terms. The ancient world was haunted by the tyranny of the stars. They believed that a man was born under a certain star and thereby his destiny was settled. There are some who still believe that; but the ancient world was really haunted by this supposed domination of a man’s life by the influence of the stars. Height (hupsoma, <G5313>) was the time when a star was at its zenith and its influence was greatest; depth (bathos, <G899>) was the time when a star was at its lowest, waiting to rise and to put its influence on some man. Paul says to these haunted men of his age: “The stars cannot hurt you. In their rising and their setting they are powerless to separate you from God’s love.”

No other world can separate us from God. The word that Paul uses for other (heteros, <G2087>) has really the meaning of different. He is saying: “Suppose that by some wild flight of imagination there emerged another and a different world, you would still be safe; you would still be enwrapped in the love of God.”

Here is a vision to take away all loneliness and all fear. Paul is saying: “You can think of every terrifying thing that this or any other world can produce. Not one of them is able to separate the Christian from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ, Lord of every terror and Master of every world.” Of what then shall we be afraid?

If God Is for Us, Who Is Against Us? (8:31)

The “if” here is not “iffy.”²¹⁸ It could just as well be translated “since.” The New Jerusalem Bible renders Paul’s question this way: “With God on our side, who can be against us?”

The first part of the question is therefore the premise. The second part of the question is the conclusion. Let us consider the premise first.

God is for us. In the context, the “us” must mean, “those of us who are in Christ.” God is “for” His children. He is “for us” in the sense that He has chosen us, predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, and He has called and justified us (Romans 8:28-30). He is at work, causing all things to work together for our good. Our “good” includes our present process of sanctification and our ultimate destiny in our adoption as sons of God. God is bringing about the good which He has purposed for us.

This statement, “God is for us,” cannot be interpreted or applied apart from His purpose (8:28). God is not “for us” in some nebulous, undefined way. We do not have the promise that God will deal with us in any way that we ask or desire. The prosperity gospelizers promise a God who is a kind of magic genie, as though we need but inform Him how He can serve us. God is “for us” in a way that produces the “good” He has purposed and prepared for us in eternity past. It is God’s prerogative to define “good,” not ours.

Based upon the premise that God is “for us,” Paul presses us to consider the implications. “If God is for us [as He most certainly is], who is against us?” Paul is not suggesting that we have no opposition. We all know that the Christian will have many adversaries. Paul’s question is designed to point out the puniness of any opponent in light of the fact that God is our proponent.

One of my favorite movies, “The Bear,” has in the final scenes a little grizzly cub being attacked by a mountain lion. The life of the little cub seems to be in great danger as the mountain lion moves in for the kill. Suddenly, the baby bear rears up on its hind legs letting out the fiercest growl it can muster. Amazingly, the mountain lion shrinks back! The camera then slowly draws back to reveal just behind the cub a massive grizzly, reared on his hind legs, delivering a fierce warning to the mountain lion. The cub’s enemy was great. But in the protective shadow of the great grizzly, that mountain lion was nothing. With the giant grizzly as its protection, who was this mere mountain lion? With God on our side, who could possibly be an opponent who would cause us to shrink back in fear? The sovereignty of a God who is “for us” provides a new perspective on anyone or anything which threatens to oppose or destroy us.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).

The certainty of God’s faithful provision for all of our needs is in view in this question. It is an argument based on the greater and the lesser: if God did not hesitate to give us the greatest gift of all, certainly He can be counted on to freely give us lesser gifts. The New Jerusalem Bible renders Paul’s words this way:

Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give.

Mortal minds will never fathom the sacrifice which the Father made to bring about the redemption of His chosen ones. For the Son, it meant the rejection of the nation Israel, the physical agony of the cross, and the ultimate pain, the separation from His Father which was the penalty He paid for our sins. For the Father, it meant giving up His Son, allowing sinful men to nail Him to a cross, and having to pour out His wrath on His beloved One.

The Son willingly endured the agony of the cross in order to do the will of His Father and to bring glory to Him. The Father willingly gave up His Son so that by means of His sacrifice the Son might be glorified (see John 17:1-5; Philippians 2:5-11). Imagine the heart of the Father as He heard the plea of His Son in the Garden of Gethsemene. Amazing love, how can it be, that Thou, My God, should die for me?

Contemporary theology, using the term loosely, tries to make the cross of Christ the measure of our worth to God: “We were worth so much to God that He sent His Son to die for us.” This misses the point altogether. It turns the spotlight, the focus, from God to man. The cross of Calvary is not the measure of our worth; it is the measure of God’s love. That is what Paul wants us to see here. The cross imputes worth to sinners who receive the gift of salvation. The cross is not the evidence of our worth but the source of our worth. We are worthy because Christ died for us. Christ did not die for us because we were worthy.

Having gone this far, allow me to question another popular, but erroneous, theme in contemporary Christian thinking. How many times have you heard someone say something like: “If I were the only one in the world to believe in Him, Christ would have died for me.” This is man-centered thinking. This is sentimental foolishness! It is not biblical truth.

We know from Romans 8:28-30 and other biblical texts that it was a sovereign God who purposed to save men. It was this God who chose some for salvation. Those whom He foreknew, these He called, justified, and glorified. Christ did not die to save an unknown group of people. Christ died to save those whom He chose. Thus, Paul writes here in verse 32 that God “delivered Him up for us all.” He died to save “all” those whom He purposed to save. For any Christian to think that God sent His Son to save only one is to give oneself far too much credit. God knew whom He would save, and when He gave up His Son, it was to procure the salvation of “all” those whom He chose. Let us realign our thinking with the Scriptures, and cease to rearrange the Scriptures to suit our self-centered preferences.

If God gave up His beloved Son, His precious Son, then it is not difficult to believe that He will “freely” give us “all things.” The “all things” must, however, be limited to all those things which are essential to bring about the “good” He has purposed for us. And these things are freely given “with Him.”

In a cafeteria, you may take any item of food you like and pay for each one. In a restaurant, various main dishes are listed, usually under a meat dish. Whether you order fish, pork chops, or a T-bone steak certain foods come with it. With your meat order, there is the choice of a salad or soup, some form of potato or rice, a vegetable, rolls or bread. You pay for the meat, as it were, and the rest is given freely.

That is the way it is with the blessings of God. The “meat” is justification by faith, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Along with Christ’s provision, God supplies every other need, “all things.” This He does freely. We dare not ask for the extras if we have not ordered the meat. We dare not expect God to bless us and provide for our needs unless we have received His gift of salvation in Christ. There are some who like their religion “cafeteria style.” They would like to pass up the meat, Jesus Christ, and take those blessings of God which fulfill their desires. It cannot be done. God will not allow it. We must, as our Lord said, seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, in Christ, and then all these things will be added (see Matthew 6:33).

Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. 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 shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 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, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:33-39).

These verses have a distinctly judicial flavor. We are being taken into a court of law so that we may be shown that there is no condemnation for those who are “in Christ Jesus” (see 8:1). Imagine that we are in the courtroom as we attempt to grasp the message Paul conveys in these verses.

Most of us know what the courtroom is like from watching Perry Mason on television. At the front of the courtroom, the judge is seated. He will be the one who hears the testimony, views the evidence, and pronounces the verdict.²¹⁹ To the left of the judge, the prosecution is seated. The task of the prosecutor is to make accusations against the accused and to prove that they are legitimate charges. To the right of the judge sits the defendant—the one who is to be accused. And at the side of the accused is seated the counsel for the defense, whose job it is to argue on behalf of the accused in his defense.

Before considering the courtroom scene Paul describes here, we must first be reminded of a fundamental truth without which Paul’s words fail to make their point. Just as God has ordained that there is no other Savior than Jesus Christ, so there is no other Judge than Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has two roles. The first is that as Savior. The second is that of Judge. All who receive Him as Savior need never fear facing His sentence of condemnation as the Judge of all the earth. Those who reject Him as Savior most certainly will be condemned by Him as their Judge. These two roles of our Lord—Savior and Judge—are both claimed by our Lord:

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him” (John 3:17).

“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).

“And He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man” (John 5:27).

And straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” And she said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more” (John 8:10-11).

“And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day” (John 12:47-48).

At first it seems that our Lord’s words are contradictory. He did not come to judge, and yet He will judge. This difficulty is easily explained in the light of our Lord’s two comings. The purpose of our Lord’s first coming was not to come as the Judge to condemn sinners. The purpose of His first coming was to make an atonement for the sins of men. When He came the first time, He came to save. This is why He would not condemn the sinful woman caught in the act of adultery. But when He comes again, He comes to judge the earth and to condemn all who have rejected God’s salvation through His shed blood. The Lord is either one’s Savior or one’s Judge. If He is your Savior, He will not be your Judge, who will pronounce God’s condemnation upon you. If you reject Him as Savior, He will most certainly be your Judge. In fact, you are already condemned according to our Lord.

It is this truth—that God has made Jesus either one’s Savior or his Judge—that Paul builds upon in verses 33 and 34. Ponder this courtroom scene for a moment. Outside of faith in Jesus Christ, every man is a guilty sinner. When judgment day comes, he must sit in the defendant’s seat, the seat of the accused. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Judge, the One whom the sinner has scorned and rejected. The Lord Jesus is also the prosecutor. The accused sinner has no defense. He is, as Paul has said earlier in Romans, “without excuse” (1:20; 2:1).

But salvation changes all this. The courtroom scene becomes vastly different. The forgiven sinner need not sit in the defendant’s chair. This is because the prosecutor cannot press any charges. The Father, the Judge, has already pronounced us to be righteous, justified by faith. How could the Judge condemn us? Jesus Christ has already been condemned in our place. He was raised from the dead, and He now is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.

The picture is something like this. The Father’s beloved Son, who would have been our prosecutor, has taken our place and has paid the penalty for our sin. More than this, having been raised from the dead, the prosecutor has left His seat and has seated Himself beside us, committed to our defense and pleading with the Father on our behalf.

The force of Paul’s argument now begins to emerge. The only One who could have accused us has resigned His post. The only One who could have condemned us as a righteous Judge has brought about our salvation. Our dreaded foe, viewed from the perspective of the unbeliever, has now become our beloved Defender. The only one who can mete out divine punishment has meted it out on His own Son so that we might be saved. Who, then, can accuse us? Who, then, can condemn us? No one can legitimately accuse us. No one can rightfully condemn us. The One who was our Judge has become our Justifier.

1. K. Barrett, in his commentary on Romans, has caught the force of Paul’s argument. It is reflected in his translation of these verses:

Who can bring a charge against God’s elect? God—who justifies us? Who condemns us? Christ Jesus—who died, or rather was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who actually is interceding on our behalf?²²⁰

Paul’s theology and terminology are hardly new and not exclusively New Testament. Note the similarity in thought of these words, found in the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah:

The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient, Nor did I turn back. I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. For the Lord God helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I shall not be ashamed. He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me. Behold, the Lord God helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them. Who is among you that fears the Lord, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God (Isaiah 50:4-10).

The important thing to notice in this passage is that the One who is the “disciple” is none other than Israel’s Messiah. His confidence in God is the basis for His boldness in enduring the rejection of men. Because God is on His side, he does not fear ill-treatment from men. He is willing to commit His life to the God who is His Defender. With God on His side, the Messiah was both willing and able to face a world that would reject and persecute Him. This confidence, which sustained our Lord, is that same confidence which is also able to sustain every saint.

In Deuteronomy 28, God tells Israel that the very things Paul has named are those which God has promised to bring upon His people, if they do not obey His Word:

“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you (Deuteronomy 28:47-48).

Adversity in the life of the believer should stimulate him to some introspection, to give thought as to whether God might be disciplining him for some known sin. This, I believe, is implied in the New Testament as well:

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him (James 5:14-15).

Even when God does bring adversity into our lives because of sin, it should not result in doubts concerning the love of God. Discipline is an evidence of God’s love as the writer to the Hebrews makes clear (see Hebrews 12:1-13).

But besides correction for specific sins, God has yet another purpose for affliction and calamity. It is a constructive purpose. It is a purpose designed to produce our good, just as Romans 8:28 says. God has not only purposed adversity for correction but also for the advancement of the gospel. Paul’s quotation from Psalm 44 in verse 36 emphasizes the role of the suffering of the righteous in the accomplishment of God’s purposes. Note the broader context of the verse which Paul has cited:

Psalm 44 (For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.) O God, we have heard with our ears, Our fathers have told us, The work that Thou didst in their days, In the days of old. Thou with Thine own hand didst drive out the nations; Then Thou didst plant them; Thou didst afflict the peoples, Then Thou didst spread them abroad. For by their own sword they did not possess the land; And their own arm did not save them; But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy presence, For Thou didst favor them. Thou art my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob. Through Thee we will push back our adversaries; Through Thy name we will trample down those who rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me. But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And Thou hast put to shame those who hate us. In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Thy name forever. Selah.

Yet Thou hast rejected us and brought us to dishonor, And dost not go out with our armies. Thou dost cause us to turn back from the adversary; And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves. Thou dost give us as sheep to be eaten, And hast scattered us among the nations. Thou dost sell Thy people cheaply, And hast not profited by their sale. Thou dost make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to those around us. Thou dost make us a byword among the nations, A laughingstock among the peoples. All day long my dishonor is before me, And my humiliation has overwhelmed me, Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger. All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten Thee, And we have not dealt falsely with Thy covenant. Our heart has not turned back, And our steps have not deviated from Thy way, Yet Thou hast crushed us in a place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death. If we had forgotten the name of our God, Or extended our hands to a strange god; Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. Arouse Thyself, why dost Thou sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not reject us forever. Why dost Thou hide Thy face, And forget our affliction and our oppression? For our soul has sunk down into the dust; Our body cleaves to the earth. Rise up, be our help, And redeem us for the sake of Thy lovingkindness.

In verses 1-3, the psalmist expresses confidence in God based upon His past deliverances. It was God who brought Israel into the land, drove out their enemies, and planted His people in their place. In verses 4-8, the psalmist expresses confidence in God to do the same in his own time. Verses 9-16 introduce the dilemma. The psalmist’s experience has not been that of his forefathers as described in verses 1-3. God has not delivered His people as expected (verses 4-8). Instead, Israel has been defeated and oppressed. Many of the calamities listed by Paul in Romans 8:35 have come upon Israel.

The psalmist’s great problem is now laid before God in verses 17-22. If Israel had sinned, then these calamities would be understandable. If Israel had rejected God and rebelled against His law, then the defeat of Israel at the hand of her enemies would be understandable. But Israel had not rebelled, for once. Israel was trusting in God and obeying His law. In spite of their trust in God, the psalmist described their condition:

But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered (Psalm 44:22).

The solution to the psalmist’s agony is to be found in the words “for Thy sake.” Suffering is not always for sin’s sake (discipline). Suffering is also for God’s sake. Suffering is one of the means through which God achieves His purposes. It must be so if God causes “all things” to work together for good. It was true for the Messiah. He must suffer much at the hands of His people in order to make an atonement for sin. The experience of our Lord was not an exception, but rather a pattern, an example:

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, (1 Peter 2:18-21).

Paul’s words in verse 37 of our text spell out the principle which underlies Psalm 44: “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”

It is a paradox, but it is true. It is consistent with the way God works. We save our lives by giving them up. We lead by serving others. We conquer by being conquered. Our Lord’s death at Calvary seemed to be a defeat, but in God’s wisdom it was the defeat of Satan, sin, and death.

Christians want to think of victory in terms of winning. We like to think that Christ’s power and purposes are most evident when we win, when we overcome our opponents. Paul simply underscores a principle which has always governed God’s work: God uses apparent defeat to produce ultimate victory. God uses the suffering of His saints to make them conquerors—more than conquerors.

We overwhelmingly conquer “in all these things”; we conquer through these things. We are victorious when we suffer the calamities of life, in faith, trusting in God, knowing that He is accomplishing His purposes through our affliction. If suffering was God’s will for His sinless, beloved Son, is it not also His will for His sons, the sons of God? And the very One who is giving us the victory is the one “who loved us,” who loved us through the suffering and death of His Son. Our confidence must not end when the going gets tough. The testing of our faith really begins here.

The expression “overwhelmingly conquer” needs to be pondered. The Bible does not promise to make “copers” of us, but conquerors. It is not enough to muddle through life merely enduring our adversity. God does not promise to take us out of our afflictions, but He does promise that we will emerge from them victorious. We will be victorious in the sense that we will grow in our faith, hope and love. We will conquer in that we will become more like Christ due to our sufferings. We will conquer in that God’s purposes will be achieved through us and others will see the grace of God at work in our lives.

But we do not just conquer; Paul says that we will “overwhelmingly” conquer. How does one overwhelmingly conquer? I think I have a small grasp of what this means. I believe we overwhelmingly conquer as the sons of God. When God created man, Adam and Eve, and put him on the earth, he was created to reflect God’s image. The fall greatly marred this image of God in man. God has purposed our salvation to restore this image. Paul has written in verse 29 that we are predestined to become conformed to the image of Christ. Man was originally to reflect the image of God by subduing the earth and ruling over it, in God’s name. We, as the sons of God, with Christ, will have a part in the conquest and restoration of the earth. This is that for which all of creation eagerly awaits (8:20-23).

Paul now tells us that no created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ (8:30). Creation will not overcome us, Paul is saying; we shall overcome it. Not only will we safely endure and grow in the midst of any opposition or suffering which part of this fallen creation imposes on us, we will eventually overcome it and have a part in ruling over it, with Christ. That is what I believe Paul means when he says “we overwhelmingly conquer.”

Verses 38 and 39 list some of the dimensions of created things which will not overcome us. The list is intended to be all-inclusive, and so it is. Neither “death” nor “life” shall overcome us.²²¹ For some, death is the dreaded enemy. Christ came to deliver us from the “fear of death” which holds men in bondage (Hebrews 2:15). For others, life is the dreaded enemy, and death seems to be a door of escape. Those who think this way are tempted by suicidal thoughts.

The next category of created things is that of “angels and principalities.” If Paul is following the pattern he established above with death and life, then he is attempting to encompass the entire spectrum of celestial beings. He would especially be referring to those angelic beings which are fallen and which seek to destroy us. Satan would be included in this category.²²²

The next category of created things is that of events, whether “present” or future (“things to come”).²²³ It is interesting to think of events as something created, but in a very real sense they are. If God is sovereign, as He surely is, and He has mapped out history from eternity past then we must say that God created history. Prophecy is based upon this fact. Thus, in light of Romans 8:28, we must say that the events we presently face, along with those we shall face in the future, have been created by God for our good. And so it is that these things cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ.

The list of created things ends with “powers, height, depth, nor any other created thing.” There is considerable question as to what Paul meant by the term “powers.” It may refer to mighty works of power, miraculous works, or it may refer to powers. I am presently inclined to understand Paul’s words as Barrett does when he renders Paul’s words here,

For I am confident that neither death nor life, neither angels nor their princes, neither things present nor things to come, nor spiritual powers, whether above or below the level of the earth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.²²⁴

God is the Creator. He is also the sovereign ruler over all creation. Nothing happens but that which He has ordained to bring about His purpose. Nothing in all creation falls outside of His control, and thus we can be assured that His purposes will be achieved. We can have absolute confidence that we will be more than conquerors regardless of what may come our way.

This confidence is the possession of every Christian, of every one who is the object of God’s love. And this love of God is manifested only in and through Jesus Christ. We cannot be assured of His love apart from faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the evidence of God’s love. He is the sole expression of God’s love with regard to salvation. To reject Jesus Christ is to spurn the love of God. To receive Jesus Christ as Savior is to be confident that nothing in all the world can separate us from His love in Christ.

Conclusion

Having studied our text of Romans 8:31-39, let me leave you with some avenues for future thought, study, prayer, and application.

First, the sovereignty of God is the basis for our security. We dare not be confident in ourselves. This would be folly. We dare not doubt that we shall be more than conquerors. This would be to deny His Word and to distrust God. We, like Paul, should be absolutely convinced concerning these things, based upon the Word of God. Our security is rooted in God, in His sovereignty, and in His unfailing love.

Today self-confidence is looked upon as a virtue and lack of self-assurance as a vice. Even in Christian circles we are being told how we can raise our children so that they feel good about themselves, are self-assured, and confident. The Bible calls for humility, not pride; for dependence on God, not self-sufficiency. Let us beware of seeking that which God’s Word condemns. Let us look to God, to God alone. He is our refuge and strength. In Him, and Him alone, is our confidence.

Second, our security and confidence in God is the basis for our service. It is not doubt, nor fear, nor guilt which should motivate our service, but a confidence in God mixed with deep and abiding gratitude. Because we are secure in Christ, we may serve. We need not focus on ourselves but on Him. Since He is the “author and finisher of our faith,” we must “fix our eyes on Him” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Third, our security is never an excuse for sloppiness. Some would abuse the doctrine of God’s sovereignty and the believer’s security. They would sinfully suggest that since God is in control, it matters not what we do. This is just the opposite of the truth. God’s sovereignty is the basis for our diligence and obedience. If we trust in ourselves, this would be folly, because we will fail. But when we trust in God, we know that we ultimately cannot fail and that our efforts are not in vain.

Fourth, the Scriptures never raise any doubt that God will finish what He started at salvation (see Philippians 1:6). The question raised in Scripture is not, “Will the saints endure to the end?” The question is rather, “Are we sure that we are in Christ?” The security of the believer is never brought into question in the Scriptures. Whether or not we are a believer is a question which is raised, and rightly so.

Fifth, the basis for our salvation and our security is found in the work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. Did you notice that every fear, every dread, in this text is the result of sin? And did you notice as well that every cure goes back to the cross of Calvary? Here is God’s means of redemption. Here is the measure of His love. Here is the assurance and confidence that God’s purposes and promises will never fail. No wonder we must continually go back to the cross. We should never grow weary of going back to the cross. Here is where our salvation began. Here is where it was finished. That God sent Jesus to the cross is the measure of His love for us. That God would raise Jesus from the dead is the measure of His power. When such love and power meet, we, as sons of God, have every reason to be confident.

Finally, the security of the believer requires a response. Paul’s conclusion reminds us that biblical revelation requires a response. The security of the believer in the sovereign love of God should produce humility, gratitude, dependence, confidence, and praise. Let us ponder these closing words of Romans 8, especially in contrast to the agonizing cry at the end of chapter 7. Let us savor our security, and let us stand fast, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.

(8:31-33) God, Work of—Assurance—Jesus Christ, Death: God has acted for the believer, not against him. This is the fourth assurance of deliverance. This is the greatest truth in all the world. God did not have to act for man, but He did. God loves every man, no matter his condition or sin and shame. Therefore, believers can rest assured that nothing, absolutely nothing shall ever separate them from the plan and purpose of God. God’s love is absolute. It is perfect. And God shall have His perfect love expressed by completing His perfect plan and purpose for each life. The believer can have absolute assurance that God will work all things out for his good, even things that fail and are painful to the heart. God shall deliver the believer from the struggling and suffering of this world. The true believer shall be conformed to the image of Christ and glorified with Him (Romans 8:29-30).

The point is this: God Himself is the believer’s assurance. God Himself has acted for the believer; He has done everything necessary and then more: “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

1. God is our Savior. It was God who “spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all” (Romans 8:32). The words “spared not” (ouk epheisato) mean that God did not hold back or refrain from giving His Son; He did not refuse or even hesitate to give His Son. The picture is that of God weighing man’s eternal separation from Him against the sacrifice of His Son. He had a choice to make and He made it; He deliberately chose to sacrifice His Son for us. God knew exactly what He was doing. He wanted man delivered from this struggling and suffering world, and there was only one way for man to be saved:

Someone had to bear man’s penalty for transgression and sin, which was the judgment of death.

Therefore, God handed His own Son over to die for us—in our behalf, in our stead, in our place, as our substitute. God spared not His own Son; He delivered Christ Jesus up for us all. What a glorious, marvelous, wonderful love! And just how wonderful His love is can be clearly seen in this: it was while we were sinners, acting and rebelling against God, that He gave His Son to die for us.

2. God is our Provider. Since God has done such a great and glorious thing, how shall He not also give us all things? Giving His own Son for us was the greatest gift in all the world; therefore, He is bound to give us everything else. Nothing could ever cost God anything close to the price He has paid in giving up His Son; therefore, God shall give us everything else. Note three points.
3. God’s provision includes spiritual, eternal, and material gifts.

The spiritual provision is the fruit of the Spirit.

The eternal provision is deliverance from the struggling and suffering of this sinful world. It is the gift of eternal life, of living gloriously conformed to the image of His dear Son, Jesus Christ (see note, pt.2— Romans 8:29 for just what this means).

The material gifts are the necessities of life (see outline— Matthew 6:25-34, and notes— Matthew 6:25-34).

1. The provision is freely given. God’s gift of His Son was freely given; therefore, all that God provides for man is freely given. No man can merit or earn God’s provision. God provides and meets the need of the believer because He loves the believer.
2. The provision of God comes through Christ and through Him alone. Note the words “with Him.” It is with Christ that God gives us all things. If we are with Christ, then all things are given to us. We shall be delivered from struggling and suffering. Believers can rest assured of this. No matter how much we struggle and suffer through the sin and shame of this world, God will see us through it all. He is is going to conform us to the glorious image of His Son.
3. God is our Justifier. This is the most glorious truth: God does not charge us with sin. In fact, He does not lay anything to our charge; He justifies us.

Note the question: Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God; only God can charge us with sin and shame. But note: if we have truly trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, if we are one of God’s elect, he does not charge us with sin. He justifies us. He forgives our sin and counts us righteous in Christ Jesus. If we are God’s child, no one can charge us with anything. We are God’s; we belong to God. No one can charge, count, or doom us to be…

a failure a detriment a shame a sinner lost unusable

an embarrassment hopeless helpless defeated unworthy of no value

Man is not our judge; therefore, man cannot judge these things to be true of us—only God can. God is our Judge, and this is the glorious truth: God does not judge His elect. He does not lay sin and shame against His children; He justifies His children. No matter how much we have struggled and suffered through the sin and shame of this world, God delivers us. No matter how far we have fallen, no matter how discouraged we have become, if we are truly God’s child, He picks us up and justifies us in Christ Jesus and continues to conform us to the image of His dear Son. God does not leave us down and defeated, nor does He go around charging us with sin and shame. God justifies us and continues His work of forgiveness and grace in our lives.

 

(8:34) Jesus Christ, Work of—Salvation: Christ does not condemn the believer. This is the fifth assurance of deliverance. Note how direct and forceful the question is: “Who is he that condemneth?” It is Christ; only Christ can condemn us for our sin and shame. But the glorious news is that Christ does not condemn us. On the contrary, the very opposite is true. Christ does four wonderful things for us.

1. Christ has died for us. Christ is our glorious Savior. When we honestly come to Him, He does not condemn us for our sin and shame; He forgives us. He is able to forgive us because He died for us.

Our sins are a shame, for sin is rebellion against God. Sin acts against God, fights and struggles against God. Sin goes against all that God stands for. Sin is insurrection against God; it is the crime of high treason against God. Sin is the most terrible act that can be done against God.

Therefore, we deserve to be condemned by God and put to death for sin. But we do not have to face condemnation. Christ has already paid the penalty for sin. Christ has already been condemned and executed for our transgression against God. This is the glorious love of Christ. He has already died for us: in our place, in our stead, as our substitute. Therefore when we sincerely come to Christ, He does not condemn us; He loves us and forgives our sin and shame. This is the very purpose of His death—to free us from sin, from its penalty and condemnation.

2. Christ has risen from the dead for us. Christ is our risen Lord. His resurrection does two marvelous things for the believer.
3. The resurrection of the Lord proves that God was perfectly satisfied with the death of Jesus Christ. What Christ did—His dying for our sins—was acceptable to God; therefore, God has accepted Jesus’ death for us. God has approved His dying for us. God’s divine justice was perfectly satisfied with Christ dying for us. This is clearly seen in the resurrection of Jesus Christ: if God had not been satisfied, He would have left Jesus in the grave. But thank God, God was satisfied, so He raised up Jesus to live forever as the Sovereign Savior of the world.
4. The resurrection of the Lord gives the believer a new life, making the believer a new creature and a new man.
5. Christ has been exalted for us. He is our exalted Lord. He sits face to face with God at His right hand. This gives two assurances to the believer.
6. The believer shall also be exalted into the presence of God. Just as Christ lives face to face with God, the believer shall also live face to face with God throughout all eternity.
7. The Lord Jesus Christ is exalted as the Sovereign and majestic Lord of the universe. He is the Ruler who reigns and rules over all, who possesses all might and power and is full of all wisdom and truth. He is the One who is going to destroy and utterly eliminate sin and evil in the world. He is the One who is going to establish a kingdom of righteousness and justice, love and truth in the new heavens and earth.

Note: it is Jesus Christ (and not another) who rules and reigns over the universe. This stirs enormous assurance in the hearts of genuine believers. Why? Because Jesus Christ has demonstrated His glorious love and care for the world. He not only can, but He will look after us and work all things out for good until He returns (Romans 8:28). The control of evil in the world and our lives are under His care. He is working all things out for good to those of us who truly love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

4. Christ makes intercession for us before the throne of God. He is our great Intercessor, our Mediator and Advocate who stands between God and man. It is Christ Jesus who brings us to God and who makes redemption, even the forgiveness of our sins, possible (Ephes. 1:7).

It is His advocacy, the advocacy of His death and resurrection for us, that forgives our sins.

It is His intercession, the intercession of His death and resurrection for us, that saves us.

It is His presence in heaven and His plea, the plea of His death and resurrection for us, that opens the door of heaven to us.

The point is this. The believer has the greatest assurance imaginable: he shall be delivered from the struggling and suffering of this world. No matter the sin and shame of his life, if he truly comes to Christ, he is not condemned. He is not judged for sin, no matter how terrible or how far he has fallen. If he will only come to Christ, Christ will deliver him. Christ will not leave him down and discouraged and defeated. Christ will not even scold or reproach him. Christ will receive His dear child with open arms.

(8:35-37) Trials, Deliverance from—Salvation—God, Love of: Christ protects the believer from the severest circum-stances. This is the sixth assurance of deliverance, and it is the most wonderful assurance imaginable. “Who [or what] can separate us from the love of God?” Too many people, even believers, feel that God does not love them, that He just could not love them. They feel unworthy of His love, for they come too short, are too disobedient, and fail too often. How could God possibly love them when they go against His will so much? The results of such feelings are…

a sense of unworthiness a downing of oneself a sense of discouragement

An accusing of oneself a low self-esteem a defeated life

Note a crucial point: such feelings totally contradict Scripture. Look at the verse: “Who [or what] can separate us from the love of Christ?” There is no circumstance, no situation, no event that can cause Christ to turn away from us. No matter how terrible or severe the situation, it cannot separate the true believer from the love of Christ. Christ loves the believer regardless of the circumstance, and He longs to be reconciled to the believer. No more severe circumstance can be imagined than the ones given:

Tribulation: to undergo struggle, trials, temptation, suffering, or affliction.

Distress: to suffer anguish, trouble, strain, agony; not knowing which way to turn or what to do.

Persecution: to be abused, mocked, ridiculed, shamed, mistreated, ignored, neglected, harrassed, attacked, or injured.

Famine: to have no food, to be starving and have no way to secure food.

Nakedness: to be stripped of all clothes and earthly comforts; to be bare, having all earthly possessions taken away.

Peril: to be exposed to the most severe risks; to be confronted with the most terrible dangers to one’s body, mind, soul, property, family, and loved ones.

Sword: to be killed; to suffer martyrdom.

Just imagine a person experiencing all this. What would his thoughts be? Would he feel that he had been forsaken by God? In the midst of so much dark trouble, would he believe that God loved him?

Scripture declares loudly and clearly that God does love him. There is absolutely nothing—no matter how dark and depressing, no matter how severe—that can separate the believer from the love of Christ. Circumstances are not evidence that God does not love us. God loves us no matter what the circumstances may be.

But believers must always remember: they are going to suffer while they are in this world. In fact, the world is going to count them as sheep for the slaughter, rejecting and persecuting them (Psalm 44:22). The world is going to persecute believers as long as believers continue to live for Christ. Their lives of godliness convict the world, and the world rejects godliness. (See note, Persecution—^ Matthew 5:10-12 for why believers are persecuted.)

However, note what is said. No matter the circumstances, we are more than conquerors through Christ who has loved us (Romans 8:37). No matter the circumstances and their severity, Christ will carry us through all, strengthening and encouraging us. We cannot lose, no matter the severity of the situation. Christ loves us and is going to look after and take care of us. The believer can rest assured, Christ protects him from the severest circumstances:

• Christ meets all the material necessities of life.
• Christ gives us rest.
• Christ gives us peace.
• Christ provides an escape from temptation.
• Christ comforts us through all trials.
• Christ supplies all our needs.
• Christ delivers us through persecution.
• Christ delivers us into His very presence, giving us eternal life if we are martyred.
• Christ cares for us no matter the situation.
• Christ enables us to overcome the world.
• Christ shows Himself strong in our behalf.
• Christ delivers us from fear.
• Christ sustains and supports the aged believer.

(8:38-39) Trials, Deliverance from—Salvation—God, Love of: Christ protects believers from the most extreme experiences and forces. This is the seventh assurance of deliverance. There is nothing in the universe that can separate the believer from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The believer can be fully persuaded of this glorious fact. Just consider the experiences and forces mentioned by Scripture:

• Not death: confronting death and leaving this world cannot separate us from Christ and His love (John 5:24).
• Not life: no trial or pleasure or comfort of life, not any person nor any thing in this life can separate us from Christ and His love.
• Not angels, principalities, or powers: no heavenly or spiritual creature, no being from any other dimension can separate us from Christ and His love.
• Not any thing present or any thing to come: neither present events, beings or things, nor future events, beings, or things—absolutely nothing in existence or any thing in future existence—can cut us off from Christ and His love.
• Not height or depth: nothing from outer space or from the depths of the earth can separate us from Christ and His love.

Note the grand finale: if there be any other creature than the ones named, that creature cannot separate us from “the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

217 This is the basis for the title of this lesson, “Comforting Questions.” Usually we think of questions for which there are no answers as disturbing questions. That is not so here. The very lack of any answer is the basis for great comfort and confidence for every Christian.

218 The Greek language quite precisely indicates the degree of certainty or the “iffiness” of some occurrence by the uses of three different grammatical constructions. The “if” here is a first class condition indicating certainty.

219 I am assuming that this is not a trial by jury, since God’s judgment will not be such.

220 C. K. Barrett, The Epistle to the Romans (New York: Harper and Row, 1957), p. 171.

Stifler expresses the more common view: “It is God that justifieth His own elect; can wicked men or lost spirits or Satan himself call again to account those whose case has been favorably decided in the highest place of judicature? Even to speak against God’s people impeaches the Judge and is contempt of court—Heaven’s court.” James M. Stifler, The Epistle to the Romans (Chicago: Moody Press, 1960), p. 150.

221 It is interesting, is it not, to think of life and death as created things? But they are. God created life as we see in the Book of Genesis. God also created death as the consequence of sin.

222 It is noteworthy that Satan is not mentioned by name. Satan, I believe, is a publicity-seeker. Paul is not willing to give him any press here. In the final analysis, this angel who wanted to take God’s place is left unnamed, lumped in with all other created beings. Satan, the glory-seeker, must not like this at all.

223 Paul does not mention events of the past. This is especially noteworthy in the light of the present psychological emphasis on past events as the source of our present problems. I believe Paul does not mention the past because the cross of Christ has dealt with our past. Old things have passed away, and new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

224 Barrett, p. 174.

 

Everybody loves to win. We hear, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but it’s how you play the game.” I suppose one needs to learn to lose gracefully, but everybody loves a winner. Do you know you can be a winner in life?

The latter verses of Romans 8 have as their theme “More Than Conquerors.” Romans 8:37 contains a key word regarding being in Jesus: conqueror. It says, “In all these things [in all of life] we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (KJV).

I recognize that in life there are circumstances and events that take place that almost defeat us. We may wonder how we can ever hope to be victors or conquerors. The answer is we must take our eyes off this earth of troubles, heartache, and disappointments. We must lift our eyes heavenward and see the One who is with those who are in Christ and who gives us His power to be victorious over the circumstances of life.

How is it possible for us to be the victors when defeat is all around us? The simple answer is given by Paul in 8:29.

8:31 What then are we to say about these things?^NRSV Paul’s questions fall into three categories:

1. Will opposition from people or Satan be too great? (8:31-32)
2. Will we fail because of our tendency to sin? (8:33-34)
3. Will we be overcome by difficult times? (8:35-39)

In broad terms, Paul may be encouraging specific reflection on the evidences we have that God is for us. One way of doing this is to replace these things with some of the phrases Paul has used earlier in this chapter. For example, what then shall we say in response to^NIV the fact that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1)?

Or, what then shall we say in response to the fact that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (8:26)?

What then shall we say in response to the fact that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (8:28)?

The other option for considering what to say in response is the choice Paul makes. He asks rhetorical questions, the answers to which require application of the pattern God has already established for our day-to-day experiences.

So, for instance, since God has shown that he is for us, who of any real significance can be against us?

Or, since God “did not spare his own Son . . . how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (8:32).

Paul wants to let believers know, in no uncertain terms, that their salvation is sure and secure. When we fully realize that God has called, justified, and glorified us, we can do nothing but fall before him in humble gratitude.

In 8:31-39 Paul brings to our minds five phrases that declare that God is with us.

1. I. BECAUSE HE FREELY GIVES US ALL THINGS

First of all, the apostle demonstrates the proof that God is with us when he says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (8:32). I know that God is with us because He freely gave us everything we need.

What we needed more than anything else was deliverance from our sin.

Paul says that God did not “spare His own Son.” A part of God came into the world and was born miraculously of a woman. He was God in the flesh, the human-divine man, the perfect combination of deity and humanity.

A part of God became man and after a ministry of 3.5 years went to a Roman cross and died for the sin of the world.

The question, “Does God care about me?” should never again enter our hearts. It was not because we deserved it; it was not because we loved Him.

It was because He loved us. When that tremendous truth grips our hearts we can never be the same.

1. II. BECAUSE GOD JUSTIFIES US

There is a second reason based upon 8:33 that God is for us: “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?

God is the one who justifies.”

God is not seeking our ruin. God does not want your downfall and destruction. How do I know? Because it is God who justifies. God wants to deal with every human being upon the basis of justification.

What does justification mean? It means we are declared to be innocent. It is just as if I had not sinned, even though I am guilty. God wants to justify.

III. BECAUSE CHRIST DIED FOR US

There is a third reason in 8:34 that I know that God is with us: “Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, . . .”

I know that God is for us because Christ in the planned purpose of God died for us. That is at the heart of the gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul’s summary of the gospel he preached, says, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day  according  to  the  Scriptures.”

This  is  the heart and core of the gospel—the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Paul is saying Christ has died for us. Who then is he who condemns? It is not Christ because Christ died that we might escape condemnation. I know that God is for us, because Christ has died.

1. IV. BECAUSE JESUS AROSE AND INTERCEDES FOR US

A fourth important truth is pointed out by the apostle in Romans 8. I know God is for us because Jesus has been raised, exalted to God’s right hand, where He ever lives to make intercession for us.

Verse 34 says, “Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

Intercession is a beautiful word with a wonderful concept. Intercession speaks of three parties. It speaks of God, the God that we have offended with our outrageous sins.

The second party is the sinner—each of us. There is God— party one; there is man—party two. Standing between the holy God and sinful man is the perfect Christ. He reaches up to God and reaches down to man and brings about reconciliation.

He stands at our side pleading our case in the presence of God. Christ is a third party who stands by the side of another party to plead our cause in the presence of yet another.

Jesus Christ, the intercessor, stands by our side to plead our cause in the presence of God.

Because of His intercession we know that God is with us. God is the author of the plan; and it is God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

It is God who wants to save the sinner. Lest we should ever misunderstand, lest we should ever doubt, He gives us Christ as our intercessor.

1. V. BECAUSE NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST

There is a fifth reason that I know that God is for us. I know that God is for us because nothing can separate us from the love of Christ:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 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, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (8:35-39).

The love of God for man is undefeatable. Nothing will cause God to stop loving us.

Sometimes when a child misbehaves a parent is heard to say, “Don’t do that anymore. God won’t love you.” The child should overcome his misbehavior; but it is poor motivation to tell him that God will not love him if he continues to misbehave.

God loved you, the parent, when you misbehaved. Nothing can ever cause God to stop loving us.

Nothing must ever allow us to stop loving God. It does not matter what comes to you in life; God is not out to get you. He is not getting even with you. He is not punishing you.

Yes, I know that sometimes people suffer as a consequence of their sins. A man may become drunk with alcohol. He may get in a car, speed down the highway, miss a curve, crash into a tree, and kill himself.

Now had he not been drinking the accident might not have happened. Yes, it is true that man sometimes must suffer the consequence of his own sin.

But when you suffer as God’s person, it is not God punishing you. You do not need to ask, “What have I done that God is doing this to me?”

God is not doing this to you. We live in a fallen world. Sometimes we suffer. But we can be assured that nothing, nothing in the whole world, will ever separate us from God’s love for us. I know that God is for us. How do I know? Because nothing can ever cause God to quit loving us.

CONCLUSION

Knowing that God is for us assures me of victory. That is why Paul said in the midst of this reading, “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (8:37). We are the victors. We are not the defeated. We win one battle after another until the ultimate victory shall become ours.

We have conquered alienation because now we are the true children of God. We are conquerors over the circumstance of life because we live in hope. We have conquered our inability to approach God because the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us, even when we are so downcast and burdened that we can only groan and cannot utter in words our prayers. We conquer life because in the purpose of God we know that all things work together for good to them who love God. We are more than conquerors because God is with us. Everything God has done from eternity points to the body of Christ.

Confidence can be a very good thing. It can also be a mill stone around one’s neck. Being confident simply is not enough. The crucial issue is in whom, or in what, is our confidence. Ill-founded confidence is deadly. Well-founded confidence is proper and good.

Some Christians have no confidence at all, believing that with one slip, one sin, they are out of the faith. Agonizing their way through life, they hope no sin has gone unnoticed and unconfessed; if so, they fear they will not get to heaven. These Christians desperately need the confidence of which Paul speaks in Romans 8:31-39:

(Romans 8:31-39 NASB)  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? {32} He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? {33} Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; {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. {35} Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? {36} Just as it is written, “FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” {37} But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. {38} For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, {39} nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Other Christians have great confidence but in the wrong thing. The lyrics of a popular “Christian” song say something like: “I have determined … to be invincible …” This song writer has far too much confidence—in himself.

The writer should spend some time in Romans 7 and 8 where the fallibility of the Christian is in view. When the reality of Romans 7:24 settles in on the believer, self-confidence is seen to be both foolish and sinful.

In our text, Paul gives us every reason to be confident, not in ourselves but in our salvation and in the sovereign God who is accomplishing it. Heed well Paul’s words here. They offer hope and confidence in the midst of a fallen world. To everyone who is in Christ by faith, they are words of comfort and reassurance.

Paul makes two main points in our text which provide us with the key to the structure of his argument. In verses 31-34, the emphasis is on “no condemnation.” In verses 35-39, Paul stresses “no separation” from the love of Christ our Lord. The structure can be outlined in this way:

(1) No condemnation (verses 31-34)

(2) No separation (verses 35-39)

Beginning with some general observations of our passage as a whole will provide additional insight to our study.

(1) This passage is a conclusion. These verses are the final verses of Paul’s argument in Romans 5-8 dealing with the present and future outworkings of justification by faith. In Romans 9-11 Paul will deal with Israel and the Gentiles in God’s eternal plan of salvation. These final words of chapter 8 are thus the conclusion, not only to chapter 8 but to the first 8 chapters.

(2) The closing verses return to the theme with which Paul began chapter 8—“no condemnation.” Verse 1 began by assuring the Christian that there is “no condemnation.” Verses 31-39 close with that same assurance.

(3) The mood of the passage is that of confident praise.

(4) This passage is God-centered. Paul speaks of a confidence and assurance based in God.

(5) The confidence and assurance is for Christians, for those who are in Christ. “We” and “us” refer to Christians. Paul is writing to Christians concerning the confidence they have in Christ. No confidence or assurance is offered to the non-believer here or elsewhere in the Bible.

(6) Those things which are dreaded, and from which the Christian is delivered, are all the consequences of sin. Accusation, condemnation, and separation from God are all divine judgments for sin. Our text thus offers the Christian assurance that he is delivered from the consequences of sin.

(7) The cross of Jesus Christ is the basis for our deliverance and confidence. God’s love for us is evidenced at the cross. Our justification was achieved at the cross. Our confidence is in God and in the cross of Christ.

(8) Paul uses a question and answer format. Verses 31-35 all contain one or more questions. The questions are personal, “Who?” rather than impersonal, “What?” The confidence and comfort Paul wishes his Christian reader to experience results from the fact that there is no answer. The question, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” (verse 33), gives great comfort because there is no answer. No one will bring a charge against us. This is true also of his other questions.²¹⁷

What Then Shall We Say to These Things? (8:31)

What things is Paul referring to by the expression, “these things”? Since verses 31-39 serve as the conclusion to all of chapters 1-8, we could rightly think of “these things” as Paul’s teaching on the sinfulness of man, the salvation of God, and the hope of the Christian. In the more immediate context of Romans 8, we could include the promise of no condemnation (8:1), the provision of the Holy Spirit (8:4-27), and the sovereignty of God in salvation (8:28-30). I personally believe Paul is referring primarily to the sovereignty of God in our salvation which he has just taught in Romans 8:28-30.

The question Paul asks here explores the implications of what he has been teaching to this point. It also conveys a very important inference: REVELATION REQUIRES MAN’S RESPONSE. Paul does not ask, “Shall we say something?” Instead, he asks, “What shall we say …?” In Paul’s mind, it is necessary for us to say something in response to what God has revealed through him. God’s Word is not information to be filed away. It is not given to us as an academic exercise. The Word of God is given to us to act upon and to obey. Romans 8:31-39 is the bottom line of the doctrines taught thus far.

If God Is for Us, Who Is Against Us? (8:31)

The “if” here is not “iffy.”²¹⁸ It could just as well be translated “since.” The New Jerusalem Bible renders Paul’s question this way: “With God on our side, who can be against us?”

The first part of the question is therefore the premise. The second part of the question is the conclusion. Let us consider the premise first.

God is for us. In the context, the “us” must mean, “those of us who are in Christ.” God is “for” His children. He is “for us” in the sense that He has chosen us, predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, and He has called and justified us (Romans 8:28-30). He is at work, causing all things to work together for our good. Our “good” includes our present process of sanctification and our ultimate destiny in our adoption as sons of God. God is bringing about the good which He has purposed for us.

This statement, “God is for us,” cannot be interpreted or applied apart from His purpose (8:28). God is not “for us” in some nebulous, undefined way. We do not have the promise that God will deal with us in any way that we ask or desire. The prosperity gospelizers promise a God who is a kind of magic genie, as though we need but inform Him how He can serve us. God is “for us” in a way that produces the “good” He has purposed and prepared for us in eternity past. It is God’s prerogative to define “good,” not ours.

Based upon the premise that God is “for us,” Paul presses us to consider the implications. “If God is for us [as He most certainly is], who is against us?” Paul is not suggesting that we have no opposition. We all know that the Christian will have many adversaries. Paul’s question is designed to point out the puniness of any opponent in light of the fact that God is our proponent.

One of my favorite movies, “The Bear,” has in the final scenes a little grizzly cub being attacked by a mountain lion. The life of the little cub seems to be in great danger as the mountain lion moves in for the kill. Suddenly, the baby bear rears up on its hind legs letting out the fiercest growl it can muster. Amazingly, the mountain lion shrinks back! The camera then slowly draws back to reveal just behind the cub a massive grizzly, reared on his hind legs, delivering a fierce warning to the mountain lion. The cub’s enemy was great. But in the protective shadow of the great grizzly, that mountain lion was nothing. With the giant grizzly as its protection, who was this mere mountain lion? With God on our side, who could possibly be an opponent who would cause us to shrink back in fear? The sovereignty of a God who is “for us” provides a new perspective on anyone or anything which threatens to oppose or destroy us.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).

The certainty of God’s faithful provision for all of our needs is in view in this question. It is an argument based on the greater and the lesser: if God did not hesitate to give us the greatest gift of all, certainly He can be counted on to freely give us lesser gifts. The New Jerusalem Bible renders Paul’s words this way:

Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give.

Mortal minds will never fathom the sacrifice which the Father made to bring about the redemption of His chosen ones. For the Son, it meant the rejection of the nation Israel, the physical agony of the cross, and the ultimate pain, the separation from His Father which was the penalty He paid for our sins. For the Father, it meant giving up His Son, allowing sinful men to nail Him to a cross, and having to pour out His wrath on His beloved One.

The Son willingly endured the agony of the cross in order to do the will of His Father and to bring glory to Him. The Father willingly gave up His Son so that by means of His sacrifice the Son might be glorified (see John 17:1-5; Philippians 2:5-11). Imagine the heart of the Father as He heard the plea of His Son in the Garden of Gethsemene. Amazing love, how can it be, that Thou, My God, should die for me?

Contemporary theology, using the term loosely, tries to make the cross of Christ the measure of our worth to God: “We were worth so much to God that He sent His Son to die for us.” This misses the point altogether. It turns the spotlight, the focus, from God to man. The cross of Calvary is not the measure of our worth; it is the measure of God’s love. That is what Paul wants us to see here. The cross imputes worth to sinners who receive the gift of salvation. The cross is not the evidence of our worth but the source of our worth. We are worthy because Christ died for us. Christ did not die for us because we were worthy.

Having gone this far, allow me to question another popular, but erroneous, theme in contemporary Christian thinking. How many times have you heard someone say something like: “If I were the only one in the world to believe in Him, Christ would have died for me.” This is man-centered thinking. This is sentimental foolishness! It is not biblical truth.

We know from Romans 8:28-30 and other biblical texts that it was a sovereign God who purposed to save men. It was this God who chose some for salvation. Those whom He foreknew, these He called, justified, and glorified. Christ did not die to save an unknown group of people. Christ died to save those whom He chose. Thus, Paul writes here in verse 32 that God “delivered Him up for us all.” He died to save “all” those whom He purposed to save. For any Christian to think that God sent His Son to save only one is to give oneself far too much credit. God knew whom He would save, and when He gave up His Son, it was to procure the salvation of “all” those whom He chose. Let us realign our thinking with the Scriptures, and cease to rearrange the Scriptures to suit our self-centered preferences.

If God gave up His beloved Son, His precious Son, then it is not difficult to believe that He will “freely” give us “all things.” The “all things” must, however, be limited to all those things which are essential to bring about the “good” He has purposed for us. And these things are freely given “with Him.”

In a cafeteria, you may take any item of food you like and pay for each one. In a restaurant, various main dishes are listed, usually under a meat dish. Whether you order fish, pork chops, or a T-bone steak certain foods come with it. With your meat order, there is the choice of a salad or soup, some form of potato or rice, a vegetable, rolls or bread. You pay for the meat, as it were, and the rest is given freely.

That is the way it is with the blessings of God. The “meat” is justification by faith, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Along with Christ’s provision, God supplies every other need, “all things.” This He does freely. We dare not ask for the extras if we have not ordered the meat. We dare not expect God to bless us and provide for our needs unless we have received His gift of salvation in Christ. There are some who like their religion “cafeteria style.” They would like to pass up the meat, Jesus Christ, and take those blessings of God which fulfill their desires. It cannot be done. God will not allow it. We must, as our Lord said, seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, in Christ, and then all these things will be added (see Matthew 6:33).

Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. 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 shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 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, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:33-39).

These verses have a distinctly judicial flavor. We are being taken into a court of law so that we may be shown that there is no condemnation for those who are “in Christ Jesus” (see 8:1). Imagine that we are in the courtroom as we attempt to grasp the message Paul conveys in these verses.

Most of us know what the courtroom is like from watching Perry Mason on television. At the front of the courtroom, the judge is seated. He will be the one who hears the testimony, views the evidence, and pronounces the verdict.²¹⁹ To the left of the judge, the prosecution is seated. The task of the prosecutor is to make accusations against the accused and to prove that they are legitimate charges. To the right of the judge sits the defendant—the one who is to be accused. And at the side of the accused is seated the counsel for the defense, whose job it is to argue on behalf of the accused in his defense.

Before considering the courtroom scene Paul describes here, we must first be reminded of a fundamental truth without which Paul’s words fail to make their point. Just as God has ordained that there is no other Savior than Jesus Christ, so there is no other Judge than Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has two roles. The first is that as Savior. The second is that of Judge. All who receive Him as Savior need never fear facing His sentence of condemnation as the Judge of all the earth. Those who reject Him as Savior most certainly will be condemned by Him as their Judge. These two roles of our Lord—Savior and Judge—are both claimed by our Lord:

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him” (John 3:17).

“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).

“And He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man” (John 5:27).

And straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” And she said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more” (John 8:10-11).

“And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day” (John 12:47-48).

At first it seems that our Lord’s words are contradictory. He did not come to judge, and yet He will judge. This difficulty is easily explained in the light of our Lord’s two comings. The purpose of our Lord’s first coming was not to come as the Judge to condemn sinners. The purpose of His first coming was to make an atonement for the sins of men. When He came the first time, He came to save. This is why He would not condemn the sinful woman caught in the act of adultery. But when He comes again, He comes to judge the earth and to condemn all who have rejected God’s salvation through His shed blood. The Lord is either one’s Savior or one’s Judge. If He is your Savior, He will not be your Judge, who will pronounce God’s condemnation upon you. If you reject Him as Savior, He will most certainly be your Judge. In fact, you are already condemned according to our Lord.

It is this truth—that God has made Jesus either one’s Savior or his Judge—that Paul builds upon in verses 33 and 34. Ponder this courtroom scene for a moment. Outside of faith in Jesus Christ, every man is a guilty sinner. When judgment day comes, he must sit in the defendant’s seat, the seat of the accused. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Judge, the One whom the sinner has scorned and rejected. The Lord Jesus is also the prosecutor. The accused sinner has no defense. He is, as Paul has said earlier in Romans, “without excuse” (1:20; 2:1).

But salvation changes all this. The courtroom scene becomes vastly different. The forgiven sinner need not sit in the defendant’s chair. This is because the prosecutor cannot press any charges. The Father, the Judge, has already pronounced us to be righteous, justified by faith. How could the Judge condemn us? Jesus Christ has already been condemned in our place. He was raised from the dead, and He now is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.

The picture is something like this. The Father’s beloved Son, who would have been our prosecutor, has taken our place and has paid the penalty for our sin. More than this, having been raised from the dead, the prosecutor has left His seat and has seated Himself beside us, committed to our defense and pleading with the Father on our behalf.

The force of Paul’s argument now begins to emerge. The only One who could have accused us has resigned His post. The only One who could have condemned us as a righteous Judge has brought about our salvation. Our dreaded foe, viewed from the perspective of the unbeliever, has now become our beloved Defender. The only one who can mete out divine punishment has meted it out on His own Son so that we might be saved. Who, then, can accuse us? Who, then, can condemn us? No one can legitimately accuse us. No one can rightfully condemn us. The One who was our Judge has become our Justifier.

1. K. Barrett, in his commentary on Romans, has caught the force of Paul’s argument. It is reflected in his translation of these verses:

Who can bring a charge against God’s elect? God—who justifies us? Who condemns us? Christ Jesus—who died, or rather was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who actually is interceding on our behalf?²²⁰

Paul’s theology and terminology are hardly new and not exclusively New Testament. Note the similarity in thought of these words, found in the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah:

The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient, Nor did I turn back. I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. For the Lord God helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I shall not be ashamed. He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me. Behold, the Lord God helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them. Who is among you that fears the Lord, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God (Isaiah 50:4-10).

The important thing to notice in this passage is that the One who is the “disciple” is none other than Israel’s Messiah. His confidence in God is the basis for His boldness in enduring the rejection of men. Because God is on His side, he does not fear ill-treatment from men. He is willing to commit His life to the God who is His Defender. With God on His side, the Messiah was both willing and able to face a world that would reject and persecute Him. This confidence, which sustained our Lord, is that same confidence which is also able to sustain every saint.

In Deuteronomy 28, God tells Israel that the very things Paul has named are those which God has promised to bring upon His people, if they do not obey His Word:

“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you (Deuteronomy 28:47-48).

Adversity in the life of the believer should stimulate him to some introspection, to give thought as to whether God might be disciplining him for some known sin. This, I believe, is implied in the New Testament as well:

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him (James 5:14-15).

Even when God does bring adversity into our lives because of sin, it should not result in doubts concerning the love of God. Discipline is an evidence of God’s love as the writer to the Hebrews makes clear (see Hebrews 12:1-13).

But besides correction for specific sins, God has yet another purpose for affliction and calamity. It is a constructive purpose. It is a purpose designed to produce our good, just as Romans 8:28 says. God has not only purposed adversity for correction but also for the advancement of the gospel. Paul’s quotation from Psalm 44 in verse 36 emphasizes the role of the suffering of the righteous in the accomplishment of God’s purposes. Note the broader context of the verse which Paul has cited:

Psalm 44 (For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.) O God, we have heard with our ears, Our fathers have told us, The work that Thou didst in their days, In the days of old. Thou with Thine own hand didst drive out the nations; Then Thou didst plant them; Thou didst afflict the peoples, Then Thou didst spread them abroad. For by their own sword they did not possess the land; And their own arm did not save them; But Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy presence, For Thou didst favor them. Thou art my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob. Through Thee we will push back our adversaries; Through Thy name we will trample down those who rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me. But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And Thou hast put to shame those who hate us. In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Thy name forever. Selah.

Yet Thou hast rejected us and brought us to dishonor, And dost not go out with our armies. Thou dost cause us to turn back from the adversary; And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves. Thou dost give us as sheep to be eaten, And hast scattered us among the nations. Thou dost sell Thy people cheaply, And hast not profited by their sale. Thou dost make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to those around us. Thou dost make us a byword among the nations, A laughingstock among the peoples. All day long my dishonor is before me, And my humiliation has overwhelmed me, Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger. All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten Thee, And we have not dealt falsely with Thy covenant. Our heart has not turned back, And our steps have not deviated from Thy way, Yet Thou hast crushed us in a place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death. If we had forgotten the name of our God, Or extended our hands to a strange god; Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. Arouse Thyself, why dost Thou sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not reject us forever. Why dost Thou hide Thy face, And forget our affliction and our oppression? For our soul has sunk down into the dust; Our body cleaves to the earth. Rise up, be our help, And redeem us for the sake of Thy lovingkindness.

In verses 1-3, the psalmist expresses confidence in God based upon His past deliverances. It was God who brought Israel into the land, drove out their enemies, and planted His people in their place. In verses 4-8, the psalmist expresses confidence in God to do the same in his own time. Verses 9-16 introduce the dilemma. The psalmist’s experience has not been that of his forefathers as described in verses 1-3. God has not delivered His people as expected (verses 4-8). Instead, Israel has been defeated and oppressed. Many of the calamities listed by Paul in Romans 8:35 have come upon Israel.

The psalmist’s great problem is now laid before God in verses 17-22. If Israel had sinned, then these calamities would be understandable. If Israel had rejected God and rebelled against His law, then the defeat of Israel at the hand of her enemies would be understandable. But Israel had not rebelled, for once. Israel was trusting in God and obeying His law. In spite of their trust in God, the psalmist described their condition:

But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered (Psalm 44:22).

The solution to the psalmist’s agony is to be found in the words “for Thy sake.” Suffering is not always for sin’s sake (discipline). Suffering is also for God’s sake. Suffering is one of the means through which God achieves His purposes. It must be so if God causes “all things” to work together for good. It was true for the Messiah. He must suffer much at the hands of His people in order to make an atonement for sin. The experience of our Lord was not an exception, but rather a pattern, an example:

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, (1 Peter 2:18-21).

Paul’s words in verse 37 of our text spell out the principle which underlies Psalm 44: “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”

It is a paradox, but it is true. It is consistent with the way God works. We save our lives by giving them up. We lead by serving others. We conquer by being conquered. Our Lord’s death at Calvary seemed to be a defeat, but in God’s wisdom it was the defeat of Satan, sin, and death.

Christians want to think of victory in terms of winning. We like to think that Christ’s power and purposes are most evident when we win, when we overcome our opponents. Paul simply underscores a principle which has always governed God’s work: God uses apparent defeat to produce ultimate victory. God uses the suffering of His saints to make them conquerors—more than conquerors.

We overwhelmingly conquer “in all these things”; we conquer through these things. We are victorious when we suffer the calamities of life, in faith, trusting in God, knowing that He is accomplishing His purposes through our affliction. If suffering was God’s will for His sinless, beloved Son, is it not also His will for His sons, the sons of God? And the very One who is giving us the victory is the one “who loved us,” who loved us through the suffering and death of His Son. Our confidence must not end when the going gets tough. The testing of our faith really begins here.

The expression “overwhelmingly conquer” needs to be pondered. The Bible does not promise to make “copers” of us, but conquerors. It is not enough to muddle through life merely enduring our adversity. God does not promise to take us out of our afflictions, but He does promise that we will emerge from them victorious. We will be victorious in the sense that we will grow in our faith, hope and love. We will conquer in that we will become more like Christ due to our sufferings. We will conquer in that God’s purposes will be achieved through us and others will see the grace of God at work in our lives.

But we do not just conquer; Paul says that we will “overwhelmingly” conquer. How does one overwhelmingly conquer? I think I have a small grasp of what this means. I believe we overwhelmingly conquer as the sons of God. When God created man, Adam and Eve, and put him on the earth, he was created to reflect God’s image. The fall greatly marred this image of God in man. God has purposed our salvation to restore this image. Paul has written in verse 29 that we are predestined to become conformed to the image of Christ. Man was originally to reflect the image of God by subduing the earth and ruling over it, in God’s name. We, as the sons of God, with Christ, will have a part in the conquest and restoration of the earth. This is that for which all of creation eagerly awaits (8:20-23).

Paul now tells us that no created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ (8:30). Creation will not overcome us, Paul is saying; we shall overcome it. Not only will we safely endure and grow in the midst of any opposition or suffering which part of this fallen creation imposes on us, we will eventually overcome it and have a part in ruling over it, with Christ. That is what I believe Paul means when he says “we overwhelmingly conquer.”

Verses 38 and 39 list some of the dimensions of created things which will not overcome us. The list is intended to be all-inclusive, and so it is. Neither “death” nor “life” shall overcome us.²²¹ For some, death is the dreaded enemy. Christ came to deliver us from the “fear of death” which holds men in bondage (Hebrews 2:15). For others, life is the dreaded enemy, and death seems to be a door of escape. Those who think this way are tempted by suicidal thoughts.

The next category of created things is that of “angels and principalities.” If Paul is following the pattern he established above with death and life, then he is attempting to encompass the entire spectrum of celestial beings. He would especially be referring to those angelic beings which are fallen and which seek to destroy us. Satan would be included in this category.²²²

The next category of created things is that of events, whether “present” or future (“things to come”).²²³ It is interesting to think of events as something created, but in a very real sense they are. If God is sovereign, as He surely is, and He has mapped out history from eternity past then we must say that God created history. Prophecy is based upon this fact. Thus, in light of Romans 8:28, we must say that the events we presently face, along with those we shall face in the future, have been created by God for our good. And so it is that these things cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ.

The list of created things ends with “powers, height, depth, nor any other created thing.” There is considerable question as to what Paul meant by the term “powers.” It may refer to mighty works of power, miraculous works, or it may refer to powers. I am presently inclined to understand Paul’s words as Barrett does when he renders Paul’s words here,

For I am confident that neither death nor life, neither angels nor their princes, neither things present nor things to come, nor spiritual powers, whether above or below the level of the earth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.²²⁴

God is the Creator. He is also the sovereign ruler over all creation. Nothing happens but that which He has ordained to bring about His purpose. Nothing in all creation falls outside of His control, and thus we can be assured that His purposes will be achieved. We can have absolute confidence that we will be more than conquerors regardless of what may come our way.

This confidence is the possession of every Christian, of every one who is the object of God’s love. And this love of God is manifested only in and through Jesus Christ. We cannot be assured of His love apart from faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the evidence of God’s love. He is the sole expression of God’s love with regard to salvation. To reject Jesus Christ is to spurn the love of God. To receive Jesus Christ as Savior is to be confident that nothing in all the world can separate us from His love in Christ.

Conclusion

Having studied our text of Romans 8:31-39, let me leave you with some avenues for future thought, study, prayer, and application.

First, the sovereignty of God is the basis for our security. We dare not be confident in ourselves. This would be folly. We dare not doubt that we shall be more than conquerors. This would be to deny His Word and to distrust God. We, like Paul, should be absolutely convinced concerning these things, based upon the Word of God. Our security is rooted in God, in His sovereignty, and in His unfailing love.

Today self-confidence is looked upon as a virtue and lack of self-assurance as a vice. Even in Christian circles we are being told how we can raise our children so that they feel good about themselves, are self-assured, and confident. The Bible calls for humility, not pride; for dependence on God, not self-sufficiency. Let us beware of seeking that which God’s Word condemns. Let us look to God, to God alone. He is our refuge and strength. In Him, and Him alone, is our confidence.

Second, our security and confidence in God is the basis for our service. It is not doubt, nor fear, nor guilt which should motivate our service, but a confidence in God mixed with deep and abiding gratitude. Because we are secure in Christ, we may serve. We need not focus on ourselves but on Him. Since He is the “author and finisher of our faith,” we must “fix our eyes on Him” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Third, our security is never an excuse for sloppiness. Some would abuse the doctrine of God’s sovereignty and the believer’s security. They would sinfully suggest that since God is in control, it matters not what we do. This is just the opposite of the truth. God’s sovereignty is the basis for our diligence and obedience. If we trust in ourselves, this would be folly, because we will fail. But when we trust in God, we know that we ultimately cannot fail and that our efforts are not in vain.

Fourth, the Scriptures never raise any doubt that God will finish what He started at salvation (see Philippians 1:6). The question raised in Scripture is not, “Will the saints endure to the end?” The question is rather, “Are we sure that we are in Christ?” The security of the believer is never brought into question in the Scriptures. Whether or not we are a believer is a question which is raised, and rightly so.

Fifth, the basis for our salvation and our security is found in the work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. Did you notice that every fear, every dread, in this text is the result of sin? And did you notice as well that every cure goes back to the cross of Calvary? Here is God’s means of redemption. Here is the measure of His love. Here is the assurance and confidence that God’s purposes and promises will never fail. No wonder we must continually go back to the cross. We should never grow weary of going back to the cross. Here is where our salvation began. Here is where it was finished. That God sent Jesus to the cross is the measure of His love for us. That God would raise Jesus from the dead is the measure of His power. When such love and power meet, we, as sons of God, have every reason to be confident.

Finally, the security of the believer requires a response. Paul’s conclusion reminds us that biblical revelation requires a response. The security of the believer in the sovereign love of God should produce humility, gratitude, dependence, confidence, and praise. Let us ponder these closing words of Romans 8, especially in contrast to the agonizing cry at the end of chapter 7. Let us savor our security, and let us stand fast, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.

217 This is the basis for the title of this lesson, “Comforting Questions.” Usually we think of questions for which there are no answers as disturbing questions. That is not so here. The very lack of any answer is the basis for great comfort and confidence for every Christian.

218 The Greek language quite precisely indicates the degree of certainty or the “iffiness” of some occurrence by the uses of three different grammatical constructions. The “if” here is a first class condition indicating certainty.

219 I am assuming that this is not a trial by jury, since God’s judgment will not be such.

220 C. K. Barrett, The Epistle to the Romans (New York: Harper and Row, 1957), p. 171.

Stifler expresses the more common view: “It is God that justifieth His own elect; can wicked men or lost spirits or Satan himself call again to account those whose case has been favorably decided in the highest place of judicature? Even to speak against God’s people impeaches the Judge and is contempt of court—Heaven’s court.” James M. Stifler, The Epistle to the Romans (Chicago: Moody Press, 1960), p. 150.

221 It is interesting, is it not, to think of life and death as created things? But they are. God created life as we see in the Book of Genesis. God also created death as the consequence of sin.

222 It is noteworthy that Satan is not mentioned by name. Satan, I believe, is a publicity-seeker. Paul is not willing to give him any press here. In the final analysis, this angel who wanted to take God’s place is left unnamed, lumped in with all other created beings. Satan, the glory-seeker, must not like this at all.

223 Paul does not mention events of the past. This is especially noteworthy in the light of the present psychological emphasis on past events as the source of our present problems. I believe Paul does not mention the past because the cross of Christ has dealt with our past. Old things have passed away, and new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

224 Barrett, p. 174.

(Romans 8:29-30 NIV)  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. {30} And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

(Romans 8:29-30 NKJV)  For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. {30} Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

8:29 Those whom he foreknew.^NRSV Believers are those people whom God foreknew. God’s foreknowledge refers to his intimate knowledge of us and our relationship with him based on his choosing us. God predestined believers to reach a particular goal: to be conformed to the image of his Son.^NRSV “Now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2 niv).

What does predestination mean? What keeps foreknowledge and predestination from being determinism? How can belief in predestination avoid leading someone to despair over the futility of any human choice? God’s foreknowledge does not imply determinism—the idea that all our choices are predetermined. Since God is not limited by time as we are, he “sees” past, present, and future at the same time.

Parents sometimes “know” how their children will behave before the fact. We don’t conclude from these parents’ foreknowledge that they made their children act that way. God’s foreknowledge, insofar as we can understand it, means that God knows who will accept the offer of salvation. The plan of predestination begins when we trust Christ and comes to its conclusion when we become fully like him. Receiving an airline ticket to Chicago means we have been predestined to arrive in Chicago.

To explain foreknowledge and predestination in any way that implies that every action and choice we make has been not only preknown, but even predetermined, seems to contradict those Scriptures that declare that our choices are real, that they matter, and that there are consequences to the choices we make.

That he might be the firstborn among many brothers.^NIV Some families have such distinct characteristics (for example, Dad’s brown eyes or Mom’s blonde hair) that everyone immediately knows the children are all related. In the case of believers, the distinguishing family characteristic is that we all are becoming like our oldest brother. When all believers are conformed to Christ’s likeness, the resurrected Christ will be the firstborn of a new race of humans, who are purified from sin. Because we are God’s children, we are Christ’s brothers and sisters.

Some believe these verses mean that before the beginning of the world, God chose certain people to receive his gift of salvation. They point to verses like Ephesians 1:11, which says we are “predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (niv). Others believe that God foreknew those who would respond to him; upon those he set his mark (predestined).

What is clear is that God’s purpose for human beings was not an afterthought; it was settled before the foundation of the world. Humankind is to serve and honor God. If we have trusted Christ as Savior, we can rejoice that God has always known us. His love is eternal. His wisdom and power are supreme. He will guide and protect us until we one day stand in his presence.

8:30 Those whom he predestined he also called.^NRSV God’s plan for the salvation of those who believe in Christ has three steps: called (see 1:6; 8:28), justified (3:24, 28; 4:2; 5:1, 9), and glorified (8:17; Colossians 1:27; 3:4). While being glorified is a future event, Paul writes it in the past tense to show that it is so certain to happen that it is as good as done. When we are finally conformed to the image of Christ, we will be glorified. Paul’s description of God’s meticulous plan for our future underscores the length God will go to work “for the good of those who love him” (8:28). In his original summary of the gospel, Paul described a constant component of salvation, “faith from first to last” (1:17). Faith is at work in each segment of the way of salvation: by faith we recognize we have been called (the message of the gospel is personalized); by faith we are justified (God reckons us righteous which we could never achieve by our efforts); by faith we are glorified (we arrive at the destination that God intended all along—we become “conformed to the image of his Son” (8:29). In each of these steps, God is the active agent, while we are the responsive subject.

 

WANTED

Predestination is God’s plan whereby his purpose is carried out. The emphasis is on God’s choosing, like the illustrations that Jesus used of the feast and banquet in Luke 14. We are chosen to participate so that we might say, “I was wanted,” not, “I deserve this.”

 

God isn’t content to have just one Son in his family; he wants a whole host of them. He wants a great crowd of sons, of whom Jesus Christ is the first and the chief.

In order to accomplish that, through the encircling centuries, he has been working out his plan by which he is producing (through the Spirit at work in men’s lives) the glories, and the grace, and the character of Jesus Christ — that we might “be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren.”

This is his goal with you: to make you like Christ — not to look like him, but to be like him. Yet, the amazing thing is that, though he makes all in the same character, there is an infinite variety in their expression; this is the glory and beauty of God’s work.

Have you noticed that this pattern is so prominent in nature? God makes everything out of the same simple elements, but they are always different. Every one of us has a nose, two ears, a mouth, a forehead, some hair (more or less), a chin — and, with these few simple elements, God made faces. But he never makes two alike; with these few simple elements to work with, there is infinite variety.

Now, this is the way God works: Though we all share the character of Jesus Christ, it is not a mold that stamps out the same being over and over and over again, but there is an infinite variety of expression of the beauty of the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. The plan began in eternity past and doesn’t end until eternity in the future, but it is such a vast process that we can’t comprehend it.

That is why we are puzzled and confused about the parts of the process along the way. We are like the weaver who weaves cloth, and, working from the wrong side of the garment, all we ever see is a tangle of threads that seems to make no sense at all. But, when the process is finished, you can look on the other side, and there is the pattern beautifully worked out. That is what life is like with us. That is what God is doing in your life and mine.

While the above statement is a main point of this verse, because of the teachings of Calvin (mentioned above) we often get sidetracked because we have to explain away the idea that people are saved/lost due to a prior choice of God and it is a choice over which they have no control!

Knowing who is in charge is important. In the home, the parents are to be in charge. In other contexts, someone else is designated to be in charge. We must learn who is in charge to respond appropriately.

In our text, Paul informs us that God is ultimately and totally in charge of all things. His authority is without limits. All of creation is under the control of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (Colossians 1:15-18):

(Colossians 1:15-18 NKJV)  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. {16} For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. {17} And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. {18} And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

There is no limit to His power, and nothing is beyond His ability to control. We refer to this unlimited control as the sovereignty of God. When we say that God is sovereign we are saying He is in complete control.

Only one who is sovereign can predict the future in specific terms and with complete accuracy. One who is sovereign is also able to reveal what He is committed to accomplish. Conversely, one who is not sovereign can neither predict nor determine the future specifically or with accuracy.

In Romans 8:28 Paul makes a general statement concerning God’s sovereignty and its goal with respect to the Christian. God’s sovereignty assures Christians He is working all things together for their ultimate good.

Romans 8:29 expands what Paul has said in verse 28, for in this verse, he sums up God’s eternal purpose for the saints established in eternity past. He also speaks of God’s goal of glorifying Himself, through His saints who become like Christ.

In verse 30, Paul describes the outworking of God’s program for individual saints, in time.

The focus of this lesson will be verse 29, and we will begin by defining the two key terms, “foreknew” and “predestined.”

To correctly interpret this text and articulate the doctrine Paul teaches here, we must first determine the meaning of the terms he uses so we can communicate his doctrinal beliefs. Verses 29 and 30 contain five crucial terms. The definitions of these terms shape the doctrine which results from our study. These terms are: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification.  Many Christians accept doctrinal distortions because they allow others to do their studying and their thinking for them.

The exact term rendered “foreknow” in our text is found only seven times in the New Testament. The verb form is found in Acts 26:5; Romans 8:29; 11:2; 1 Peter 1:20; 2 Peter 3:17. The noun form is found in Acts 2:23 and 1 Peter 1:2. The only two times Paul uses this term is in his Epistle to the Romans.

(Acts 2:22-23 NASB)  “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know– {23} this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

(Acts 26:4-5 NASB)  “So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; {5} since they have known about me for a long time previously, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.

(Romans 8:29 NASB)  For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren;

(Romans 11:1-2 NASB)  I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. {2} God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

(1 Peter 1:18-20 NASB)  knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, {19} but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. {20} For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you

(2 Peter 3:17 NASB)  You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness,

The root meaning of the word is easily determined. To foreknow is to “know” (knowledge) “beforehand” (fore). The key to understanding this term as Paul uses it is to better understand the way in which God “knew” men in the Old Testament. The English word “know” can be the translation of several terms (both Hebrew and Greek). Its meaning can range from simple knowing to a much more intimate knowledge. For example, we are told that Adam “knew”²⁰⁸ his wife Eve, so that she conceived and gave birth to Cain (Genesis 4:1). This knowledge is much more than mere intellectual awareness.

Of special interest is the Old Testament’s use of “know” to refer to God’s choice of certain individuals:²⁰⁹

(Genesis 18:17-19 NASB)  And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, {18} since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? {19} “For I have chosen him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice; in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”

(Jeremiah 1:4-5 NASB)  Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, {5} “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God is in complete control. He gives men commands which they may obey or disobey. He also gives men choices to make and the freedom to make bad decisions. But in spite of all this freedom and certain failure, Paul has just stated that God causes all these things and more to bring about the ultimate good of the Christian. While men are not in control and surely do not live consistently in conformity to His Word, God’s purpose is still being achieved.

For any who would understand the foreknowledge of God as only His prior awareness of future events, but not His prior determination of these events, these two doctrines pose an insurmountable problem. Those who hold a weakened, minimal definition of “foreknowledge” believe that in eternity past God looked down through the corridors of time, taking note of all those who would come to Him in faith and then decided to choose them. The word “foreknew” in our text is synonymous with “chose.” It informs us that God first chose those who would believe.

In light of the teaching of Romans, if God had looked down the corridors of time to see all who would choose Him, He would not have seen one single soul. There is none who seeks after God, and none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10-11); thus no one would choose God who had not first been chosen and called by Him.

If God is both righteous and sovereign, and men are unrighteous and out of control, how could we suppose men would first choose God? How can God be sovereign in man’s salvation if He is subject to our will rather than our being subject to His? If God can only choose those whom He knows will choose Him, He is far from sovereign. He is dependent upon the will of men. But Romans teaches that our salvation and blessings depend on Him and on His will. It is by His sovereign grace that we are saved and not by anything we have done. He is the Initiator; we are those who respond.

The immediate context of Romans 8:28 demands that even though “foreknow” may sometimes refer to merely knowing in the past, before something else, it cannot be understood in this way in Romans 8:29. If God is the One who causes all things to work together for good to those who are His children, then it is God who is in control. It is God who “causes” the good which is His purpose. To foreknow is to determine or choose ahead of time. For God to “foreknow” us to be His children is for God to sovereignly choose to save us. Foreknowledge is therefore virtually synonymous with election. The intimate association of these two terms—God’s choice and God’s foreknowledge—is therefore pointed out in 1 Peter 1:1-2.

Predestined

The Greek term rendered “predestined” in our text occurs six times in the New Testament.²¹⁰ In addition to appearing twice in Romans 8, verses 29 and 30, the term appears in the texts below:²¹¹

“For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur. And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence, while Thou dost extend Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:27-30).

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:6-9).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:3-12).

The root meaning of predestination can be determined by linking the prefix, meaning before, and the root word which is found five times in the New Testament.

“For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” (Luke 22:22).

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered up by the predetermined [definite] plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:22-23).

“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:24-31).

Concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:3-4).

This Greek term has a range of meanings including: “fix,” “determine,” “appoint,” “set,” “definite,” “designate,” “define,” “to set limits,” “explain.” We might paraphrase the term with the expressions, “to make official” or to “set in concrete.” There is the overall sense of careful definition, a clear and definite decision, and of being put into force. Collectively, the term describes the process by which a bill would be written and made into law by congress. A more personal illustration might be the prearrangement of one’s burial.

The Old Testament has prepared us for this concept. The God who is sovereign is the One who has “prearranged” history. God sometimes tells men of His plans, as He told Abraham of the blessing of mankind through his seed (Genesis 12:1-3) and of His destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16-21). When the prophets foretold men of God’s predetermined plans, they often used the past tense²¹² to highlight the certainty of the event. The coming of Messiah is but one prophetic theme progressively unfolded in the Old Testament, with increasing detail, as God’s predetermined plan is unfolded.

Paul and Luke are the only two New Testament authors to use the term “predestined” and its root word as we have seen in the Scriptures above. Since these two men traveled and ministered together, they likely understood the term in the same way. Every use, in Luke, Acts, or in one of Paul’s epistles, refers to God’s prearrangement, His predetermined plan. Only God is sovereign—in complete control, and thus predestination can only originate from the will and purpose of God.

In Acts 4, God’s predestining of the death of Christ is shown to be consistent with Israel’s sin of rejecting Him and crucifying Him. The sinfulness of man does not and cannot hinder God from accomplishing what He has purposed and promised, because God is sovereign. He is in control of all things. He is able to cause all things to work together to achieve His purposes and to fulfill His promises.

The events of history testify, without exception, that those promises which have already been fulfilled were fulfilled precisely as God promised. This awesome fact assures us that His future promises will also be fulfilled to the very letter of biblical prophecy.

Predestination and foreknowledge are inter-related. We find the pair linked in Romans 8:29. We find them also linked, in reverse order, in Acts 2:23. God’s foreknowledge seems always to be directed toward the people God chooses, and His predestination seems to be directed to the plan or program He has prearranged for them. God’s sovereignty in both areas is required for Romans 8:28 to be true. God must be sovereign in the choice of who will be saved. He must also be sovereign in bringing about all of that for which saved men and women hope.

What does this mean? That has predetermined that all who would choose Christ (to be in Christ) would be saved. Those who will be saved have a choice..but it must be in conjunction with His gospel plan as revealed through His Son.

God has determined to fulfill His purpose for the believer. This is the second assurance of deliverance. Note three significant points.

1. This passage is often abused and misused. It is not dealing so much with theology or philosophy, but more with the spiritual experience of the Christian believer. If the pure logic of philosophy and theology are applied, then the passage says that God chooses some for heaven and others for a terrible hell. But this is simply not the meaning God intends for the passage. What God wants believers to do is to take heart, for He has assured their salvation.

God knows the suffering that believers go through daily (cp. Romans 8:28-39). God “did foreknow” even before the foundation of the world (Romans 8:29). But no matter how great the suffering, no matter how great the opposition, no matter how great the struggle, God is going to complete His purpose for believers. God has “predestinated [believers] to be conformed to the image of His Son,” and absolutely nothing can change that. Why? “That Christ might be the first-born [have the preeminence] among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

God loves His Son in the most supreme way possible. God has ordained that His Son shall have many brothers (adopted brothers) who will love and serve Him as the first-born, that is, as the first Person or the most preeminent Person of the universe. God has ordained that Jesus Christ shall hold the highest rank and position: that He be the exalted Head of all creation and the One to whom all men look (cp. Col. 1:15, 18). Therefore, God is going to allow nothing to permanently defeat believers. God is going to allow no fallen child of His to ever remain down permanently. God is going to fulfill His purpose in every child of His, and nothing can stop His purpose. Jesus Christ, His Son, will have a multitude of brothers and sisters who worship and serve Him throughout eternity.

2. Believers will be conformed to the image of God’s dear Son. The words “conformed to the image” (summorphous tes eikonos) mean both an inward and an outward likeness.
3. “Conformed” (summorphous) means the very same form or likeness as Christ. Within our nature—our being, our person—we shall be made just like Christ. As He is perfect and eternal—without disease and pain, sin and death—so we shall be perfected just like Him. We shall be transformed into His very likeness.
4. “Image” (eikonos) means a derived or a given likeness. The image of Christ is not something which believers merit or for which they work; it is not an image that comes from their own nature or character. No man can earn or produce the perfection and eternal life possessed by Christ. The image of Christ, His perfection and life, is a gift of God. To be conformed to the image of God’s Son means…

• to become a partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).
• to be adopted as a son of God (Ephes. 1:5).
• to be holy and without blame before Him (Ephes. 1:4; Ephes. 4:24).
• to bear the image of the heavenly: which is an incorruptible, immortal body (1 Cor. 15:49-54; cp. 1 Cor. 15:42-44).
• to have one’s body fashioned (conformed) just like His glorious body (Phil. 3:21).
• to be changed (transformed) into the same image of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18).
• to be recreated just like Him (1 John 3:2-3).

 

3. Note what it is that assures the believer’s deliverance from the suffering and struggling of this world. It is two things.
4. The foreknowledge of God. The word “foreknow” (proginosko) is used three different ways in Scripture. It means…

• to know something beforehand, ahead of time.
• to know something intimately by loving and accepting and approving it.
• to elect, foreordain, and predetermine something.

The present passage is interpreted differently by scholars. Note that the second and third meanings are much the same. When a person is loved and approved, selection or election is involved. The person becomes a very special or select person.

Again, the point to see is not the pure logic of the theological or philosophical argument. This is not God’s purpose in this passage. God’s purpose is to assure the believer: the believer is going to be conformed to the image of Christ, and nothing can stop the glorious process. God foreknew the fact, saw it even before the world was ever founded. He has always loved and approved the believer, electing and ordaining him from the very beginning.

The predestination of God. The word predestination (proorisen) means to destine or appoint before, to foreordain, to predetermine. The basic Greek word (proorizo) means to mark off or to set off the boundaries of something. The idea is a glorious picture of what God is doing for the believer. The boundary is marked and set off for the believer: the boundary of being conformed to the image of God’s dear Son. The believer shall be made just like Christ, conformed to His very likeness and image.

Nothing can stop God’s purpose for the believer. It is predestinated, set, and marked off. The believer may struggle and suffer through the sin and shame of this world; he may even stumble and fall or become discouraged and downhearted. But if he is a genuine child of God, he will not be defeated, not totally. He will soon arise from his fall and begin to follow Christ again. He is predestinated to be a brother of Christ, to worship and serve Christ throughout all eternity. And Christ will not be disappointed.

God loves His Son too much to allow Him to be disappointed by losing a single brother. Jesus Christ will have His joy fulfilled; He will see every brother of His face to face, conformed perfectly to His image. He will have the worship and service of every brother chosen to be His by God the Father. The believer’s eternal destiny, that of being an adopted brother to the Lord Jesus Christ, is determined. The believer can rest assured of this glorious truth. God has predestinated him to be delivered from the suffering and struggling of this sinful world.

Romans 8:29 was written to help explain how Romans 8:28 can be true. The word “For” at the beginning of this verse shows its connection to verse 28. In this verse Paul offers an explanation of how Romans 8:28 can be true. God can claim to be working all things together for the good of His own because He is sovereign. His sovereignty is evident in His eternal decree, His eternal purpose which He determined before time began. His purpose included the choice of those whom He would save (“Those whom He foreknew”). In His sovereignty, God predetermined and prearranged the plan by which all whom He chose would be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. The God who chooses to save some has a plan and a program by which His purpose to sanctify His children will be accomplished.

The sovereignty of God enables Him to establish a plan in eternity past and to carry out that plan perfectly in time. The tense here is past. Both God’s “foreknowledge” and His “predestination” are already determined, and the program has been set into motion. At best, men can only plan and work for future events. God alone can plan them, promise them, and be certain that His plans will be accomplished. Only a God who is sovereign, a God who is in complete control, can plan the past, make promises in the present, and assure us that it will be achieved in the future.

God’s foreknowledge seems to be directed toward those people whom He has chosen; His predestination is directed toward the plan of salvation He has foreordained for His people. God does not choose to save some only to hope that all works out well for them. God has a specific goal in mind, a goal for which He has chosen them, and a goal to which He has made certain they will attain. Some people think of God as a warm, “people person” who loves men and delights in blessing them. They fail to appreciate that God’s blessings are only certain if He is sovereign and if His purposes are certain. Predestination provides the plan by which God’s people are to be blessed.

In Romans 8:28-29, God’s foreknowledge and His predestination are intertwined. In Acts 2:23 and here in Romans, God’s foreknowledge and His predestination are linked together. They are inter-dependent. God’s ultimate goal is not to save men but to glorify Himself. In order to do this, God purposed to save some. Those He purposed to save, He also determined to sanctify. He is glorified when those He saves are like Christ. God’s eternal decree, His all-inclusive plan established in eternity past, had to include not only the choice of those whom He would save but also the process through which He would bring them into conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.

Verse 29 indicates God’s immediate purpose for us. God’s purpose for choosing us and the goal of the program He has predestined is our conformity to the image of Jesus Christ: “to be conformed to the image of His Son.” This goal is also stated in Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of which belongs to the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13).

The final words of verse 29 call our attention to the ultimate purpose of God’s foreknowledge and predestination—His glory, through the exaltation of Jesus Christ. The word “that” in verse 29 brings us to God’s highest goal, His own glory: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.”

He has not only chosen them in eternity past, but He has predetermined a plan whereby all His sons will be conformed to the image of His “first-born,” Jesus Christ.

Our Lord’s likeness, His image, is majestic, holy, and awesome as revealed in John’s description of Him in Revelation 1. But it does not seem to be this likeness which Paul has in view. Rather, it is the character of our Lord which so beautified Him in the days of His appearance on the earth. His character, evident in His body, the church, brings glory to Him, and thus glory to God. By being like Christ, we honor Him and bring glory to God. God’s ultimate purpose for working all things together is not for our good, though it does accomplish this, but for His glory. Those who understand God’s grace gladly stand out of the spotlight so that God receives the glory He deserves, which He planned and purposed in eternity past and which He is presently working. To God be the glory!

The sovereignty of God is the basis for our security—and our assurance of the certainty of our hope. If our hope were based upon our own faithfulness, we would be, of all men, most miserable. Focusing on ourselves brings us to the despair of Romans 7, a chapter in which man is prominent. Focusing on God brings us to the certainty, hope, and rejoicing of Romans 8. In this chapter, God is prominent—not men. It is His sovereignty which assures us that His promises are certain.

207 “The term ‘sovereignty’ connotes a situation in which a person, from his innate dignity, exercises supreme power, with no areas of his province outside his jurisdiction. A ‘sovereign’ is one who enjoys full autonomy, allowing no rival immunities.

“As applied to God, the term ‘sovereignty’ indicates His complete power over all of creation, so that He exercises His will absolutely, without any necessary conditioning by a finite will or wills. The term does not occur in Scripture, although the idea is abundantly implied.” H. B. Kuhn, “Sovereignty of God,” The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1975, 1976), Vol. 5, p. 498.

208 The NASB indicates the literal meaning, “knew,” in a marginal note but renders the term, “had relations with.”

209 God’s “foreknowledge” in this same sense also seems to apply to nations. Consider these texts as well: 2 Samuel 22:44; Psalm 18:43; Matthew 7:23.

210 Acts 4:28; Romans 8:29, 30; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:5, 11. The root word, without the prefix, is found in Luke 22:22; Acts 2:23; 17:26, 31; Romans 1:4.

211 In the texts cited, the underscoring is my own emphasis indicating the specific term under consideration.

212 Bible scholars refer to this as the “prophetic perfect.”

 

One of the most influential religious figures of the last millennium was John Calvin of Switzerland. Calvin was born in 1509. At the age of fourteen, he went to Paris to study the classics. He was so austere that his fellow students nicknamed him “The Accusative Case.” In 1529, he commenced the study of civil law. Presently, though, Calvin became intrigued with the teachings of the German reformers and so gave himself to the study of religion.

In 1533, he broke with the Roman Catholic Church after a religious “experience” during which he believed he received a commission from God to restore the Church to its original purity. By the year 1536, at the age of only twenty-six, he had completed the first edition of his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion. The initial edition was a small volume of six chapters; the final version (1560) – revised over the years – had grown to eighty chapters.

To a significant degree, Calvin’s views, which were developed from the writings of Augustine – a “bishop” in northern Africa (A.D. 353-430), have formed the doctrinal basis of much of modern Protestantism.

In this article, we wish to briefly comment upon John Calvin’s influence upon the religious community on the subject of “grace.” His ideas are circulated in several denominations, and, tragically, have found their way into the thinking many people.

Limited Grace

One of the corner-stones of Calvin’s theology was the dogma of predestination. This is the notion that, consistent with his own sovereignty, God, before the foundation of the world, pre-determined who would be saved and who would be lost. In view of this, when Christ died, his death was efficacious only for the “elect.” This concept of “limited atonement,” hence, limited grace, is so foreign to the teaching of the Scriptures that it is difficult to see how anyone with an elementary knowledge of the New Testament could accept it.

Hear the testimony of Paul:

“For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men . . .” (Tit. 2:11).

Because God loved the entire world (Jn. 3:16), and so, wants all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), and not a single one to perish (2 Pet. 3:9), Christ died to be the propitiation for sins – not just for the “elect,” but potentially for the entire world as well (1 Jn. 2:2).

Irresistible grace

Calvinism argues that by a secret and special operation of the Holy Spirit, God’s grace is poured forth upon the elect. Since the extension of this grace is an act of divine power, it cannot be resisted – any more than the original creation could have resisted the creative might of the Lord (Hodge, 688).

But the fact is, though God’s grace is generously offered, it must be received by the sinner. “. . . [W]e entreat also that you receive not the grace of God in vain . . .” (2 Cor. 6:1). It is certainly possible to “receive not” that which is offered (cf. Jn. 1:11).

Unconditional grace

Calvinists argue that grace is given to the elect unconditionally. If such is the case, then there is absolutely nothing that one must do in order to receive salvation – not even believe.

One writer states:

“[W]e believe that there is no warrant whatsoever for the view that John 3:16 lays down faith as a condition to be performed by the lost person in order to attain spiritual eternal life.”

Again:

“God, without the use of the gospel or any other human means, will save all of his redeemed loved ones in every land and in every age” (Sarrels, 443-444).

The foregoing affirmations are ludicrous.

 

Paul declares that we have “access by faith into this grace” (Rom. 5:2). In his discussion of grace in Titus 3, the inspired apostle states that God, “according to his mercy, saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit . . . being justified by his grace” (5-7).

Paul equates being saved by the washing of regeneration with being justified by grace. The “washing” is an allusion to man’s response to God by submitting to baptism. Grace is supplied by the Lord – independent of any merit on our part. Clearly, though, the “washing of regeneration” is a condition of our redemption. But is that expression an allusion to baptism? Even Calvin admitted that he had “no doubt’ that Paul was alluding to baptism – though he denied the connection between baptism and salvation (see Shepherd, 405).

Irrevocable grace

Calvin maintained that the elect could be certain that God would never allow them to fall away from the faith. They would thus persevere unto the end. A sizable segment of Protestantism has adopted the doctrine to some degree or another.

But the New Testament teaches otherwise. A child of God can fall from grace (Gal. 5:4), or fail, i.e., fall back from, the Lord’s favor (Heb. 12:15). It is possible to deny the Master who bought you and so be destroyed (2 Pet. 2:1). Thus, we must keep ourselves in God’s love (Jude 21), and give diligence to make our calling and election sure (2 Pet. 1:10), lest our reception of divine grace be in vain (2 Cor. 6:1).

SOURCES

Hodge, Charles (1960), Systematic Theology (London: James Clarke & Co.), II.
Jackson, Wayne (1993), Eternal Security – Fact or Fiction? (Stockton, CA: Courier Publications).
Sarrels, R.V. (1978), Systematic Theology (Azle, TX: Harmony Hill).
Shepherd, J.W. (1950), Handbook on Baptism (Nashville: Gospel Advocate).

 

Story told of a young man’s disturbing experience while attending a college class recently.

One evening before going to class, he stopped at the restroom just outside the library stairs. As he was about to leave a few moments later, he heard the sound of two women’s voices growing louder and louder as they approached. Realizing that within seconds they would be entering the same restroom, my friend was horrified. Panic-stricken, he wondered if he had entered the wrong restroom, or were the two women about to make a serious mistake?

Making a quick decision, my friend raced back into the restroom, entered one of the stalls, closed, and locked the door. Quickly lifting his feet so his shoes could not be seen, a certain giveaway that one of them was the wrong gender, he waited until the two ladies left. When he felt they were out of sight, he made a dash for the door.

Unfortunately, two other ladies were about to enter. He repeated his same evasive tactics. He could not get out quickly enough when they left. Safely outside the restroom, he courageously peered over the doorway to see the sign. To his great relief and bewilderment, it read, “Men.”

The custodian was standing nearby, and my friend could not help but ask, “Is this the men’s restroom or the women’s?” Casually the custodian responded, “Oh, it’s the women’s. I change the sign every week, but I just didn’t get around to it tonight.” A matter of casual indifference to the custodian had become for my friend a matter of great distress.

Changing the labels can make a very significant difference. The terms of our text, “called,” “justified,” and “glorified,” are all theological labels. Their definitions are not a matter of unanimous agreement. Some differ over these labels out of conviction. Others, like the custodian, are simply too casual as though it hardly matters. But people’s lives are greatly affected by the way we understand the calling, justification, and glorification of the people of God.

The term “called” is used in the Bible in a variety of ways, with the usage in the New Testament closely following its use in the Old. Consider the following summary of some of the major categories of the use of the term “call” in both the Old and the New Testaments.

(1) To call into existence, to create (Isaiah 41:4). Certain events are said to be called into existence by God, such as weeping (Isaiah 22:12); drought (Haggai 1:11); famine (2 Kings 8:1; Psalm 105:16); rain (Amos 5:8); and the sword (Jeremiah 25:29).

(2) To give a name.²¹³ In the first chapter of Genesis, God named day and night (1:5, 8). In the next chapter Adam, who was created in God’s image, named the animals (2:19) and his wife (2:23). The one who gives the name is greater than the person or thing named. God names that which He has created (see Isaiah 40:26).

(3) To give a new name. God not only names, He renames. God changed the names of Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 17:5, 15). The Lord Jesus changed Simon’s name to Cephas or Peter (John 1:21). The new name given is indicative of a new destiny, brought about by God who controls men’s destiny (see Isaiah 56:5; 62:2, 4; 65:13-15; Jeremiah 19:6; Daniel 1:7; Revelation 2:17).

(4) To some, God gives His own name (see Deuteronomy 28:10; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 3:12; compare Isaiah 63:19).

(5) God calls by name (Isaiah 43:1; 45:3-4). The word “call” is specific. This call may be of an individual (like Abraham, Isaiah 51:2) or of a group (see Isaiah 45:4; 48:12; Jeremiah 1:15).

(6) There is a more general call which is a broad invitation. This “call” may be rejected by men (see Proverbs 8:1, 4; 9:3, 15; Isaiah 66:4; Jeremiah 7:13; 35:17; Matthew 22:14). The use of “call” as a general invitation is rare in the Bible, Old Testament and New.

(7) To sovereignly summon. Most often in the Bible, the “call” of God is one that is sovereign. When God calls, that which is called responds:

Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together (Isaiah 48:13).

This call is purposed from eternity (Isaiah 41:4). In time, the call may come while one is still in the womb (Isaiah 49:1).

(8) God’s sovereign call is for a purpose. It is not an aimless call but a call to a certain destiny (see Isaiah 42:6; 43:7). That purpose is related to God’s glory (Isaiah 49:1-3; 55:5).

(9) God sovereignly calls men individually to salvation (Romans 1:6-7; 8:28, 30; 9:11, 24-25) and to service (Exodus 31:2; 25:30; Acts 13:1; Romans 1:1). The sovereign call of God is rooted in His choice (Isaiah 41:9; 45:4).

(10) The sovereign call of God is irrevocable, and thus it is the basis for our confidence in what He has purposed and promised (Isaiah 54:6, in context; Romans 11:20).

(11) God’s call is always an expression and outworking of His righteousness (Isaiah 41:2; 42:6).

In the Book of Romans, not one instance of the term can be found which is inconsistent with the overwhelming sense of God’s sovereignty that prevails throughout the Bible. Note these references, for example:

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1).

Among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:6-7).

As it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you” in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist (Romans 4:17).

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

For though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls (Romans 9:11).

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).

It could not be any other way than for the sovereign God to summon sinners to faith in Jesus Christ through baptism for remission of sins. We were not righteous. We were not seeking Him. We did not understand (see Roman 3:10-18). God chose us in eternity past (“whom He foreknew,” Romans 8:29). For all those whom He chose, He predetermined a plan which would result in our good and His glory (“predestined,” Romans 8:29, 30).

How could a sovereign God leave our salvation to us when we would never choose Him? How could He leave our salvation to chance (if there was such a thing)? The salvation which God sovereignly purposed in eternity past for those He chose, He started in motion in time by calling men to faith in Himself. God’s call is not merely an invitation; it is an irresistible summons. When He speaks thus (“calls”), His creation responds—in such a way as to do His will.

Justification is the result of being called, and it is the basis for our glorification. Just as divine calling is necessary because we do not, cannot, and will not seek God, so our justification by God is necessary because we cannot justify ourselves.

Paul has already said much about justification in chapters 1-4 of Romans. Because of this, here we need do no more than review his teaching on the subject of justification. The doctrine of justification, as Paul has taught it to the Roman Christians in this Epistle, is set out below:

(1) Justification is God’s declaration that we are righteous. Man will be declared righteous if and when he lives according to the standard of righteousness which God has set down in the Law (see Romans 2:13, 23, 27).

(2) Righteousness is the basis for justification, and glory is its promised reward. To be declared righteous, one must be righteous. The hope of glory is promised to all who are righteous (see Romans 2:7, 10).

(3) God’s standard of righteousness is too high for men. Because we are sinners, there is no way that we can live in perfect obedience to the Law. The Law therefore justifies no one; it only serves to condemn us for our unrighteousness (Romans 3:10-20).

(4) Because all men are unrighteous, they have no hope of attaining to the glory of God by their own works (3:23).

(5) In His kindness, God provided a means for making men righteous and giving them eternal life. God made a way to forgive men, to give them eternal life, yet in a way consistent with His righteousness. God sent His own sinless Son to die for our sins. God’s wrath was poured out on Him, and His righteous anger was satisfied (propitiated). In Christ, God’s righteousness was made available to all who will receive it. Man receives God’s righteousness by faith, apart from works (Romans 3:21-26).

(6) The divine call of God opens men’s eyes to the truth of the gospel and their hearts toward Him. God’s call irresistibly draws men to Christ by faith, a faith which we are given by God (see Ephesians 2:1-10).

(7) Justification by faith eliminates all boasting in ourselves, and gives us ample basis for boasting in God, in His salvation, in the hope of glory, and even in present adversity (Romans 5, 8).

(8) This justification by faith is not an excuse for continuing to live in sin as we once did; rather it is the basis for living in obedience toward God, for living righteously (Romans 6).

Essentially there are but two kinds of glory in this world. There is the matchless, untarnished glory of God, and there is the tarnished, temporary glory of man. If we would understand our glorification, we must understand it in the context of the glory of God and against the backdrop of man’s glory.

The theme of the glory of God is best understood as it has been revealed. God has progressively revealed to us the doctrine of His glory, of its hope and promise for all who are the sons of God, and of its terror for all others. We will therefore endeavor to trace the theme of God’s glory from eternity past to eternity future. Only then can we understand the magnitude of that glorification which yet awaits those of us who know God in Christ.

We will consider the premises which should guide and govern our study, as well as the conclusions we will reach, before we begin to study the glory of God. These premises enumerated here are based upon the teaching of Paul in the Book of Romans.

(1) Glory and glorification must be understood in relationship to each other. Our glorification is to be understood in the light of Paul’s teaching about glory in Romans.

(2) Our glorification, while spoken of in the past tense, is yet future.

(3) Our glorification involves the redemption of our bodies and our adoption as sons (8:17-25; 9:4).

(4) Our glorification is certain (5:2), yet unseen (8:24-25).

(5) Our present suffering is preparatory and prerequisite to our future glorification (5:17).

(6) Our future glorification is God’s promised reward for the righteous, the “glory” of which Paul writes in Romans 2:7 and 10.

(7) Our future glorification is an extension or expression of God’s glory (5:2).

(8) The glory is that which God promised Israel and which Paul still speaks of as belonging to Israel (Romans 9:4).

Having set these premises before us, let us now trace the “glory of God” through the ages as described in the Bible. No more noble endeavor will ever come our way. Let us ask God to open our hearts and minds to His glory. It is indeed a transforming subject.

Satan was a magnificent being with a splendor second only to His Creator. But his reflected, secondary glory was not enough for him. He wanted more. He wanted God’s glory (Isaiah 14:12-14). Because of his greed for glory, Satan fell. All history is evidence of his continuing effort to tempt men to pursue a “God-like glory,” not by trusting in God but by striving to be like God.

When God made the heavens and the earth, He created Adam and Eve in His image. They were to reflect God’s image and His glory by ruling over creation. Satan tempted them to reach for a greater glory, the glory of being like God (see Genesis 3:5). When they followed Satan and disobeyed God, Adam and Eve fell, and all mankind fell with them (see Romans 5:12-21).

God created the universe as a showcase by which He could display His glory. Men were to see God’s glory in nature, and were obliged to glorify Him in worship. They refused, choosing rather to exchange the glory of God for a lesser glory, one which was like unto their own image. Because of this, men have shown themselves to be worthy of divine condemnation (Romans 1:18-23).

In the beginning, God’s glory was reflected in His creation and in man. Sin has tarnished the reflection of God’s glory. God chose a people to whom and through whom He could display His glory—the nation Israel. God’s glory was evident in His deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage (Numbers 14:22). It was evident in the wilderness, especially when the people sought to rebel against God (Exodus 16:7, 10; Numbers 14:10; 16:19, 42). God’s glory was revealed at Mt. Sinai, when He gave the Law to Moses (Exodus 24:16-17). It was also evident in the garments of the priest (Exodus 28:2, 40). It filled the tent of meeting (Exodus 29:42-43; 40:34-35; see also Leviticus 9:6, 23). Seeing God’s glory was the highest ambition and desire of Moses, a desire which God granted to him, in part (Exodus 33:18–34:8). When Israel went to war, God’s glory accompanied them in conjunction with the ark (see 1 Samuel 4:21-22).

Israel’s sin resulted in the manifestation of God’s glory in judgment (Exodus 16:7, 10; Numbers 14:10; 16:19, 42). Eventually God removed His glory from the midst of this people, as a judgment for their persistent sin (see 1 Samuel 4:21-22). When the tabernacle was replaced by the temple, the glory of God filled it (1 Chronicles 16:10; 2 Chronicles 7:1-3).

Israel’s glory was her God (1 Samuel 15:29). Glory belonged only to Him (1 Chronicles 29:11). Israel’s response to God’s glory was to glorify Him in worship (1 Chronicles 16:29). Even sinners were to give glory to God (see Joshua 7:19; 1 Samuel 6:5). Israel was not to worship idols because this would give glory to mere images, rather than to God. But beyond glorifying God in worship, Israel was to tell the nations of God’s glory (1 Chronicles 16:24). This is the heart of evangelism, then and now.

Israel did not glorify God. They turned from the God of glory to man-made idols. They did not obey His law. Justice and mercy were forgotten; worse yet, they were trampled under foot. Through His prophets, God admonished His people but they would not listen. God warned of a coming day of judgment at the hand of heathen nations. Beyond the day of God’s judgment was a day of redemption and restoration. There would come a time when Israel would be brought to repentance. God would then rule over them and even over the other nations.

All of this was described in various ways in the prophets. One of the prominent themes in the prophets was that of the glory of God. The theme of the glory of God as related to Israel’s sin, her judgment, and then her deliverance and future restoration are described by the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. Below are a sampling of the verses which play out the theme of God’s glory:

And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, To rebel against His glorious presence (Isaiah 3:8).

“I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8).

“‘For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they did not listen’” (Jeremiah 13:11).

 “Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates, Even the king of Assyria and all his glory; And it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks” (Isaiah 8:7).

Now it will come about in that day that the glory of Jacob will fade, And the fatness of his flesh will become lean (Isaiah 17:4).

How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion With a cloud in His anger! He has cast from heaven to earth The glory of Israel, And has not remembered His footstool In the day of His anger (Lamentations 2:1).

And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah (Isaiah 13:19).

But now the Lord speaks, saying, “Within three years, as a hired man would count them, the glory of Moab will be degraded along with all his great population, and his remnant will be very small and impotent” (Isaiah 16:14).

“The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, And sovereignty from Damascus And the remnant of Aram; They will be like the glory of the sons of Israel,” Declares the Lord of hosts (Isaiah 17:3).

In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel (Isaiah 4:2).

Then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy (Isaiah 4:5).

But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles (Isaiah 9:1).

Then it will come about in that day That the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious (Isaiah 11:10).

Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders (Isaiah 24:23).

In that day the Lord of hosts will become a beautiful crown And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people (Isaiah 28:5).

Therefore a strong people will glorify Thee; Cities of ruthless nations will revere Thee (Isaiah 25:3).

“And you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ In truth, in justice, and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory” (Jeremiah 4:2).

 “The beasts of the field will glorify Me; The jackals and the ostriches; Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people” (Isaiah 43:20).

Shout for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For the Lord has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory (Isaiah 44:23).

Before leaving the theme of the glory of God in the Old Testament, several important observations should be stressed:

First, Israel’s glory was to share in the glory of God. Israel did not have a glory of her own. Israel was, by divine design, established for the glory of God. God’s presence among His people was glory to Israel. The righteousness of God manifested in and through His people was the glory of God.

“In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be justified, and will glory” (Isaiah 45:25).

“No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory” (Isaiah 60:19).

“I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, and My glory for Israel” (Isaiah 46:13).

Second, God’s glory is as evident in His judgment of sin as it is in the manifestation of His righteousness through His people. When Israel sinned, they were unrighteous. This did not glorify God. God’s glory was therefore manifested in His wrath toward sin. Whether in her obedience or in her disobedience, God would be glorified through His people, Israel.

Third, Israel’s glory was not to be hoarded but to be shared with and by the other nations. Israel quickly began to think of her glory as her glory. While God would not share His glory with any other “gods,” Israel was to share her glory with the nations. This she refused to do. When God spoke of the glory that was to come, Israel would be glorified, but the nations would also have a share in it.

Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you (Isaiah 55:5).

Surely the coastlands will wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, For the name of the Lord your God, And for the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you (Isaiah 60:9).

For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. And I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations (Isaiah 66:18-19).

Fourth, Israel’s glory would ultimately be brought about by Messiah Who would first suffer and then enter into His glory. Israel, God’s servant, failed. She had proven that she was unable to be the servant God required. The Messiah was to take Israel’s place and to become the Suffering Servant. Only in Him could Israel be justified. Only in Him could Israel be glorified:

Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed, Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law (Isaiah 42:1-4; see also 52:13-15; 53:1-12).

Our Lord Jesus Christ is God’s revelation of His glory. If the creation manifests the glory of God, far more does the One who created it—God manifested in the flesh:

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3).

It is no wonder that glory accompanied the announcements of Christ’s coming:

And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened (Luke 2:9).

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14).

“A light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Thy people Israel” (Luke 2:32).

This “glory” of our Lord was often veiled during the days of our Lord upon the earth. It could be seen by His mighty deeds,²¹⁵ and by His character, but most were unable to see it, even His disciples. And so, from time to time, God lifted the veil. Such was the case at our Lord’s transfiguration:

Who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him (Luke 9:31-32).

Throughout His earthly life, Jesus did not seek men’s glory but rather He sought to glorify His Father.²¹⁶ In His high priestly prayer for His disciples in those last hours before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed:

“And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was” (John 17:5).

“And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one” (John 17:22).

“Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).

Glory of Believer: God has set the glorification of the believer once-for-all. It must be remembered throughout this passage that Scripture is talking about the believer. A believer is a person who sincerely believes in Jesus Christ, responds by faith through baptism for remission of sins, and diligently seeks to please Him by living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (Titus 2:11-13).

It is the believer whose glorification is predestinated, set forever and ever by God. The true believer can rest in this glorious truth, for God has done three wonderful things for him. God has called, justified, and glorified him.

Note that all three steps are in the past tense; all three steps are something already accomplished. The believer’s glorification has already taken place in the plan and mind of God. God already sees believers glorified; He already sees believers in His presence. It is assured and predestinated—already written down in the annals of heaven, never to be erased.

Again, does this mean that some are destined to hell and some to heaven? No, a thousand times, no! This is not the purpose of this Scripture. God’s purpose is to give enormous assurance to the believer: he shall be delivered from the struggling and suffering of this sinful world. He is going to be freed—if he is a true believer—freed from all the sin and shame, failure and shortcoming, pain and death. He is going to be glorified right along with God’s dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. God has called the believer. Some time ago the Spirit called and stirred the heart of the believer to come to Christ through the gospel message and His Word. The believer responded to the call. Scripture definitely teaches that the believer had a choice. He could have chosen to respond or not to respond. (Cp. Rev. 22:17.) Thank God he responded and came to Christ. Therefore, the call was effective; the call worked. The believer did respond to Christ.
2. God has justified the believer. Again, note the past tense. Justification has already taken place for the believer.
3. God has glorified the believer. This, too, is past tense: the glorification of the believer is an accomplished fact, a fact that has already taken place in God’s mind and plan. God already sees and counts the believer as glorified in His presence for eternity.

From the Bible’s point of view, “calling” describes all of the responsibility of all believers to serve God with all of their lives:

Every believer is called to belong to God. Paul indicated to the Christians at Rome that both he and they had the same calling ( Rom. 1:1 , 6 ). Likewise, he wrote to the believers in Ephesus that just as there is one Spirit and one body (that is, the church), “you were called in one hope of your calling” ( Eph. 4:4 ).

Every believer is called a child of God. In His love, God brings us into His family ( 1 John 3:1 ), through faith in Christ Jesus.

Every believer is called to accept the work of Christ on our behalf. Though we are sinners deserving of judgment, Christ’s death on the cross has “justified” us, made us able to stand before a holy God and receive His salvation and grace ( Rom. 8:28–30 ; 2 Tim. 1:9 ). For this we have every reason to live lives of gratitude ( 1 Thess. 2:13 ).

Every believer is called to become like Christ. Living the life God calls us to involves change in which we take on the character of Christ. That means resisting the temptation to turn away from Him, even though others may encourage us to do so ( Gal. 1:6–9 ). It involves fleeing evil and pursuing good, fighting to maintain our faithfulness ( 1 Tim. 6:11–12 ). Just as Christ is holy, so we are to develop holiness in everything we do ( 1 Pet. 1:15 ; 3:9 ). As we pursue Christlikeness, we can do so with the certainty that the Lord is helping us, equipping us for every good work ( Phil. 2:12–13 ; 2 Pet. 1:3–10 ).

Every believer is called to serve God and other people. Christ has called us to Himself to live out our faith in a manner that is worthy of Him ( Eph. 4:1–4 ). We have the privilege of declaring God’s work through everything we do and say ( 1 Pet. 2:9–10 , 21 ).

Every believer is called to become a citizen of the new heaven and new earth. The Christian life leads ultimately to the end of being “glorified,” raised up to stand with Christ in eternal glory, pure and holy at last ( 1 Pet. 5:10 ; 2 Pet. 3:10–11 ). In that day, we will celebrate the final coming together of Christ and all His faithful ones ( Rev. 19:9–10 ). Our obedience to the Lord right now confirms this ultimate calling ( Matt. 5:19 ).

If you are a believer in Christ, you have the same, significant calling as any other believer in Christ, no matter what your workday occupation may be. Calling is not just a matter of what job one has. It means living as a child of God. Is that the calling that you are pursuing? ^[1]

god’s mission: adoption

When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, he also adopts us. Through a dramatic series of events, we go from condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear. Here is how it happens. You come before the judgment seat of God full of rebellion and mistakes. Because of his justice he cannot dismiss your sin, but because of his love he cannot dismiss you. So, in an act which stunned the heavens, he punished himself on the cross for your sins. God’s justice and love are equally honored. And you, God’s creation, are forgiven. But the story doesn’t end with God’s forgiveness.

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God ( Rom. 8:15–16 nasb ).

But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons ( Gal. 4:4–5 nasb ).

It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives you his name. It would be enough if God just set you free, but he does more. He takes you home. He takes you home to the Great House of God.

Adoptive parents understand this more than anyone. I certainly don’t mean to offend any biological parents—I’m one myself. We biological parents know well the earnest longing to have a child. But in many cases our cribs were filled easily. We decided to have a child and a child came. In fact, sometimes the child came with no decision. I’ve heard of unplanned pregnancies, but I’ve never heard of an unplanned adoption.

That’s why adoptive parents understand God’s passion to adopt us. They know what it means to feel an empty space inside. They know what it means to hunt, to set out on a mission, and take responsibility for a child with a spotted past and a dubious future. If anybody understands God’s ardor for his children, it’s someone who has rescued an orphan from despair, for that is what God has done for us.

God has adopted you. God sought you, found you, signed the papers and took you home.

god’s motive: devotion

As a minister I have had the privilege of witnessing—up close—the emotion of adoption. On one occasion a lady in another state who had heard me speak called and asked if I knew any prospective adoptive parents. Her pregnant daughter was seeking a home for her unborn child. I put her in touch with a family from our congregation and took a front row seat as the drama unfolded.

I saw the joy at the possibility and the heartbreak at the roadblocks. I watched the resolve in the eyes of the father and the determination in the eyes of the mother. They would travel as far as it took and spend every penny they had. They wanted to adopt that child. And they did. Only moments after his birth, the infant was placed in their arms. And this is no exaggeration: They smiled for a month after they brought their son home. I’d see them in the church hallway; they’d be smiling. I’d see them in the parking lot, smiling. From the pulpit I could see them in the congregation, cradling the baby and smiling. I think if I’d preached a sermon on the agony of hell, they would have smiled through every sentence. Why? Because the child they had longed for had come into their home.

Let me ask you, why did this couple adopt that child? They had a happy marriage. They were financially secure and gainfully employed. What did they hope to gain? Did they adopt the baby so they might have a little extra cash or sleep? You know better. Their supply of both diminished the minute they brought the child home. Then why? Why do people adopt children? As you are thinking, let me tell you why God does.

Delight in these words:

Long ago, before God made the world, God chose us to be his very own, through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault we who stand before him covered in his love. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us . And he did this because he wanted to ( Eph. 1:3–5 tlb , emphasis mine).

 

And you thought God adopted you because you were good-looking. You thought he needed your money or your wisdom. Sorry. God adopted you simply because he wanted to. You were in his good will and pleasure. Knowing full well the trouble you would be and the price he would pay, he signed his name next to yours and changed your name to his and took you home. Your Abba adopted you and became your Father.

May I pause here for just a second? Most of you are with me … but a couple of you are shaking your heads. I see those squinty eyes. You don’t believe me, do you? You’re waiting for the fine print. There’s got to be a gimmick. You know life has no free lunch, so you’re waiting for the check.

Your discomfort is obvious. Even here in God’s living room, you never unwind. Others put on slippers, you put on a front. Others relax, you stiffen. Always on your best behavior, ever anxious that you’ll slip up and God will notice and out you’ll go.

I understand your anxiety. Our experience with people has taught us that what is promised and what is presented aren’t always the same. And for some, the thought of trusting a  heavenly Father is doubly difficult because your earthly father disappointed or mistreated you.

If such is the case, I urge you: Don’t confuse your heavenly Father with the fathers you’ve seen on earth. Your Father in heaven isn’t prone to headaches and temper tantrums. He doesn’t hold you one day and hit you the next. The man who fathered you may play such games, but the God who loves you never will. May I prove my point?

god’s method: redemption

Let’s return to the verses that describe your adoption. Read them a second time and see if you can find the verb which precedes the word adoption in both verses.

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God ( Rom. 8:15–16 nasb ).

But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons ( Gal. 4:4–5 nasb ).

Find it? Not too hard to see, is it? Before the word adoption is the word receive.

Could Paul have used another phrase? Could he have said, “You have earned the spirit of adoption”? Or “that we might earn our adoption as sons”? I suppose he could have, but we wouldn’t have bought it. You and I both know that an adoption is not something we earn; it’s something we receive. To be adopted into a family is not a feat one achieves, but rather a gift one accepts.

The parents are the active ones. Adoption agencies don’t train children to recruit parents; they seek parents to adopt children. The parents make the call and fill out the papers and endure the interviews and pay the fee and wait the wait. Can you imagine prospective parents saying, “We’d like to adopt Johnny, but first we want to know a few things. Does he have a house to live in? Does he have money for tuition? Does he have a ride to school every morning and clothes to wear every day? Can he prepare his own meals and mend his own clothes?”

No agency would stand for such talk. Its representative would lift her hand and say, “Wait a minute. You don’t understand. You don’t adopt Johnny because of what he has; you adopt him because of what he needs. He needs a home.”

The same is true with God. He doesn’t adopt us because of what we have. He doesn’t give us his name because of our wit or wallet or good attitude. Paul states it twice because he is doubly concerned that we understand that adoption is something we receive, not something we earn.

Which is so good to know. Why? Think carefully about this. If we can’t earn our adoption by our stellar performance, can we lose it through our poor performance?

When I was seven years old, I ran away from home. I’d had enough of my father’s rules and decided I could make it on my own, thank you very much. With my clothes in a paper bag, I stormed out the back gate and marched down the alley. Like the prodigal son, I decided I needed no father. Unlike the prodigal son, I didn’t go far. I got to the end of the alley and remembered I was hungry, so I went back home.

But though the rebellion was brief, it was rebellion nonetheless. And had you stopped me on that prodigal path between the fences and asked me who my father was, I just might have told you how I felt. I just might have said, “I don’t need a father. I’m too big for the rules of my family. It’s just me, myself and my paper bag.” I don’t remember saying that to anyone, but I remember thinking it. And I also remember rather sheepishly stepping in the back door and taking my seat at the supper table across from the very father I had, only moments before, disowned.

Did he know of my insurrection? I suspect he did. Did he know of my denial? Dads usually do. Was I still his son? Apparently so. (No one else was sitting in my place.) Had you gone to my father after you had spoken to me and asked, “Mr. Lucado, your son says he has no need of a father. Do you still consider him your son?” what would my dad have said?

 

I don’t have to guess at his answer. He called himself my father even when I didn’t call myself his son. His commitment to me was greater than my commitment to him.

I didn’t hear the rooster crow like Peter did. I didn’t feel the fish belch like Jonah did. I didn’t get a robe and a ring and sandals like the prodigal did. But I learned from my father on earth what those three learned from their Father in heaven. Our God is no fair-weather Father. He’s not into this love-’em-and-leave-’em-stuff. I can count on him to be in my corner no matter how I perform. You can, too.

May I show you something? Look at the bottom of the painting. See the words etched in gold? The Apostle Paul penned them, but your Father inspired them.

Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord ( Rom. 8:38–39 ).

Your Father will never turn you away. The doors of this room are never closed. Learn to linger in the living room of God’s house. When the words of others hurt you or your own failures distress you, step in here. Gaze at this painting and be reminded of your God: It is right to call him Holy; we speak truth when we call him King. But if you want to touch his heart, use the name he loves to hear. Call him Father.^[2]

^[1]Thomas Nelson Publishers. 2001. What does the Bible say about– : The ultimate A to Z resource fully illustrated. Nelson’s A to Z series . Thomas Nelson: Nashville, Tenn.

tlb The Living Bible

^[2]Lucado, M. 1997. The great house of God : A home for your heart . Word Pub.: Dallas