Rom 8:31-33 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.”
In verses twenty-nine and thirty, Paul has told us about God’s foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification of His people. Now Paul poses a question for our consideration. One part of that question is to draw us to a serious consideration of what this means to us. That first question is also posed in such a way as to elicit a testimony from us (what shall we say?).
We can surely see in all that Paul has laid out earlier in this chapter that God is for us. This should be a marvelous realization to us. In Psalms 40:5 we find that God has done many wonderful works with us in mind: they are so many in fact that we cannot begin to count them! We see some of them in Paul’s writing here.
If our trust is in God and we understand that He is for us, then why should we be worried about anyone being against us? This does not indicate that there will not be many who oppose us. However, what opposition can ever flourish if God is on our side? In Psalms 118:6 we are told “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”
God has given us many amazing reasons to believe that He is for us. The greatest of these is in the fact that He did not spare His only begotten Son. Rather than spare Him, He delivered Him up for us. This was a deliberate action on God’s part for our sakes. The Son did all things according to the Father’s will, including laying down His life for us.
Seeing that God delivered up His own Son for us, we certainly cannot expect that He would withhold anything from us. Being called according to His purpose, we have access to all the benefits of that purpose. We live in the full expectation of being conformed to the image of His son. What marvelous grace to walk in the likeness of Jesus!
The grace of God has not been given to us that we might behave in a high-minded manner. All this wonderful power that God has displayed on our behalf is not only to secure us a home in heaven. We have received this grace so that we might walk with the mind of Christ here. When we walk after the Spirit, then there is no valid accusation that can be made against us.
Paul’s closing statement in verse thirty-three leaves all of this in its proper perspective. It is God that justifies. There is no place in this simple statement for the work a man’s hands. We have no defense outside the will and purpose of Almighty God.
May we always be found giving God the glory for His innumerable works which He wrought with us in mind!
