Romans 8:31–34

More than conquerors

God has done absolutely everything necessary for our salvation. In his mercy he foreknew us, predestined us, called us, justified us, and glorified us. How are we now to respond to such love and grace from our Savior-God? Paul provides the answer in the next few verses: Respond with confident trust that has no fear—no fear of condemnation despite accusations from our foes (verses 31-34), no fear of separation from God despite whatever circumstances may confront us in life (verses 35-39).

What, then, shall we say in response to this? 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, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Paul asks the question, “What, then, shall we say in response to this?” And he then answers his own question with a half dozen more questions, the answers to which are all perfectly obvious.

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” Once again, the conditional sentence is not iffy. One could just as readily translate it this way: Since God is for us, who can be against us? The answer, of course: No one! With God on our side, there is no one who could possibly be successful against us.

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Here the argument is again from the greater to the lesser. If (or rather since) God did the greater thing of giving his own Son into death to win salvation for us, won’t he now also do all the lesser and easier things to see to it that we actually get that salvation?

In the next two questions, Paul shifts to a courtroom scene. He asks, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.” The Greek word underlying the term chosen is eklekton, “the elect.” They are the ones whom God foreknew and predestined, and whom he justified in time. Who could possibly oppose God in regard to that choice?

“Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died— more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” The accusations of Satan that we should be condemned would carry a great deal of weight in any court of justice—if it were not for three things. Christ Jesus died to pay for those sins; the debt has been canceled. What’s more, the Father has accepted the payment, as proven by the fact that he raised his Son on Easter morning. And third, far from agreeing with Satan that the Father should condemn justified sinners, Christ sits at the Father’s right hand. He has the Father’s full attention, and he is interceding on our behalf. With that kind of attorney pleading our case before a favorable judge, there’s no chance of the case being decided against us or of an unfavorable verdict coming down on us.

So Satan’s vicious frontal attack at the courtroom level can be dismissed. It will be unsuccessful. But what about the wear and tear of everyday Christian living? Isn’t it possible, even likely, that we’ll grow weary and lose heart over the long haul? What about persecution and hardship? Might they not take their toll on us? It’s a se