Romans 8:18-39

Hope in the midst of suffering

Overview

In the first 17 verses of Romans 8, Paul proclaimed our freedom from condemnation and the law of sin and death. He also described the freedom we have as believers to make choices to set our minds upon spiritual things that we might receive God’s peace and the life that the Spirit desires to produce in us. He assured us that the Holy Spirit lives in us, and continually bears witness within to persuade us that we truly are His children, and that we are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.

When some believers ponder these truths, and then they look at all the sufferings in this life, they wonder, How can I be sure these blessings will all take place in my life? How will God sustain me in the midst of the suffering of this life? From verse 18 to the end of this chapter Paul revealed why he could be so positive and find hope in this life even in the midst of suffering.

Freedom to confidently hope Vs. 8:18-25

Paul explained, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Rom. 8:18-25 – Underline added).

Fully confident!

Before we consider the specifics in these verses, I want you to reflect on the confidence and the firm hope that Paul had for the future. Look at these phrases: “the creation itself also will be delivered,” (Vs. 21); “we know” (Vs. 22); and then later in this chapter he declared again, “we know” (Vs. 28); and then he states, “I am persuaded” (vs. 38). Paul had a full assurance and complete confidence that what God had promised, He was able to do. God had persuaded him that these truths were facts that he could count on. We all need this kind of confidence when we experience the sufferings of this life. The assurance of God’s promises for the future must be a reality in your heart today, because this is the only way you will have confidence during your times of suffering. You must personally experience the reality of the Holy Spirit revealing these truths, and that He is at work in your life no matter what you are going through. This is the only way you can “know” and be “persuaded” through life’s trials. Only then can you step forward and can go through the sufferings that you will face!

Suffering and glory cannot be compared Vs. 18

When Paul declared, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us,” he was making a simple comparison (Rom. 8:18). When Paul made this comparison, he was abruptly turning from the lofty truths at the beginning of this chapter, to discuss the reality of the suffering and trials of this life. Paul was honest about the difficulties in his own life, and the expectation he had that even in the midst of his own sufferings that God would see him through it all to see His glory. Paul realized that as he compared the sufferings of this present time with all that God would give him in glory, he knew these two could not even remotely be compared. There could be no worthy comparison!  

How did he know what was ahead in the presence of God? He was confident because of two things. First, Paul knew the revelation of Scripture concerning the glories that were proclaimed. Daniel had a vision of the throne of God and wrote, “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened” (Dan. 7:9-10). The Apostle John also gave us a glimpse of the glories of heaven when he saw those who had been martyred standing before the throne of God. He declared, “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:15-17). These visions should also give you hope!

Second, Paul had personal confidence because the Lord had taken him up into the third heaven and he saw and heard things that he said were, “inexpressible” with words, and which he said were not even, “lawful for a man to utter” even if he could express them (2 Cor. 12:4). So, Paul had plenty of evidence of the glories that were ahead for him, and all those who would believe on the Lord Jesus. These are the reasons for his great confidence and assurance.

You also have these testimonies to encourage you to consider the glories of heaven when you are in the midst of your sufferings. Paul concluded that his sufferings was but a, “light affliction” that was only to be temporary compared to eternity (2 Cor. 4:17). Therefore, no matter what trials you are struggling with today, fix your eyes on heaven, and rejoice knowing that Jesus said you have an, “exceeding great reward” awaiting you in heaven (Matt. 5:11-12).

The redemption of your body Vs. 23

One of the things that encouraged Paul the most was the fact that he knew one day God would redeem his body. This expectation caused him to, “eagerly” wait with hope that he would be ushered into the “glorious liberty of the children of God.” The context of these statements clearly indicate that he was referring to, “the redemption of our body” (Vs. 19; 21; 23). He knew that one day Christians would be finally revealed as “the sons of God” to the whole world (Vs. 22). This earnest expectation and hope motivated and strengthened Paul in the midst of his sufferings. He was confident that there was something more, and something better ahead. If you don’t have this hope, you will surely get depressed as you watch the daily news, or as you look at your own difficult circumstances and struggles with your fleshly nature.

Why does God allow suffering?

Paul also acknowledged one of the most important reasons why God allowed suffering in this world was because, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope” (Romans 8:20). What did he mean by this statement? The word futility means uselessness, emptiness, or incompleteness. God ordained that life apart from Him in this fallen world would always be an empty experience. This sense of incompleteness inside of every person is the result of our fallen nature, and because of our estrangement from God. God allowed men to experience this emptiness, and futility because the Father hoped that people will realize this incompleteness and come back to Him. This is why the Lord allows the human race to be subjected to suffering and emptiness as a means to draw people back to Himself. This is why Paul had such hope, because he personally knew the God of hope in his own life (Rom 15:13). Our Heavenly Father is the only person who can give you hope, purpose, and completeness in this life. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus also said to the woman at the well, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14). Any waters that men drink from in this world, will always bring them to this sense of incompleteness and they will thirst again. This constant thirsting for purpose and meaning in life is what drives us back to Him. But the living water of His Spirit is what satisfies this thirst once and for all. Oh Christian, drink from His fountain of living water today, and find the satisfaction you seek!

We groan for our final redemption.

This hope of life today and eternal life to come, is what drew each of us to Christ in the first place. But, while we still live in this fallen world, Paul said that we, “who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Rom. 8:23-25). When you groan inside for the Lord to come, and take you out of this world and take you home, that just proves that you have the Holy Spirit living in you. This groaning reveals that you are eagerly waiting for the redemption of your body. When He redeems our body, this is when our adoption and salvation will be complete. All our groanings will cease on that day. However, these groaning cries of your heart today are the proof that your hope is in God. Paul acknowledged that hope always deals with things that we don’t yet see, but this hope is also what gives you an ability to persevere and endure until you obtain the things that you hope for.

Hope that perseveres

Hope is one of the most powerful aspects that enables endurance and steadfastness in your heart. Paul explained this same truth to the Thessalonian church. He acknowledged that he could see their growth in faith when he mentioned their, “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope” (1 Thess. 1:3). This word patience in this passage is the same word used in verse 25 for perseverance. Perseverance is what hope ignites within your heart. Hope gives you the actual endurance and perseverance in the midst of your trials. God’s enduring strength and determination are a natural result of the first-fruits of His Spirit in your life. So, when you are discouraged and feeling hopeless, ask the Father to come fill you with His Spirit. As you do, this is where the patience and endurance of hope will fill your heart again. I have also found that simply reading the Scriptures will also produce hope within your heart. Paul reminded the Romans at the end of this epistle that, “Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). Therefore, read His Word daily and you will find His patience, comfort, and hope. As you allow His Word to communicate His truth to your heart, hope will become an anchor to your soul in the midst of this fallen world (Heb. 6:19). You will become steadfast and immovable as you allow His hope to govern your heart (1 Cor. 15:58). This is the kind of life the Father wants His people to have, even in the midst of suffering and trials.

Freedom to pray in hope Vs. 26-27

Another way of experiencing hope in your life, is when you allow the Spirit to draw you to prayer. If you want hope, then you need to come into personal contact with the God of hope. As you wait upon the Lord He not only renews your strength, but He renews your hope. Paul declared, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:26-27).

Paul reminds us that as believers we have weaknesses that require God’s help. Every weakness we possess can be directly helped through prayer. He also affirms that we don’t always know exactly what we need, or how to pray as we should concerning these weaknesses. This is why the Spirit of God inspires us, and makes intercession for us with groanings within our hearts. The God of hope is the one who lives within you, and the one who motivates you to come to Him in prayer. He has adopted you and given you the ability to cry out to Him as your Abba Father. As you draw near to Him even in the midst of your sufferings and trials, His Holy Spirit will help you in prayer so that you might petition Him according to His will. Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). Be assured, the Holy Spirit is your best helper for all the struggles you face in life, but especially He can help you in prayer. Why? Because He lives inside you right now, and will help you and lead you to pray according to His will.

Now don’t miss this point! If the Lord declared that the Spirit has come to help you, then that means you need help. I hope that you realize just how much help you actually need. This world has more problems to send your way each day than you could possibly handle by yourself. It makes no difference how long you have walked with Christ, or how much you know about the Word of God, don’t ever forget that you need His daily help! The Spirit is ready, willing, and able to help you in your weaknesses. The question is, will you seek the Spirit’s help in this area of your life?

Think for a moment about how much you need His help in your prayer life. Have you ever prayed for something, and then realized a couple months later that you really didn’t need what you asked for? Then you pray, “Thank you Lord, for not giving me that request.” Or, have you ever thought, Lord, what does that person need? How should I pray for them? Or, the same thing can be true of knowing your own needs. How should I pray for myself? These examples should reveal to you just how much you need His help in your prayer life. Many times, your prayers are totally ineffectual because you are praying contrary to the will of God. The Apostle John instructed us concerning the importance of praying according to His will when he wrote, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). What’s the solution? You need to know the will of God by knowing His revealed will through the study of His Word, and you need the leading and inspiration of the Spirit of God to help you pray accordingly. Here are two ways God helps you to pray according to His will.

1. Utterances that you can understand. There are times when a person has asked me to pray for them, and I question within myself about how I should pray for them. I will usually ask the Lord with an unspoken prayer for the Lord to open my heart and to inspire me. Many times, a thought will instantly come to mind of a verse of Scripture, and I will begin to petition the Lord. At the end of my prayer this person will tell me, “That was exactly what I needed and precisely what I was going through in my life. How did you know?” If you will ask the Lord, He will inspire your prayer life, so that you might know how to pray as you ought. This is also why you need to study God’s Word, because the more you will understand His will through His revealed truth, this makes it easier to pray according to His will. God wants you to, “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Col. 1:9). Remember, “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). Prayer in this manner will obviously be effective.

2. Utterances that you can’t understand. Paul also described in this passage “groanings which cannot be uttered.” However, a groaning is an utterance, but it is an utterance which is not intelligently uttered. Why? Because you have no intellectual understanding concerning what you are groaning for. Think of the times when people have broken down and cried or expressed a deep need in a prayer meeting. Haven’t you ever heard yourself sighing or even uttering a groan as you agree with that person in prayer? This word groaning can also mean to sigh. The Holy Spirit who lives inside you is also inspiring that groan that cannot be intelligently uttered. But does God understand your groan? Does He know what you’re asking for at that moment? I believe He does! Why do I say this? Because He knows your heart before you ever ask Him anything. Jesus said, “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8).  

I want you to think about your groanings is a way you may not have considered. You must understand that the language that you speak are simply sounds, utterances, and noises that form words that you intellectually understand. That is all a language is. When you groan, God hears you and understands the intent of your heart. He alone knows your heart as Solomon acknowledged when he spoke to God saying, “You alone know the hearts of the sons of men” (2 Chron. 6:30). His Spirit searches your heart, and then inspires your human spirit to pray according to His will. What an aid this is for your prayer life!

Now, here is another thought about prayer. This idea of unintelligent groanings and sounds are exactly what Scripture teaches about the gift of tongues. Paul said that when he prayed with this gift, he said, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful” (1 Cor. 14:14). So, when Paul prayed with the gift of tongues, he had no understanding concerning the sounds and utterances he was making. This is the reason why I have listed these two categories of prayer (utterances you do understand, and utterances that you do not understand). Paul prayed both with his understanding, and without his understanding. Note that Paul makes it clear in this passage that the real person that is praying is your spirit praying. Your spirit can communicate with God silently, verbally with your understanding, and verbally with groanings that can’t be intelligently uttered. All forms of prayer are edifying as Jude declared, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20). Therefore, I encourage you to pray! Pray without ceasing! Commune with your heavenly Father! Allow the Spirit to lead you in prayer, and the God of hope will fill your heart and mind with His hope in the midst of your suffering.

The freedom to rest in His sovereignty Vs. 28-30

To know and be assured of the sovereignty of God is essential when you are in the midst of suffering. Paul believed that knowing God’s sovereign overruling authority in the lives of those who loved Him was critical for them to enjoy the confidence and victory over the trials and tribulations in their lives. Paul had experienced an incredible amount of suffering in his own life, and therefore, had seen God’s sovereignty working all things out for his benefit. If you are in one of those dark times of suffering in your life at this moment, may these words bring you comfort and strength. Paul wrote, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 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. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Rom. 8:28-30).

There are three great truths revealed in these verses. When you are in the midst of suffering and trials you must rest your faith on these facts. As you do, you will find rest, strength, and stability in your time of need. These three truths reveal God’s ultimate goals for your life. These goals will be accomplished if you will simply trust and obey His moral will as taught in Scripture.

1. First, you must be confident that God is working all things together for your good. Note that he doesn’t say that all things are good that happen to us, but that God takes all things and works them together for good. But, how can we know this statement is true? Let me give you some examples. Think of the worst thing that could happen to you. What if someone walked up to you and shot and killed you today? God would take this incredibly evil murderous act, and would bring about one of the greatest blessings you could ever experience. What would that be? You would get to go directly to heaven (2 Cor. 5:1)! In addition, if you suffered persecution, God declared that He would also take this evil, and turn it around for good by perfecting and strengthening your soul. Peter explained that, “The God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10). Another blessing would be that as you pursued the Lord in the midst of your suffering, your inward man would be renewed every day as you sought Him for strength to endure. Paul assured the Corinthian church of this fact because he had lived this truth out in his own life. He wrote, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16-18).

It is important to notice the subtle overruling principle implied in the context of Romans chapter 8. Paul was explaining that freedom in the Christian life from being overwhelmed by suffering will be determined by how you handle your personal struggles, and the evil that comes upon you. He is encouraging you to set our minds on the things of the Spirit, to pray with hope in your heart, and now he assures us that God is in sovereign control of all things that occur in our lives? But, do you trust that God is working all these things together for your good? When trials and evil come your way, will you trust God or blame Him? Will you go to Him and be renewed within by the Holy Spirit, or try and handle it all yourself? Everything depends on how you respond to the evil that comes your way. You will either become bitter, or better!

Joseph is one of the best human examples of a man who trusted God even in the midst of incredible evil and hardship. He was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. The wife of Potiphar lied and charged Joseph with rape when he was innocent, sending him to prison. He spent a total of thirteen years in slavery and prison because of the evil done to him. But in the end God turned all these things around for good. God delivered Joseph from prison, and used him to save the entire nation of Egypt and the surrounding countries from famine and starvation. When he stood with his brothers after 20 years of estrangement he said, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen. 50:20). This is how the sovereignty of God works in the life of a believer! However, if Joseph would have blamed God and turned away from Him in the midst of his suffering, none of these blessings would have happened to him. Joseph would have gone to his grave as a hardened and bitter man in an Egyptian jail. However, God would have brought deliverance to His people through another source, but Joseph would have missed the Lord using him. Now, you may not be able to see the plan that God is working out at this moment in your life, but He is at work, whether you see it or not. Don’t blame Him, trust Him! Believe in Him to work out His plan in your life.

In Philippians Paul also declared that even when he went to prison, for no legal reason, the Lord still worked out even this for the furtherance of the gospel. Think of all of the prison epistles he wrote that we might not have if he had been busy traveling from town to town preaching the gospel. Paul also considered the result of all of the people who had turned to Christ in Caesar’s court as proof that good came from this imprisonment (Phil. 1:12-13).

Sometimes you can see the benefits of your trials and sufferings, and other times you won’t because you need more time for God to fulfill His plan. Remember the Prophet Habakkuk? He complained to God and said, “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ and You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds” (Hab. 1:2-4). Habakkuk was upset with God, because he couldn’t understand why God didn’t answer his prayers, and all he saw was violence and injustice all around him. Notice how God answered Him. God said, “Look among the nations and watch-- Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you” (Hab. 1:5). In other words, the Lord was saying to him that he would be astounded if he saw what God was doing that was beyond what he could see. He told the prophet that he wouldn’t even believe it, if He told him what He was doing. Sometimes, you will never know what God is doing behind the curtain of your life, but if you are in love with Him, He will work in your life a work that you too would not believe, if He told you. Later God leaves the prophet with a simple command, walk by faith (Hab. 2:4)! Why does God tell him to trust Him? Because sometimes it will take years for you to be able to look back and see the good that God has brought to pass.

But I remind you that you will never see this beneficial outcome if you become bitter, angry, or resentful towards God. Many Christians allow their heart to grow hard over the things they have suffered, which makes it impossible for them to see through the problems to the good result that God intended for them. Scripture declares, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). David also reminds us, “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only does wondrous things” (Psalm 72:18)! God is in the business of doing wondrous things, so trust Him to work out His sovereign plan. That’s His job! Trust Him, to do the work.

Our greatest example!

The greatest example of God turning evil around for good is found at the cross of Jesus Christ. The crucifixion of the holy sinless Son of God was the most despicable evil ever done by human beings. He did no wrong to anyone, but only served, healed, and met the needs of those He encountered. However, God took that evil and turned it around for the greatest good that could ever occur for all mankind. God used this enormous evil perpetrated against Him to bring about the salvation of the world! This understanding is what assured Peter and the rest of the disciples, that God in His foreknowledge had a predetermined counsel and plan that He was fulfilling. Peter explained this concept when he preached his first sermon and said, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know--Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it” (Acts 2:22-24). God wasn’t caught off guard by the evil actions that men took against His Son. He knew what they would do, and worked it all out for His purposes, so that He might save you and me. Praise God for His wondrous sovereign works!

2. Second, these verses reveal that the ultimate purpose and plan of God is to work all things together for the ultimate good of conforming you into His image. But again, for this to occur it requires you to surrender to this process. God’s part in this process is to work all things for good, but your part is to trust and love Him. This is why Paul said that God does this working together, “to those who love God.” Nothing will be worked together for good for those who hate God. Never forget that you will always trust the person you know loves you, and you will love them in return. If you will surrender in the midst of your difficult times, especially when you don’t understand why you are suffering, this is how you are conformed into His image. How does this occur? Paul explained how this work of transformation occurs a little later in this epistle when he wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:1-2).

Why is surrendering to the Father of mercies the only way your life gets transformed? Because God will not force you to yield to Him. You must choose to make this decision. As you choose to yield to God and His Holy Spirit, this is where you find the power to refuse your worldly and fleshly desires that want to conform you to this world. But when you surrender to Him then He renews your mind, conforms your heart to His, and He leads you directly into His perfect will for your life. I want to stress this key point that you must surrender to the Spirit, because He is the primary Person that God uses to work inside of you. Only the Holy Spirit can conform you into His image. Paul said, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18). If this is the case, then surrender, and let Him do this work! Begin right now by surrendering to God’s Spirit, and yield to Him wherever the issue might be where you have been resisting Him. Surrender always equals transformation into His image.

3. Third, God is working all things together for good for the express purpose of fulfilling His predestined plan to bring you to glory. Knowing that God is in sovereign control of all things in your life brings great comfort, because it assures you that He has a plan, and He is working His plan to benefit your life. The benefit is this: His plan is based on His love for you, so you might one day experience the fullness of His love in the glory of heaven. Paul taught this same thing to the Ephesian church when he wrote, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Eph. 1:4). God always has the long-range view in mind when He allows anything into our lives. You must rest on this fact.

His predestined plan is also directly connected to His foreknowledge of all things and all the people that you will ever come into contact with during your life. Peter declared that we are the “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:2). The word elect means one who is chosen. Therefore, God has chosen you because of His foreknowledge of you, all the decisions you will ever make, and with knowledge of what you will become. God makes perfect decisions for your life based on His complete foreknowledge of all things. Our decision making must be based upon the fact that if God knows all, then He also knows best. Notice that God’s foreknowledge was the basis of James’ argument when he settled a conflict in the early church. He asserted, “Known to God from eternity are all His works” (Acts 15:18). In addition, when the apostle John related to us how he reconciled all the confusing events of the choosing of Judas, Christ’s betrayal, and His eventual death, he rested in the fact that “Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him” (John 6:64). Jesus was not surprised by anything that happened to him. You must realize that He is not surprised by what is going on in your life either. The question is whether you will listen to His voice, and allow Him to direct your path.

If you are a Christian, you can be assured that God knows everything about you, and knows what He is doing in your life. In His eyes, His plan is already completed. This is why Paul declared, “Whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Rom. 8:30). When you trust in His sovereign absolute power you can rest and surrender knowing that He is at work in your life. If you resist and fight what God has commanded you to do concerning His moral will, this is not wise! Solomon declared, “There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD” (Prov. 21:30). Remember, there is an easy way, and there is a hard way to follow the Lord. Which do you want? The Children of Israel chose the hard way. God delivered them from Egypt by His sovereign power and sought to lead them into the Promised Land. This journey should have taken only eleven days. However, because they resisted God through their unbelief and disobedience, it took forty years. Which path will you take, the long way to the Promised Land, or the short one? It’s your choice! Trust that He has mapped out the best plan for your life. Why? Because He foreknew and did predestinate to plan. I don’t understand this kind of knowledge, but God didn’t ask me to understand it, just to believe it!

The freedom and assurance of His love Vs. 31-39

Paul concludes his thoughts by looking back over all of the truths he has taught in this epistle. He asks some of the most heart-searching rhetorical questions in this section of Scripture, and then gives his answers. Paul response is powerful and should cause you to be so encouraged and hopeful for all that God has promised to do in your life. Paul writes, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession 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? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 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” (Rom. 8:31-39). Let’s look at each of Paul’s questions and his responses.

If God is for us, who can be against us! Vs. 31

The proof that God is for us is based in the fact that the Father did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. I wonder how many of you would give up your son or daughter for people that hated you and had done all manner of evil against you? If God did not spare His own Son who was His most precious possession, but allowed Him to be forsaken for us, how could anyone ever think that God was against them? However, I have heard many people question Him and wonder if He was against them. Even the patriarch Jacob questioned at one point in the midst of his struggles saying, “All these things are against me” (Gen. 42:36). But Jacob spoke these words not knowing that God was in the process of bringing the greatest blessings into his life that he could ever imagine. God was actually going to reunite his entire family, and save and restore them all.

When you believe that God is for you, and that He has your best interests at heart, you can endure great hardships. David was sustained for years in the desert as he ran from King Saul by holding on to the truth that God was for him. David wrote in the Psalms about his confidence during this time of adversity. He declared, “When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me” (Ps. 56:9). How did David know that God was for Him? Because he stated in the next verse that God had given him His Word through the prophet Samuel. David further declared, “In God (I will praise His word), in the LORD (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me” (Ps. 56:10-11)? If you are questioning today if God is for you, just meditate in God’s Word, and He will persuade your heart that He is for you. Look for every promise He has made to you! These promises are His hand reaching out to you, showing you that He is for you.

Who is against us? Who does condemn and charge us continually?

We all know who is against us, and who condemns and charges us every day. The Apostle John called Satan the accuser of the brethren in the book of Revelation. He wrote, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down’” (Rev. 12:10). Notice what this angelic creature loudly revealed to all of heaven about Satan’s work. He declared that Satan accused believers’ day and night before God. So, when you sense condemnation and accusations about how terrible you are as a Christian, know where all this noise is coming from, and resist these thoughts. Why? Because it is Christ that has died and risen again, and who has justified you in His sight. This is how you can know that this condemnation is not coming from your heavenly Father. Peter commanded us to, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9). You need to fight the good fight of faith and resist him, and any thought that is contrary to your justification in His sight. You need to fight this battle every day in faith, because Jesus is the one who promised that the gates of hell cannot prevail against us (Matt 16:18)!

He will freely give us all things! Vs. 32

Why is the assurance that God is for you so important? Because this confidence encourages you to come and receive the things that are freely yours in Christ (Rom. 8:32). God’s desire to freely give to you is revealed throughout the Bible. God speaks in the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve with the words, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat” (Gen. 2:16). God has also declared that He will love His people freely (Hos. 14:4). If we would only receive His love and believe in Him, we could be forgiven and freely justified in His sight (Luke 7:42; Rom. 3:24). Then the Bible closes with an open invitation to all. “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). If you are struggling today, obey God’s command to come and drink of the water of life freely. This is why Jesus died, to give you free access into His grace and power. Come and receive it!

Jesus makes intercession for us! Vs. 33-34

There is so much evidence that God is for us. The Father not only sent His Son to pay the price for our redemption, but He then freely justified the ungodly. The word freely means for nothing. So, for nothing that we could ever do for Him, or give to Him, He bestows upon us a standing of righteous in His sight if we will just put our trust in Him (Col. 1:22). He then begins working all things together for your good. Then He has promised not condemn us even when you fail, but offer to us mercy that is new every morning (Lam. 3:22-23). What additional proof do you need that He is for us? But on top of all of these blessings, Jesus is also seated right now next to the Father continually interceding for you at His right hand. His eternal atoning sacrifice is ever present there in the presence of God, which is why His grace continues to be poured upon the repentant sinners every day. The work is forever finished, and forever guaranteed! This is how much He wants you to succeed, and to know that He is for you, and not against you.

He has made us more than conquerors! Vs. 37

What did Paul mean when he declared that we were more than conquerors in Christ Jesus? This statement is made when he was discussing God’s constant love toward us in the midst of all of the suffering and persecution that naturally comes upon all believers. Knowing and believing the truth that we can never ever be separated from God’s love is what will enable us to become more than a conqueror. We are more than conquerors because our persecutors power cannot ever turn His love toward us into hate. We are the victors, not our persecutors, because there is eternal glory awaiting us. Eternal doom is all our persecutors have to look forward to. This is why Paul calls us more than conquerors, because we possess the greatest victory known to man, which is victory over death. So, even though our persecutors may kill our body, we have a new body eternal in the heavens waiting for us (2 Cor. 5:1). Our victory triumphs over all hardships in this life, because Christ lives, and He lives in us! Remember that Paul declared that our victory is, “through Him who loved us.” This victory is not through our strength of resolve or will power, but through Him, and Him alone!

Nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus! Vs. 35-39

What this passage does and does not promise is extremely important for every believer to fully understand. However, when I speak to Christians about these passages there does seem to be some misunderstanding concerning exactly what God is promising in these verses. Therefore, let’s consider precisely what this passage does and does not promise. This will allow you to fully partake of these assurances, and not read into this passage something that is not there.

What this passage does promise.

This passage clearly promises that there is nothing in heaven or on the earth that can separate you from the love of God. His love is the strongest force in all of creation, stronger than any trial or peril that exists in this life. Do you have this confidence that nothing can separate you from His love? Are you absolutely sure that there is no, “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword” that could ever stop His intense and everlasting love toward you (Rom. 8:35)? It is important to note that the things Paul listed in these verses are all external forces that could come against you. Paul then goes even further to add, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 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” (Rom. 8:38-39). This list covers every conceivable external force, or any other created thing that could ever possibly overrule and stop God’s love reaching out to you. This word separate is the same Greek word used for a divorce between a husband and wife. In other words, God is saying that there is nothing in this world, or in the world to come that can divorce you from His love reaching out to you. There is no external force that can snatch you from God’s hand (John 10:29). Do you believe this? You should; it’s a promise signed in the blood of His Son. Paul gives every possible scenario concerning the circumstances that might cause people to question God’s love. Many times, when people go through nakedness, peril, or persecution they think God has abandoned them. At this moment of trial people are going by their feelings, not by the fact of what God has promised. They forget the fact that Jesus died in their place, which is the ultimate proof that He will never play games with their lives. His love will never abandon you! In addition, if He is a God who changes not, then neither will His love ever change in its intention towards you. That is the most incredibly reassuring fact of God’s nature and character. No matter what you have done, or how far you have fallen, or what sin you have committed, His love for you will never change. He is as ready today to forgive you and show mercy as He was when you first met Him. You may change, but He remains the same. The Father has declared, “For I am the LORD, I do not change” (Mal 3:6).

Remember, if there was anything that could have ever changed God to hate mankind, it would have been when men crucified His Son. As parents, we get very protective and defensive if someone manhandles our child, even if our child has deserved some correction. However, God continued to love all mankind even when His sinless Son was mocked, beaten, and killed by evil men. Even your sin and your rebellion against Him won’t change His love toward you. You may not personally experience His love because of your rebellion, but that doesn’t mean that He has changed and stopped loving you.

The knowledge of His steadfast love is what enables you to become more than a conqueror, and a victor over all the circumstances of life. Everything that life throws at you must be understood in the light of His sovereign, unwavering, and persistent love. This message of God’s love is the climax to Paul’s entire message in these first eight chapters of Romans. Think of it! You are not only free from God’s condemnation, empowered by His Spirit, inspired by hope for the future, enabled to pray according to the will of God, have all things working together for your good, but He also loves you and will never change in His love towards you. This is God’s promise forever, no matter how far you fall, or what you may do. That is the heart of the God we serve!

Consider some of the greatest promises in all of Scripture concerning God’s love toward His people. These promises should absolutely reinforce the truths revealed here in Romans. God declared concerning the Jewish people, “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed, says the LORD, who has mercy on you” (Is. 54:10). Jeremiah declared that God spoke to him personally, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you” (Jer. 31:3). Through David God promised, “The mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children” (Ps. 103:17). Jesus declared, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).

When you read these passages, you must conclude that God is obviously for you, and has loved you from time everlasting. There is nothing present nor future that can ever snatch you from His loving hand. What glorious truth!

What this passage does not promise.

There are several things that you must realize that are not promised within this passage. First, God does not promise that because He loves you, that you will be spared suffering and persecution in this life. On the contrary, right in this very passage we are told, “we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” The reason suffering and persecution is a certainty is because Scripture also promises that all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12). However, the assurance of His love is what enables you to become more than conquerors in the midst of these difficulties. Therefore, it is foolish to charge God with not loving you when you encounter trials and suffering in your life.

Second, Paul is not promising that you can’t be separated from the blessings of God, or a relationship with God. It is quite clear from Scripture that sin can and does separate God’s people from the Lord, and the blessings He desires to bestow upon them. Isaiah declared, “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Is. 59:1-2). However, this in no way means that God’s people are separated from His love. God’s love will never change toward us! But, when a person chooses to practice sin, it is that person who has changed in their behavior, and thus have removed themselves from His grace and blessing.

Note that Scripture does teach that God can and will reject even His own people when they reject Him. Note what God declared concerning Jeshurun, which means the upright one, which is a symbolic name for Israel describing her ideal character. Scripture declared concerning history of Israel, “Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior. They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to demons, which are not God -- gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear. You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. The LORD saw this and rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters. ‘I will hide my face from them,’ he said, ‘and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful’” (Deut. 32:15-20 – NIV Underline added). Note that God’s people were the ones who abandoned Him and, “rejected the Rock his Savior,” also “they sacrificed to demons,” and they, “forgot the God.” This is why this passage declared that God had, “rejected them” and said, “I will hide my face from them.” Paul declared the same truth in the New Testament when he wrote, “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us” (2 Tim. 2:12). This action by God is completely just and righteous.

In these last few verses in Romans 8, Paul is speaking from God’s point of view, and from God’s side of the equation. His love doesn’t change, nor should you ever question His love, because of any circumstance that may occur in your life. Even though God may take the just action of resisting or rejecting a person, His love does not change toward them. The way we know this is because He would instantly forgive and show mercy if requested. Remember, “Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23). Never forget that His compassions fail not! Therefore, if you need His mercy, just ask for it, because He is willing to give it.

It is also important to contemplate the context of these promises. Context is always the first rule you should consider if you desire to correctly interpret the Bible. Look at the context of Romans chapters 9-11. Paul proceeds to teach that the Jewish people were definitely separated from God’s blessings, His righteousness, and a lifegiving relationship with Him. But notice Paul’s conclusion: “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame’” (Rom. 9:30-33).

In this passage Paul clearly taught that the Jews sought by their own effort to obtain a right relationship with God. However, they failed to attain it. Why? Was it because God didn’t love them, or want to bestow His blessings upon them? Not at all! The Jews did not obtain His righteousness, because they failed to come to God on the basis of faith. They didn’t believe that God simply wanted to give them the gift of righteousness. They believed they had to achieve a right standing before Him by their own effort. Therefore, God refused to grant His grace on the basis of works, and turned away the very people He had chosen and redeemed. They were separated from His blessings and righteousness, not because of His lack of love, but because of their unwillingness to come to Him by faith through His grace.

The proof of the fact of His enduring love toward the Jews is revealed in two very specific truths that Paul teaches in this section of Scripture. First, notice that in the midst of this discussion of the Jews failure to receive God’s blessings and salvation he brings up an Old Testament passage that revealed the heart of God toward them. Paul quoted, “All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people” (Rom. 10:21). The apostle quotes this verse from Isaiah 65:2 where he contrasts God’s actions of love with the Jewish people’s worship of other gods. In other words, God’s love for them was not what was missing, it was the people’s willful choice to refuse His outstretched hand. From God’s side of the equation, there was an outstretched hand of love, but the people rejected His hand, because of their pride and rebellious heart.

The second proof of God’s enduring and faithful love toward the Jewish people, is when Paul brings up the fact that one day the Jews will be provoked to return to the Lord, Israel will be saved, and they will be forgiven and restored. Paul wrote, “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins’” (Rom. 11:25-27; Rom. 11:11). This fact that the Jews will one day be restored, is the ultimate proof that His love does not change, because He is willing to forgive them and receive them back to Himself. What an awesome God we have!

Keeping the balance

Finally, you must always consider the balance of Scripture on such a sensitive and important topic of God’s sovereignty and His unfailing love, versus man’s human responsibility. Jude declared that all believers must, “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 1:21). To keep ourselves in the love of God is the responsibility of every Christian. However, Jude turns right around and directs your attention to the One who is also keeping you. He declared, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24). What a balanced presentation of this truth! Why does he tell us to keep ourselves in the love of God? Because His love never changes towards us, but we are the ones who change, because our hearts so easily wander from Him (Jer. 14:10). How do you keep yourself in the love of God? Jesus declared, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:10). Jesus could not have made this concept any simpler than that. Why do we keep His commandments? Jesus gave us the answer when He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). In other words, Jesus was saying, just love and obey Me, and you will stay in this love relationship that we have with one another.

Never forget that our obedience to His commands is what keeps us unspotted and separated from the world and its corruption (James 1:27). Paul also explained that this separation from the world was essential if you wanted a relationship with the Father. He wrote, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:17-18). Therefore, if you never want to be separated from God’s unfailing love, then be separate from all that the world would use to draw you away from abiding in His love!