If God Is For Us (Romans 8:31)

Introduction

I’ve been singing that song all of my days. And it means more to me now than it’s ever meant. And it is a perfect introduction to this morning’s lesson. I want to talk about a text with you this morning that might be familiar to almost everyone here. And if it’s not, it probably needs to be because it is so very comforting, reassuring, consoling to the believer, regardless of the circumstances that we may be experiencing in our lives. It is a passage in Romans, the eighth chapter with its signature question. In Romans chapter 8 and verse 31. If God be for us, then who shall be against us? What shall we say to these things? If God is with you, if God is for you, then let what happens happen.

Whatever it is, it’ll be okay. This is the one thing that matters.

1. God Is Faithful to His Promises

Why is this section where it is in the book of Romans? We somewhat isolate it when we talk about it and talk about all of its wonderful provisions as we’re about to talk about. But how does this fit into the whole message of Romans? And so I called the guy with the really big brain. Actually, he called me, Jared Bowman, whom you know up in Centerville, used to be a member here, preached for us this summer. And Jared always has an answer for such things, and we started throwing it back, and I think he’s absolutely right, that the point of this text in Romans is that God is faithful to his promises. Abraham rejoiced to see my day, Jesus said. And he saw it and was glad.

The working out of the promise. God has been faithful to Israel. Now, they may not be excited about the fact that Jew and Gentile are being brought into one body in Christ, he says, but God has been faithful to Israel. God has been faithful to man. And that’s really what’s going on here. And the evidence of his faithfulness is what is provided by him for his people. And these are glorious provisions. Just this main verse, this question, if God be for us, who then shall be against us? And we know, verse 28, that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God. And there’s a lot of questions about what are all the ramifications of such a statement, whether every bad thing that happens to us is really the idea here that God causes all things to work together for good.

The point is that as far as the believer and partaking in the things of God, everything ultimately turns out wonderful, just in the salvation that God has provided to those who are called according to his purpose. That’s really what you need to focus on. Am I one of those people whom he foreknew that he predestined? Oh, was he talking about select individuals? You or you or you or you? No, he’s talking about a kind of person who would be conformed to the image of his son. And that’s what we try to encourage here in this place. That’s what all of our instruction is about. It’s for all of us to conform more closely to the image of Christ to possess his mind and character in our own lives.

2. An Extraordinary Hope

This is what he predestined. This is what he foreknew. This is what he intended. These whom he has called for his purpose. These he justified, and whom he justified, these he also glorified. Not only are there glorious provisions, there is an extraordinary hope that we have. And that’s really where all this section begins, just before Romans 8 and verse 26, when he says, We groan, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved. But hope that is seen is not hope. For why does one also hope for what he sees? No, this hope is yet beyond. It is invisible to us now, but it is coming. But if we hope for what we do not see with perseverance, we wait eagerly for it.

And that’s the stage we’re in. We’re in the waiting eagerly for this hope to be realized. Now here’s where I want to pause and make sure I still have it. If God be for you, who will really be against you? But that’s the challenge here. That’s the question people raise. Is God really for me? Us, the people of God, the decrepit church, good people here, God’s people. If God is for us, then who can be against us? But maybe you’re questioning in your mind, but is he really for me? Am I really one who is imbibing in the glorious provisions and the extraordinary hope that the gospel provides. There’s another important contextual matter here that I want to share with you before I get to the specific points this morning, and that is you’ve got to remember who your audience is here.

3. The Spirit Helps Our Weakness

Which I sometimes forget. It’s easy to forget those little facts about who the initial audience was who received this. Romans. Romans. Look at where these people lived. They’re in the very seat of organized opposition and persecution. They’re in the city of Rome. The power of the day. And what looked like a formidable foe and opposition. Not only coupled with the circumstances of where they lived, but their own personal weakness. As he would say in Romans chapter 8 and verse 26. And in the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And of course, that verse gets debated a lot. Is he talking about our spirits?

I heard that there was an excellent treatise given about that just recently, that what’s really groaning in Romans 8 and verse 26 is not the Holy Spirit but our spirit. That it is our spirits that groan. And it comes from verse 13 when the Spirit cries, Abba Father, that our appeals to God, even if we don’t know what to say, are working on our behalf. And somebody can make an argument for that. And other people would say, no, it’s it’s the Holy Spirit. And that’s what seems by our translation and the capitalization. That it’s the Holy Spirit also interceding, but the objection is that Jesus is our intercessor, and that’s another part of the glorious provisions in verse 34. Christ Jesus, who died and who is raised, is at the right hand of God interceding for us.

And they say, Jesus is an intercessor, not the Holy Spirit. Well, it is true that only Jesus is our mediator, but mediator and intercessor are not necessarily exactly the same. And I don’t have any problem with the idea that the Holy Spirit is also beyond Jesus’ work as our intercessor, but the Holy Spirit also is interceding and pleading our case before the Father. And some of that is probably accommodating for us anyway. And so whichever way you go with your understanding of Romans 8 and verse 26, again, I would just put that back in the glorious provision category. And that’s the real issue there. We have help that we need because of our weakness. Even in our weakness. Whether it’s the spirit is willing and the flesh is weak, like Jesus told his disciples when they were in the garden, that is still positive.

They shouldn’t be sleeping. They shouldn’t have fallen into temptation. But Jesus acknowledges that within them was the proper kind of spirit. And perhaps that’s true of us. That our weakness interferes with our path sometimes. We get tired, we get weary.

4. There Is Extraordinary Opposition

So whether it’s our spirits or the Holy Spirit, I’m just going to put it in the glorious provision category. But there is extraordinary opposition. Again, the forces at Rome were visible to the church that resided there. In Revelation chapter 2 and verse 13, one of the seven churches is told that they reside in a place where Satan’s throne was. The church in Pergamum. I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is, Revelation 2 and verse 13. And you hold fast my name and did not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among them. I lost one. Of course, he was heaven’s game. But there was one who by the name of Antipas was killed in Pergamon, one who was among them.

And he says, and despite where you live, despite it’s where Satan’s throne is, he says, You did not deny my name, you were faithful to me, which illustrates the truth of Romans chapter 8. And when I talk about the formidable opposition, you go on into Romans chapter 8, and he says, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? And look at the severity of the things that are then mentioned. Tribulation. Sign me up for some of that. I want some more tribulation.

Tribulation, distress, persecution. Oh, famine, nakedness, peril, 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 these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. I’m convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, not even the spirit realm, nor principalities, nor things present, not anything going on now, nor things to come, nor powers, or height, or depth. You can go any direction in any realm, nor anything created shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. But are those provisions and blessings really for me? Am I an overcomer? Are all these things that I read about in Romans 8 working on my behalf?

5. Promises in Spite of Imperfect Performance

These promises are given to believers in spite of their weakness. In spite of, I would suggest to you, imperfect performance. Remember what we said last week? Yes. Failure is foolish. But it is not final. And beyond the book of Romans, we have an entire book written really in the same vein as Romans chapter 8. And that’s the book of Hebrews. I find great consolation, not just in Romans chapter 8, but in the same thoughts found in Hebrews as he warns them of developing an evil heart of unbelief and falling away from the living God, as he cautions them about neglecting their salvation, their great salvation in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 3, when he tells them they should have been more spiritually mature than they are right now, they should have been teachers by now.

He warns them about being sluggish in chapter 6, but just prior to that, he says in chapter 6 and verse 9, you’re going to do better. We are persuaded of better things concerning you. Things that accompany salvation. And so I want to send this message to you today. Where are you spiritually? Have you been in a period of neglect? Failure. Languishing, not as spiritually zealous as you’ve been at other times. Where are you? Maybe this statement is apropos for where you are. Could I be saying to you today, I’m persuaded better things concerning you. Things that accompany salvation. Imperfect people, imperfect performance, but all is not lost. He said, We are not of those who shrink back to destruction.

That’s not who you are. We are those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. We know God is working on our behalf. And we’re going to continue in this fight, though we’ve been knocked down and feel discouraged. We’re not giving up. We keep trudging on. We are not of those who shrink back. And I got this from my good friend Jared. Oh, I said I got to write this down. No sin is so large that it cannot be laid at the foot of the cross and covered by God’s magnificent grace. Isn’t that a wonderful provision of the gospel? Whatever the sin is, it can be remedied. No matter how often it’s been committed. It can be remedied. If it is laid at the foot of the cross, if you come to Jesus on his terms for forgiveness, that sin and its guilt can be removed.

But know this. No sin is so small when persisted in that it is not an arrogant imposition on the grace of God and will destroy. Both sides of those things are true. You can’t cling to the behavior that is an affront to God. You’ve got to lay it at the foot of the cross. Or it could well destroy you.

Those who consider unclean the blood of the covenant by which they are sanctified. Who crucify afresh the Son of God, insult the Spirit of grace. And he says, How much severer punishment do you think he will receive? And that relates to this box. We must take the problem of sin in our lives seriously. Failure is foolish, but it is not final. But one other admonition in Hebrews chapter 7 is that we have a great high priest. That if we will draw near to him, he is able to save us forever. The Hebrew writer says that’s really the focus of the entire book. That’s why I made it bold and bigger. We have a great high priest who is able to save us forever if we draw near to him, and he ever lives to make intercession for us, like Romans 8 34.

6. Those Who Are With the Lamb

It says he is pleading our case continually. Because of 725, we can overcome less than stellar performance. We can recover from our foolish sinfulness, and we can achieve better things and not shrink back. May I take you to Revelation quickly as we wrap this up this morning with a couple of final thoughts. In Revelation chapter 14, I want you to notice who is with the Lamb. And I looked and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion. And that’s that’s where you want the Lamb to be, and you want to be with him. And with him, 144,000. These are the ones who are sealed unto God, having his name and the name of his father written on their foreheads. And who are they? Look at them in verse 4.

These are the ones who have not been defiled with women. Okay, they’re not about fornication, adultery. That’s not what they’re about, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. Man, I should go into the conclusion right now in the invitation. That’s the call of the gospel right there. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes, anywhere with Jesus. That’s why we sing that song. These have been purchased. What a glorious thought from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And here is the perseverance of the saints. Verse 12, who keep the commandments of God. That’s their bent. That’s what they’re all about. They keep their commandments. They keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write. You know, mark this down. Blessed are those who die in the Lord, the persevering ones. Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. The Spirit says they have rest from their labors and their deeds follow with them. And one final verse in chapter 17 and verse 14. These will wage war against the Lamb. These opposing forces. Some of what we’re reading about in Romans chapter 8. These opposing forces will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb overcomes them. And no wonder. Because he is the Lord of Lords and the King of kings. But then I want you to notice this. And those who are with Him. And those who are with Him are the called and the chosen and the faithful.

And so what I want to suggest to you that Romans and Revelation are telling us. Not only is God for you in spite of occasional poor performance. In spite of weakness, God is with you.

That seems to suggest that he is. And so often that’s why people give up. God isn’t really for me. God doesn’t really care about me. Look at the circumstances in my life there. They’re just seeming they’ve gone from bad to worse. I didn’t think they could get any worse, but they have. I’m in pain here. I’m lonely. I’m struggling here. If God is really for me, why is it? Look at Romans, look at Revelation. People are dying. The scene is bloody. There’s opposition. They’re living in the midst of heathen threats continually in Rome. But if God is for you, then who can be against you? It doesn’t matter what it looks like, visibly, because we walk by faith. As I’ve said to you a hundred times, I’m going to say a hundred times more.

These things are spiritually apprehended. It is because of our confidence in God and His Word, we are the faithful after all. It is our confidence in God and His Word that we know. Look, I belong to Him, and everything’s going to be okay. Even if my life looks like a wreck from the standpoint of the troubles that I’m enduring and the opposition. Because you know, we do have an adversary who likes to oppose the true people of God. Don’t let what is visible affect your confidence in the invisible. And finally, and I’ve been hinting at this all the way along. What Romans 8 is suggesting is that despite some quite significant obstacles and opposition that could well confront, no amount of challenging and discouraging circumstances should cause you, the people of God, to question God’s faithfulness or his care or his salvation.

Conclusion

We must never equate fellowship with God with ideal circumstances or the absence of painful circumstances. Because those two things have never really gone together. Look through the people of God in the Bible. Was everything always rosy for them? What if you were Jeremiah? When the Babylonians came to destroy Jerusalem. I wouldn’t tell you, Babylon, Jeremiah’s circumstances were not very good. Well, what a faithful man. In the midst of challenging circumstances. So let’s get back to our initial question. We’ll be done. Is God really for me? The answer to that question is absolutely yes. If you have responded to the Lord genuinely and submissive to receive his salvation. Did you come to him and say, I am done with the path of sin? I’m going to seek your will.

You are my Savior and Lord and King. I confess you before men, and I will be baptized into your blood, into your death, and I will rise to walk in newness of life. If you come to him on his terms, then you rise out of the waters of baptism, and these promises are yours without question. That’s all it takes. If God be for you, who will be against you? And then once you’ve started walking this path, there will be some roadblocks. There’ll be some hindrances. The devil will come to you and say, hey, you need to forget this path. It’s really not going to pay off for you. You really need to go back to the way you used to live. You had more fun back there.

He’s going to tell you a hundred million different reasons why you shouldn’t walk this path. And I don’t care how long you’ve been at it, he’s still going to tell you shouldn’t be walking this path. But no matter what is there to hinder you life, death, whatever it is. Height, death. Whatever that thing is that is discouraging this course. The Hebrew writer says, you’ve got to lay that aside. The sin that so easily entangles you. Every obstacle. Lay it aside. You’ve got to put it off. There’s too much at stake. And run the race with endurance. It’s not going to be a cakewalk. You’re going to have to work hard at this. You’re going to have to be determined. Run with endurance. The race that is set before you.

Oh, what a prize. Awaits the faith. The called and the chosen. Because we’re going to reign with the king forever and ever. In his presence. And that’s why it is faith that overcomes the world. Faith is the victory. I love my sports teams. Some Saturdays are bad. Last Saturday was awful. Both my favorite teams lost. And then my favorite pro team lost the next day. Yesterday was a better day. You ever notice that about your teams? They’ll disappoint you. I don’t care how good you are. Stacy couldn’t be here today. Her beloved Astral. She had to go see Mama. Don’t tell her I talked about her from the pulpit. Unless you’re Alabama. And a pro team playing among college teams. But even Alabama will ultimately disappoint you.

I remember those days when Auburn won like what, seven in a row against Alabama. Those are bad days in Alabama. Your sports team, no matter how good they are, they’ll let you down. But we have a king that will never ever let us down. He never loses. He’s the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. You need to be identified with him. Do you need to respond to his invitation while there’s time and opportunity? Let’s stand and sing.