Romans
13
Romans 8:28 is much quoted. “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Notice it does not say “we understand.” Part of being human is that we are bewildered by events that occur and puzzled beyond measure. But faith’s bottom line is that God is a good God and that is something we know.
Romans 8:29-30 contain great eternal truths. We were foreknown by God and predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. God appointed our destiny beforehand and decreed that Jesus might be the firstborn among many brothers. And we, the born-again, should be just like Him. Christ is the first-born of the virgin (Luke 2:7), the first born among many brothers (Romans 8:29), the first born from among the dead (Colossians 1:18) and “He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation” (Colossians 1:15).
As Warren Wiersbe points out, “God predetermined that one day we would be like His Son. Predestination applies only to saved people. Nowhere are we taught that God predestines people to be eternally condemned. If they are condemned, it is because of their refusal to trust Christ (John 3:18-19). ”Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
Predestination has been defined as the action of God in foreordaining from eternity whatever comes to pass. Calvin did not invent this word, nor the doctrine which it describes: He discovered it in the scriptures. We are touching on majestic themes: the sovereignty of God, His providence in the affairs of men, His care of mankind. The Word of God teaches that God is sovereign and man is free at one and the same time.
Romans 8:30 declares, “And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”
Peter in his first letter, in writing to Christians, addressed them as “God’s elect ---- who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” Those He foreknew, He predestined to be like Jesus --- “Those He predestined, He also called” – the special calling of grace. Do you remember when He called you by name? The hymn writer put it this way: “He drew me and I followed on, charmed to confess the voice Divine.”
Long before your mum and dad wondered, “Will it be a boy or a girl? What shall we call the child?” He called you. “Those He called, He also justified” – God put you right with Himself. You didn’t do it. He made you a Christian. You’re His workmanship.
Justification leads to glory. God’s purpose in creation and in redemption is glory. To make His Christ the firstborn son among many glorified sons. “Those He justified, He also glorified”.
Romans 8:31 is a startling, unanswerable question. “What, then, shall we say in response to this?” that is, in response to these great eternal truths. If Divinity is for us, shall we fear humanity? If Heaven is for us, shall we fear hell? How do we know God is for us? Because of Calvary.
The Bible tells us that God’ spared not’ the old world but poured His wrath out upon the universe at the time of flood. He ‘spared not’ the angels who sinned but cast out one third of the celestial race. He ’spared not’ unbelieving Israel but judged even the chosen race for their awful sin of rejecting His Son, their own Messiah. “God did not spare the natural branches” (Romans 11:21). Such is His justice.
But, wonder of wonders, such is His grace – “He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all.” Such amazing grace is inexhaustible.
To give His son for angels we might understand, but to give Him for me – that’s grace. With His Son, God ‘freely gives us all things.’
Romans 8:33 asks, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?” The infinite and eternal One has justified them forever. Christ Jesus died and rose for them and is now at the right hand of God interceding for them. Imagine that – the One who will judge men on that day, according to Paul’s gospel (Romans 2:16) actually pleads our cause. The Holy Spirit also makes intercession for the saints (Romans 8:27) in accordance with God’s will.
I like the way “The Message Bible” sums up these clinching arguments. “So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending His own Son, is there anything else He wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us – who was raised to life to us! – is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us.
Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing ----None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us.”
There can be no victory where there is no battle. Through Christ, overwhelming victory is ours.
The chapter ends with the great apostle declaring he is convinced that nothing will be able to separate us from Christ’s love. “Neither death” – with all its terrors: “nor life, neither angels nor demons” – no satanic force at all. “Neither the present nor the future, nor any powers.” “Neither height nor depth” – these are astrological terms. The stars can’t hurt you – “nor anything else in all creation” – thinkable or unthinkable – nothing in outer space “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
So we’ve reached the end of Romans 8. We’re half way through this incredible document. Luther’s friend, Melancthon, copied this letter out twice. A French scholar called it, “The cathedral of the Christian faith” and Martin Luther himself declared, “This epistle ---- is the very purest gospel.”
We’ve dealt with some classic themes: - the wrath of God: the universal guilt: who is a real Jew? : the test case of Abraham: the only way to be right with God: in Adam or in Christ: the exceeding sinfulness of sin.
We’ve rejoiced in this great salvation: - justifying righteousness, liberty from sin through Christ, the indwelling Spirit, electing love, coming and certain glory. No wonder Coleridge called Romans, “The most profound work in existence.”