How do we know god is for us? "These things" tell us.

WHAT, THEN, SHALL WE SAY IN RESPONSE TO THESE THINGS? IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? . - ROMANS 8:31

Okay. Okay.

You’d better hold on. Because we’re going to jump right in with this verse. And it is so good. You know it’s good. It’s right there in the verse, “God is for us”. Period. Isn’t that amazing? But, O people, there is soooooo much more to it than that. And I’m betting you have no earthly idea of just how good we’re talking about here. Because there’s a whole host of goodness—packed together, pressed in, overflowing, abundant goodness. I’m talkin’ about ALL of the goodness. And it’s all mashed into those two unassuming little words, “these things”.

We just need to figure out what “these things” are.

But before we do that, we should tackle what’s already perfectly evident in our verse. It says, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Whatever they are, “these things” are the very things that make us say, God absolutely MUST be for us. He can’t NOT be for us. Though we may be uncertain at this point as to what they are, this we can know for sure, “these things” are the evidences that God is for us. He’s on our side. We can rely on him. Surely, they are some good things. So let’s find out what they are.

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Our verse comes in the middle of one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. It’s a glimpse into so many of the amazing things that God has done for us in Jesus. I’m not going to list them all out, it would be too much. (Isn’t that just the kind of God we have?) But they are some of the most amazing promises, so I’m going to put down a few just to encourage you.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (vs. 1-2)

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (vs. 15)

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (vs. 26)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (vs. 28)

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (vs. 38-39)

“These things” are the very things that tell us God is for us. Do you hear why?

Because we’ve been set free from our sins, we know God is for us.

Because God is our adopted daddy, we know he is for us.

Because the Spirit helps and prays for us, we know God is for us.

Because God works all things together for our good, we know he is for us.

Because he will allow NOTHING to keep us from him, we know that God is for us.

And if God is for us, who can be against us?

Go back and read all of Romans 8 to find the other ways that God is for us.

Which way speaks to you most profoundly?

Challenge: memorize one of the ways that God is for you in Romans 8.

Thanks for reading,