More Than Conquerors

Last week, we started analyzing Romans 8:31. The New International Version says; “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” The verse sounds so very promising – but what does it really mean?

The first question, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things?”, alone leaves us questioning, “What things?” The answer is extensively found in Paul’s letter to the Romans up to this point - chapter 8 verse 31. Still, I believe he is specifically writing about the things mentioned in the immediate previous verses, 29-30. We reviewed these verses and what it means to be foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified - Click here for that study.

Today, I would like to look at Romans 8:31 again. To me, this one verse sums up Romans Chapter 8. While the first question refers to all of Chapter 8 to verse 31, the second question, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”, is referring us to verses 32-39.  I’d like to break these verses down further.

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  

Who is us? It is everyone who chooses to follow Christ – to be led by the Spirit rather than the flesh.

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? 

God allowed His own son to come to earth as one of us, live as an example for us, and then be put to death as a sacrifice for us. If God willingly let that happen, how will he not give us all things? Well, we need to understand that many of God’s promises are based on what I call an if/then situation. This is no exception. 

If you are part of the ‘us’ mentioned, then you have chosen to be led by the Spirit. If you are led by the Spirit, then your requests to God will be of the Spirit – not of the flesh. That’s hard. We all struggle with fleshly wants. A bigger house, a fancy car - Those aren’t what Paul is writing about here. Helping us live a true, honest, just, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy life - Philippians 4:8 - and loving others like 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 are more likely the type of ‘all things’ promised.

³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. 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.  

These two verses go well together. While we all know that people here on earth can certainly bring charges against us and even attempt to condemn us. Paul is stating that any charge or condemnation against those whom God has chosen is ultimately irrelevant. Christ Jesus died and was raised to life – and now represents us to God. I picture a courthouse scene with God as the Judge and Christ as our attorney. We win.

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

How beautiful is this passage? Honestly, while in question form, the promise is clear and so beautiful to me. Christ’s love for us was so great that He died to give us the predestined opportunity to call God our Father and be heirs with him as stated in Romans 8:14-17

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ 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.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  

No trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword can separate us from that love.

³⁶ As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

Paul is quoting a passage from the Old Testament here. It is from Psalms 44:22. The quote is from a group of Israelites who are questioning God’s power and promise to them.

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 

Paul clearly states that those Israelites were wrong. God did fulfill his promise to them – just as He will fulfill His promise to us. 

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ 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.

Yes! God truly loves us so much that nothing can separate us from that love.

So, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

No one. That’s who. We are More Than Conquerors!