If God Is for Us

Romans 8:31 is a one-sentence summary of the message of Romans: What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

The early chapters of Romans emphasize the power of sin over individuals, leading to death, as seen in Romans 3:23. In chapters 5-7, Paul describes how sin, fueled by the flesh, holds people in bondage.

However, the good news of chapter 8 is that there is freedom through the power of God.

The final verses of Chapter 8 summarize God’s actions for humanity in the earlier chapters. They also introduce God’s power at work on behalf of the Jews in Chapters 9, 10, and 11.

While we often focus on God’s benefits for us as individuals, let’s not forget that God is also for the people with whom He entered into a covenant relationship through the patriarch Abraham.

God’s Deep and Profound Love

I’ve often told people that I’m for them, that I’m cheering them on, or that I want them to succeed. But when God says, “I am for you,” He goes beyond just a pat on the back and an encouraging word.

He sacrificed His Son on the cross to show how deeply He is for us.

He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? (Romans 8.32).

In Romans Chapter 1, we see how God “delivers” people to face their own downfall because they have rejected His love. But God doesn’t stop at judgment.

In verse 32, we learn that God offers His own Son for us, providing everything we need when we place our trust in Him.

I believe it’s helpful to view this verse in the context of prayer. If we consider God’s willingness to give us even His own Son, how much more will He provide for those who align their lives with His purposes and ask Him for what they or the world need?

The Accuser

In Hebrew, the word “Satan” means “accuser.” This is relevant when we consider the accusations made against God’s chosen people.

Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us (Romans 8.33-34).

No one loves me more than I love myself. When I take on the role of the accuser and speak words of condemnation about my own life, I’m speaking from the depths of my inner self to my inner self. This is a very harmful place to be, but is often the story of my life.

When I criticize and condemn others, I am aligning myself with the accuser.

God’s approach to dealing with human fallenness is vastly different from that of the accuser. He justifies us through the sacrifice of His own Son, who is now raised from the dead and reigning in power at the right hand of God.

Instead of accusing us, He intercedes on our behalf.

Let’s not miss Paul’s point here. Instead of aligning our lives with the accuser, let’s align ourselves with the Savior. Rather than condemning, let every problem we encounter be a reminder to intercede on behalf of the person who is a problem to us.

It’s important to note that as a transition passage from the personal themes we’ve discussed to the national focus in chapters 9-11, the word “elect” becomes central.

God’s elect began when he made a covenant with Abraham, and as we’ll see, no one can bring a charge against God’s covenant people. God is at work with Israel, whether we understand his actions or not.

YouTube Discussion

Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.