What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Truth to Learn
God is powerful and is watching over us, His children.
Behind the Words
“For” is translated from huper, which primarily means “over” or “above.” Figuratively, however, it means “for” in the sense of protection, care, or favor.
The word “against” is from kata, primarily meaning “down upon.” So, I suppose we could translate the second half of this verse as, “If God is over us, who can come down on us?”
Meaning Explained
Before we go on, take a few minutes and read through the entire eighth chapter of Romans up to this verse. This chapter is like a trip up the side of a volcano in which the sides get steeper (as the theology gets more personal) until we reach the rim of the volcano in verse thirty-one. Between this and the remainder of this chapter, we see an eruption of the glorious benefits of being an adopted child of God. God’s love and God’s blessings to us just burst forth in these remaining verses.
Paul starts off this eruption with a couple of rhetorical questions. The first is, “What then shall we say to these things?” In this question Paul is challenging all of us to take stock of what he has been telling us in this chapter, namely:
- There is no condemnation to those of us who are in Christ Jesus. We have been given the righteousness of Christ.
- The Holy Spirit of God lives within us and gives spiritual life to our mortal bodies.
- This Spirit has freed us from the bondage of sin and we have been adopted by God. We are now His children.
- We are heirs of God Almighty.
- But, as joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we will also suffer in this world just as He did.
- However, this suffering can’t even be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us at the end of this age.
- All creation groans under the curse of sin, expectantly waiting for the end of the age when we will be glorified.
- The knowledge that this glorious future awaits us enables us to endure our present suffering.
- In the midst of this suffering, the Holy Spirit is our prayer partner, praying for us in ways we can’t even comprehend.
- In spite of our suffering, we know that God will produce good in us through this suffering.
- God completely knows us.
- God has chosen us as His adopted children.
- God has already declared us to be as righteous as Christ.
- God will give us glory like Christ has.
The second rhetorical question is, “If God is for us, who is against us?” The answer obviously is, “No one!”
Application
In light of all of these wonderful things, it is obvious that God loves each one of us and is a loving father to all of us. And just like a neighbor kid claiming that his dad is bigger, or stronger, or smarter than yours, Paul knows that our Father is greater than anyone or anything that may stand against us. Therefore, be courageous because “If God is for us, who is against us?”
And this is just the beginning of Paul’s exciting volcanic eruption.
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved
