Romans 8:31 – What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Welcome back to our study of Romans chapter eight.
In our last post, we discovered that God demonstrated his love and divine purpose by establishing the plan of salvation before the world was ever created. Then, at the perfect time, he sent Jesus to earth to bring us the gospel message and to be the effectual cause of our salvation by sacrificing himself on the cross and rising again. 
Because of that sacrifice, we can secure the free gift of salvation and become justified in the sight of God. As if that were not enough, Jesus also baptizes us in the Holy Spirit who forever dwells within our hearts and assists us in multiple ways throughout our lives (especially in the area of sanctification). Furthermore, God promised that we will be glorified with Christ in eternity.
Since God has done all this (and more) for us, it is obvious that he isn’t going to allow anything or anyone to interfere with his plans for us. Victory in Jesus is our only possible outcome! Knowing this, we can truly say that all things work together for the good of those who love God.
From verse 31 until the end of the chapter, Paul uses a number of questions which help us draw logical conclusions based on the powerful truth just revealed. Let’s take a look at what he wants us to know.
GENERAL SUMMARY: Given the facts that were just stated, what conclusion can we draw in regard to the trials and hardships of the Christian life?
Based on the benefits and privileges God has given us (adoption as sons/daughters, justification, sanctification, glorification, etc.), it is clear that one omniscient, omnipotent, merciful God is on our side; he is making sure that all things work together to make us victorious. Since that is the case, who can prevail against us?
DIGGING DEEPER: What then shall we say to these things: In other words, what conclusions can we reach based on the astonishing love that God has demonstrated towards us?
As a side note, let me just say that the infinite greatness of God’s love/gifts towards us is beyond expression. No human words in any language can adequately express the richness, fullness and generosity of his love for us. In light of this, the only thing we can do is be thankful and give him praise and glory.
If God is for us: If God is on our side, NOTHING can defeat us – not people or circumstances or things or problems or even death itself.
Psalms 56:9 – When I cry unto you [God], then shall my enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
The fact that God is ‘on our side’ is clearly evident. He has proven it by adopting us as his children (Romans 8:15), by giving us both his Son and his Spirit (Romans 8:16-17), by his gracious and merciful determination to save us (Romans 29-30), and by the support and strength he gives us during our trials.
Who can be against us: We might phrase it this way: Who can harm or destroy us?
Since he who is infinitely wise directs us, he who is infinitely powerful protects us, and he who is infinitely good saves us, who or what could possibly be victorious over us? The obvious answer is nothing!
Satan may torment us in this life. He may even cause our physical death. Nevertheless, neither man nor Satan has the power to revoke our status as a child of God and therefore, regardless of what happens here on earth, we will be victorious for eternity. Satan’s ultimate destination is hell, ours is heaven with Jesus.
Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
GENERAL SUMMARY: The greatest gift/blessing that God could possibly give mankind was the atonement of our sin through the suffering and death of his Son. Since God has already given us the best he had to offer, there is no reason to think that he will deny us any of his lesser blessings.
This passage also indicates that God did not lighten the amount or severity of punishment that Jesus endured; he had to pay the full cost of our sin as determined by the law.
DIGGING DEEPER: He who did not spare: To spare is to refrain from inflicting punishment or harm. When the apostle says that God did not spare Jesus, two things are indicated.
First, he means that God did not withhold his Son from us – he was willing to let Jesus die in our place in order to redeem us.
Second, he means that God did not lighten or mitigate the punishment that was due for our sin. The complete/total amount of suffering that divine justice required as payment for sin was paid in full through the suffering and death of Christ:
Isaiah 53:4-6 – Surely he [Jesus] has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
His own Son: Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. Giving him up for our sin is the highest proof of love that our heavenly Father could possibly give us. It is also the highest possible demonstration of his willingness to do good to mankind. 
But gave him up: In a sense we can say that many people gave Jesus up. Judas gave him up for money, Pilate gave him up for fear, and the Jews gave him up for envy. But none of them gave Jesus up for us.
Paul tells us that God the Father delivered or gave Jesus up for our sin. While that is true, we want to be careful not to paint a one-sided picture of this situation. Scripture tells us that this was not just a mandatory decision on the part of Father God. Rather, it was a divine agreement between the Father, Son and Spirit.
John 10:15 – As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Jesus was a willing participant in the salvation of mankind. In the predetermined plan of the Divine Trinity, Jesus agreed to assume a human nature, to bear all the iniquities of mankind and to endure the punishment due for sin. And once again, we should note that nothing was deferred; the entire debt of sin was paid in full by Christ according to the strict standards of divine justice.
For us all: It is very evident from the scriptures that Jesus gave his life on the cross so that any/all human beings can be saved. However, in this particular context, ‘all’ should be understood as all Christians. The passage in general proves that God shows equal love for all his children – Jesus died for the Jews as well as the Gentiles. He died for the poor and obscure just as much as for the rich and famous; he died for the apostles as well as the thief on the cross.
All Christians can take consolation in knowing that Christ died for them personally and that his death expressed the highest level of love for them which we can conceive to be possible.
How will he not also with him graciously give us all things: Here we find Paul making an argument by comparing the greater to the lesser.
What is the most valuable thing in the universe? Obviously, it is the blood of Jesus Christ, which was shed for our sin. Since there is no greater gift, anything else we might ask God for is inferior – it is of less value, less worth, less cost.
Paul’s argument is that if God already gave us the most valuable thing possible, why would he hesitate to give us any lesser gift that is needful for our welfare and good?
We cannot help but notice that God gives us gifts. By default, gifts are free to the one who receives them. God’s first and greatest gift to us (Jesus) was free, so it only makes sense that all of God’s comparatively lesser blessings/gifts are also free – we cannot buy them with money or earn them by merit. We receive them only by the generosity and mercy of God. As we have already noted, every phase of our salvation, from beginning to end, is all a work of grace.
Thus, we have been given the highest proof/assurance of the Trinity’s divine love for us.
Furthermore, since God has given his Son to die for mankind, we can rest assured that he will not withhold lesser mercies that are necessary to our salvation. On the contrary, he will freely give us whatever we need.
Romans 8:33 – Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
GENERAL SUMMARY: Verses 33-35 center around a series of questions designed to show us the safety of the state of those who have believed the gospel.
With that in mind, Paul asks this question: who can accuse or bring legal charges of sin against God’s elect? Will God who justifies them do it? Of course not! And if he isn’t doing it, then no one can.
DIGGING DEEPER: Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect: God's elect are Christians - those who have been called and redeemed according to God's eternal purpose
as discussed in Romans 8:28. The overall truth in verses 33-35 is this: If neither God nor Christ will bring any charges against those who love him, then certainly no one else could.
Because God justifies us through Christ, they are the only two who have the legal right to bring charges of sin against the Christian. And we know they aren’t going to do that. In fact, God did the opposite – he freely forgave all our trespasses. And since that is the case, Christians have no reason to fear. The God who provided our salvation will keep us until the day we are glorified in eternity.
Nothing can frustrate or oppose this truth either on the side of God (for when he justifies no one can condemn), or on the side of Christ (whose death, resurrection. ascension and intercession are all pledges that nothing can separate us from his love).
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect: This expression is taken from the courts of law. It means this: who shall accuse or condemn or bring criminal charges of sin against the Christian before the tribunal of God so as to cause their condemnation?
The obvious answer is no one – no one in heaven, no one walking the earth, not even anyone in hell (including Satan). No thing can do it either - sin can’t do it, the law can’t do it and even our consciences can’t do it. Since the person whom God justifies has nothing to be accused of, we can rest assured that no charges brought against us in God’s court will result in our condemnation.
Just to be clear, this includes all sin, regardless of how heinous or apparently harmless. Justifying grace fully discharges all accusations against us.
It is God who justifies: It is God who pardoned us and admitted us into his family and pronounced us just in his sight. It would be absurd to think that he would then turn around and condemn us (he would never justify and condemn us both at the same time). Therefore, the final outcome of the Christian is secure.
With this in mind, what does the Christian have to fear? When God himself pronounced us as justified, who could possibly come along and condemn us?
Let me offer you some encouragement and relief:
Satan often tries to get Christians to doubt the love that God has for them. This was part of his plan in the Garden of Eden, where he insinuated to Eve that God was withholding good things from her (and we all know what a lie that turned out to be).
So the next time you are walking through life and you suddenly feel that God doesn't love you, stop and remember Romans chapter eight. Remind yourself of all that God has done to work out your salvation. Remind yourself that the Father, Son and Spirit were united in their decision to sacrifice Christ on your behalf. Remind yourself that the same God who justifies you will not turn around and condemn you - God has the ability to keep you securely in him until you are called into eternity.
Let me offer you some strength:
For most of us, salvation is the beginning point of our earthly relationship to God. Once we are his children, we need to grow in our faith because God's ultimate plan includes us partnering with him to bring others into the kingdom. It also includes exposing the lies of Satan and destroying his work on earth. In order to do these things, we will certainly need additional assistance from God - wisdom, knowledge, faith, spiritual gifts, Holy Spirit boldness and even finances (just to name a few).
With this in mind, Christians can rest assured that God will not withhold lesser blessings and gifts from us (everything is a lesser gift compared to the blood of Christ). He will freely give us all that we need to be victorious in this life.