“If God is for us” (5)
[Romans 8:31-34]
Look at Romans 8:33-34: “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? …” The purpose of God's choosing us is that we may be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Look at Romans 8:29 – “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son, came to this earth, shed His blood on the cross, rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven, and is now at the right hand of God to intercede for us. This is how God glorified His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. So, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son, is sitting at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, the world of glory, praying for us. God has chosen us to be like this only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. So, who dares to accuse us? Never! Also, God chose us for the purpose that Jesus Christ might be the firstborn among many brothers (v. 29). The only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, is the firstborn Son, and all of us who are saved are brothers of Jesus Christ. So, how can anyone accuse us, brothers of Jesus Christ? Never! The Bible says that Jesus Christ is not at all ashamed to call us His brothers (sisters) (Heb. 2:10-13). So, who dares to accuse these people? Never can anybody accuse us!
But in Zechariah 3, Satan accused the high priest Joshua. As the high priest, he should be wearing clean clothes, but he was wearing filthy garments (v. 3). So, Satan accused him. At that time, the Lord, who chose Jerusalem, repeatedly rebuked Satan, and rebuked him severely (v. 2). The reason was because God had chosen them, but Satan did not dare to accuse them. So, God rebuked Satan. Then why did God severely rebuke Satan? The reason is because God has already forgiven the sins of those He has chosen. Look at Zechariahs 3:4 – “He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, ‘Remove the filthy garments from him.’ Again he said to him, ‘See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.’” If God has taken away all the sins of the elect, how can Satan accuse us? Never! That is why God severely rebuked Satan, and Satan had no choice but to retreat.
In Genesis 2:17, God clearly commanded Adam, “’but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die. You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ and said, ‘In the day you eat of it you will surely die.’” However, Adam and Eve fell into Satan's temptation and disobeyed God's command and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Look at Genesis 3:6 – “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” As a result, Adam and Eve became enemies with God (Rom. 5:10). When Adam and Eve sinned against God and became enemies with God, God showed mercy to them. God came to Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:8-9). This is God's great grace. How precious is the gospel that God came to and said, “Where are you?” (v. 9). In Genesis 3:15, God spoke of the covenant of grace to save Adam and Eve. After all, He promised here that Jesus Christ would save them. That is why Jesus said, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30) on the cross. What a blessing this is. Also, in Genesis 3:21, God made and clothed Adam and Eve with garments of skin. If God wanted to put on skin garments ere, He had to kill an animal. It seems to think mainly of sheep. At that time, God did not give animals but plants as food. So, the fact that He slaughtered this sheep and clothed Adam and Eve in garments of skin showed that ‘You will die’ just as this sheep dies. So, after that, Adam lived to be 930 years old and died (Gen. 5:5). Also, the reason for slaughtering an animal was to make a sacrifice. So, God slaughtered sheep and offered sacrifices, and made their skins into clothing. It symbolizes the ransom offering and the propitiation, Jesus Christ. It also shows that God will clothe His chosen people with the clothes of Jesus Christ. Look at Romans 3:25-26: “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” In this way, God justified those whom God had chosen, those who believed in Jesus Christ. Look at Romans 8:30 – “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” The Bible says, “Who is he that condemns?”, when God called these pre-selected ones and justified those whom he called (vv.33b-34a). In this way, God loved those whom He had chosen beforehand and called and justified them (Rom. 3:25-26; 8:30). Who can dare condemn them as sinners? On one! Never!
Look at Romans 8:1 – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” There is no condemnation for those who are united with Jesus Christ, who are like Jesus Christ, and who are the brothers of Jesus Christ. Look at Romans 8:2 – “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” The Holy Spirit has set us free from the law of sin and death, who can condemn? No one! Never! Look at Romans 8:4 – “in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Those whom God has chosen, those whom God has justified, who can condemn us when all the requirements of the law have been fulfilled for us? No one! Never! Look at Romans 8:14 – “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Who can condemn us who are the son of God? No one! Never! Look at Romans 8:15 – “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Who dares to condemn us as children of God who call God “Abba, Father”? No one! Never! Look at Romans 8:17 – “Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Who dares to condemn the heirs of God, heirs with Christ? No one! Never! Look at Romans 8:30 – “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” God has justified us, so who dares to condemn us? No one! Never!
Look at Romans 8:33b-34a: “… It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? …” It is God who justified us. Who can condemn us? No one! Never! God not only justified us, but also glorified us (v. 30). Look at Zechariah 3:5 – “Then I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by.” The prophet Zechariah said, ‘Put on Joshua the high priest a clean turban or a glorious on his head. At that time, the clean turban was placed on his head, and was put on clean garments, or glorious garments. God glorified those whom He justified. Look at Ephesians 2:5-6: “even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” God glorified us in this way, who dares to condemn us? No one! Never! This is what God did to us. God overcame all of Jesus Christ from the power of death, resurrected Him, raised Him to heaven, and made Him to sit at the right hand of God, so that all of us have no choice but to kneel before Him and worship Him. Since God did this, our salvation is sure. Therefore, I hope and pray that we will all be praised when we stand before the Lord while standing firm and unwavering with the assurance of salvation and putting more effort into the work of the Lord.