“If God is for us” (11)

[Romans 8:35-39]

Look at Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  The Apostle Paul used the conjunction “For” (γὰρ) at the beginning of verse 38, which is a conjunction connecting the words in verses 38-39 with the words in verse 37, “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”  In other words, the Apostle Paul said to the Roman church saints, “I am convinced” (v. 38), because “in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (v. 37).  More specifically, even if we face tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword-like danger of death (v. 35), in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us (v. 37), not that we overcome, but that we overcome more than enough or easily through Him who loves us.  The reason is because our beloved Son, Jesus Christ, has already overcome the world (Jn. 16:33).

The Apostle Paul said to the Roman church saints, “I am convinced” (Rom. 8:38), where the verb “I am convinced” is a plural and perfect tense, meaning ‘I am already convinced’.  In other words, when the Apostle Paul confessed, “I am convinced,” he said, “I am already convinced,” because the Holy Spirit convinced him, not his own.  Then how did the Holy Spirit convince the Apostle Paul?  The Holy Spirit convinced Paul, since the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set Paul free from the law of sin and death (v. 2), and now there is no condemnation for those (Paul) who are in Christ Jesus (Paul) (v. 1).  The Spirit also convinced Paul, because the Holy Spirit was in him and had dominion over him (v. 9).  As the Holy Spirit was guiding Paul (v. 14), the Spirit convinced him, and the Holy Spirit Himself testified with the Paul’s spirit that he was a child of God (v. 16).  And the Holy Spirit helped Paul in his weakness, making intercession for him with groanings too deep for words (v. 26), convincing him by making intercession for him according to the will of God (v. 27).  The Apostle Paul made a conclusive confession in verses 38-39, saying, “I am convinced” based on at least verses 26-37.

Then how convince was the Apostle Paul?  What was the degree/strength of his convictions?  As an example, consider the deacon Stephen in Acts 7.  Look at Acts 7:59-60: “They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’  Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’  Having said this, he fell asleep.”  The word “fell asleep” here means that Stephen slept in Christ.  And although his body was “buried” (8:2), his soul went to heaven.  In other words, before he died, Stephen was 100% sure that his soul would live forever with the Lord in heaven.  The Apostle Paul also had this 100% assurance of salvation.  Look at 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 17: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.  …  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”  The Apostle Paul was convinced that when the Lord returns, God will bring those who have slept in Jesus with Him (including, of course, the deacon Stephen, who has already fell asleep in the Lord).  He was also convinced that at that time the dead in Christ would rise first (they would be resurrected in body) (the Apostle Paul, who died writing this letter to Romans, also, like the deacon Stephen, will bring his soul when the Lord returns).  And the Apostle Paul was convinced that when the Lord returns, those who are alive and remain will be transformed and become like the glorious body of the risen Christ [“who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:21)] (Note: 1 Cor. 15:51-53).  And the Apostle Paul was convinced that after the resurrection of the dead in Christ (1 Thess. 4:16), “Then” those who are alive and remain until then will be transformed and will all caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall be with the Lord forever in heaven (v. 17).  In other words, the Apostle Paul was convinced that when the Lord comes again, those who have already died in Christ will be resurrected in body and united with the souls that God will bring, and will be with the Lord forever in heaven, and those who are alive and remain until then will suddenly transformed and will become like the glorious body of the Lord, and that they would be with the Lord forever in heaven.

Look at Romans 8:39b – “… will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Here, “us” refers to the Apostle Paul and the Roman church saints as those who are still alive in Christ (because Paul and the Roman church saints were alive at the time of writing the letter to Romans).  More generally, “us” here are those whom God foreknew (those whom He loved before the foundation of the world), those whom God predestined (the elect), those whom He called, those whom He justified and those whom He glorified (v. 30).  The Apostle Paul had the assurance of salvation because nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (v. 39).  This assurance of salvation is given to us by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.  As we have the assurance of salvation that the Holy Spirit gives us through His Word, we rejoice even in tribulation (5:3).  And we give thanks and praise to God, standing firm, unshaken, and always zealous for the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58).  In particular, we comfort, evangelize, and do mission those who are suffering.  As we all memorize Romans 8, I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will give us the assurance of this salvation as well.