Romans 8:31-39
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
On Tuesday, I read an article in The Straits Times on Christians killed by Muslim extremists in Pakistan. A similar article can be read here: Pakistan Christians Die in Unrest.
Romans 8:31 has often been quoted out of context to mean that Christians can look to "reign in life". But is that what it is really about? Looking at the context, Romans 8:18-25 speaks of the present sufferings of Christians being nothing compared to the future (note: FUTURE) glory that awaits us , and verse 19 specifically speaks of that glory at the revealing of the sons of God (i.e. the second coming of Christ). Romans 8:26-30 then goes on to explain that Christians have certainty about the future glory because they have been pre-destined, chosen before the foundations of the world.
Verse 32 unpacks verse 31. "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?" God is for us because He did not spare His own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, but gave Him up for us all on the cross (as a propitiation for our sins, Romans 3:25), to pay the penalty of sin for His chosen people. Therefore, we can see that God has already done for us what we can never hope to achieve for ourselves - to be found righteous before God.
Even more so, since He has already paid our penalty for us, we can definitely trust that He gives us all things. Again, some Christians mistakenly understand it to be wealth, power, prestige. But in the context of Romans 3-8:17, Paul is actually summarizing the first part of his epistle in this verse by all things. All things here, in my opinion, refers to: righteousness through faith (Romans 4) achieved through Jesus' work on the cross, bringing peace with God (Romans 5), and thus we are dead to sin & the law and alive to Christ (Romans 6), being freed from condemnation in the Law (Romans 7:1-8:17). And therefore our hope in future glory is certain (Romans 5:1-11, 8:18-30). Even more so, no one can question this certain hope which we have because it is promised by the soverign God (Romans 8:33-34).
As a result, because of this certain hope, no one and nothing can separate us from the love of God, Not even everything listed in verse 35, which will be a result of living a cross-centered Christian life. It is my most sincere prayer that our brothers in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world undergoing tribulations and persecution will find solace in these verses, and hold fast to the gospel that was given unto them. I pray that they will continue to stand fast in the faith and win over more souls for Christ, showing the love of Christ onto their extremist neighbours who persecute and kill them. For in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us, and nothing will be able to separate us from the love of our soverign God.
Let us in Singapore, never take for granted the privilege of being able to worship God freely with our lives, and fellowship openly. As we celebrate the 44th anniversary of the founding of our nation, let us pray that our government will never persecute Christians for our faith; but even if one day that happens, to be certain of our citizenship in heaven.
