Seven Questions
Chap. 8:31-39—As a cap on all that has been stated as to God's righteousness being declared in the gospel, Paul shows that while on our way to being glorified, we are divinely preserved and cared for along the way. Seven questions are raised as to our security, and the Lord’s love behind all His present dealings with us in the trials and tribulations we pass through. Since He has stopped at nothing to save us—not even sparing His own Son—He is going to make sure that we arrive with all that He has purposed for us.
The courtroom setting that Paul used in chapters 1-3 is seen here again. Only now a remarkable change has taken place. The accused—who once stood in the place of a guilty sinner—is seen justified. He stands before the bench, and a call goes out for any accusers to step forward. But there are none! How could there be? If God has justified the ungodly, no charge can be justly brought against him.
Paul’s first question is, "What shall we say to these things?" Can anybody find fault with this great plan of salvation? God has shown Himself to be just and righteous and loving in all of His movements to secure salvation and blessing for man.
The second question is, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Note: Paul does not say, "What can be against us?" but "Who can be against us." He repeats this a number of times throughout these questions, indicating that it is not the groaning creation that is in view here, but the forces of evil ordered by the devil. Is there any man or devil who can stop God from bringing to fruition that which He has purposed for the blessing of men? The answer is that if God (who is a trillion times greater than any creature in the universe) is "for us," then there are none who can hinder His plan! (1 John 4:44Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)) Job said, "I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted" (Job 42:22I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. (Job 42:2)).
The third question is, "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" If God has gone to such lengths to bless us—even to the point of not sparing His own Son—we can be sure that He will come through with our final deliverance and give us "all things," which will be when Christ takes the inheritance at His Appearing (Eph. 1:1414Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14)).
The fourth question is, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." No one can bring a charge of sin against us because we have been justified by God Himself. God has removed us from the place of a sinner and has set us in a new position in Christ with a new life that has not sinned, nor can sin. Thus, no just charge can be justly brought against us!
The fifth question is, "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God." This question is a quote from Isaiah 50:99Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. (Isaiah 50:9), where Christ is seen as having completed the work of atonement and God having raised Him to His right hand. Christ is seen there challenging His foes (particularly the accuser of the brethren, Satan—Rev. 12:1010And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:10)) to find anything which they could condemn Him with, since God has justified Him in all that He accomplished in making atonement. Paul applies this to us. Since we are "in Christ"—which is to be in Christ's place before God—no condemnation can be leveled against us! Condemnation must first reach Christ before it can reach us. This is marvellous grace indeed!
What though the accuser roar
Of ills that I have done!
I know them well, and thousands more:
Jehovah findeth none!
Paul adds, "Who maketh intercession for us." Christ is now on high interceding for us, for attacks from the enemy of our souls will inevitably come against us. Since attacks against our security in Christ would be futile, Satan aims his attacks at our state of soul and our communion with God. But Paul shows that we have Christ as our intercessor, who undertakes to maintain us in communion with God in spite of these attacks. This is a reference to Christ’s present work as our High Priest and our Advocate.
The sixth question is, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Paul again asks if there is any such force powerful enough to cause Christ's love to depart from us. Note: he doesn't say, “Who shall separate us from the enjoyment of the love of Christ?” Sad to say, there is much in this world that can separate us from our enjoyment of Christ's love, and this being the case, there are many Christians who are not enjoying His love. Christ's love for us is one thing, and enjoying it is another. With the provision that God has made for us in the path of faith, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be living in the constant enjoyment of His love (2 Peter 1:33According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: (2 Peter 1:3)).
Seven Outward Forms of Trial Can Do Nothing To Disturb Our Blessing in Christ
• Chap. 8:35—The seventh question is, "Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" These are seven forms of trials that we face in this world.
• "Tribulation"—trials in general.
• "Distress"—mental anguish, fears, and phobias.
• "Persecution"—suffering for Christ's sake.
• "Famine"—lacking food.
• "Nakedness"—lacking the basic necessities of life.
• "Peril"—dangers of any kind.
• "Sword"—martyrdom.
He concludes that none of these things can separate us from the love of Christ. In fact, trial, if taken in the spirit of submission, actually draws us closer to Christ and makes Him more precious!
Paul quotes Psalm 44:2222Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. (Psalm 44:22) to show that while pressure and trial are on every side of us, and we might look like we are "accounted as sheep for the slaughter," we are actually the gainers from the trials we pass through. He says, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (vs. 37). A conqueror is one who stands fast and overcomes in a trial or adverse situation. To be "more than a conqueror" is to not only stand fast in testing, but to gain from the trial. The conqueror takes away much spiritual spoil from the situation, in the way of valuable spiritual lessons learned. Hence, the Christian who is in a right state profits from these adverse circumstances. David recognized this and said, "In pressure Thou hast enlarged me" (Psa. 4:11<<To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.>> Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. (Psalm 4:1)). There are at least ten positive things that result from the trials that the Lord's people pass through, if they are taken rightly:
• If we are walking in paths of unrighteousness, they are used by God to correct our spirits and our ways, and thus produce in us the peaceable fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:5-115And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. (Hebrews 12:5‑11)).
• They wean us from earthly things and thus turn us heavenward; as a result, the heavenly hope burns more brightly in our hearts (Luke 12:22-4022And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 24Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? 25And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 27Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 37Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 40Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. (Luke 12:22‑40)).
Ten Invisible Forms of Danger That Can Do Nothing To Affect Our Blessings in Christ
Chap. 8:38-39—Paul has spoken of outward visible dangers that we encounter in the path of faith, he passes on now to enumerate invisible dangers that work behind the scenes. He mentions ten such unseen things that could be ranged against us, and shows that none of them can thwart the purpose of God in completing our salvation, and "separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
• "Life"—All the trials and tribulations that come with life in this world cannot take away from us what we have in Christ. Even if we fail under testing, nothing is changed.
• "Angels" (fallen)—The Satanic powers of evil and darkness working in heavenly places (the realm of spiritual activity) to bring railing accusations against us, can do nothing to stop our forward progress.
• "Principalities (Satanic)—The Satanic powers of evil working on earth to separate us from Christ.
• "Powers"—Men in places of human government using their authority to condemn the believer, can do nothing to change our salvation in Christ.
• "Things present"—Daily fears.
• "Things to come"—Fears of what might overcome us in the future.
• "Height"—Things in heaven.
• "Depth"—Things on, or under, the earth.
• "Any other creature"—Nothing that God has created can sever our bond with Christ.
Thus, the chapter begins with “no condemnation” (vs. 1) and ends with no separation (vs. 39); in between we have no (credible) opposition (vs. 31), and no (credible) accusation (vs. 33).
F. B. Hole summarized the first eight chapters of Romans in this way: "We may sum up these things by saying that the Christian—according to the thoughts of God—is not only forgiven, justified, reconciled, with the Spirit shedding abroad in his heart the love of God; but also he sees the divine condemnation of sin and the flesh in the cross, he finds that his own vital links before God are not with Adam fallen, but with Christ risen. Consequently, he is in Christ Jesus, with the Spirit dwelling in him, in order that, controlling him and filling him with Christ, as an Object bright and fair before his eyes, he may walk in happy deliverance from the power of sin and be gladly fulfilling the will of God. Nothing less than this is what the gospel proposes. What do we think of it? We pronounce it magnificent!" (Paul’s Epistles, Vol. 1, p. 32)
Technical Terms Used in Paul's Doctrine Regarding Sin
• "Death by sin" (Rom. 5:1212Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12))—This refers to how sin has come into the creation and has spoiled everything, and thus the whole creation has the curse of death on it.
• "Dead to sin" (Rom. 6:22God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:2))—To be separated (positionally) from the whole order of sin under the headship of Adam by the death of Christ (Rom. 6:2; 7:62God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:2)
6But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6); Col. 2:20; 3:320Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Colossians 2:20)
3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)).
• "Justified from sin" (Rom. 6:77For he that is dead is freed from sin. (Romans 6:7))—In Christ's death we have had an honourable discharge (judicially) from our connections with the old master (sin), and therefore, we cannot be charged with sins, self-will, lust, etc., because all such cannot be charged to a dead man.
• "Sin dead" (Rom. 7:88But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. (Romans 7:8))—A person being unaware of the presence and activity of his sin-nature because he is totally identified with it, and therefore, is carried along unconsciously by its force.
• "The law of sin" (Rom. 8:22For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2))—A universal principle working in every man's sin-nature that causes him to move according to its appetites and desires.
• "Dead because of sin" (Rom. 8:1010And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10))—The members of our bodies are held powerless through practically applying the principles of deliverance.
Summary of Contrasting Couplets
• Two heads of races—Adam and Christ (chap. 5:12-21).
• Two masters—sin and righteousness (chap. 6:1-23).
• Two husbands—the Law and Christ (chap. 7:1-6).
• Two principles of life—(chap. 8:1-17).
DISPENSATIONAL—Chapters 9-11