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 4:4) Job said, "I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted" (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. 1:14).
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 50:9, 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. 12:10) 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 1:3).
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 44:22 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. 4:1). There are at least ten positive things that result from the trials that the Lord's people pass through, if they are taken rightly:
• They are opportunities for God to show His power and grace by sustaining His people in times of trouble, and thus manifest His glory (Job 37:7; John 9:3; 11:4).
• Through them we are brought to know the love of God in a deeper way, and thus we are drawn closer to the Lord (Rom. 5:3-5).
• Through them we are conformed morally to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:28-29), and thus they work toward our moral perfection (James 1:4).
• 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. 12:5-11).
• Through them our faith is strengthened (2 Thess. 1:3-4).
• They teach us dependence (Psa. 119:67-68, 71).
• They wean us from earthly things and thus turn us heavenward; as a result, the heavenly hope burns more brightly in our hearts (Luke 12:22-40).
• They draw brethren closer to one another (Job 2:11; 6:14; 1 Chron. 7:21-22).
• The lessons we learn by going through trials enable us to sympathize with others more effectively (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
• They capacitate us for the theme of praise in the coming glory (2 Cor. 4:15-17).
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."
• "Death"—If death should overtake us, we lose nothing. Believers who die before the Lord comes are still said to be "in Christ" (1 Thess. 4:16). Thus, our position before God and all that we have in Christ is intact and secure. In fact, we only gain if death were to occur (Phil. 1:21).
• "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. 5:12)—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. 6:2)—To be separated (positionally) from the whole order of sin under the headship of Adam by the death of Christ (Rom. 6:2; 7:6; Col. 2:20; 3:3).
• "Justified from sin" (Rom. 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. 7:8)—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. 8:2)—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. 8:10)—The members of our bodies are held powerless through practically applying the principles of deliverance.
• "Dead in sins" (Eph. 2:2)—Lost sinners, without divine life, living their lives in pursuit of their sinful desires and ambitions, in separation from God.
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