If God Is For Us...

IF GOD IS FOR US...

Rom. 8:28-39

It's nice to know when someone's got your back. It's comforting to know that someone will be by your side. And it helps to know that someone is there for us. In Romans 8, Paul talks about God this way. In today's passage, we'll see what it means to know that God is for us.

1) Then he will work all things out for the good (28-30).

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 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. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."

"All things". Obviously this can't mean tragic things. Paul can't be talking about hardships, persecutions, diseases, abuse or a loved one's death. Surely he must mean all other things God works for the good, right? No. All things means all things.

How can God bring something good out of a disastrous situation? Paul gives the answer in what follows. God's purpose for us is that we would be conformed to the image of Jesus. Okay, but how can dealing with a tragic situation cause me to be more like Jesus? Paul answered that back in chap. five.

Rom. 5:3-4, "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Part of the good God works out in us is developing our character, solidifying our hope and strengthening our perseverance. We don't like the idea that suffering produces these things in us but we can accept it nonetheless.

We look at the character Jesus had and how his hope was always in the Father and how he persevered through to the end. But how would we have seen these characteristics in Jesus if he had never dealt with suffering?

We know how strong something is when it's tested. So when we get through the difficult things in our lives we carry with us a testimony of strength, character and hope for others to see.

But it's also for us to see too. We think we have a certain level of faith and trust but when these are tested beyond what we considered our limitations to be we see where we're really at. When we persevere we come to the other side amazed that we were able to get through it. We didn't know we had it in us; but we did because we are God's child and have been given the power of the Holy Spirit to do the amazing.

Becoming more like Christ is a good thing God works out, the testimony we have is a good thing and the confidence we gain from it is a good thing that we take with us into the next hurdle we face. All things are not good and not everything turns out good but since God is for us, he will bring something good out of everything for those who love him and desire his purpose to be accomplished.

2) Then he will graciously give us all things (31-32).

"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

What shall we say in response to what? In response to knowing that God works for the good of those that love him and have been called by him, declared righteous by him and declared positionally holy and pure through Christ by him. What shall we say in response to the God who has done all this for us? If God has redeemed us and set our feet on the solid rock of Jesus Christ then what are we worried about?

When Paul uses the word if here, he's not asking a question, he's stating a fact. Thus, it could say, 'since God is for us...' If God went so far as to release his beloved son to our world so we would have the ability to be saved then what more could be done to prove that he loved us?

[Abraham sacrificing Isaac-he was commanded to. But God willingly gave his son. Jesus willingly gave his life-'no one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord-John 10:18.]

And not only that, on top of the biggest thing God could ever do, on top of the greatest blessing God could ever give, eternal life, why would we think he would withhold any other blessing, all of which would be lesser in comparison? All of what we learn about God doing for us should cause us to realize that the Creator of the universe is there for me. He takes time and effort to make and mold me into the image of Jesus.