If God is for us...
Romans 8:31-39
Threats may in fact win the day, but not the third.
Audio from the author
#GodIsForUs
#inChrist
#threats
Published February 18th, 2016; Updated February 18th, 2016
God is for us
Threats against us
Main point summary
Arc
God is for us
We all live under threats—from what is and what could be. Will our freedoms be suppressed and prison become the lot of those who stand for God's word? Will cancer strike more people in my family? Will I find a job before all the money runs out? Will I be cut off from the blessing of God? The threats are real and their bite painful indeed, but they are never God acting against us if we are in Christ. In Christ! In him. Are there more beautiful words in all the world? Is God against his Son? Then God is not against those in him. Will the Sovereign Lord allow threats to win the day and have their way with Jesus, and those who belong to him? Yes, they will bite, and perhaps even swallow us as the grave swallowed Christ. But they will never defeat us. They will strike us and knock us to the ground, but we will rise with the resurrection power of the Son of Man. They may in fact win the day, but not the third. If God is for us—and in Christ, he is for us—then all that is against us is futile fists destined for frustration when aimed at those covered in the love of God!
notes
1352267675833 God is for us 1455785730 1455787970 We all live under threats—from what is and what could be. Will our freedoms be suppressed and prison become the lot of those who stand for God's word? Will cancer strike more people in my family? Will I find a job before all the money runs out? Will I be cut off from the blessing of God? The threats are real and their bite painful indeed, but they are never God acting against us if we are in Christ. In Christ! In him. Are there more beautiful words in all the world? Is God against his Son? Then God is not against those in him. Will the Sovereign Lord allow threats to win the day and have their way with Jesus, and those who belong to him? Yes, they will bite, and perhaps even swallow us as the grave swallowed Christ. But they will never defeat us. They will strike us and knock us to the ground, but we will rise with the resurrection power of the Son of Man. They may in fact win the day, but not the third. If God is for us—and in Christ, he is for us—then all that is against us is futile fists destined for frustration when aimed at those covered in the love of God! notes 11455785730296
Threats against us
Things that threaten to separate us from God's love in this passage: Tribulation Distress Persecution Famine Nakedness Danger Sword Death Life Angels Rulers The present The future Powers Height Depth Anything in creation!
1352267675833 Threats against us 1455785833 1455787980 Things that threaten to separate us from God's love in this passage: Tribulation Distress Persecution Famine Nakedness Danger Sword Death Life Angels Rulers The present The future Powers Height Depth Anything in creation! notes 11455785833825
Main point summary
How amazing! Nothing can separate us from God's eternal love in Jesus. This we know since he gave him up to death for our sakes.
notes 1455787997159 Main point summary How amazing! Nothing can separate us from God's eternal love in Jesus. This we know since he gave him up to death for our sakes.
Arc
editing
NT
Romans 8:31-39
na27
esv
Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν πρὸς ταῦτα;
What then shall we say to these things?
εἰ ὁ θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν,
If God is for us,
τίς καθʼ ἡμῶν;
who can be against us?
inference
ὅς γε τοῦ ἰδίου υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο
He who did not spare his own Son
ἀλλὰ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν,
but gave him up for us all,
negativepositive
πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ἡμῖν χαρίσεται;
how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
τίς ἐγκαλέσει κατὰ ἐκλεκτῶν θεοῦ;
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?
θεὸς ὁ δικαιῶν•
It is God who justifies.
τίς ὁ κατακρινῶν;
Who is to condemn?
ideaexplanation
Χριστὸς [Ἰησοῦς] ὁ ἀποθανών,
Christ Jesus is the one who died—
μᾶλλον δὲ ἐγερθείς,
more than that, who was raised—
progression
ὃς καί ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ,
who is at the right hand of God,
ὃς καὶ ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν.
who indeed is interceding for us.
locative
ground
τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ;
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
θλῖψις ἢ στενοχωρία ἢ διωγμὸς ἢ λιμὸς ἢ γυμνότης ἢ κίνδυνος ἢ μάχαιρα;
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι
As it is written,
ἕνεκεν σοῦ θανατούμεθα ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
ἐλογίσθημεν ὡς πρόβατα σφαγῆς.
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
comparison
ἀλλʼ ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν ὑπερνικῶμεν διὰ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς.
No, in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us.
questionanswer
πέπεισμαι γὰρ ὅτι οὔτε θάνατος οὔτε ζωὴ οὔτε ἄγγελοι οὔτε ἀρχαὶ οὔτε ἐνεστῶτα οὔτε μέλλοντα οὔτε δυνάμεις οὔτε ὕψωμα οὔτε βάθος οὔτε τις κτίσις ἑτέρα δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 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.
na27
discourse
1352267675833 Arc 1352267867 1455785624 editing 16 NT 45 8 31 8 39 Romans 8:31-39 na27 esv i951144 i951145 i951124 Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν πρὸς ταῦτα; What then shall we say to these things? i951146 i951147 i951125 εἰ ὁ θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, If God is for us, i951126 τίς καθʼ ἡμῶν; who can be against us? inference 2 i951148 i951149 i951150 i951127 ὅς γε τοῦ ἰδίου υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο He who did not spare his own Son i951128 ἀλλὰ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν, but gave him up for us all, negativepositive 2 i951129 πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ἡμῖν χαρίσεται; how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? inference 2 i951151 i951152 i951130 τίς ἐγκαλέσει κατὰ ἐκλεκτῶν θεοῦ; Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? i951153 i951131 θεὸς ὁ δικαιῶν• It is God who justifies. i951132 τίς ὁ κατακρινῶν; Who is to condemn? inference 2 ideaexplanation 1 i951154 i951133 Χριστὸς [Ἰησοῦς] ὁ ἀποθανών, Christ Jesus is the one who died— i951134 μᾶλλον δὲ ἐγερθείς, more than that, who was raised— i951162 progression i951135 ὃς καί ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ, who is at the right hand of God, i951136 ὃς καὶ ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. who indeed is interceding for us. i951163 locative 1 2 inference 2 ground 1 inference 2 ideaexplanation 1 ideaexplanation 1 i951156 i951157 i951158 i951137 τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? i951159 i951138 θλῖψις ἢ στενοχωρία ἢ διωγμὸς ἢ λιμὸς ἢ γυμνότης ἢ κίνδυνος ἢ μάχαιρα; Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? i951160 i951139 καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι As it is written, i951161 i951140 ἕνεκεν σοῦ θανατούμεθα ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; i951141 ἐλογίσθημεν ὡς πρόβατα σφαγῆς. we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” comparison 1 ideaexplanation 1 ground 1 ideaexplanation 1 i951142 ἀλλʼ ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν ὑπερνικῶμεν διὰ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς. No, in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. questionanswer 2 i951143 πέπεισμαι γὰρ ὅτι οὔτε θάνατος οὔτε ζωὴ οὔτε ἄγγελοι οὔτε ἀρχαὶ οὔτε ἐνεστῶτα οὔτε μέλλοντα οὔτε δυνάμεις οὔτε ὕψωμα οὔτε βάθος οὔτε τις κτίσις ἑτέρα δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 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. ideaexplanation 1 ideaexplanation 1 1 1 1 na27 25 esv 25 a 50 90 80 discourse 11352267866253
Comments
Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.