Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 8:31 

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31   

The apostle Paul has just declared the assurance those who love God have, that everything will work toward our good.  “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”  Romans 8:28-30.  Everything will definitely, without question, work toward our good if we place our trust in God.  He knew we would give our lives to Him, therefore He predestined us to be conformed to Christ. And because we are in His image, we are called to do His work on this earth, just as Christ was called to die for us.  And because of this, we are declared not guilty because of the work Jesus did on the cross.  And because we are justified, we will be glorified for He has already decreed it so.

Now we come to our focus verse.  “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31.  He starts out his answer to this rhetorical question with the following.  “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.  He has already freely given to us His Son, His only begotten Son, to pay the penalty for our sins.  If He did this, would He not also give us all things?  Because we are now justified due to the gift of His Son, we are now considered His children. “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father! The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Roman 8:15-17. 

Then Paul asks a series of, again, rhetorical questions to solidify his point.  “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;” Romans 8:33.  No one can legitimately bring a charge against us because we have already been justified: He has paid the penalty for our sins.  He then asks, “who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” Romans 8:34.  Jesus died for us, then rose from the dead and is at the right hand of God interceding on our behalf declaring, in essence, ‘ The penalty has been paid.’  And lastly. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Romans 8:35.  The answer is found in the last two chapters of Romans 8.  “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39. 

So,  in answer to the question in our focus verse;  If God is for us, who can be against us?  People may not like us and plan evil against us, however, they can do nothing unless God allows it.  And if He does, then it is for our good.  But ultimately, they can do nothing that will cause us permanent harm, for our eternity has already been set.  Our sins have been forgiven, we have been justified by the shed blood of Christ, and He has already decreed we will be glorified and spend all eternity with our Heavenly Father and Jesus the Christ.  If anyone is against us, then it really does not matter.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.