WHAT DO YOU SAY?
Romans 8:31-32 NKJV
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Romans chapter eight is one of my absolute favorite chapters in the Bible. It covers freedom from condemnation because we are in Christ. The value of a spiritual mindset in producing life and peace. The importance of living out of the desires of our spirit as opposed to our flesh. The help of the Holy Spirit and how He leads us and helps our prayer life. What God has done for those who are called in Christ.
Our verses for today have a couple of different applications. The first is, what do we say to all these wonderful things that are now ours because we belong to Christ? All the help, and the love, and the peace that is part of our inheritance. The mind-boggling fact that we are now children of God, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. The wonder of being called to be conformed to the image of Christ. That Jesus is now the firstborn among many siblings. What do we say to all of this? We say yes! Even if we don’t grasp the immensity of what has been done for us, we still say yes!
And we say that God is for us. And, if God is for us, who can be against us? This is such a powerful statement. With all these things that God has done for us in Christ, we can say that God is for us. And if we can say that, then whoever is against us is not nearly as important or powerful. Just knowing that God is for us helps us shift our focus away from whatever is against us.
Verse 32 makes a great clincher for us being able to say that God is for us. If God did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us, why would He withhold from us? God gave us His best in Jesus, so now would He withhold wisdom, or help, or strength? The question pretty much answers itself. God gave us Jesus, and He freely gives us all things. It is good to start with believing that God will give us wisdom or guidance before we start asking for the six-bedroom estate on the lake. How about asking for God’s help and insight into what His plan is for our lives? Can God help us with provision? Absolutely. And He can help us with healing and peace. The place where we start believing is that God is for us, and that opens the door to greater fellowship and relationship with Him. Don’t get hung up asking for winning lottery numbers.
And here is another insight that we can take away from these verses. We should have something to say about who God is and His favor toward us. There is a connection between our heart and mouth, so speaking about what God has done and who He is helps our faith. As we look at the life of Jesus, we see Him constantly speaking about who He was, who His good Father was, and what He had come to do. Jesus used His words intentionally, and He is our greatest example.
So, what shall we say about the problems that come our way? God is for us. What shall we say about our prayers? God hears us and is not withholding from us. What shall we say about the Holy Spirit’s help? That He is leading us and guiding us and witnessing to us of God’s great love. What shall we say about the feelings of condemnation that come our way about our shortcomings as believers? That God is for us and not condemning us. You get the picture; we have plenty to say, and it’s good to say it. Faith is voice-activated, and we can say with confidence that God is for me; who can be against me?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for what You have done. You are for me. And You being on my side puts me in a position of strength.