*Romans 8:19-39
Despite suffering, Christians are assured of God’s ultimate victory and unfailing love through Christ.
- Creation’s Anticipation:
- All creation is personified as eagerly waiting for the revelation of the children of God, symbolizing a universal yearning for restoration.
- Creation has been subjected to frustration and decay, not by its own choice, but by God’s will, in hope of eventual liberation from its bondage to corruption.
- Hope for Redemption:
- Both creation and believers share the hope of being liberated from suffering and decay.
- Believers, who already have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as they wait eagerly for their adoption to sonship, which includes the redemption of their bodies.
- This hope for what is not yet seen is sustained by perseverance and patience.
- The Spirit’s Intercession:
- The Holy Spirit helps believers in their weaknesses, particularly when they do not know what to pray for; the Spirit intercedes for them with groanings too deep for words.
- God knows the mind of the Spirit, and the Spirit intercedes for believers according to God’s will.
- God’s Unfailing Purpose:
- Paul reflects on God’s purpose for believers, stating that those whom God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.
- Those predestined are also called, justified, and ultimately glorified, illustrating a divine sequence that ensures their salvation.
- Security in God’s Love:
- Paul poses rhetorical questions affirming God’s commitment to His people: If God is for us, who can be against us?
- He assures that God, who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for all, will also graciously give us all things.
- No charge against God’s elect will succeed because it is God who justifies.
- Overcoming All Challenges:
- Nothing can separate believers from the love of Christ—not trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword.
- Paul quotes a psalm to emphasize that despite adversities, believers are more than conquerors through Him who loved them.
- He concludes with a powerful affirmation that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord—neither death nor life, angels nor demons, present nor future, nor any powers, height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation.
8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 8:32 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? 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
8:34 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, who also maketh intercession for us.
8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.