How We Know God Is For Us
Date Posted: August 13th, 2012
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. Romans 8:32
It is not enough to say “God is not against us.” The question is: How do we know that He is for us? God gave up His Son for us all. The wrath of God was poured out and absorbed by God himself.
When God took human flesh in Jesus Christ, He became the propitiation for our sins. He laid down his life as a sacrifice. His death became like a lightning rod that absorbed the awesome power of God’s wrath and diverted it away from us.
God acted for us in giving His Son. And if the Son also gave Himself, then you can be certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God is for you.
God views His people in Christ
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Romans 8:33
We know that Satan is the great accuser, but the important point here is that the basis of all accusation and condemnation is the law of God. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law (1 Corinthians 15:56). Charges and condemnation arise from our failure, when measured against the law of God.
The law condemns the best Christian. That is why we sometimes feel so unworthy. If you feel unworthy when you do the measuring, what hope do you have if God does the measuring? God says “Let’s not use the law as the measuring stick. Let’s do it this way. I will view you in Christ.”
If God views me in Christ, then there will be no charges, no accusation and no condemnation. Not because I have lived a perfect life, but because God is no longer measuring me against the law (on the basis of my performance).
This is what the Bible calls justification. It is the way that God brings a sinner out of condemnation and into a joyful relationship of love and acceptance with Himself. It is possible only through the death of Jesus Christ, and it is the gift of God to all who will come to Christ in repentance and faith.
God will accomplish His purpose through Christ
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Romans 8:35
God will complete His purpose by bringing every one of His children into His glory. But is there anything that could go wrong? Is there a scenario in which God’s purpose could be overwhelmed by catastrophe and one of his children lost after all?
Paul lists nearly every kind of suffering a person could experience in this world—trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword, facing death all day long—and then he says “In all these things we are more than conquerors” (8:37).
He’s not saying “God’s purpose will be fulfilled despite the painful events in a Christian’s life.” He’s saying “God’s purpose will be fulfilled through them.” Far from unraveling the purpose of God, the painful experiences of life in this world are passages that lead us into the fulfillment of God’s purpose.
Think of a jigsaw puzzle. Every piece in the box has its place in the picture. Sometimes we can’t see where a particular piece belongs. But when the picture is complete, we will see how it fits. God will walk with you through every painful passage of life until He leads you into the glory He has prepared. God is for you and nothing can separate you from the love of Christ.
This LifeKey is based on the message (December 7, 2003) called: “God Is for Us,” by Pastor Colin S. Smith, from the series, “The Heart of the Gospel.”
Review the series, The Heart of the Gospel
