LIFE'S GREATEST FEAR

Romans 8:31-39
May 7, 1995
Bob Bonner

There is no greater sense of assurance than that which comes from a relationship that is built on trust and commitment and the belief that the other person really cares about you. Likewise, there is no greater sense of insecurity than when a significant relationship is threatened by desertion, danger or destruction.

Several years ago, when my daughter was in pre-school, my wife took her and about 6 of her friends to the local mall to see a children’s movie. The quickest way to one's car from the theater was to pass through a drug store in the mall and exit to the parking lot. So, with 7 kids in tow, Becky went through the drug store and to the car, only to discover that when she was counting noses, Anne's was missing. Anne had accidently taken a left in the drug store and was separated from the rest of the group.

In the following moments, this little toe-head blond, blue eyed girl was frantically trying to find her mother. She felt her mother didn't care because she seemingly hadn't made any attempts to find her missing daughter. When Anne had searched the parking lot for her mother's car and couldn't find it, because Anne was looking in the wrong lot, she believed her mother had abandoned her. Frightened and feeling unprotected she wondered if she would ever see her mother and family again.

A total stranger eventually found Anne wandering through the parking lot. Discovering her plight, the stranger took Anne to the security office, where Anne and her mother were successfully reunited. For quite some time after that, Anne believed that her mother had deliberately left her behind and was hurt by the entire incident. Her trust in her mom had been shaken over this incident. Later, as she got a little older, she understood and all was well.

No parent who loves their child would ever want to deliberately cause that kind of psychological trauma to their child. In fact, most of us would do everything we could to prevent it. God, our heavenly Father is no different. He wants us to know and feel secure in His love. And the best way to do that is to educate us as to how God loves us and how secure we are in that love.

As the Apostle Paul concludes this second major section of the book of Romans, ending with chapter 8, God uses Paul's words to drive home the truth about the basis for the security of the believer. 

In the previous five chapters, Paul has explained the basis of our relationship with God that comes through having been born again through Jesus Christ. He has explained to us how it is that those who have put their lives in the hands of Jesus Christ as their master are completely forgiven and are made new creatures in Christ. And as we saw last time, whatever God starts He always finishes. In other words, if He called us to be born again and to become His children, He will make sure that we will one day leave this world, not just forgiven, but fully approved, full pleasing and totally accepted by Him, but most of all, deeply loved by Him. 

All of this has been such fantastic mind boggling news, that in the concluding verses of chapter 8, Paul tries to sum up the major implications for our lives today of having been saved. He begins this closing paragraph by asking an emotional question, in verse 31, to which he gives five answers in the balance of these verses. He asks, "What then shall we say to these things?" These truths we have just covered and Paul has written about in these past chapters are so amazing, what are we to think? And then he gives us his first answer, a point that God wants us to focus on for the rest of our lives. He says, "If God is for us, who is against us?"

Two observations that need to be noted from the original language of this text that are not clearly seen in the English text, in the English, we see that this part of verse 31 is written in the form of a question, given in the form of what looks like a condition. In other words, the condition would be "If God says this, then won't He do this?" At first, it may appear to be leaving a little room for doubt. But the way this conditional question is written in the original language, Greek grammar demands an affirmative answer.

Secondly, the first word of this question, translated "if", can also be translated "since." Therefore, putting together the type of conditional clause we have here, which demands an affirmative answer, with the more preferred word "since", it would be best to read this verse as more of a positive statement of conviction than reason to doubt God. It should be read, "Since God is for us, then who could stand against us?" And the expected answer is obviously; Nobody!

Basically, Paul is saying to us, "Look folks, God is on your side." Hence, if God is on your side, that should settle the question of the fear and opposition of others. Because of your relationship with the eternal, sovereign God, nobody can ultimately harm you. You, ultimately, don't have to fear those who threaten you or oppose you.

However, that does not mean you as a Christian will not be treated unjustly or be physically harmed. It doesn't mean that those who oppose you in this world can't win in the short run. What it does mean is this: if such a situation of trauma or mistreatment does happen, whereby in the short run, you are opposed and you lose or face a real injustice, it doesn't mean that God has abandoned you. It does mean that God has allowed it for His good purpose for your life and His goals. Even though there may be some momentary pain, God will use it for good.

Immediately, the story of Joseph, in the Old Testament comes to mind. His jealous brothers, out of hatred, sold him into slavery in Egypt, all the while telling his father that their brother had been killed. In the end, when years later they meet Joseph in Egypt, then as the vice president of Egypt, they were afraid for their lives. But Joseph, understanding full well the truth of God being on his side and not having to fear others, said to his wicked brothers, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." God used Joseph's enemies to produce something great through Joseph's life for the whole nation of Israel, even though at the time it caused Joseph great deep emotional and physical pain.

If you are presently living in fear of what someone else can do to you or your future, you really ought to memorize the following verse. It is a promise that can be claimed by those who have submitted their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is found in Psalm 27:1. King David confidently proclaims, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; [or deliverer] Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?" Again, the expected answer here is "Nobody!" David continues to explain why he is praising God. He says, "When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident. One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to meditate in His temple. [Notice, David doesn't pray for victory so much as he just wants to remain close to the Lord not matter how difficult the trials of life become.] For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. When Thou didst say, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to Thee, ‘Thy face, O Lord, I shall seek.’ Do not hide Thy face from me, Do not turn Thy servant away in anger; Thou hast been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up. Teach me Thy way, O Lord, And lead me in a level path, Because of my foes. Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. [then David closes this psalm with a word of instruction to those who face difficulty. He says,] Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord."

This psalm is a Psalm that is worthy of your closer scrutiny, especially if at this very moment you feel pressed in by the unfair treatment of others. Study the whole Psalm, paying close attention to the character of God and what He does. Then memorize at least the first verse, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?"

Verse 32, gives us another answer to the question of what shall we say then to God's working in our lives and that He is for us. Paul writes, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" His point being, since God emptied all of heaven to meet our deepest needs, by sending Jesus Christ, this should cause us to scream for joy that God is for us therefore all our fears of want or need have been settled. 

I figure it this way. If a person goes to all the trouble to give his girl friend an expensive diamond ring, and the girl asks if she can also keep the box that the ring came in, do you think her boy friend would refuse her the box? Of course not! Or, if Jeff Sigel was going to give you a brand new Chevy Suburban for you having made a hole in one at a Rotary Golf Tournament, do you think he would refuse to give you the second set of keys that comes with it? No!

If God gives us His only son to die on the cross to take our place and to take care of our eternal needs, do you think that He won't provide for the temporal needs of those who seek Him? What a foolish thought. Even God's name, Jehovah Jireh, tells us that He is the provider of His people. God will withhold nothing in taking care of us. 2 Peter 1:2-3a says, "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and Godliness,…” 

Psalm 147 describes God's everyday acts of provision for us. This week, you might want to take two or three days simply to meditate on this Psalm and particularly what it tells you about God and how much He cares for you. It reads:

“Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

For it is pleasant and praise is becoming. 

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

He gathers the outcasts of Israel. 

He heals the brokenhearted,

And binds up their wounds. 

He counts the number of the stars;

He gives names to all of them. 

Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength;

His understanding is infinite. 

The Lord supports the afflicted;

He brings down the wicked to the ground. 

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

Sing praises to our God on the lyre,

Who covers the heavens with clouds,

Who provides rain for the earth,

Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. 

He gives to the beast its food,

And to the young ravens which cry. 

He does not delight in the strength of the horse;

He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. 

The Lord favors those who fear Him,

Those who wait for His lovingkindness. 

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion! 

For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;

He has blessed your sons within you. 

He makes peace in your borders;

He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat. 

He sends forth His command to the earth;

His word runs very swiftly. 

He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes.

He casts forth His ice as fragments;

Who can stand before His cold? 

He sends forth His word and melts them;

He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow. 

He declares His words to Jacob,

His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. 

He has not dealt thus with any nation;

And as for His ordinances, they have not known them.

Praise the Lord!” 

The bottom line of this Psalm teaches us that our God is our provider and that he will meet all of our needs. We do not have to fear for being in want or without the basic necessities of life, when we continue to make Jesus number one in our lives.

The third summary point that Paul wants us to focus on as we consider what God has done for us through Jesus Christ's work on our behalf is seen in verse 33. Paul writes, "Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;". This term "bring a charge" is used to describe the summoning of someone into court for the purpose of impeaching that person. It is usually done by someone who is one's adversary. 

In this case, who is the only adversary who has access to the court room of God and who would bring charges against God's elect or those who have been saved? Obviously, the scriptures point to Satan. Therefore, when we consider what God has done for us because He is for us that settles the fear of Satan’s accusations against the believer. 

Next week we will begin looking at how to handle Satan's attacks of our lives as we take a brief break from Romans for a few weeks to touch on spiritual warfare.

A fourth point for us to consider, concerning God's work on our behalf is seen in verse 34. Paul says, "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."

What's the point? The point is that we have a risen and an alive savior who also doubles as the judge over all the world. Furthermore, we would have every right to fear Jesus Christ, the judge, if it weren't for the fact that He is no longer the believer's judge, but instead He is our advocate. The apostle John, in his first letter tells us, "My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;". This advocate won't judge us but instead He will defend us. Therefore, since "God is for us" that settles the fear of ever being judged or condemned by God.

 The final and most important point that Paul wants us to understand as we reflect upon the truths of the past chapters, takes up the rest of this chapter. It is briefly stated in verse 35 and then driven home in verse 36-39. Paul writes, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" His point being that since "God is for us" the fear of ever being separated from the love of God is once and for all settled.

 No one or no thing, he will show us in these following verses, can ever separate us from God fulfilling His purposes for the believer's life. And that ultimate purpose being that we be with Him forever and be conformed to the image of Christ. 

 As you may remember from our study last time of verses 26-30, God is the one who will complete the whole process of salvation that He began in our lives. This is why Paul said what he did at the beginning of this letter in 1:16 that he was not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation. It is all God doing what He promised, to finish what He started in our lives. Hence, once we have put our trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and been born again, we never have to fear being separated from the love of God.

 As we read verses 36-39, notice that this is autobiographical for Paul. By that I mean that Paul has experienced all that he is writing about here and affirms that none of the following, absolutely nothing has separated him from the love of God. 

 Let's look closely at each of these next statements. Paul says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, [meaning everything from minor inconveniences to catastrophes or disasters] or distress, [this refers to those hardships or tight and narrow places we have to go through in life that leave us emotionally bankrupt or in deep anguish. In other words, if we have an emotional breakdown, God still hasn't abandoned us] or persecution, [those deliberate attacks by others against us, from mistreatment to injustice or wrongful blame] or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” [those things that literally threaten our lives and cause us to be in need, none of those things are to be taken to mean that God has turned His back on us.]

 Rather than these things separating us from the love of Christ, they may scare us so much that we are driven to run closer to Him. God uses, as we saw last time, even the most difficult times in our lives to build into us and to cause us to know Him better.

 Paul continues, "Just as it is written, ‘For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long;’” Here, he is not referring to physical death, but the choices we make every day to put our wishes and desires aside in order to serve Him more. These are our personal daily sacrifices that we make in order to point others to Jesus. And sometimes, we make wrong choices out of ignorance and rebellion. Even those wrong choices, although they do have negative consequences, one of those consequences is not that we will be separated from the love of God.

"We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." But what you may ask, about all of the supernatural evil forces of darkness? They are powerful, but are they powerful enough to remove us from the secure arms of our savior? Can they separate us from God's plan for our lives? Paul answers that. He says, "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, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God has never changed in His commitment to the believer. His committed love has always been secure for those who put their trust in Him. Steve Zeisler, another pastor and friend of mine, made an outstanding observation about these verses and how they stack up to a well known OT Psalm, Psalm 23. This Psalm, along with these closing verses in Romans 8 show us that men and women in generation after generation have been writing about the secure love of God. The theme of verse 31, "If God be for us, who can be against us?", is felt throughout this Psalm. Listen as I read David's familiar words. He writes,

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters. 

He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil; for Thou art with me;

Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. 

Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

Thou hast anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Nothing can foil God's perfect plan for our lives. This paragraph in Romans 8 is the apex of this entire letter to the Romans. There is nothing more that can be said, as to what God has done for the believer. The only thing we can do when confronted with a God such as this is to love and obey Him.

Ruth Harms Calkins paraphrased these last verses of Romans in a way that we can all relate to. Let's end with them. She writes, "God, I may fall flat on my face; I may fail until I feel old and beaten and done in. Yet your love for me is changeless. All the music may go out of my life, my private world may shatter to dust. Even so, You will hold me in the palm of Your steady hand. No turn in the affairs of my fractured life can baffle You. Satan with all his braggadocio cannot distract You. Nothing can separate me from Your measureless love---pain can't, disappointment can't, anguish can't. Yesterday, today, tomorrow can't. The loss of my dearest love can't. Death can't. Life can't. Riots, war, insanity, un-identity, hunger, neurosis, disease---none of these things nor all of them heaped together can budge the fact that I am dearly loved, completely forgiven, and forever free through Jesus Christ Your beloved Son."

 Now, can you add anything to that? I think not. So, let's pause to bend our knee in worship and gratefulness to our loving God who has provided for us, all that we have ever needed. We never have to be afraid of anything if God is for us. 

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