GOD’S PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS
Part 15
Rom. 8:31-39
Morning Meditation 1/20/17
Verse 31-39 says, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 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? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 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. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 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.”
God’s security of His people is declared in no uncertain terms in the remainder of this chapter. I am not going to argue the point, I am going to explain the verses and let them do it. This doctrine has been a bone of contention between segments of Christianity for centuries. This should not be so. If the saints are secure, one’s denial of it does not change it. The only danger in not believing the truth of God’s preservation of the saints is that believing that one can do something to lose his salvation takes salvation out of God’s hands and puts it back into man’s. That would be teaching works for salvation and the Bible clearly says that salvation is by grace and not by works (Eph. 2:8-9). Salvation is of the Lord. He FOREKNOWS us with all our doubts, fears and shortcomings. He PREDESTINATES us to glory, to be conformed to the image of His Son. He then CALLED us which means He brought us under the sound of His Word. Then He JUSTIFIES us which means He gave us a standing before Himself that is so solid that Satan or anyone else cannot do a thing about it. Then He GLORIFIED us which means the new man in Christ is already glorified. Verses 31-39 explains that God will accomplish what He has begun and nothing can possibly stand in his way. It is His undertaking and He will finish it.
Paul asks several questions in the remainder of this chapter and answers them. The first is, “What shall we say then to these things? The words “shall we say” translates “ereo” and means, “to utter, to speak or to say” and is a future active indicative verb. The words “these things” is referring to what he has just declared. The word “then” means “therefore.” He is asking, what should be our verbal response to God’s foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification? I am glad that He answered that question himself (by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit).
Now the next question. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” A preacher was emphasizing this question one time as he shouted it from the pulpit. He paused at the end of the question. A man in the audience shouted, “My mother-in-law!” Well, Paul says that not even our mother’s-in-law can be against us in this matter. Now lets look at the “if.” It is a first class condition. It is “if” and it is true. It can be translated “Since God is for us.” Then he proceeds with “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Note the “for” and “against” in this statement. These two preposition are very important. Paul says “God is FOR us.” Then he asks, “Since this is true, who can be AGAINST us?” Of course the answer is obvious. This clearly puts anyone or anything that would threaten our salvation against God. If Satan could get our salvation he would have to come through God to get it. Someone hold my mules!!!
Now Paul will explain how God is FOR us. He declares, “He that sparred not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all . . .” God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac on Mount Moriah but stopped short and had him offer a ram in his stead (Gen. 22:13). What God did not finally require of Abraham, He Himself did. The words “he sparred not” is an aorist middle indicative verb. The middle voice is where the subject participates in the result of the action. God Himself sparred not His Own Son, and in sparring not His Own Son, He redeemed to Himself a people for His Name. The words “but delivered him up for us all . . .” tell us what He did instead of sparring Him. The word “delivered” translates “paradidomi” and means, “to give into the hands (of another)., to give up” This is an aorist active indicative verb. This is saying that God gave up His Son in a once for all act FOR US ALL. There was no turning back. Jesus knew why He came and during His personal ministry said, “Mine hour is not yet come.” God made this decision in eternity past. Jesus came with a purpose in mind.
The only way God could be for us without sweeping our sins under the rug was to pay the debt for man that HE required of him. He says, “The soul that sinneth it shall die” (Ezk. 18:4). He says again, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). God was FOR US at the cross paying the just requirements of the broken law. He was dying in the place of all sinners. The word “all” translates “pas” and means, “each and everyone.” There is no son or daughter of Adam’s fallen race that Jesus did not die for. If a man goes to hell, he will wade through the blood of God’s Lamb to get there. There is no excuse. The sin debt has been paid by Jesus. He did it because God made Him an offering for sin. He paid God for our debt of sin. When He sets me free, I am like Isaac who was under God’s command of death but was set free on the grounds that a ram (typifying the Lamb of God) was offered in his stead. Picture this. Isaac was on the alter. Everything was prepared. Isaac was bound and placed on the alter. Abraham had the knife raised to plunge it into Isaac and take his life. But just before Abraham brought the knife down, “ . . . the angel os the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only sone from me.” That was a close call. I have an idea that before Abraham descended from that mountain he and Isaac had a talk.. Isaac must have asked, “Father, were you going to kill me and offer me as a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “Yes, son I was going to do it because God commanded it.” Isaac must have then said, “But father, do you think this will ever happen again? I don’t think I can go through another ordeal like this.” Abraham must have said, “Son, you won’t have to. One RIGHT SACRIFICE is enough.” I imagine Isaac was wiping cold sweat from his brow as he mumbled, “Man! Was that ever a close call.” You see my dear friends we all had a close call. Every man is under the command of death. We were sinners without a hope. We could not save ourselves. So God had mercy upon us and made a way to save us where He could be just and the Justifier of those who believe in Jesus (Rom. 3:26).
Then Paul asks, “ . . . how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” It is “with Him” that God freely gives us all things. This takes us back to verse 17 where we are joint heirs with Christ. What God has given Christ, every believer has also been given. And it is free. Do you know what free is? It means it doesn’t cost us a thing to get it or to keep it. It is not free if you have to work for it. It is not free if you have to work to keep it. I know this sound incredible. It is too much for a lot of people to believe. They can’t get past their rational minds. I am not asking you to rationalize this passage. I am asking you to believe it. God is the One that saves. He is the one that was for us at Calvary.. Because He was for us at Calvary, He will freely GIVE US ALL THINGS. This is a future middle indicative verb. This means that this is what we have to look forward to. It is the redemption of the body (vs 23) and all that follows that He is speaking of here. It is the middle voice which means that God is benefitted by this action, i.e., he saved us for His glory. Revelation 5:9-10 says, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Where is this new song sung and by whom? It is on the other side of the muddy waters of the Jordan of death. These are glorified saints. The song they sung was about the cross (Thou wast slain) and redemption (redeemed us) and cleansing (by thy blood) and the freeness of salvation (out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation).
God’s salvation is a gift. Anything that suggests otherwise, we should immediately reject. God does not contradict Himself. God is for us.. Who can be against us? We will continue this in the next meditation.
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
