“If God Be for Us…” (Part 2 of 2)

This sermon summary explores the profound assurance found in Romans 8:31, emphasizing the necessity of understanding human limitations (“wretchedness”) before grasping the magnitude of God’s grace. The teaching uses Old Testament narratives and deep theological insights to prove that if God is aligned with us, nothing opposing us can ultimately prevail.

1. Recognizing Wretchedness to Receive Grace

While it is more enjoyable to discuss personal talents and successes, understanding our own “wretchedness” and flaws is crucial for grasping God’s grace. The work of God is designed to reveal our inherent wretchedness so that we can fully appreciate the wonder of Christ dying in the place of a wretch.

The depth of the Father’s love is demonstrated by His willingness to give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure. If we fail to acknowledge ourselves as “wretches,” the message of Christ dying for sinners becomes irrelevant. Paul underscores that Christ died for us even while we were sinners.

2. Old Testament Foundations: One Plus God is a Majority

The principle of God’s victory overriding impossible obstacles runs throughout the Old Testament and serves as a backdrop for the assurance found in Romans 8.

A. The Example of Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 13)

When Moses sent spies to explore Canaan, the majority returned reporting a daunting situation—a “nice place” but one filled with insurmountable foes. However, Caleb and Joshua provided a counter-report, urging the people: “We should go up and take possession of the land for we can certainly do it”.

Caleb’s confidence was rooted in the principle of Romans 8:31, even though the verse did not yet exist. He understood that if God promised the land to the Israelites, they would possess it. Caleb did not deny the existence of giants or fortified cities, but simply affirmed that “one plus God is a majority”.

B. Divine Sovereignty and Human Action (Joshua 11)

In Joshua chapter 11, the Israelites faced an “insurmountable challenge” from numerous enemies, including the Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites, who amassed a huge army with many horses and chariots. God spoke to Joshua, instructing him: “Do not be afraid of them because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel slain”.

This passage highlights the juxtaposition between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. God stated, “I will hand them over slain,” but immediately followed this promise by commanding Joshua, “and you will hamstring their horses and burn their chariots”. God accomplishes His sovereign purpose through the activity of His people.

3. Jesus: The Victorious Warrior King

The Psalms, which Jesus sang, describe God as securing victory and arming Himself for battle (Psalm 144). The King of Glory is the “Lord of hosts and strong in might and great in victory”.

A disturbing modern trend has turned Jesus into a gentle, politically correct, “milk toast” character—sometimes described as “reaking of hand cream”—rather than recognizing His role as a triumphant warrior. This portrayal minimizes the reality that life is a spiritual war against “all hell”.

Jesus is the victorious warrior king who secured victory even as He hung upon the cross. He triumphed over death, defeated the evil one, and bore the ugliness of sin in Himself. It is this Christ, the mighty and triumphant one, who is for us. When God is on our side, everything opposing us “pales before the significance” of that fact.

4. The Unassailable Logic of God’s Sacrifice

Paul’s logic in Romans 8 is powerful and designed to prove God’s grace.

A. The Supreme Gift (Not Sparing His Own Son)

The ultimate evidence of God’s favor is that “he did not spare his own son”. This term, “his own son,” is the Pauline equivalent of the Johannine “only begotten son,” emphasizing Christ’s unique, eternal nature compared to believers, who are sons by adoption.

When Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, asking for the cup to be removed, the Father said no, fulfilling the requirement of suffering. Christ drank the “bitter cup” of pain and suffering so that believers might drink the “cup of blessing”.

B. Understanding the Atonement

It is considered heresy to imagine Jesus as an unwilling participant in the Father’s plan. Modern theological movements often misunderstand the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement, wrongly suggesting the Father punished an unwilling Son.

John Stott clarifies that we must not think of the Father imposing an ordeal Christ was unwilling to bear, nor Christ extracting a salvation the Father was unwilling to bestow. Rather, the Father and Son are subjects, taking the initiative together to save sinners.

• God the Father planned salvation.
• Christ the Son procured salvation.
• The Holy Spirit applies salvation to believers.