ROMANS 8:28-39
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Ph.3:13-14; cp.
Job 17:9; Ps.84:7; Pr.4:18; Heb.12:4).
3. God has glorified the believer. This, too, is past tense: the glorification of the believer is an accomplished fact, a fact
that has already taken place in God’s mind and plan. God already sees and counts the believer as glorified in His presence for
eternity (see DEEPER STUDY # 1,2,3—Ro.2:7; DEEPER STUDY # 1—3:23; DEEPER STUDY # 1—Jn.17:22 for what the be-
liever’s glorification involves).
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us” (Ro.8:18).
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor.4:17).
“[That ye may know] what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inhe-
ritance in the saints” (Eph.1:18).
“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according
to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Ph.3:21).
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory”
(Col.3:4).
“Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which
is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Tim.2:10).
“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings
of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed” (1 Pt.5:1).
“And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the
Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev.22:5).
“Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Ps.73:24).
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(8:31-33) God, Work of—Assurance—Jesus Christ, Death: God has acted for the believer, not against him. This is the
fourth assurance of deliverance. This is the greatest truth in all the world. God did not have to act for man, but He did.
God loves every man, no matter his condition, sin, and shame. Therefore, believers can rest assured that nothing, absolutely
nothing shall ever separate them from the plan and purpose of God. God’s love is absolute. It is perfect. And God shall have
His perfect love expressed by completing His perfect plan and purpose for each life. The believer can have absolute assur-
ance that God will work all things out for his good, even things that fail and are painful to the heart. God shall deliver the be-
liever through the struggling and suffering of this world. The true believer shall be conformed to the image of Christ and glo-
rified with Him (v.29-30).
The point is this: God Himself is the believer’s assurance. God Himself has acted for the believer; He has done everything
necessary and then more: “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
1. God is our Savior. It was God who “spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all” (v.32). The words
“spared not” (ouk epheisato) mean that God did not hold back or refrain from giving His Son; He did not refuse or even hesi-
tate to give His Son. The picture is that of God weighing man’s eternal separation from Him against the sacrifice of His Son.
He had a choice to make and He made it; He deliberately chose to sacrifice His Son for us. God knew exactly what He was
doing. He wanted man delivered from this struggling and suffering world, and there was only one way for man to be saved:
⇒ Someone had to bear man’s penalty for transgression and sin, which was the judgment of death.
Therefore, God handed His own Son over to die for us—in our behalf, in our stead, in our place, as our substitute. God
spared not His own Son; He delivered Christ Jesus up for us all. What a glorious, marvelous, wonderful love! And just how
wonderful His love is can be clearly seen in this: it was while we were sinners, acting and rebelling against God, that He gave
His Son to die for us.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”
(Ro.5:8)
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro.5:6).
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn.3:16).
“Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according
to the will of God and our Father” (Gal.1:4).
“All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD
hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Is.53:6).
(See notes, Jesus Christ, Death—Jn.3:16; DEEPER STUDY # 2—Acts 2:23 for more discussion. Cp. 1 Pt.2:24; 3:18.)
2. God is our Provider. Since God has done such a great and glorious thing, how shall He not also give us all things?
Giving His own Son for us was the greatest gift in all the world; therefore, He is bound to give us everything else. Nothing
could ever cost God anything close to the price He has paid in giving up His Son; therefore, God shall give us everything
else. Note three points.
a. God’s provision includes spiritual, eternal, and material gifts.
⇒ The spiritual provision is the fruit of the Spirit (See note—Eph.1:3.)
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