More Than Conquerors – Romans 8:28-39

In these verses we reach the summit, the climax of this great victory chapter. Having climbed out of the valley of defeat in chapter 7, we commence the climb heavenward in chapter 8. In these final verses we find ourselves surrounded by the pure light of our Sovereign God, streaming down upon us from the throne of God.

Romans 8 – a great victory chapter. We are “more than conquerors” (Vs. 37)

The thread that runs through these final verses concerns the trials and sufferings of the believer (Vs. 17). We are sustained through these trials by the hope of our future glorification and through the intercessory ministry of the Holy Spirit.

This lesson: We are sustained in our trials by the knowledge of God’s Sovereign purpose in our lives and the security of our salvation.

The Aim of our Tribulations (Vs. 28-30)

The Perception of our trials (Vs. 28)

1. “know” = we perceive. We are possessed of an understanding that as believers, our trials are not without purpose
2. “for good” = the outcome, not the trials themselves. Very often the trials themselves are not good. In fact, they may be very grievous and evil. Illustrations: Joseph & Job
3. This benefit in sufferings is not enjoyed by all. It is specifically to those:
   1. Those who love God – “Whom having not seen ye love…” (1 Peter 1:8)
   2. Those called of God
   3. Description of those who are saved. The unbeliever cannot claim this truth for his trials.

The Purpose in our trials (Vs. 29-30)

1. Foreknowledge
   1. Means to know beforehand. Reference to God’s attribute of Omniscience.
   2. 1 Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
   3. Predestination = to mark out with a boundary beforehand, to appoint beforehand, to predetermine. “The destination toward which believers have been set in motion is that we might “be conformed to the image of His Son.”
      1. “conformed” = what we have be predestined to. ‘conformed’ = having the same form with. Denotes an inward and not merely a superficial conformity (RWP)
      2. ‘image’ = likeness. Word used of Ceasar’s image on a coin (Matt. 22:20). Plato used this word to describe the reflection of the sun in the water.
      3. ‘that’ = the ultimate purpose of this conformity to Christ’s image is that Christ might receive glory as the Preeminent one over the redeemed family of God. This give us a high and elevated view of our sufferings and trials. Ultimately, they are for Christ’s glory.
   4. Calling = God’s salvation plan translated into time
   5. Justification = pronounced, declared righteous
   6. Glorification = yet future as to time yet an accomplished reality in the mind of Almighty God.
   7. Note: While we discern a time sequence in this chain of salvation, each one of these words is in the Aorist tense. This indicates that the action took place at a point in the eternal past.
   8. With this glorious chain of salvation stretched out before us, we may begin to understand the depth of Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. These truths are like the rainbow of God’s grace, arched from the shores of eternity past to shores of eternity future. Underneath this wonderful arch of salvation, the believer finds that every particular of his life has an eternal meaning. In this present life, many things are not good, but God’s providence, purpose and power can make them work together for good. The ultimate good, as we have seen, is our conformation into the image of Christ. The unbroken arch of God’s providence transfigures suffering, adversity, disappointment, and even failure. All these, though not good, are made to work to His ultimate intention, in providing many sons in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we reach the pinnacle of the Epistle to the Romans. As B.H. Carrol said, “Salvation is a big thing”. Where can we find so complete, so satisfying a philosophy in all the wise sayings of men? Only God could have conceived it!

The Answers to our Questions (Vs. 31-34)

There are 7 question marks found from Vs. 31 to the end of the chapter. In essence, there are three main questions with supplementary questions under each.

Who can oppose us? (Vs. 31-32)

1. These are not questions of doubt but triumphant questions that spring forth from the heart of one who has caught a glimpse of God’s Divine plan of salvation as described in Vs. 29-30. “What shall we then say to these things?”
2. “If God be for us” = The greatest enemy in this life is absolutely nothing compared to the All Knowing, All Powerful, Eternal, Almighty God. Hebrews 13:6 “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
3. “delivered him up for us all” = ‘delivered’ means “to hand over”. God the Father did not withhold His only begotten, Eternal Son but handed Him over to the sufferings of the cross to secure our Redemption.

Who can accuse us? (Vs. 33-34)

1. “lay anything to the charge” = to accuse. Means “to bring a legal charge against someone.” Answer: No one can bring a charge against someone who has been pronounced righteous by God, the Supreme Judge of the Universe.
2. ‘condemneth’ = to judge
   1. Christ died!
   2. Christ arose! “yea rather” = much more
   3. Christ intercedes! He is pictured as our Great High Priest.
      1. Heb. 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
      2. Heb. 9:24 “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:”

The Assurance of our Preservation (Vs. 35-39)

The question (Vs. 35)

1. ‘tribulation’ = a pressing together, pressure
2. ‘distress’ = narrowness of place, torturing confinement, hemmed in with no way out
3. ‘persecution’ = sufferings for our faith
4. ‘famine’ = hunger, lack of basic needs
5. ‘nakedness’ = poverty, lack of clothing
6. ‘peril’ = danger
7. ‘sword’ = war, the taking of our lives

The quotation (Vs. 36)

1. Appears connected to ‘sword’ in previous verse
2. Psalm 44:22 is quoted in this verse. The whole psalm is a most sorrowful plea to God about the sore conditions His people were enduring. The enemy and the avenger had the mastery over them. The heathen laughed at their plight; they shook their heads and blasphemed God. Yet their reply to all this was: “Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.” vs 18,19 This is indeed a dark question: If in our present trials, the world seems to be on the winning side, is it not possible that someone will one day separate us from the love of God? Now look at the victorious reply in vs 37, 38.

The conviction (Vs. 37-39)

1. “all these things” = the list of trials mentioned in Vs. 35-36
2. “more than conquerors” = to win a most glorious victory. It suggests a lopsided victory in which the enemy or opponent is completely routed.
3. “through him that loved us” = The victory is now ours but His! The love of God is made personal and precious to us in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is “the love of God” displayed “in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Vs. 39)
4. Note: How can we be conquerors when it appears from the world’s standpoint that we have been defeated (Vs. 36)?! Paul gives the answer to that question in Vs. 38-39.
5. “I am persuaded” = I stand convinced, I have come to a settled conclusion
6. Items mentioned are the ones we tend to dread – life, death, supernatural powers, present trials, fears of what the future may hold. To make sure everything is covered, Paul ends with “nor any other creature” to cover anything that might have been missed in the list.
7. “In that great ocean of the divine love we live and move and have our being, floating in it like some sea flower which spreads its filmy beauty and waves its long tresses in the depths of mid-ocean. The sound of its waters is ever in our ears, and above, beneath, around us, its mighty currents run evermore.” MacLaren
8. Our answer to the question “What can separate us from Christ’s love” is this: nothing can separate us from His love!
9. “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell…”
10. “Here is love vast as the ocean, loving kindness like the flood…”

Conclusion

1. Have you experienced the wonder of God’s redeeming love?
2. Are we soaking our troubled souls in these glorious truths to sustain us in times of trial and testing?

Sermon 29 of 42 in Romans Series

Sermon Audio Id: 32418224173