Romans 8:32

Romans 8:32 says, 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? Paul gives us the reason that we can have hope.  God loves us enough to send His Son, Jesus to redeem us.  In verse thirty-one, Paul had asked if God was for us, who could be against us.  Through sending Jesus to die for the sins of the world, God proved that He is for us. It is up to us then to decide if we are for God, if we accept the sacrifice of Christ.  Verse thirty-three adds, Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.  We no longer have to worry about the judgment of the world as to our relationship with God.  We do not justify ourselves, but God justifies us through Christ. Though the world may attempt to condemn our stand for God, they will ultimately fail if we are indeed followers of Christ.  No one can condemn us, not even fellow believers, if we have truly found forgiveness through Christ.  God justifies us.  This is a wonderful truth that we must never forget.  When we accept Christ as Savior and Lord, then God is for us.  He guides and empowers us through the Holy Spirit.  Verse thirty-four continues, 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. I believe Paul is asking Who is the only One qualified to condemn people, and answers that it is Christ.  He is the One Who not only died for atonement for our sins, but also rose again for our victory over death.  We can never leave Christ on the cross, wanting Him to simply be our Savior, but we must follow Him beyond the empty tomb as Lord.  When we accept Christ as Savior and Lord, He frees us from  His condemnation, and He is the only One Who can condemn.  Verse thirty-five states, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Paul asks what in this world can separate us from Christ's love if we are His through Christ, and answers that nothing can.  All these things the early Christians faced as they proclaimed Christ as their Savior and Lord, and we should expect no less.  We face very little persecution as followers of Christ, but no matter how bad it might become, it can never separate us from the love of Christ.  Verse thirty-six adds, As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Paul once more tells us that we should not be surprised if we are mistreated by the world for the sake of Christ.  He was not speaking about what might happen, but what was happening.  Verse thirty-seven continues, Nay, in all these things we ware more than conquerors through him that loved us.  He was speaking about persecution, even to the point of death, and declared through it all that we are more than conquerors.  Just as the Jewish leaders thought they had defeated Jesus on the cross, we can be sure that no matter what occurs, we like Jesus win.  Verse thirty-eight says, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Verse thirty-nine adds, 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. There is nothing now nor in the future that can separate us from the love of God which He makes available through Christ. All we have to do is accept His sacrifice, then the Heavenly Father seals us to Him. Nothing has the power to take that relationship away, so we need to live victoriously through Christ.