Daily Teaching
Romans 8:31-34 — Meaning & Reflection
“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Your deepest assurance is not that no one accuses you, but that God justifies you and Christ intercedes.
Background
Near the close of Romans 8, Paul responds to God's saving purpose with a series of rhetorical questions. He grounds believers' assurance in the giving of God's Son, Christ's resurrection, and his continuing intercession.
Teaching
God's gift of his Son reveals the depth of his commitment to our salvation. Opposition may remain, but it cannot overturn God's verdict of acceptance in Christ. Jesus is not only the one who died for us; he is risen and intercedes for us at God's right hand. This assurance frees us to face accusation without making self-defense the center of our lives.
Reflect
- Whose judgment has become louder to me than God's verdict in Christ?
- How does knowing that Jesus intercedes for me change the way I face today?
Prayer
Father, steady my heart in the love you have shown through your Son. Help me trust your saving verdict and remember that Jesus intercedes for me. Amen.