Romans 8:31 "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
The apostle's question comes after a recital of all God has done to bring us to Himself. In eternity He foreknew us and chose us in Christ to be His children. In time He called us to faith, through the Gospel. Having brought us to faith, He declared us just and righteous in His sight. He also glorified us, the full state of glory awaiting us in heaven.
How do we know that God will carry out His purpose to the end? May not our enemies intervene to set aside God's good and gracious will? Saint Paul answers with a counterquestion: "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
This is not to say that we don't have opposition, for we do. Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and the sword may try to separate us from the love of Christ, but to no avail. God is for us, and so this opposition fails.
With God for us, even we ourselves--everything we are or have done to defy Him--all our sins, our evil, our unbelief cannot keep Him from coming to us. In Jesus Christ, His Son, God takes our sins, needs, and weaknesses into and upon Himself, that we might be forgiven and reconciled with Him. In Christ God has found us--found us when we sought Him not. Now no one can be effectively against us.
PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for finding us. Amen.
(Taken from "Words of Promise," copyright 1996, Concordia Publishing House (out of print). For information on other devotional materials, call 1-800-325-3040.)
Today's Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 1-2 Luke 24:36-53
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