What then shall we say to these things? 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 with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Chapters seven and eight of Romans are some of the most important truths about our justification, our sanctification and our glorification. Justification is when we are declared righteous based upon our faith (alone) in Jesus death and resurrection for us. Sanctification is God making us holy (both a one time act by Him through Christ and also an on-going act by Him by the Spirit). Glorification is God consummating our justification and sanctification completely by taking us to be with Him, through Jesus being the way, forever.
In the above passage we read the amazing truth of all these three coming into one glorious act for believers. Because, now, we are still fighting with sin (chapter seven) we might find ourselves second guessing our salvation. And where chapter seven reads that we often do things we don’t want to do (Romans 7:17-25), chapter eight gives this amazing assurance that our salvation is not based upon what WE do, but on what JESUS did for us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God because it was His love that secure our salvation. Jesus not only died here on the earth for us and then rose again to give us new life. He is also, right now, at the right hand of God making intercession for us. We have an advocate in Jesus, seating at the right hand of God (the Judge) making intercession for us based upon His death for us. This is why chapter eight ends with, “... we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Jesus love allows us to be “conquerors” for Him. Nothing can separate us from God because Jesus continues to live and intercede for us. Because sin is still in our bodies we will continue to sin. But it is the constant intercession of Jesus that frees us from the condemnation of sin.
Romans 8:1 (ESV)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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