The message of the Gospel and the message of this book of Romans is that: ‘God is for us’! The triune God is on our side. He is working on our behalf. He is graciously inclined to­ward us. Is this not a most amazing thing, that God, the One who is al­mighty, glorious, holy and eternal, is for us? That’s the conclusion that Paul comes to here at the end of chapter 8 of Romans. Don’t be mis­led by Paul’s ‘if.’ It is not the ‘if’ of doubt but rather the ‘if’ of inference, to express a fact, an assurance. It might be expressed as ‘since’ or ‘seeing that.’ There is no doubt that God is for us!

How do we know that God is for us?⤒🔗

How can we be sure? Where is the evidence? Where is the proof? Does it lie in the fact that your Chris­tian life is one of unbroken happi­ness? Does it lie in the fact that as a Christian things are always going well in your life? Does it lie in the fact that God always answers your prayers? Does it lie in the fact that now as a Christian, you no longer struggle with sin? Does it lie in the fact that since you are a Christian, the Devil no longer tempts you? Does it lie in the fact that now that you are a Christian, you have no more opposition or ene­mies or trials?...

The answer to all these questions is a resounding ‘NO’. Indeed, at times we might wonder ‘is God indeed for us?’ It seems at times that everything is arrayed against us! The world is against us (John 15:18-19); the flesh is against us (Romans 7); the Devil is against us (Eph. 6:10-12 and 1 Peter 5:8-9).

How can we be so confident than that God is for us? We need to remember that when face to face with almighty God, all these things are limited and finite. The world is limited: it has an expiry date. The flesh is limited: one day we shall be like Christ. The Devil is limited: he is doomed and defeated. That’s the perspective we need to maintain.

The ultimate proof however that God is for us is found — not in our feelings or circumstances or ex­perience — but in the Cross (v.32).

We can be sure that God is for us because this God, the God of the Bi­ble, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up to the Cross for us all.

1. God Did Not Spare His Son←⤒🔗

This is how we know that God is for us; ‘He ... did not spare His own Son.’ The gospel begins with God. ‘God so loved the world that He gave...’ (Jn. 3: 16). He loved. He sent. He gave. He did not spare. Perish the idea of a grumpy, grudging, reluctant god who had to be dragged by a compassionate Christ to get involved in the re­demption of His people! He didn’t have to be coaxed. It was His plan. The gospel begins in eternity, in the heart and mind of God. The saving initiative begins with Him. Bethle­hem and Calvary were always part of His eternal plan. Hence He did not spare His Son.

From the cradle to the grave He did not spare His Son. Even though the Father shared the same nature with the Son; even though they shared an eternity of love; He did not spare His Son a life of hu­miliation and a death of suffering and shame.

Shorter Cat. Q. 27: ‘Christ’s hu­miliation consisted in being born, and that in poor circumstances; in being subject to God’s law; in undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the curse of death on the cross; in being buried; and continuing un­der the power of death for a time.’ He was born in a stable in an ob­scure village in Palestine, his par­ents were poor, he had brothers who misunderstood him and re­jected Him, and His own people rejected Him. He was betrayed by one of His own and denied by one of His closest friends. He was con­demned, beaten, spat upon and ultimately exposed to public shame and crucified; to the extent that ‘at last His identity was totally ob­scured and all that could be seen was a man disgraced, disfigured and damned’ (Macleod). The glory and the relationship with the Father were obscured. If you and I were there at the Cross we would have seen a criminal; a thief; a rebel; a law­breaker. Scarred; marred; bruised; beaten; bleeding. There was nothing outwardly to indicate that this was God’s own Son.

This was unnatural and unfair. It is natural for parents to spare their (guilty) children (e.g. David wanted Absalom spared). Judges are known to spare the (guilty) criminal. The police officer will often spare a (guilty) motorist. But Jesus, who deserved to be spared, was not. He didn’t de­serve the poverty and the pain, the shame and the suffering, the malice and the cruelty. He had served His Father as a son should serve his fa­ther. He had preached about the Fa­ther; He had introduced a whole gen­eration to His Father in Heaven. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, even brought the dead back to life. His words were pure; His life was impeccable; He did no wrong. He deserved to be spared. He even prayed that He might be spared. ‘Father if it is possible, let this cup (i.e. the sufferings of the Cross) pass from me.’ What father could possibly fail to grant such a cry? God spared Isaac (Gen. 22). But His own Son, the Son he loved, was not spared.

This is the greatest mystery in the universe ... But Paul puts the mes­sage of the gospel like this for one obvious reason. If what he says is right, we can draw only two possi­ble conclusions: either God is ut­terly arbitrary and whimsical, im­possible to understand and unwor­thy of trust; or (as Paul was con­vinced) God was doing something that is breathtaking in its signifi­cance. Ferguson

God did not spare His Son, because He is for us.

2. God Gave Up His Son←⤒🔗

‘God the Father did not spare His Son – but gave Him up.’ In other words, it was God Himself who deliv­ered Christ into the hands of men to be treated as if he really was the blas­phemous offender they accused Him of being. Although Judas betrayed Him, and the high priests and the council condemned Him, although Pilate handed him over, and the Roman soldiers were guilty of put­ting Him to death, there was a hand above theirs; God was the ultimate cause of Christ’s suffering and death. God was the actual conspira­tor, righteous judge and executioner. Peter declared, ‘This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you with the help of wicked men put him to death by nailing Him to the Cross’ (Acts 2:23). Who deliv­ered up Jesus to die? ‘Not Judas for money; not Pilate for fear; not the Jews for envy; — but the Father, for love!’ (Winslow). Behind Judas and Herod and the priests and Pontius Pilate — stood the purposes of His Heavenly Father handing Him over to the Cross. ‘It was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suf­fer’ (Isa. 53:10). Jesus death was divinely ordained. It was no accident or mishap. God did it. God gave up His Son because He is for us.

3. God Gave Up His Son for Us All←⤒🔗

Jesus death was substitutionary. In His condemnation and death, Jesus was taking our place. ‘That is why the charges brought against Him were blasphemy and treason. For these are the very charges that we face before the judgement seat of God. We have made ourselves into gods, and thus blasphemed his holy Name; we have rebelled against His rightful rule over our lives, and we are guilty of high treason against His gracious maj­esty’ (Ferguson). Jesus died FOR us. He was made sin FOR us. He was pierced FOR our transgressions, crushed FOR our iniquities, punished FOR our peace, wounded FOR our healing. ‘We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all’ (Isa. 53:5-6).

This is the ‘great exchange.’ He took what was ours so that we might re­ceive what is His. Jesus took the cup of suffering and has drunk all of it on our behalf, so that if we are in Him our punishment has been paid in full; our rescue is assured; and we are eter­nally and infinitely safe and secure. That’s what Jesus has done for ‘us all.’ Who is included in the word ‘all’? All mankind? Every sinner? No! It’s the Roman believers to whom Paul was writing. The ‘all’ are those defined in the context (verses 28-30).

The ‘all’ are all those who love God — all those called according to His purpose.

Just think: if that is what God the Father has done to His Son while punishing the sins of His people, what will He not do to those who reject Him and turn away from Him? Our sins must be pun­ished. They are only punished once. Either Jesus personally bears our eternal punishment once and for all, or the sinner personally bears the punishment eternally in hell. The sufferings of hell will be aggravated by the knowledge that the miseries of hell could have been avoided. (See the story Jesus told about the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16: 19-31). Don’t make that mistake. Don’t spurn the great and proven love of the awesome holy God. God gave up His Son for us all because He is for us.

4. God Guarantees our Future←⤒🔗

‘How will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?’ This is the ‘I shall not want’ of the New Testament. This is a beautiful benediction. This is the consequence of Calvary. This is the out flowing of His character and grace. This is God’s guarantee for our future. ‘This is not merely an argument from the greater to the lesser, but a statement of the impossibility of not completing what God began at so tremen­dous a cost to Himself’ (Lenski). It’s impossible to think that after giving us His greatest gift, He will withhold His lesser gifts. It includes the material as well as the spiritual. Nothing is overlooked. ‘My God will meet all your needs accord­ing to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 4:19). ‘His divine power has given us every­thing we need for life and godli­ness’ (2 Peter 1:3). ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want’ (Psalm 23:1). Yes, Chris­tian friend; God is for us. He al­ways has been and He always will be. That’s not a bad thought to be­gin 2013. I wish you all a happy New Year! But even more impor­tant, I wish every reader a happy eternity. It can be — and it will be with Christ.