Grace Baptist Church, Nokomis, IL.

Text:

“And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 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?” (Rom 8:30-32 NIV)

If you know Jesus as Savior, you can be sure of two things from verse 30. Your salvation is an act of God. The text says that He predestined, He called, He justified. Who is the “He”? God! We can’t take credit for our salvation. It was God who showed us His mercy.

Be thankful for this! Because if my salvation depended on myself, I’d lose it! In fact, I’d never have it in the first place. I couldn’t earn it. But since salvation depends on God alone, once a person gains it, they can’t lose it.

But don’t think for a second that since God’s mercy has saved us, we don’t have to work. We love because He first loved us. We work because He first worked for us and in us. If we neither love God nor work for Him, then we need to humble ourselves before Him and cry out for His mercy!

What God began in you, He will complete in you. The text doesn’t leave room for those who were called but fell away. Since salvation doesn’t depend upon ourselves, then those who are truly saved cannot lose their salvation. Those who do appear to fall away show one of two things.

1. That they’re in a season of sin and need to repent.
2. That they were never truly saved and need to repent.

If it happens to turn into a longer season of sin, it seems the Bible tends to group them into the second category (1 John 2:19). Some of you may be thinking, “But what about my son or daughter or mom or dad or cousin who used to believe but now is living a completely different lifestyle?” As much as I want to hope that they have saving faith, the answer is the same. Either way, you better pray for them. You better talk with them. You better plead with them because the Bible warns them that their soul is in danger.

Ultimately, we will be glorified. This doesn’t rest on us, either, but on the faithfulness of God. We can be absolutely certain that if we know Jesus as Savior, He will restore us fully to the way we were meant to be from the beginning.

What shall we say in response to this? (v. 31) What is this in response to? A few things, all found in this chapter. It’s in response to God saving us and eventually glorifying us. It’s in response to the fact that God has given us His Spirit (v. 16), and adopted us as His children (v. 15), and holds nothing against us (v. 1).

Then the massive statement of verse 31 hits us: “If God is for us…” God, who created the heavens and the earth, who is sovereign and omnipotent, who wiped out mankind in a massive flood saving only one family, who displayed His power through ten plagues in Egypt, who parted the red sea, who made water flow from a rock, not once, but twice, who made the walls of Jericho collapse and drove the Canaanites out from the land, who sent His Son down from Heaven, who was God in the flesh, and was born as a little baby, who grew up and changed water into wine, who walked on water, who cast out demons and healed people with a word, He’s a God of faithfulness, power, wisdom, omnipresent, eternal, holy, righteous.

“If God is for us,” if He loves us, if He’s saved us, if He’s given us His Spirit, if He’s adopted us as His children. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” No one!

Whatever trial you’re going through, know that God is with you. There is only one God in all of the universe, and He’s on your side! If you know Jesus. We must know Jesus in order to have the blessing of God’s protection (v. 32). When we receive Christ, we receive the fullness of God’s protection and blessing.

God has promised to give us “all things.” But don’t come to God thinking that He will give you your idea of a perfect life. Allow God to redefine for you what a perfect life is. It’s a life that trusts God despite hardships. It’s a life that finds joy and peace in Jesus no matter what you’re going through. It’s a life that is heaven-bound.