Certain Victory
CERTAIN VICTORY
ROMANS 8:31-34
Paul shows how God paid the ultimate price to redeem humanity.
The lyric mood continues as Paul exults in God’s gracious plan. With a clear reference to the story of Abraham’s ultimate demonstration of faithfulness (8:32; Genesis 22:16), Paul speaks of God’s tremendous demonstration of his care for humanity. At the cross of Christ, God finally revealed his nature. He was “in Christ reconciling the world to himself.” If he could suffer in this way to convince and save, how true must the opening words of the chapter be! There can be “no condemnation” in time or eternity, if God has gone to this length to redeem.
Who alone could condemn? Only Christ, who lived the human life to qualify beyond all disputation for the role of judge, and through whom in consequence, God will indeed judge all at the end of time. But notice, for those who trust him, Christ does not sit as judge but as intercessor.
It is interesting to see Paul’s mind, in the fervor of this grand passage, working within the context of Scripture and the oral tradition of the yet unwritten words of Christ. See also Isaiah 52:13–53:12.
Here then is Christian security, the last ground of assurance, essential to peace and confidence. It is Jesus Christ, “at God’s right hand,” with the atoning death a fact of history, and pleading his people’s cause. The imagery is that of a royal court, but the word picture is vivid and complete. “Bold we approach the eternal throne...” (Charles Wesley). See also Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1f.