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-Todays teaching will be part ten of a series I’ve titled; “Hope for the Discouraged and Depressed.” -For the last three weeks, we have only taken and tackled one verse at a time, but today, we’re going to live on the edge and take a total of two. -Actually, we’re technically taking three verses, however, to do that, we’ll, by way of review, and introduction, be including and counting verse 30.

-Here’s why, commencing in verse 31, Paul concludes, in response to everything he’s argued here-to-fore, that there are no charges against us. -One commentator asks, will God’s declaration stand in the court of the universe, when He declares us justified and not condemned. Absolutely! -It’s for this reason this passage is as powerful as it is profound in it’s meaning to us, there is no one, nor is there no thing that can be against us.

William Newell – “Paul here arrives at the mountain-height of Christian position! …Concerning this great passage, Bengel says, “We can no farther go, think, wish.” Olshausen emphasizes “the profound and colossal character of the thought”; and Brown says: “This whole passage, to verse 34 and even to the end of the chapter, strikes all thoughtful interpreters and readers as transcending almost everything in language.”

-To be candid with you, I have to confess that passages, like the one before us, can be a little intimidating for the teacher to teach adequately. -These verses, to the end of the chapter, are so amazing, that if we would but give Holy Spirit permission, our lives could be completely changed. -Having said that let’s borrow from the previous text from last week where in verse thirty, the Apostle Paul tells us the “how” of our hope in Christ.

1. Hope returns to us, in knowing God foreknew us (Verse 30) (30) And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. -v30 The Apostle Paul says those God predestined He also called, and those He called, He also justified, and those He justified, He also glorified. -It does not say that God predestined us to be saved, rather, it does say that God predestined us because He foreknew that we would get saved. -The reason this is important is because it both establishes and secures my salvation based on God predestining me, vis-à-vis, foreknowing me.

2. Hope returns to us, in knowing God is for us (Verse 31) (31) What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? -v31 Paul asks two questions, the first of which is what, then, shall we say in response to this? Secondly, if God is for us, who can be against us? -This verse is an often quoted one for what would be deemed obvious reasons, however, our familiarity with it, may be the greatest enemy of it. -Let me explain, we will usually quote it within the context of some adversity, when everything and everyone around us is seemingly against us.

-Let me hasten to say, this is certainly OK, but there’s more to this knowing that God is for us, and that no one, nor no thing, can be against us. -Namely, what Paul writes first saying, what, then, shall we say in response to this? In other words, one is left speechless with nothing to say. -I like how one commentator put it; “When the accuser brings charges against us, he has to put a hand over his mouth when he sees the cross.”

-Here’s what I’m thinking, not only is there no one or no thing that can be against us, so too is there no condemnation, or accusation against us. -The reason being is that God is for us. The reason that God is for us is because God became one of us, a man like us, and died instead of us. -This is why, the Apostle Paul will now expound on this in our next verse, verse thirty-two. This is where we get the “why” behind the “what.”

3. Hope returns to us, in knowing God gave all to us (Verse 32) (32) 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? -v32 Paul says that He Who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, would also, along with Him, graciously give us all things. -Notice how Paul poses this in a question form asking, if God wouldn’t spare His own Son but give Him, then is there no thing He would spare? -We do well to frame a doctrinal discussion into a question, as it stretches us and enables us to process and think through in order to answer it.

-I believe that this is why the Holy Spirit would inspire Paul to ask so many rhetorical questions in the writings of his epistles. It makes one think. -Such is the case here in this verse. He says think about it, if God is unwilling to withhold His own beloved Son, then He is willing to give us all. -Even the way Paul says it is worthy of our noting, for he uses the well-known reference to Abraham unwilling to withhold His only begotten Son.

Genesis 22:12 NKJV And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

-OK, so what’s the take away for today? Well, in a word, “hope.” Perhaps better said, a “renewed hope.” If this is true, then it’s a game changer. -This changes everything. Vs. 30 changes my relationship with God, vs. 31 changes my response to God, and vs. 32 changes my gift from God. -My relationship with God is no longer ambiguous any response to God can no longer be contemptuous because my gift from God is all gracious.

-You’ll forgive me waxing poetic and homiletic saying that, but this blows the lid of, the limitations on my Christian life, completely to smithereens. -I, like David, the Sweet Psalmist of Israel, can have a talk with myself when I’m down and discouraged, saying to my soul take heart, have hope.

Psalms 62:5 NIV Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

Psalms 42:5 NIV Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my Lord.

Psalms 130:5 NIV I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.