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Who Cares Who is Against Us?

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. ~Romans 8:31-34

In my opinion, this is one of the most powerful scriptures that we seldom take to heart. That's right. There are many great truths in the Bible. Many we ignore, others we choose not to obey and some we don't yet understand. But Romans 8:31-34 is simple for us to comprehend, something we've likely heard in a worship setting (probably before a power anthem), and not difficult to obey. Yet we don't live out the implications of this truth.

Who is he that accuses? You can almost hear Paul pause, as if he were preaching this to a crowd. Who dares accuse us? I imagine he would pause and look around. He would be waiting for a name. Looking for a hand. He would do so with an aggressive stance, as if to say, 'I swear if anyone calls out a name or raises their hand to disagree with this point, I will fong you in front of this crowd to make an example out of you.' Or maybe that's just what I'd be thinking, knowing that some teen would take this powerful point and joke about it.

See Paul is referencing God being for us. Let me repeat that in case you are not accustomed to hearing such things. God is for us.

God is for us.

So who is it that would accuse us? Now I imagine Paul scoffing. Because what name can you possibly come up with that will cause people to nod their heads and sigh, as if knowing this name would be more worthy of telling us who we are. Telling us what we are worthy of. More knowing than God.

Who is he who accuses? There is no one I know. There is no one you can think of. No such person exists, no matter how well they know you. No matter what position they hold. No matter what power they wield.

Who then will condemn us? Paul pauses one last time to make his point very clear. Then he answers his own question. No one will condemn us. "No one - for Christ Jesus..." And honestly he could have stopped with the name. This name, that we should know to be above every other name (Philippians 2:9). This name alone should convince us that when Jesus is for us, it does not matter who is against us. But Paul qualifies his statement by describing Jesus as the One who died for us. The One who raised Himself from the dead for us. The One who is sitting in the seat of awesome right now. The One who is, right now, pleading on our behalf. He is defining us to God the Father.

God is for us. Who dares say otherwise?
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