Romans 8:28-39
Often throughout the Scriptures we are instructed to love one another. God does not leave us in the dark as to what characteristics he expects our love to have. Neither does he leave us to wonder what the source of our love might be; he tells us explicitly that he is the source (1 John 4:19) and consequently he defines the standard, in fact he is the standard. God does not call us to love in ways he has not already expressed; therefore loving properly is an integral part of being made like Christ, conformed to his image.
As Paul approaches his doxology here in our text he brackets it with statements about the love of Christ (v. 35) and the love of God that is in Christ (v. 39).
A. Individual v. 28
God’s love is particular, bestowed on those who love him, those whom he has called. In explaining how God sovereignly works out his decrees, Paul describes how events for “those who love God” are ordered by him; there is a way in which all things work according to God’s plan for the benefit of a particular group of individuals.
“for whom God peculiarly loves, he does thereby distinguish from others, which is in itself a selecting or choosing of them from among others.” Hodge
The saint’s love for God and God’s elective call are inseparably linked. Paul gives the sequence of events: in Rom. 9:11 God’s election precedes the birth of the individual; in Eph. 1:4 saints were chosen in Christ before creation.
Note also that God’s purpose came first (logically); individuals were called in accordance with a purpose, to implement a plan, previously ordained by God. God’s purpose comprehends all things, all events and circumstances, having as its goal his glory and that of the elect.
It is important to recognize that while in some sense God deals with nations (as he has in the past with Israel), he has focused his special attention on the church; within that context, he has never lost sight of the individual. He saves individuals not couples, families, communities or nations. When spiritual issues are in view, God always deals on an individual basis, something many have a hard time to accept. Yet Paul makes it explicitly clear in Chapter 9 that “not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel”. Rom. 9:6-8 It is “the children of promise” who have experienced God’s particular love and consequently have faith in his promise.
B. Irresistible v. 29-30
All of those on whom God bestows his love will be glorified; if God calls he justifies, sanctifies and glorifies without fail. God’s purpose will be fulfilled in spite of opposition, regardless of its source. No step in the process falters; irresistibly and inexorably God works out his plan in the salvation of sinners, bringing them securely from condemnation to glorification.
There is also an eternal component of God’s love expressed in these verses – foreknowledge and predestination occurred as an expression of God’s love before Creation; effectual calling, sanctification (implied in the “predestined to…), and justification occur in space and time; glorification will occur at the consummation.
God’s love for us is really an overflow of his love for his Son; God demonstrated his love for us in the death of his Son which guaranteed our salvation with the end in view of glorifying Christ.
“It is not merely an unintended result, but the great end contemplated in the predestination of God’s people. That end is the glory and exaltation of Christ. The purpose of God in the salvation of men, was not mainly that men should be holy and happy, but that through their holiness and happiness his glory, in the person of the Son, should be displayed, in the ages to come, to principalities and powers. Christ, therefore, is the central point in the history of the universe. His glory, as the glory of God in the highest form of its manifestation, is the great end of creation and redemption. And this end, the apostle teaches, is accomplished by making him the first-born among many brethren, that is, by causing him to stand as te first-born, the head and chief, among and over that countless multitude who through him are made the sons of God.” Hodge
Only an all-wise and all-knowing God could ordain all that comes to pass in such a way that the ultimate demonstration of love, his love, includes the sacrifice of his very own Son. 1 John 4:10 God, at the same time, loved his Son and punished him in our place; he didn’t just punish the sin, peoples’ sins don’t go to hell. It was a real experiencing of the wrath of God that Jesus endured in our place. In Matt. 26:39, Jesus prays that, if possible, the Father not require him to drink the “cup”, symbolic in the Old Testament of God’s wrath and judgment (Ps 11:6, 75:8-9 ; Isa 51:17, 19, 22)
When God opens our eyes, removes the spiritual blinders from our sight, and we gain a glimpse of what he has done for us in Christ, his love for us is absolutely irresistible. Once we understand experientially the love of God demonstrated in Christ, we can be certain of all the steps necessary for our glorification. What God begins in us, he will bring to completion Phil. 1:6; our future with Christ is guaranteed since God has committed himself to accomplishing our full salvation.
C. Incredible v. 31-34
Consideration of God’s love for his people expressed and demonstrated through salvation leaves us speechless. If that doesn’t blow your mind, this will – God is for us! and, at one point in redemptive history, was against his own Son.
Considering God as Ruler, he has every right to be against all those who fail to properly honor him. But, he individually and irresistibly selected many children from among humanity, transferring their citizenship from Satan’s kingdom to his. Since they (we) are citizens of God’s kingdom, even children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ, God is committed to doing all that is necessary to preserve his possession and his Son’s inheritance.
GOD is FOR us. He, as our Judge, is satisfied ; as our Father, he loves us; as the supreme and almighty Controller of events, who works all things after the counsel of his own will, he has determined to save us; and as that Being, whose love is as unchanging as it is infinite, he allows nothing to separate his children from himself. Hodge
God has demonstrated the incredible breadth and depth of his love in his role as Judge, having satisfied his own demands on our behalf and in our place through Christ. In simple terms, God loved us so much he sacrificed himself instead of us, assuming our sin and taking the just punishment due it so we might go free. Only an incredible love would condescend to bridge the infinite gap between a holy God and sinful men in the person of our Mediator so that we might be reconciled to him.
D. Invincible v. 35-38
We are more than conquerors, prevailing completely over those who would harm us; this is true because we participate in the supreme victory, prevailing over the ultimate enemy – death. If our final victory is assured, if death cannot prevail over us, then nothing can separate us from the love of Christ or the love of the Father in Christ. More than that, all that which is intended to harm us is instead designed by God to contribute to our complete salvation by sanctifying us and moving us closer to God.
Consider the parallel statements here; “all things work together for good” (v. 28) and “in all things we are more than conquerors” (v. 37). Because God loves us, he has so ordered it that the forces and individuals which would oppose us and come between us and God instead serve as our helpers, furthering our salvation. That which would attempt to shut off the supply of God’s love to us instead open the valve wide, increasing the flow so that even the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was unable to adequately describe it.
Two more things must be noted. First, the power that fuels the love of God is the same power that raised Christ from the dead, exalted him to heaven, and installed him in the place of honor and authority (v.34). Second, the emotion (if we can use that word) which fuels the love of God for us is the love he has for his Son and which is spurred into action by the intercession of Christ on our behalf (v.32). Resurrecting love and inter-trinitarian love unquestionably surpass the power of any created thing to overcome it.
E. Demonstrable
If God loved us we should love one another. 1 John 4:11
If we love one another, God’s love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12
God’s love is perfected so we will have confidence that we will persevere. 1 John 4:17
God loved us first, now in our persevering we have a duty to demonstrate it. 1 John 4:19
love God by loving the brethren 1 John 2:10
loving God, not the things of the world 1 John 2:15
sacrificing our needs for our fellow Christians 1 John 3:16
showing compassion to our brothers 1 John 3:17
