If God is For Us, Who Can Be Against Us?
Scripture Reading — Romans 8:28-39
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Today we come to the end of our month of reflecting on questions in the Bible. And we conclude with hope.
In Romans 8, the apostle Paul asks, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” The “things” Paul is referring to are the teachings about salvation that he has discussed earlier, such as freedom from sin and death, the life-giving Spirit who lives in us, the new life we have as God’s children, the promise of renewal despite suffering we may face today, and strength and hope to endure.
Faith in Jesus does not remove all the struggles we may encounter in life. Still, we know that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Somehow, even despite bad things that can happen in our lives, God works to conform us “to the image of his Son.”
Paul’s question “Who can be against us?” answers itself: If God is for us, of course no one can be against us! And Paul goes on to say, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Dear God, we know that if you are for us, nothing can stand against us. By your Spirit, guide us to live for you. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Norman F. Brown
Chaplain Norman F. Brown graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, in 1969. He served aboard destroyers during the Vietnam conflict and ashore in San Diego, Calif., as an instructor. By then God had made clear his call to work in pastoral ministry, and Norman entered Calvin Theological Seminary, graduating in 1980. Chaplain Brown pastored churches during his ministry career but spent most of his time as a navy chaplain. During one assignment he served three years at Holy Loch, Scotland, where he and his wife, Ruth, encountered the Iona Community and their emphasis on spiritual disciplines. Chaplain and Mrs. Brown have three married children and nine grandchildren.
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