Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Romans 8:31-34,
“31 What, then, Shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is He that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died— more than that, who was raised to life— is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Understand:
Verses 33 and 34 ask a couple of questions. The first says, “Who’s the accuser of God’s chosen ones?” The answer could be ‘no one’. Verse 34 asks, “Who is it that condemns?” The answer is the same—‘no one’.
How can it be that the answer to both questions is ‘no one’? It’s because God has given us right standing with Him. Jesus Himself—the one who died for us and was raised to life—is the one who is for us; He’s on our side! He stands in the very presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. There is no one to condemn us because, as believers, we’re not subject to condemnation. Remember how we started the chapter: “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus (v1).” Jesus’s death accomplished the justification we desperately needed. We belong to God because He chose us; there simply is no other judge but God. Since we already know He has announced acquittal over us, there truly is no one who can condemn us. Jesus is at the right hand of God as our advocate—our security in Christ is iron clad—it’s impenetrable.
Apply:
Think about what it means to know that because of your faith in Christ, you have been acquitted—you’re free from condemnation.
Think about this:
(1) Christ died and thereby secured the removal of your sin’s guilt.
(2) He was raised to life and is able to bestow life on you because you have trusted Him for your salvation.
(3) Jesus was exalted to God’s right hand, with all power given to Him both in heaven (to represent you there) and on earth (where He is more than a match for your adversaries).
(4) Jesus intercedes for you at the throne of grace, whatever your need may be.
This is why the answer to the two questions is ‘no one’.
Ask God to help you embrace this reality and live in the freedom and power that are found there.
*From what you have just read and considered, what is a personal implication/application for your life today?
Live:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the Gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live out this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the Good News today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.
Inspiration and insight for the devotionals came from the following books: Reading Romans with John Stott; The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World (The Bible Speaks Today Series), Stott, John; Romans (The NIV Application Commentary Book 6) Moo, Douglas J.; Encountering the Book of Romans: A Theological Survey (Encountering Biblical Studies) Moo, Douglas J.; Believers Bible Commentary; The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, with the New International Version, Romans through Galatians; NIV Application Study Bible. The Cambridge Bible Commentary, Romans, Best, Ernest.