Romans 8:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

NIV: 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?

NASB: He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

CSB: He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?

NLT: Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

KJV: He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

NKJV: He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

In the previous verses, Paul has offered ample evidence of a comforting truth. The subject of this promise is any person who has accepted faith in Christ. As with the rest of this section of Romans, Paul's focus is on the effects of saving faith, according to God's plan (Romans 3:23–26; John 3:16–18).

This profound truth is that the creator of the universe is right now for us—for saved Christians—because we are in Christ. He is working out his ultimate purpose for us which is to make us like Christ. He has predestined, called, justified, and will glorify us.

It's possible that a believer might remain unconvinced that God is for us. This is more likely when facing hard things in life, or our own sinfulness, or just a lack of feeling connected to God. To combat this discouragement, Paul provides the ultimate evidence: God didn't spare His own Son! God the Father sacrificed His sinless, righteous Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty price for our sin. He gave Him up for us all because of His great love for us (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). Now Paul asks us to be convinced. If God did that for us, how could we ever think He is not for us? More than that, if He would not withhold His Son, how would He not give us all things, along with His Son?

Paul uses the word "graciously" to describe God's giving. Ever and always, what God gives to us is not about what we have given to God. It is not about our sin or lack of sin. The God who is for us, who loves us, gives to us all good things based on His goodness and not on ours. They are truly gifts.

Romans 8:31-39 is one of the most encouraging and affirming passages in all of God's Word. Paul has established that God is for all of us who are in Christ; for those who have been saved by their faith. No charge or accusation made against us can stand, because God has provided for our justification and Christ is interceding for us. Paul makes two lists of all of the things in the universe that cannot separate us from God's love for us in Christ. Hard things will happen, indeed. Yet, none of them will cause our Father to stop loving us, nor are any of them signs that He has abandoned us. Our salvation is entirely, absolutely secure on account of His great love.

Romans 8 begins and ends with declarations of the Christian's absolute security before God. There is no condemnation for those in Christ, and nothing will ever be able to separate us from His love. Having believed the gospel, we now live in the Spirit of God. That allows us to call God Abba Father. We suffer with Christ, and we suffer along with all creation while we wait for God to reveal us as His sons. With the help of the Spirit, we are confident that God is for us and loves us in Christ.

In Romans 7, Paul revealed his frustration of trying to do good only to be thwarted by his sin. He begins Romans 8, though, with the triumphant statement that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. We live in the Spirit, and we relate to God as a child does to a father. The Spirit helps us in this season of suffering along with all of creation while we wait for our adoption to be complete with the redemption of our bodies. We are confident, though, that God is for us and nothing can separate us from His love.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.