Three Ways God is For Us, Part Three

“If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me!” So said Robert Murray McCheyne, the Scottish preacher, pastor, and poet.

This is the third (and last) post on why "God is for us." I said last time, God is for us by satisfying justice and declaring us "innocent!" As Paul put it in Romans 8:33, Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

The next verse in Romans 8 takes the thought a step further: but would it be possible not only to bring a charge against you, but actually to condemn you? Should you worry about a future where, despite your faith in Christ now, your sins catch up to you and you end up in hell?

Scripture’s answer is to point to Jesus. Yes, God is the one who justifies (v. 33). Justification stresses how justice is satisfied by Christ’s perfect obedience and infinitely valuable death. But don’t think only of Good Friday. Remember Resurrection Sunday. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us (Romans 8:34).

Jesus’ resurrection is proof-positive that the Father accepted Christ's payment for your sins. A living Savior, a resurrected King, means no condemnation can stand!

But that's not all. Not only was He raised up, but He ascended to heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. To "intercede" pictures bringing a petition before a king to plead someone's case. And unlike an earthly intercessor, Jesus is always at His post to plead our case: Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).

So not only did Jesus live a life of perfect obedience; not only did He die in your place, satisfying God’s justice and turning away God’s wrath; not only did the Father impute Jesus’ righteousness to you; not only did Jesus rise up again in power and glory, to prove beyond any doubt that the debt had been paid; not only all that, but Jesus continually intercedes for His people before the throne of God.

From His seat of highest honor He looks down the ages, into the hearts of men and women from every tribe and language and people and nation. He points and says to His Father, "She's Mine!" He smiles and nods, and says again, "Yes, he belongs to Me, too."

If God is for us, and if our Christ intercedes for us, who can be against us!