Dear Christian friends:

Can a Christian be sure of his salvation? Are you convinced that you will eventually go to heaven rather than go to that other place?

According to religious polls, about one-half of the church people, including Lutherans, answer, "No." They may say they hope so, but they add that one can't be sure.

Those one-half are vulnerable, because we Christians can and should be sure of our salvation. If we are not sure we are in grave danger and sitting ducks for our spiritual enemies.

In our text, which is the Epistle Lesson for this Sunday, we see that St. Paul was absolutely sure of his salvation. He asks the questions, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (verse 35) Then he answers, with an emphatic, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (verse 37)

Like St. Paul, we Christians need to be absolutely sure that God is for us and that we are saved in spite of the fact that we have many enemies and that we walk in danger all the way.

In our text St. Paul states several reasons why we can be sure, persuaded, and convinced. He says: We can be sure because God is for us. St. Paul asks, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

The implied answer, of course, is that nobody can really be against us if God is for us. It is true that, many attempt to be against us and presume that they can lead us away from God and our hope of salvation. But nobody can fight against God and win.

Since God is on our side we are on the winning team. At times it may seem like we are on the losing team because we are smaller in members than those who are against us. We may feel that the devil, the world and our own sinful nature is winning. But if we feel that way, we just don't know the score!

God's team always wins as Martin Luther reminds us in his great reformation hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.

A mighty Fortress is our God, A trusty Shield and Weapon; He helps us free from every need That hath us now o'ertaken. The old evil Foe Now means deadly woe; Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight; On Earth is not his equal.

With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected; But for us fights the Valiant One, Whom God Himself elected. Ask ye, Who is this? Jesus Christ it is. Of Sabaoth Lord, And there's none other God; He holds the field forever.

In our text St. Paul gives us specific evidence that God is for us, saying, "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?" (verse 32)

Paul's point is this: Since God, like Abraham, did not spare His own Son, whom He dearly loved, but gave him up for us all, He will certainly give us all other things that we need to keep us safe to the end of our pilgrimage here on earth.

What are these other things that God gives us to keep us with Him all the way to glory? They are the holy apostolic church here on earth, which has His Word and the Sacraments, Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. Through these gifts God gives the Holy Spirit who creates saving faith in us and keeps us in that one true faith through all adversities and temptations.

It was not enough that God gave His Son to come to earth to save the world. The world must also hear this Good News, so it might repent and believe and be saved. That is why Jesus, after He had been tempted by Satan in the wilderness and had won the victory, "went into Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of God, saying, "The time has come, the kingdom of God is near, Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:12-15)

What a precious gift these "other things" are which He gives us along with His Son Jesus Christ! If we are to be sure of our salvation we all need to be in the Word whereby saving faith is created and preserved through all adversities and temptations!

One of the deceptions which Satan and our own sinful nature uses to make us unsure of our salvation is that they encourage us to think that we are justified by the works of the Law rather than by God. Therefore St. Paul here in the text takes great care to expose this deception.

He states that God has justified us and no one can accuse us and condemn us. He writes: "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies." (verse 33) Paul had already treated the doctrine of justification in the previous chapters of this letter to the Romans. Romans 3:19-24 is the seat of this doctrine where we read: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

So Paul asks the question,"Who will bring a charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies." (verse 33) Paul's point is this: Nobody can effectively accuse us with our sin because God has already judged us and declared us not guilty because of Jesus' saving work. Our salvation does not depend on what we do or fail to do; it depends solely on what God has done and still does to save us. Sadly, we often are deceived by the natural religion etc. An active member of a Christian congregation lay dying in a hospital. When his pastor came to visit him he said, God must have a lousy memory. I'm the guy who never missed a worship service, always tithed and did my bit for social justice. Why me?

Paul asks another related question to assure us of our salvation, "Who is he that condemns?" He really doesn't answer the question, but he implies that really nobody can condemn us and make it stick. He exalts, saying, "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." (verse 34)

Paul's argument is this: Only Jesus has a right to condemn us and send us to hell, but He won't do that because He has died on the cross to pay for our sins and what's more, He has been raised from the dead and is at God's right hand praying for us. It is Jesus who stands between us and the wrath of God due to us because of sin. If it were not for Jesus this iniquity that lives in us would certainly ruin us eternally. He is our advocate with the Father, and through Him God pities and spares and pardons. Jesus continues to pray for us, as he did for Peter that our faith fail not when Satan sifts us as wheat.

It is of great comfort to all of us who are in Christ Jesus that we cannot be condemned. Paul says, in the very first verse of this chapter, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Matthew Henry says it very well below in his commentary of Romans 8, The Believers Privilege.

He does not say, "There is no accusation against them," for this there is; but the accusation is thrown out, and the indictment quashed. He does not say, "There is nothing in them that deserves condemnation," for this there is, and they see it, and own it, and mourn over it, and condemn themselves for it; but it shall not be their ruin. He does not say, "There is no cross, no affliction to them or no displeasure in the affliction," for this there may be; but no condemnation. They may be chastened of the Lord, but not condemned with the world. Matthew Henry

We can be absolutely sure of our salvation because God is for us and no one can really be against us and win. Also we can be sure of our salvation because God has justified us in Jesus Christ. Nobody can now effectively accuse and condemn us. He who will be our judge on the Last Day is also our Savior.

So we can triumphantly say with St. Paul: "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." (verse 38-39)

Amen.