Romans 8 is one of the most beloved chapters in the Bible. It holds precious truths that encourage and sustain the soul through the most difficult seasons of life. Rejoicing the heart again and again are verses like these:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
“We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
And yet, despite the precious truths found in Romans 8, there are also some parts that puzzle readers, even within the chapter’s most beloved verses. Let’s identify some of these confusing or misunderstood verses, analyze them afresh, and in so doing revive and reappropriate them to further sustain and rejoice the heart.
Led Where by the Spirit?
One verse to consider is Romans 8:14, which teaches that “all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” When you have thought of the Spirit “leading” you, what have you envisioned?
In our Christian vernacular, the word lead is often used to refer to God’s direction in our lives when we are faced with a choice between two good options. These could be big decisions (such as buying a house or taking a job) or minor ones (such as which sweater to wear or what pizza to buy). Since we know that all of life is under the lordship of Christ, we often want God to “lead” us in these moments by impressing on our hearts what he wants us to do. This common usage of the word lead might make us think that Romans 8:14 teaches us about God’s guidance and direction when faced with decisions.
While it is true that we should look to the Lord for guidance when we have to make significant choices, Romans 8:14 more specifically concerns the believer’s personal holiness in the fight against sin. This becomes evident as we take note of the broader context, where Paul distinguishes between believers and unbelievers.
On the one hand, believers are characterized by the Spirit: they walk according to the Spirit (verse 4), live according to the Spirit (verse 5), set their minds on the Spirit (verses 5–6), are in the Spirit, and have the Spirit (verse 9). The Spirit indwells believers (verses 9, 11), enables us to mortify our sin (verse 13), and testifies that we are children of God (verse 16). On the other hand, unbelievers are under the sway of the flesh: they walk according to the flesh (verse 4), live according to the flesh (verse 5), set their minds on the flesh (verses 5–6), and are in the flesh (verse 8). They are hostile to God and cannot please him (verses 7–8).
This broader context suggests that in Romans 8:14 Paul continues to distinguish between believers and unbelievers by setting forth their relationship to the Spirit and the flesh. In this context, the word lead is roughly synonymous with the other verbs that depict the believer’s relationship with the Spirit. This conclusion is further supported when we take note of the conjunction between verses 13–14 (for), which indicates the close link between being led by the Spirit and mortifying sin.
The context sets before the Christian not two good and godly options but righteousness and wickedness. To be led by the Spirit means the Christian, due to the power of the indwelling Spirit, is revulsed by the horror of sin and instead pursues holiness, having tasted its sweetness. Put differently, to be led by the Spirit means God leads us “in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). When we follow the Spirit’s lead by pursuing righteousness, we testify that we are sons of God.
Work Together for What Good?
Another verse that could potentially puzzle readers is Romans 8:28. On the one hand, Romans 8:28 is beloved because it expresses powerfully and memorably God’s meticulous governance such that all things will infallibly “work together for good” for God’s people.
At the same time, verse 28 does not define what constitutes the good for the believer. If we look at only verse 28, we might be tempted to define the good in any way that seems best to us. For instance, does the good refer to a healthy and long life or being consistently affirmed and appreciated by those around me? Is it a promise that my children will trust and follow Jesus and in their mature years honor and support me in my old age? Does it refer to a life of prosperity defined according to my own estimation of what is good for me?
The answer to these questions comes in the next two verses. In verse 29, God predestines his people so that we may be conformed into the image of the Son. In verse 30, the end result of the so-called golden chain of salvation is our glorification. These twin purposes — our conformity to Jesus and our glorification — are not two distinct purposes but one.
We share in the glory of our older Brother when we become like him in his character, and this is precisely the good of Romans 8:28. God meticulously and infallibly works all things in our lives so that we who love God and are called by him might become more like Jesus. He governs our lives, every day and in every detail, so that that we will ultimately be glorified through Christ and share in his holiness (see also 2 Thessalonians 1:12; Hebrews 12:10). Recognizing this as our good coheres with Scripture’s consistent witness about the purpose of God’s discipline and the preciousness of God to the believer, and it helps us recalibrate our hearts so that we are not so easily tempted by lesser goods.
Who Can Be Against Us?
In the last paragraph of the chapter come two other potentially puzzling verses. Romans 8:31 and 37 both emphasize the victory Christians enjoy because God is on our side. In verse 31, Paul asks a rhetorical question: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The implied answer to this rhetorical question is “No one!” Similarly, in verse 37 Paul affirms that Christians are “more than conquerors through him who loved us.” The promise of surpassing victory is clear and is obviously meant to encourage Christians.
But how does Paul’s encouragement work? On the surface, it seems that Paul is promising Christians a comfortable life free from stress and suffering. If verse 31 implies that no one can be against us, then doesn’t that sound like a promise of freedom from opposition, slander, and persecution? If verse 37 promises us victory in all things, then doesn’t that sound like freedom from pain and the sorrow that accompanies loss and apparent defeat?
Paul does not leave us without answers to these questions. In verse 36, Paul quotes from Psalm 44, which testifies to how the righteous experience affliction and trouble. The psalmist laments that God has rejected his people (verses 9–16), and he prays for restoration (verses 23–26). Paul quotes Psalm 44:22 to affirm that Christians experience a similar kind of affliction and hardship. Indeed, in Romans 8:35, 38–39, Paul lists the many and varied circumstances Christians face in this life, such as tribulation, famine, danger, and even violent death.
Yet as we experience these hardships, Paul promises that God is for us and that we will be victorious. Because of Christ’s all-sufficient death, resurrection, and continuing intercession on our behalf, God is our kind-hearted Father (Romans 8:32) and righteous Justifier (verses 33–34), which our experiences of hardship do not minimize or erase. Hence, our victory doesn’t mean we have freedom from suffering but victory through suffering. Specifically, we are “more than conquerors” because through the gospel God ensures that our faith will persevere when we are tempted to fall away during affliction.
So, why won’t our afflictions separate us from his love (verses 38–39)? Because he promises to hold us fast by preserving our faith in him.
Read and Rejoice
We rightly read, memorize, and cling to the promises of Romans 8. Even a cursory reading yields beloved truths that rejoice and sustain the heart. Yet as we analyze the text more closely, we find that it continues to yield rich and abiding fruit. Interpreting God’s word with an eye to the immediate context not only guards us from misinterpreting the text but also affords us a clearer grasp of its precious truths and a fresh love for the God who revealed them.
Desiring God