Into the Heart of Romans
A Deep Dive into Paul’s Greatest Letter
If God is for Us (3|3)
Pages 192-197
Isaiah 50:4-9 (NIV) The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakes me morning by morning, wakes my ear to listen like one being instructed. The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.
Isaiah 51:1-3 (NIV) “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him, he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many. The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
Psalm 110:1-2 (NIV) The LORD says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!”
Acts 7:54-8:1 (NIV) When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this, they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city, and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
And Saul approved of their killing him.
Paul answers the question “Who is going to condemn?” by pointing to Jesus, our older brother, standing at God’s right hand, ruling and interceding for us. How does this picture of Jesus’ ongoing advocacy shape your sense of security, identity, and hope when you face feelings of failure, accusation, or unworthiness?
Paul and the early church depict Jesus at God’s right hand, sometimes sitting in royal authority, sometimes standing in active intercession, reflecting our needs to the Father and the Father’s love back to us. What difference does it make to know that Jesus’ intercession is not “persuading God to be loving,” but is the very expression of God’s “eternal self-giving love” toward His people?
How does seeing Paul’s message through the lens of Isaiah 50 deepen your understanding of what true confidence in God looks like, especially when facing opposition, shame, or discouragement? Where do you sense God inviting you to the same “face like flint” (see Isaiah 50:4-9 above) because the One who vindicates you is near?
Isaiah promises that God will comfort His people, turning the wilderness into Eden and expanding the hope of the promised land to the whole world. Paul echoes this in Romans 8, assuring believers that there is no condemnation even when circumstances feel bleak. How does this vision of hope-filled confidence challenge the way you interpret seasons of hardship, fear, or apparent failure? What practices help you stand in humility and hope when life feels like a “waste place” awaiting God’s renewal?