NGH BIBLE STUDY – ROMANS – OUTLINE #18
Outline #18: The Permanence of God’s Love – 8:31-39
Our passage concludes Paul’s magnificent exposition of the believer’s salvation. Having demonstrated that those who are justified by faith have been set free from condemnation, indwelt by the Spirit, adopted as God’s children, sustained through suffering, and assured of future glory, Paul now celebrates the absolute certainty of God’s saving purpose. The blessings introduced in Romans 5 and developed through Rm 8:6–8 culminate in a series of rhetorical questions that emphasize the believer’s complete security in Christ. As God has justified us through the sacrifice of His Son and Christ continually intercedes for us, no accusation, adversity, or spiritual power can ever separate the child of God from His unfailing love.
Outline of Romans 8:31-39
Rm 8:31-32 – The confidence of God’s provision – If God is for us, who can be against us?
Rm 8:33-34 – The certainty of God’s pardon – Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?
Rm 8:35-37 – The conquest of God’s power – we are more than conquerors through Him
Rm 8:38-39 – The completeness of God’s promise – (nothing) shall be able to separate us…
Themes to think about
● The eternal security of the believer
● The sufficiency of Christ’s work
● The sovereignty of God’s grace
● The certainty of God’s love
Questions for discussion
1. How should we understand “all things” in Rm 8:32? Is there a difference to be noted between the “all things” in Rm 8:28 and the “all things” in Rm 8:32?
2. How should Christ’s present ministry of intercession (Rm 8:34) influence a believer’s confidence when struggling with sin, failure, or spiritual discouragement?
3. Rm 8:35–39 distinguish between suffering and separation. How does Paul show that trials are not evidence that God has abandoned His people?
4. Paul concludes, “I am persuaded” (Rm 8:38). Upon what truths is his confidence based, and how can we cultivate the same settled assurance in our own lives?
5. How should the certainty that nothing can separate us from the love of God affect the way we worship, serve, witness, and endure suffering as followers of Christ?