“It is only when we behold the Lord Jehovah in the person of Jesus Christ that our hope and joy can begin; when we see Deity incarnate, when we see God surrendering the glories of his throne to become man, and then stooping to the shameful death of the cross—it is then that we perceive Emmanuel, “God with us,” and perceiving him, we feel that he is on our side.” ~ C.H.S.
It is not every man who can say that God is on his side; on the contrary, the most of men are fighting against the Lord. By nature we are the friends of sin, and then God is against us; with all the powers of justice he is against us for our destruction unless we turn and repent. Is God for us? Remember he is so if we have been reconciled to him by the death of his Son; but an absolute God must be in arms against us, for even our God is a consuming fire. It is only when we behold the Lord Jehovah in the person of Jesus Christ that our hope and joy can begin; when we see Deity incarnate, when we see God surrendering the glories of his throne to become man, and then stooping to the shameful death of the cross—it is then that we perceive Emmanuel, “God with us,” and perceiving him, we feel that he is on our side. Question thyself then, soul, whether thou art in Christ. He who is not with Christ is not with God. If thou art without Christ, thou art without God, and a stranger from the commonwealth of Israel; but if through the sprinkled blood thou canst say that thou art reconciled unto God, then take the full meaning of this text, and feast upon it, and be thou blessed, for “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
All the people of God are wrapped about with the righteousness of Christ, and, wearing that glorious robe, the eye of God sees no fault in them—Jehovah sees no sin in Jacob, neither iniquity in Israel. Christ is seen, and not the sinner; Christ being therefore perfection’s own self, the believer is seen as perfect in him. God regards his people with the same affection as that wherewith he loves his only-begotten Son. He hath pronounced them clean, and clean they are; he hath proclaimed them just, covered with the righteousness of Christ, and just they are.
…it is impossible for any human speech to bring out the depth of the meaning of how God is for us. He was for us before the worlds were made: he was for us, or else he never would have given his Son; he was for us even when he smote the only-begotten, and laid the full weight of his wrath upon him—he was for us, though he was against him; he was for us when we were ruined in the fall—he loved us notwithstanding all; he was for us when we were against him, and with a high hand were bidding him defiance: he was for us, or else he never would have brought us humbly to seek his face. He has been for us in many struggles; we have had to fight through multitudes of difficulties; we have had temptations from without and within—how could we have held on until now if he had not been with us? He is for us, let me say, with all the infinity of his heart, with all the omnipotence of his love; for us with all his boundless wisdom; arrayed in all the attributes which make him God he is for us—eternally and immutably for us…
Depend on it, my brother, thou mayst think thyself to be safe against Satan, but there is a joint in thy harness, and he will find it out; and remember, as one leak may sink a ship, so one weak point may be, and would be thy ruin, if God did not prevent it. But what matters the devil when we have this text—“If God be for us, who can be against us?” The devil is mighty, but God is almighty; Satan is strong, but all strength belongeth unto God. What is Satan, after all, but an enemy who has had his head broken? He is a broken-headed dragon, The Lord has a hook in his nose, and a bridle in his jaws, and he knows how to pull him back. Sometimes I wish he would take him up a link or two, that he might not be so busy amongst some of our Churches; but he is a chained enemy—the Lord lets him go just so far, but never any further.
God the Father cannot be against us. He is our Father; he cannot be against his own children. He hath chosen us, he will not cast us away; he hath adopted us into his family, he will never discard us; he hath been pleased to ordain us unto eternal life, he will never reverse the decree.
…God the Son is not against us. O beloved, how sweetly he has been for us! Methinks I see him now, lifting up that face all covered with bloody sweat, and saying to every believer, “I am for thee; these gouts of gore fall to the dust for you; I sweat great drops of blood that I might redeem you.” He stands before Pilate; and when he is brought forth with the “Ecce homo,” I think I hear him say, “Poor sinner, I am for you.” I see him carrying the cross upon his bleeding shoulders, and every step he takes is to this tune, “I am for you.” I behold him bleeding upon the tree with outstretched hands, and all his wounds, and all the drops of blood which flow from his side, all say, “Christ is for you.” To-day, as he pleads before the eternal throne, this is the tenour of his plea, “I am for you.” When he shall come a second time without a sin-offering, unto salvation, the sound of the mighty trumpet which shall herald his advent, will ring out, “Christ is for you, O ye blood-bought saints.” When he shall sit upon the throne of his Father, and his kingdom shall come, whereof there shall be no end; this shall be the tenour of that kingdom, “I am for my people; I will rule my people righteously, and bless the nations upon earth.” Christ cannot be against you. You cannot look into that dear face of his, and think that he will ever leave you. Your husband is married to you, and he has proved his love by such indisputable tokens, that you must not, oh! you cannot doubt it. Child of God, I almost defy you to doubt the love of your Lord Jesus Christ. How can he put you away? Could he have bought you at such a price—could he have suffered so much for you, and yet leave you, throw you away upon the dunghill? Impossible! impossible! Those wounds for ever seal your everlasting security.
…the Holy Spirit cannot be against us. He must always, as the comforter, comfort his own people; as the illuminator he must lead us into the truth; as the great giver of life he must always quicken us from our death of sin. Whatever power the Holy Spirit has it is all engaged for us, “Lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
