INTERPRETING THE SCRIPTURES CORRECTLY
30 MOREOVER WHOM HE PREDESTINED, THESE HE ALSO CALLED; WHOM HE CALLED, THESE HE ALSO JUSTIFIED; AND WHOM HE JUSTIFIED, THESE HE ALSO GLORIFIED.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 WHO SHALL BRING A CHARGE AGAINST GOD'S ELECT? IT IS GOD WHO JUSTIFIES.
34 WHO IS HE WHO CONDEMNS? IT IS CHRIST WHO DIED, AND FURTHERMORE IS ALSO RISEN, WHO IS EVEN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, WHO ALSO MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US.
35 WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST? SHALL TRIBULATION, OR DISTRESS, OR PERSECUTION, OR FAMINE, OR NAKEDNESS, OR PERIL, OR SWORD?
36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 FOR I AM PERSUADED THAT NEITHER DEATH NOR LIFE, NOR ANGELS NOR PRINCIPALITIES NOR POWERS, NOR THINGS PRESENT NOR THINGS TO COME,
39 NOR HEIGHT NOR DEPTH, NOR ANY OTHER CREATED THING, SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD."
Romans 8:30-39 (NKJV)
All the things that are mentioned in above Bible passage are premised to stand or remain when a believer stands in the truth and walks in the light of the word of God.
Some have come up with some thoughts or ideas through a wrong interpretation of the passage that a believer's relationship with God remains unshaken even If such a believer is living in blatant sin. Their point is, since they have been justified, made right with God, nothing can make them unjustified (Romans 8:30).
Thus, they usually buttress their points with some of the verses found in our text, the above passage of the Bible:
30 MOREOVER WHOM HE PREDESTINED, THESE HE ALSO CALLED; WHOM HE CALLED, THESE HE ALSO JUSTIFIED; AND WHOM HE JUSTIFIED, THESE HE ALSO GLORIFIED. 33 WHO SHALL BRING A CHARGE AGAINST GOD'S ELECT? IT IS GOD WHO JUSTIFIES. 34 WHO IS HE WHO CONDEMNS? IT IS CHRIST WHO DIED, AND FURTHERMORE IS ALSO RISEN, WHO IS EVEN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, WHO ALSO MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US" (Romans 8:30,33,34 NKJV).
The point they are making is; since they are predestined, called, justified and glorified, Who then would bring a charge or an accusation against them—who are God's elects? (Romans 8:30,33).
They further said; If God justified them, Who is the person who will condemn them. Another point they made is; If they were justified through faith in Christ Who died and risen and Who is presently at the right hand of God, making intercession for the elects—the believers in Him—no one can bring a charge against them (Romans 8:33,34).
Now, all things stated here are truths according to the Bible, however, they are truths only If the elect or the believer walks in the light of God's Word.
You are God's elect, who is called, justified and glorified, as long as you are obedient to God's, Jesus', commandments: "YOU ARE MY FRIEND IF YOU DO WHATEVER I COMMAND YOU" (John 15:14 NKJV). In other words, when you stopped doing His commands, you ceased to be His friend or disciple!
You cannot be living in either secret or blatant sin, unconfessed sin, habitually and be saying you are God's elect who cannot be condemned. The fact that you are habitually living in sin, you have already condemned yourself (John 3:18). No one would need to condemn you, your acts or deeds already condemned you. If the sin was being committed ignorantly by someone who does not know the truth or yet reborn, It could be overlooked, but someone who knows the truth, living in blatant sin, now justifying his or her acts or deeds that Christ has already paid the price and they are justified, no one can condemn them:
26 FOR IF WE SIN WILLFULLY AFTER WE HAVE RECEIVED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, THERE NO LONGER REMAINS A SACRIFICE FOR SINS, 27 BUT A CERTAIN FEARFUL EXPECTATION OF JUDGMENT, AND FIERY INDIGNATION WHICH WILL DEVOUR THE ADVERSARIES. 28 ANYONE WHO HAS REJECTED MOSES' LAW DIES WITHOUT MERCY ON THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES. 29 OF HOW MUCH WORSE PUNISHMENT, DO YOU SUPPOSE, WILL HE BE THOUGHT WORTHY WHO HAS TRAMPLED THE SON OF GOD UNDERFOOT, COUNTED THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT BY WHICH HE WAS SANCTIFIED A COMMON THING, AND INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF GRACE?" (Hebrews 10:26-29 NKJV).
Sinning willfully being talked about in the above passage is referring to a born-again believer who knows the truth but chose to be living a compromised life, living habitually in sin, now using the Bible passages to justify his or her negative deeds: "THEREFORE, TO HIM WHO KNOWS TO DO GOOD AND DOES NOT DO IT, TO HIM IT IS SIN" (James 4:17 NKJV).
READ: Titus 1:16
Such people further stressed their point that nothing can separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39). The fact that a believer is habitually living in sin, without any remorse, such is indirectly separated from the love of God already. Sin was not among the things listed in the passage, our text, that could not separate us, the believers, from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39). In other words, sin is one of the things or the major thing that can separate one from the love of God. Since sin was not included in the list, It means indulging in sin by a believer will separate him or her from God. All that was said in the passage by Apostle Paul the writer of the epistle (Romans 8:30-39) could only stand If a believer continues in his or her faith in Christ Jesus without dipping his or her hand in sin or living contrary to the principles found in the Bible. When a believer moved to the camp of the adversary, the devil, by dipping his or her hand in sin, such has already signed off for condemnation (John 3:18).
A believer who lives habitually in sin: " . . . HAS TRAMPLED THE SON OF GOD UNDERFOOT, COUNTED THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT BY WHICH HE WAS SANCTIFIED A COMMON THING, AND INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF GRACE" (Hebrews 10:29 NKJV).
A believer who is living in habitual sin and still justifying his or her acts or deeds with the Bible that no one can condemn them, because they are already justified by God; such is calling for the wrath of God upon himself or herself:
5 BUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR HARDNESS AND YOUR IMPENITENT HEART YOU ARE TREASURING UP FOR YOURSELF WRATH IN THE DAY OF WRATH AND REVELATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT OF GOD, 6 WHO “WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS": 7 ETERNAL LIFE TO THOSE WHO BY PATIENT CONTINUANCE IN DOING GOOD SEEK FOR GLORY, HONOUR, AND IMMORTALITY; 8 BUT TO THOSE WHO ARE SELF-SEEKING AND DO NOT OBEY THE TRUTH, BUT OBEY UNRIGHTEOUSNESS—INDIGNATION AND WRATH, 9 TRIBULATION AND ANGUISH, ON EVERY SOUL OF MAN WHO DOES EVIL, OF THE JEW FIRST AND ALSO OF THE GREEK [the rest of mankind]" (Romans 2:5-9 NKJV).
The wrath will come on the believer because he or she is despising the goodness of God: "OR DO YOU DESPISE THE RICHES OF HIS GOODNESS, FORBEARANCE, AND LONGSUFFERING, NOT KNOWING THAT THE GOODNESS OF GOD LEADS YOU TO REPENTANCE?" (Romans 2:4 NKJV).
In other words, the fact that God is silent even as a believer when you are living in blatant sin, It does not mean that what you are doing is right and acceptable. God is only being forborne and long-sufferingly or patiently.
Peace.