St. Matthew’s Ev. Lutheran Church + Benton Harbor, Michigan

The 1^st Sunday in Lent, March 12, 2000

Romans 8:31-29

“How Good Is Your Lawyer?”

By Pastor Timothy H. Buelow

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dear friends in Christ,

Probably no group in our society has more nasty jokes told about them than lawyers. And some of them are deserved, I suppose. They say we have the most litigious society in history. Do you remember the millions given to the guy who spilled hot McDonald’s coffee on his lap? Who could forget the O. J. trials—the first one that acquitted him and the second that found him financially liable for his girlfriend’s death. Do you remember his expensive legal team? Robert Shapiro, Barry Scheck, and of course: Johnny “If-the-glove-doesn’t-fit-you-must-acquit” Cochran?

I’m a big fan of Harrison Ford movies. Some years back they filmed one in Detroit named “Presumed innocent.” Harrison Ford’s character was arrested for murder and all the evidence pointed unmistakably to him. He hired a really slick lawyer played by Raoul Julia. Julia would have done anything and everything in court to get his client off the hook—even though he probably thought he was guilty. And I remember thinking to myself: “If I ever get accused of something, I sure would like a lawyer like him on my side.” “How Good Is Your Lawyer?”

1. We’re Acquitted (vv. 31-34)

If you ever got in trouble, would you know whom to call? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news—but you are in trouble! You’ve been caught red-handed. There’s not a single one of your thoughtless words, your loveless deeds or even your wicked thoughts that’s gone unnoticed. You know about them. God knows about them, and most frightening of all, your very worst enemy knows about them. I’m talking, of course about Satan, the devil. His names tell you all about him. “Satan” means enemy, and “devil” means slanderer and accuser. Our enemy the devil has a wicked plan—and his plan is to make sure you don’t get away with anything. He’s like a mean-spirited prosecuting attorney who likes nothing better than to see people fry for their crimes. Which leaves us in a pretty precarious position, wouldn’t you say, since we know perfectly well we’re guilty.

That’s precisely what makes our text so great. Paul’s defiant words offer courage to Christians everywhere. Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who declares us not guilty. ³⁴ Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus is here! who died—more than that, who was raised to life. He is at the right hand of God interceding for us!

Who dares to bring any charge against us? You know the answer to that. The devil dares. He lives for it. If he can make just one of his charges stick—we’re goners. We’re toast. Our own consciences bring charges against us too, don’t they? They nag at us and eat away inside of us, until sometimes we’re sick to our stomachs with guilt. We hate ourselves for not living up to what we know God expects of us. And Satan tries to use our conscience against us. He wants us to give up in despair. He wants us to go our and hang ourselves like Judas, whether literally or figuratively.

Well how dare they! What kind of overconfident prosecutor would be foolish enough to take on our defense attorney, Jesus Christ.

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who declares us not guilty. ³⁴ Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus is here! who died—more than that, who was raised to life. He is at the right hand of God interceding for us!

God has already declared us not guilty, acquitted, for Jesus’ sake. He’s slammed down the hammer. The decision’s already been released. The pronouncements been made. “Bailiff, release those folks.” And how did that strange verdict come about? Well first of all, because Jesus went into the witness box and confessed to all our crimes—every one of them. He said I’m guilty, punish me. And punished he was. He took the harshest possible sentence from the judge and paid in full for all our crimes. He paid with his innocent lifeblood, poured out on the ground beneath the cross on Calvary’s hill, while all Jerusalem looked on and mocked! There he hung, between two criminals as a criminal himself. Paul wrote: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Co 5:21) There is no double jeopardy in God’s course. Once we’ve been acquitted of capital crimes, the verdict stands. Justified. Reconciled. Freed.

Not that the devil is ready to give up that easily. No way. He just goes right on accusing. He keeps bringing motions for a retrial. He keeps jotting down every move we make and bringing new evidence to the judge. But unlike some fat cat lawyer, our Jesus doesn’t go out to dinner after the trial. He stays right there in the judges chambers bending his ear on our behalf. He shows him the nail marks in his hands and feet and says again and again: “It is finished.”

That’s why the Apostle Paul, who had to deal with his own conscience and the continual temptations and accusations of the devil, issues his defiant, challenging words to Satan. Who’s this idiot who would even think of bringing a case against us who are represented by the greatest defense attorney in history?

2. We’re Safe (vv. 35-39)

Our US government has a witness protection program. If you’ve seen a crime and your life is in danger for serving as a witness in a federal case, under certain circumstances you might be given a new identity in a new city, a new job, a new social security number—maybe even a facelift at government expense. Well God has his own witness protection program, and it’s a lot better and safer than your government’s. It’s not just for witnesses either. It’s for all of us who by faith have been acquitted of the crimes that we should have been punished for, but that Jesus was crucified for in our place. And as long as we’re in the program, we don’t need to worry. Satan can’t harm us.

Listen: What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

God is going to take care of us. He will give us—count them—“ALL good things.” How could he refuse us, Paul says, when he’s already given us the biggest prize of all, by far!—sacrificing his own Son, he loves us so much! Food, clothing—all the promises of Psalm 23. No problem. He even promised 3 verses before our text, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Ro 8:28) He will make everything come out for our good.

Now let’s be honest. We need to hear that again and again. There’s a reason Paul was inspired to write those words. Hardly a day goes by, when we aren’t challenged by something to doubt God’s good and gracious care for us. It’s always been that way. And the challenge gets even bigger when we realize that sometimes it’s our faith itself that brings us hardship. 1000 years before Christ David wrote the Psalm that Paul quotes in our text: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” David was pursued by the army of king Saul, merely because God had anointed him to lead his people Israel.

The Romans to whom Paul wrote were hardly immune to troubles. Paul himself would be imprisoned, tried and finally executed in that very city all on account of his Christian faith. Rome is the city that popularized the idea of feeding Christians to Lions and calling it sport.

Unlike your typical defense attorney, Jesus comes armed and ready to fight for his clients. And he distributes weapons to us as well. The very same sword he used to fend off the attacks of Satan in the wilderness is at our disposal too.

Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us

We tremble not, we fear no ill, they shall not overpower us

The old evil foe, now means deadly woe

He can harm us none. He’s judged, the deed is done.

One little word can fell him!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do you have any of those enemies threatening at your back? Of course you do. Maybe not famine, or lack of clothes—but trouble and hardship? I think so. What about demons? Most assuredly. Have you ever feared the future? Probably. Death? All of us. But not one of these things nor anything else can separate us from the Love of God. Why? Because Jesus Christ is our Lord. He died for us. We are guilt free before the throne of God. He rose for us. Even death is only a minor inconvenience for us who will rise to spend eternity in heavenly glory.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors. We’ve already won in court. We’re acquitted and the devil is doomed. We’re winning on the battle field every day, because we are armed with all the promises of God’s Word. And in the end we’ll stand in the winners circle above—acquitted and victorious!

“If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit!” Who could forget that line. The best court system in the world may get it wrong now and again. But God can’t He’s the ultimate judge, and he’s judged us innocent because of the perfect life and innocent death of Jesus Christ on our behalf. And the same one who paid the price is interceding for us every day and the right hand of God. You and I have beat the rap. And through Christ, we’ll beat the devil as well. You’ve got the greatest lawyer ever. Amen.