The affirmation of the apostle Paul in Romans 8:31: "If God is for us, who can be against us"; is an expression of the last beatitude: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:10-12
The last beatitude of the gospel of Matthew is the beatitude that perfects all others. The last beatitude responds to the spiritual maturity, to the gift of perseverance.
The apostle continues with the explanation: "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? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. 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. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered". No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Romans 8:32-37
The teachings of Romans 8:31, is a teaching about the spiritual gift of perseverance, to persevere in the face of the difficulties of life. The perseverance is the daily determination of doing good avoinding evil, its main characteristic is the resistance. Being blessed also means being determined.
There is no greater power than the providence of God, the apostle reminds us. Perseverance needs the trust in God, the adult faith. Faith can be confused with opinion, but the trust in God is a form of knowledge.
For the apostle, love must be the permanent guide even in the face of difficulties.
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