Romans 8:18-39, Consider It Done!, Dr. John Carpenter

Romans 8:18-39 and the Assurance of Salvation

Romans chapter 8 verses 18 to 39. Hear the word of the Lord. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

For the creation was subjected to futility. Not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope. That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now and not only the creation. But we ourselves who have the first fruit to the spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons the redemption of our bodies.

For in this hope we were saved now. Hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees but if we hope for what we do not see we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses.

For we do not know what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself Intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words and he who searches hearts knows. What is the mind of the Spirit? Because the Spirit intercedes for the Saints according to the will of God and we know that for those who love God all things work Together for good for those who are called according to his purpose for those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of a son in Order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and those whom he predestined He also called and those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified.

He also glorified. What then should we say to these things if God is for us who could be against us? He would not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him? Graciously give us all things.

Who shall bring any charge against God's elect. It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised and who was at the right hand of God who indeed is interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ. Your tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword as it is written for your sake. We're being killed all the day. We have regarded his sheep to be slaughtered.

No in all these things We are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I'm sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers. Nor things present or things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation.

Will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. May the Lord at his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. Well, do you hate risk. You dislike insecurity. People will sometimes Work some jobs like for the government that maybe don't pay so well, but which offer security.

They know they're secure. They won't be fired. They won't be laid off because the government isn't going out of business. You hate the feeling that you can't be sure of something or someone. People will pay for insurance, you know like for their house.

So even if it burns down like ours almost did they can be sure that they still have a place to live. People Will pay big to be sure. We love dependability. Someone, you know, you can count on but they say they're gonna be there.

They're gonna mow your grass. They're gonna pick you up at the airport. They're gonna play music. You can rest assured that they will be. You can Consider it done. Dependability is one of the qualities employers look for in an employee that he or she will be at his his or her desk or Station every workday on time like clockwork so much.

So a company in Raleigh which will do which does chores for you from clean your office. You're doing your laundry checking on your elderly parents or whatever. Aaron that you need done calls itself Consider it done.

People love guarantees that this is true in relationships, too. We don't we don't want to that feeling of vulnerability.

Feeling.

Uncertain about whether someone will let us down so in marriage or in major offices. We expect vows oaths to be taken. We want an assurance that they will do what they say they will do that. It's not just a sweet thing.

They're saying when they're feeling romantic. But that they will really love and cherish until death do us part. That they will uphold the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. Now in biblical times.

People would enter into these kinds of guaranteed relationships pledging that they'll keep their commitment no matter what happens. One man might promise to another that they'll look after each other's family one of them dies this other man.

If he dies, I'll look after your family. If I die you look after my family. And they would seal that relationship in a very serious ceremony. Often walking together through the middle of a cut up animal cut the animals in the middle and half.

Walk through the middle of them and say hey what happened to this animal happened to me if I so much as break one word Of this covenant. That's why sometimes called cutting a covenant a covenant is a guaranteed relationship.

So that you can consider the responsibilities of the relationship. The promises of it you can consider It done. We want to guarantee That what we're promised is as good as done. It is certain and so people have taken to saying when asked to do something, you know fix my car or clean the house.

Mow the grass they'll say consider it done. I'm definitely gonna do whatever it is. You've just asked me to do so it might as well have already happened. It's so certainly going to happen. You can assume it already has.

I'm guaranteeing it rest assured of course someone say There are no guarantees in this life. Benjamin Franklin famously said that the only thing you can be certain of our death and taxes and That's probably true for most people.

But there's another group of people That there is a guarantee. Things for them some some things that they can be certain of and not just death and taxes. But of a great treasure. The guarantee is so certain for them.

You can consider it done according to this passage second half of Romans 8. God's people his adopted son to daughters can be sure of what God has promised of Everything for all time and we see that here in four parts first the groaning.

The Groaning of Creation and the Believer

And the glory the guarantee and finally the greatness. The groaning is what we're going through right now we have sufferings verse 18 it begins in this passage saying in this present time right now. While we're on this sanctification highway on this epic journey of spiritual growth that started in at least in our experience started with justification.

That's with no condemnation. There is therefore now no condemnation. That's justification. That's the way it begins and it ends and Glorification here he talks about in this passage the the coming glory.

So we have the the now of being right with God in justification. No condemnation and now of being right with God and the not yet of a glory to be revealed. Now while we're on the journey We suffer we groan to grow you have to groan.

Groaning is so much a part of this age that the whole creation is doing it. Verses 19 to 21 the whole creation waits expectantly for glory to be revealed because God subjected the creation. He says to.

Futility.

To meaninglessness that it will end up resulting in the creation by itself. Will turn out to be nothing. It bears thorns it offers obstacles to work. The sweat of exertion as we work and work to get what?

Under the Sun Ecclesiastes you see the grotesque reality of a vanity. Similar same meaning of the word here is futility. There's so many people spend their whole lives working hard. Sacrificing. They get married.

They have children they make money. They work. You get up every morning so they can make more money and pay the bills. And what's the end result of it all? Nothing. The chasing after the wind. Whole human lives are lived from beginning to end and result in nothing.

Utility.

Vanity. Meaninglessness, they mean no more than a vapor. Like your breath on a cool day. Here in one second and gone the next leaving nothing behind just wasting time. You load 16 tons. What do you get another day older and deeper in debt here?

It is not just people who are subjected to futility. But the creation itself the water falls in the rain it runs into a stream and then into a river and down into the ocean then Evaporates in the cloud blows over land and falls on the land again and again and again and again.

There's never any progress. It's just going in a loop. Absolutely meaningless. Plants and animals live and die and it goes on and on and everything eventually is winding down. Running out like a clock the stars will burn out planets and comets will eventually Peter out.

Atoms themselves will eventually lose the power that holds them together and they'll break down in science. They call this the way Paul wrote this, of course well before modern science, but now we know this is true scientifically.

It's called the second law of thermodynamics.

That is.

The heat and our energy even the energy that keeps atoms themselves together is eventually running out. The universe's is on a course and It's running out of energy it's running out of power like driving your car long enough without getting gas.

It's eventually running out. And so one day with enough time there will be nothing but a cold dead universe heat death if of course It stays in bondage to decay. So because everything in the universe will become nothing.

Everything you work for you sacrifice for you hope for your children.

Even.

The universe itself. It says in verse 22 groans. And so we groan. The creation itself groans like a woman giving birth in pain and is doing that right now. The creation groans and in Verse 23 we groan.

We groan at the aging at the fragility of our bodies. The decline of our these bodies. Sometimes literally it aches and pains as different parts of our body wear out. We groan. I mean it's been down. Sometimes just a long.

Slow groan over years as we watch ourselves losing vigor. Well, I used to be a well-conditioned athlete. I could run a mile in under five minutes without too much effort and now I I can't even walk long distances.

We groan for ourselves spiritually as we see the effects of sin. Not only our bodies subjecting them to death but on our hearts as in chapter 7. We long to be freed from this body of death this flesh.

We groan in our prayers for our growth for others to be broken out of their bondage to sin for spiritual breakthroughs. So we don't break down. Sadly today some Christians want to deny that we have to do any groaning.

They think they can. Everything can be pleasant and happy now. It's always victory and from one to another. And some do more grinning than groaning. That's not real. That's just a cover-up rather than dealing with the things we need to groan about groaning Is part of growing?

Knowledge is creation groan and we groan. But he the Holy Spirit groans with us in verse 26.

We don't know how to pray.

We're too weak to even pray correctly. We'll ask for the wrong things. We'll ask it in the wrong way. It's one prayer meeting. Sometimes I think people think I'm is so boring always asking for the wrong things always about help the body.

That kind of thing will forget to praise and think will be too concerned about health and money. But not enough for our relationship with God. About our remaining sinfulness. And so we need the Holy Spirit to help us.

Pray.

Help us in our prayers. Prayer. It's not something that can be reduced to an intellectual exercise. You check off a list of items. I can go to the grocery store with a list and you get the right things your prayer.

You say the right things. You Satisfied. You covered all the bases. Prayer is not sufficiently like that. You need a time of silence you need expressing something with your heart. They often can't be put into words and you need the Holy Spirit to help you pray.

Pray through groanings and sighs. Sure sometimes happy smiling satisfaction sometimes joyful songs. But sometimes tears and sobbing Sometimes a lament from the depths of woe. Prayer sometimes goes beyond rational words and comes out in gushing longings.

Sighs.

Groanings and here the Holy Spirit helps us do that. Isn't that interesting? That's odd, isn't it? We would think the Holy Spirit would help us come up with the right words just a Incisive vocabulary that we need to put things in the perfect way but instead it says here he helps us groan.

He is the perfect assistant when it comes to prayer because he can both search our hearts and know what it is. That we really need deep down and he also perfectly knows Of course the will of God because he is God and the Spirit prays with us and for us asking the father.

That we have what we need. To make it all the way to the end of our epic journey. So we have groaning and We have glory. Glory is to be revealed to us in verse 18. That is we are we will see. Glory, the glory is to be is going to be so great that everything we have to suffer.

That everything that makes us groan. Is it worth comparing with the glory? That we will see the joy of the glory was so Overwhelmed the pains of the groaning that we won't even remember those pains anymore.

We'll forget about all the groaning when the time comes the glory is revealed first to us. So we'll see it first to us. And then it is revealed. He says in us in verse 20 When the adopted children of God are finally fully revealed to the entire universe.

So the words The the universe Other the unredeemed the angels demons the world itself everything will see these are God's children. They will be manifest. They will be displayed. These are the children of God all along and then the universe itself will be set free from its groaning and decay.

Now it's eagerly waiting for that day. It's anticipating it. It's waiting like someone waiting. Well, you know their head Raised up that you might wait at the airport for someone very special to you to arrive.

Is he there? Can I see him getting on your tiptoes? Waiting. He or she coming through the crowd. Maybe for a loved one to arrive after a long journey always looking out the window down the road. Eager for their eager to see their car finally turning around the corner got himself subjected to creation.

He says to decay to winding down To what again in science called the second law of thermodynamics to death and disillusion and meaninglessness, but he did so in hope. He didn't do it just as a punishment.

He did it in hope at the end of verse 20. Look that is looking forward to the day when his sons and daughters could be fully revealed manifest exposed for the universe to see and then the bonds of Futility would be loosed here.

God put the universe in bondage to futility in hope. So that we would see how futile life in the flesh Under the Sun is and we would seek to get our meaning from him. That we'd stop living as if life were all about Money or sex or relationships or sports or whatever is the next big thrill?

He made life under the Sun.

Meaningless.

So that we would seek our meaning from him By enjoying and glorifying him forever. The creation groans for that glory to be revealed. We've grown to be glorified. We have already received the spirit of adoption He said in verse 15 and now we were groaning for that adoption to be complete when our bodies are adopted.

You know, this is the adoption of the of our bodies. It means means they're bought back from death and decay. This means they're resurrected. Our bodies resurrected like Christ himself. And this is the adoption of our bodies.

Our hearts have already been adopted. We're still waiting for our bodies to be adopted to be resurrected. And this is the glorification. The other was the being made gloriousness of Our bodies. Our bodies are not glorious now.

They will be and when that happens that is glorification and we've grown.

For that glory.

Every time your knee hurts you're groaning for that glory. Justification. Being counted right with God is now like in the first verse of this chapter. We there is therefore now. This time currently no condemnation.

There's no verdict new charge against you anymore. You're justified. You're right with God. So that's now. Glorification Is not yet. Never say teen Paul mentioned the coming.

Glory.

Something in our future. So it's not Christian to teach that everything is now everything is fulfilled. It's all done. It's as good as done. But it's not done yet in verses 24 and 25. There is a hope of Of a glory that we wait for and it's coming now.

We can't see it yet. It hasn't been fulfilled yet. If we could see it. If it was with us already. We wouldn't have to wait or hope or be patient. But we do have hope for what we wait for with patience.

We're guaranteed is coming. But it's still future the creation groans. For that future for our revelation that is for us to be Manifest as God's children God's glorious children. We groan for our perfect glorification and the Holy Spirit groans with us and for us that we arrive at our destination.

At glory the Holy Spirit prays with and for us and the result is a verse 28 something. We know notice that we we know. And we know. So one of some many people's favorite one of many people's favorite verses and we know it's how it begins and we know.

Why don't we know it if the Holy Spirit is praying with and for us knowing perfectly what we what we need and knowing? Perfectly what God's will is. Then we can be sure. Then we are guaranteed. We can know that those prayers will be answered and the answer will be yes.

It is as good as done. We know a glorious promise that God works everything for the good of his people. Notice what it doesn't say a famous verse 28. Especially for those who only want to grin and not groan.

Notice what it does not say. It doesn't say that everything is good. Doesn't say we know that everything is good. So just count your blessings be happy. No, it doesn't say that. Does it say simply that everything is as good as it could possibly be and we just need to see the sunny side just grin.

Don't groan. No, it says that God takes everything with the Spirit praying through it for us and works that God is working and he works it together. With other things, but the Spirit the word the church the family people and weaves that together.

Even sometimes he's taking some bad things in our lives, but he's taking it. He's working with it. To make something good out of it. God works notice that word.

Works.

Take some effort sometimes. Some work on God's part to bring it together. With those other things to bring about good. He works good out of betrayals and disappointments disastrous miscarriages deaths loss of jobs into relationships any and everything.

He works.

Some things take more work than others I think. But he works to bring good out of it and that's a glorious promise. And he does this not for everyone. No, don't read this to simply say well God makes makes everything good for everybody.

It is like the no condemnation at the start of this chapter. Remember there is therefore now no condemnation. Then stop there for those who are in Christ Jesus. It is like that something God does only for a particular group of people.

People here in verse 28 who are marked by two Characteristics. Notice the two things about the people for whom God works. Everything to bring good out of it for them. Two characteristics of them one thing that is in them Toward God and one thing that is in God toward them first.

They love God. So God is doing this working Out of everything taking it together and working to bring some good out of it for those who love God. And these people they love Jesus they have a love for Jesus in their hearts.

That's what's driving those spirit inspired groanings. It's a love of Jesus and this is what is in them toward God. And second God has a purpose for them. He has called them out of the world to be different to be holy to be his adopted children his sons and daughters.

And that's what's in God toward them. The groaning is for this present time. The glory is for the future the guarantee for now as that we will get the glory and That it is good as done. His guarantee is that every one of his children who love him in verses 29 and 30 will reach.

The Golden Chain of Salvation

Their purpose.

This is the epic journey in verses 29 and 30. This is the epic journey in a nutshell summed up in two verses only one sentence in Greek from beginning to final destination. Summed up in five guaranteed steps five steps and the golden staircase of salvation.

First.

God foreknows us. Now this doesn't just mean that he looks forward from the past and kind of sees us. He kind of knows that we're gonna be there in That sense he foreknows everybody. But not everyone is guaranteed to go through these five steps.

It means as the Lord spoke to his people in Amos chapter 3 verse 2 you speaking through Amos to his people.

You only.

Have I known of all the families of the earth think about this in does you only? Have I known of all the families of the earth of all the nations? That was the only one that he entered into covenant with.

Doesn't mean that he didn't know about other nations. He didn't like as though he didn't know the Egyptians or the Edomites or the Syrians would never exist. Of course, he knew about them. But he didn't make a covenant with them.

He didn't commit himself. To be in relationship with them. He committed to be near them to be covenanted with them. Or in first Corinthians chapter 8 verse 3. If anyone loves God He is known by God. Think about that sentence.

If anyone loves God He is known by God. We know he's known by God because in fact he loves God. Now literally God knows everyone right you think what does that mean? Every everyone. God knows everyone but not well not in that sense.

Not he's not committed to be in relationship with everyone those who he is adopted. Receive a spirit of adoption. They cry out to him Abba father because he decided to know them. He foreknows his people.

He sees them. He knows them personally from the past and he decided that he will adopt them second. God predestines. That is he formulates those plans that he mentioned verse 28. Don't work everything out for good.

He called according to it to his purpose. This is his purpose. I was all purpose and called according to his purpose. He has devised a purpose and he's pre arranged things so as to be guaranteed that that purpose will be achieved and Here he he does it pre pre means beforehand.

Predestined them their destiny is arranged and here he tells us that that purpose what that purpose is to be is to be this is the purpose. To be conformed to the likeness of his son. All the rest to be like Jesus it is God's plan for his adopted sons and daughters.

To be like their older brother Jesus and he is working everything in our lives. All those sometimes those bad things he is working sometimes with other things. He's working to bring good out of them and to make his children us.

More like Jesus that's what he's doing with it and the Spirit is praying with and for us for that. Everything is being weaved together to bring our our Christ likeness.

About.

So the Jesus will be the first like himself on earth that there will be many more people like him. That's stage two. We are predestined to be made like Jesus now. Third in verse 30 those whom he predestined he called.

This is when God's plan for us that he devised. When he foreknew us he predestined us. In eternity past when it came his plan came Into the history of our lives when the Spirit began to speak to us. Maybe the gospel that we have been ignoring for years.

Began to get our attention all of a sudden to make sense. Something we haven't been paying attention to before and now it begins to make sense before it made no sense. We have we ever even thought to think about it now it begins to be sensible.

When it began to be irresistibly attractive this thing before we we found no interest in now. And now we're fascinated by it. The the gospel is drawing us in God is calling us. Now in a certain time in our lives this is when a voice began to speak to our heart through the scriptures or through preaching or through a song or in our Conscience or through a friend or a parent and it began to irresistibly that God is irresistibly drawing us to himself.

We were called. Because previous to that God had predestined us when he decided that of all the people in the earth He was gonna know us. Ever decided you wanna make a call to someone. You know phone call, you know make a side beforehand.

I'm gonna make a call a certain time certain person certain time particular person a particular time you resolve maybe Next Mother's Day. I'm gonna call my mother 3 p .m. And you do. You make the call here.

God foreknows. And as he devises the plan for his chosen ones He predestines that as he guarantees his plan will work and then at the chosen time He makes the call forth. Those he called and notice by the way for every step of the way.

Everyone makes it to the next step. Right doesn't say. Those he foreknew some of them he predestined and those he predestined some of them he called. As though as though some of them are getting sifted out step by step.

No for every step everyone makes it to the next step. There's no exceptions. Everyone who is foreknown is predestined. Everyone who is predestined is called. Everyone who was called is.

Here.

Justified and is declared right declared just the righteousness of Christ is counted to everyone of the foreknown the predestined of the called and finally everyone of the justified he.

Glorified.

Everyone now one falls through the cracks. Now one gets to be too much trouble. Yeah, I justified him, but I don't think I'll make it to the next step. As though he's just all groaning and no glory as the US Army Rangers say no one is left behind.

Everyone who is justified is glorified. But as we saw earlier in verse 23 to 25 glorification Is in the future. And as you notice this about this last step, we saw earlier glorification is in the future.

But here oddly enough It's phrased in the past tense everyone who is Justified is glorified. As though it's already done. It's in the past tense. At least it's spoken of if it was as if it were in the past those who he justified these he also.

Glorified.

Past tense as if it were already done and the fact is It is as good as done. Glorification. That resurrection of our bodies that adoption of even our the physical part of us glorification is so certain for the foreknown for the justified for the call.

So assured that we can speak of it in the past God has resolved it in the past for his people. And that's what matters the most is that God's resolution even though the reality of it is still something we wait for in the future.

It is as good as done. This is the unbreakable chain of salvation five linked steps up the golden staircase to heaven. That is every step is so linked with the next one that even though in our experience we are in the middle of the steps We can speak of them all as if complete even though in experience in our personal that is in our personal history we are between justification no condemnation for us now and Glorification our bodies are not redeemed yet.

They're still dying yet. We can because of God's guarantee consider our glorification as as Certain as any accomplished fact of history. So here we have we have history and eternity. What's not yet done in our history is Done in eternity and so we can consider it done now for over Seven chapters now take a step back from this after verse 30 from seven chapter for seven chapters from chapter 1 verse 18 where Paul started.

With this startling terrifying news that the just anger of God is being revealed against ungodliness and unrighteousness He started to show us that no one is righteous. No one seeks after God. He's been climbing up through Justification are dying and rising with Christ our remaining sin our triumphant epic journey and now has reached the pinnacle.

God has a people that he decided beforehand to love he purposed to save them to call them. Effectively, he will call them. He is calling them and he's not losing a single one. He's making them right with him through what Jesus did on the cross and to certainly he will certainly Glorify them that's resurrect them.

So so certain that even though they haven't experienced it all yet We have not experienced it all yet. We can consider it done. He isn't here. Paul is at the pinnacle of this Magnificent mountain of salvation and now for verses 31 to 39 kind of it's kind of stops To celebrate the greatness of what God has done He is the peak of this mountain and stops.

Take a look. Look at all this how far we've come from the beginning from chapter 1. Look at this magnificent view those concluding verses from 31 to 39 are more doxology than theology more praise. Than a lecture and look at the great view here it begins with foreknowledge it ends with glorification.

No one is lost along the way. It's so guaranteed that even though it hasn't happened in history yet That ours are glorification the end of our salvation hasn't been accomplished yet except for Jesus himself Who has been raised of course, we can still speak of it in the past tense.

That being the case Paul begins his little victory dance in verse 31. What should we say to these things? What can we say about this this foreknowing and this predestining and this calling this justified this glorifying if?

God is for us and he now most certainly is look at this. God is for us Who can be against us?

Who?

Now surely many will try the world the flesh and the devil will try to be against us. But their rage we can't endure for low. Their doom is sure. Look at the great view in verse 32 if the very one who did not spare his own son.

Him who gave Jesus himself for our sins. For those he foreknew and pious and and called and justified and glorified. If he's done that for us. Now don't we know we are guaranteed that he will give us all things everything that we need for life and godliness now.

We're guaranteed it. Don't we know that for certain now we have we have a sense of security about it everything we need to make it to the. To the final destination of our epic journey to reach the goal the greatness of glorification.

And in the end We inherit everything With Jesus the vast family fortune from the father The creator of the universe. And not only will he do it He'll do it graciously. Notice he says that Don't we know that he will give us all things graciously.

And when we buy a car We're happy to have the repairs guaranteed for a year or so. Maybe a hundred thousand miles for certain parts of it. Select parts not the whole thing. Even if it's grudgingly you try to go have the dealer make good on the guarantee.

Sometimes they're pretty grudging about it here We're guaranteed everything.

Forever.

Graciously.

It doesn't get any greater than that. Look at the guarantee in verses 33 to 35. We're already justified so we can't be charged. We can't be condemned saying they try to charge us with our sins. It doesn't stick we can't be charged.

We have immunity from from from prosecution. Christ died for our sins. He was condemned instead of us. Our sins were condemned in him. So there is no more condemnation left for us, but there is Jesus raised from the dead and now notice that versus 33 to 35.

He too now already before the Spirit was interceding for us and now Jesus to the Son raised is Joining the Spirit in praying for us. So we have the Spirit on our side. We have the Son on our side. We have the Father sending the Son for our sins and the Spirit Sending the Spirit into our hearts to tell us that we are his children to groan with us to empower us to finish this epic Journey to guarantee us that our success in it is as good as done.

Look at this great view. From here we can see how.

The Greatness of God’s Love in Christ

Undefeatable.

Unconquerable. We are God's people. Not because of our determination and willpower we make ourselves do the right things. We can we can persevere we can. We can do it not because of that but because we are called for God's purpose.

And he's gonna make sure his purpose is done. We are he says. Literally Paul says here we're super conquerors.

That's the literal.

Literal translation of the phrase they're super conquerors. That's what the word means more more than conquers verse 37. We have two persons of the Trinity praying for us. We have Christ himself at the father's right hand joining the Spirit and so the father himself is is working.