Brad Kinneson, Romans 8:31-39

Romans 8:31-39 and the Security of Salvation

Well today, I want for us to look at Romans chapter 8. We're going to be looking in verse 31 through 39. If I had to give my sermon a title, I would call it God for us. My goal today is for every Christian in this room to know that your salvation is perfectly secure.

Because of what Christ has done for you. My goal for any of you who are not in Christ Is for you to answer this question. What are you giving your lives to that is better than the love of your Creator?

So turn with me to Romans 8. We're going to actually pick up a few verses earlier than our text. We're going to start in verse 26. Paul says verse 26. Likewise the spirit helps us in our weakness. 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 the 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 his 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. Our text for this morning verse 31. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us Who can be against us? He who did 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. It is Christ Jesus Who died more than that who was raised. Who is at the right hand of God who indeed is interceding for us?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or Persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword as it is written for your sake? We are being killed all the day long.

We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

No.

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death death nor life. Nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation.

We'll be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Our Lord, let me ask you what makes you doubt the love of God? What makes you doubt the love of God? It's possible that are some in the room who don't even believe in God.

And so this question seemingly pointless to you. It's also possible. There are others in the room who have some kind of vague general belief in a God or a being out there. But you don't believe in a personal God.

Who? Individually and personally could have love for you. Maybe others of you truly believe that Jesus is Lord and you're following him and you're his you're united to him by faith. But then you're like me.

Sometimes you spend maybe 30 of your week. Wondering could that all actually be true? Could he love me enough to leave heaven and give himself on the cross in my place for my sins? There's a good chance that.

For each of those categories. Everyone in this room will fit into one of those categories. The point I'm making there is that to some degree we're all on the same page. We all have our doubts at times.

About whether or not God could actually love us the way that the scripture says he does. Some of us struggle with this more than others, but it is a very real struggle for us all. In Romans 8 31 through 39 Paul shows us the answer to all of our doubts about the love of God.

If I had to sum up the main point of this passage and the main point of my message this morning in one sentence would be.

This.

God has shown that he is for us By sending to Jesus to die in the place of sinners like us and nothing can separate us from his love. God has shown that he is for us By sending Jesus to die in the place of sinners like us and nothing can separate us from his love.

Or to put it in a little shorter way God is for us in the cross of Christ. If there's any question if God is for us God is for us in the cross of Christ. My first main point today in the first main point that Paul wants us to see in verse 31 to 34 is this Christian God is for you.

Christian God is for you. This is a this is a bold statement for Paul to make and if it's true Then it will revolutionize the way we view ourselves as Christians. This idea of God being for us is immense.

I think it makes some of us uncomfortable. I bet some of you are like me. Already reacting against this idea saying how could God be for a sinner like me? I'm so sinful. How could God be for me? Ask that question so many times in my life when we do that when we ask that question we do two unhealthy things.

First we condemn ourselves. And then secondly we belittle the love the amazing love of God. So God has already told us earlier in this chapter in Romans 8 1 that there is therefore now No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

See God has not condemned us. And so we should not condemn ourselves if we are in Christ. But it also belittles his amazing love for us to say that we are too bad for him to love us. I was involved in a Christian campus ministry in college.

And one of the things they said at the beginning of every meeting Was that there is no one who is too bad to be beyond the reach of God's grace. But also there's no one who's too good to be beyond the need of God's grace.

God's grace is so expansive and it belittles The love of God the infinite love of God when we make our sins to be greater than his love. It is a liberating thing to realize this that God is for you. If you are a Christian You may ask how can I know that God is for me though?

How can I know that? Well, Paul's going to show us at least four ways in verses 31 through 34 in our text. The first way that God is for us is found in the statement. What then shall we say to these things?

God is for us in the these things. What is he talking about here? What are the these things? Well, it refers back immediately to that comprehensive plan of salvation that we just read about in Romans 8 28 through 30 this golden thread of God predestining and then calling and then justifying and glorifying individual saints his elect God is in eternity past.

In.

Disposed himself inclined himself to pursue us and to save us and. Specifically his love was not just broad but it was specific. It was set on you to call you to repentance to call you to faith that he would regenerate you and give you the spirit.

See that these things is exactly what Paul was just talking about. We've been predestined called justified and glorified in Christ. These things likely though refers to more than that. It definitely includes that in the verses immediately before but it likely also refers To the whole argument that Paul has been developing in chapters 5 through 8.

His argument that the righteousness of Christ can be applied to the believer through faith. So Paul is telling us to look in the rearview mirror of salvation history. And to take hope from that to take confident in his love from that.

So we look in the rearview mirror for too long while driving. It's a bad thing. We need to keep our eyes forward. But as Christians we need to look in the rearview mirror a little bit more often. It's actually a healthy thing to think back of what God has actually done for us.

So let me describe What I see in the rearview mirror of each and every one of us in this room who are Christians. If you are a believer It is because God called you. At a point in time he called you. And he drew you to himself.

He made Christ attractive to you. He gave you a repentant heart that began to hate and to turn from your sins. He justified you. That means he he reckoned the righteousness of his son Jesus Christ to your account.

He justified you and he also glorified you. You say how am I glorified right now? I don't feel glorified. Well, there's an already and a not yet truth to this. So right now as you study God's word and try to be more and more conformed to the image of Christ.

You are daily being restored to the glory that you are created for as an image bearer of the almighty God. Paul tells us in ephesians 2 6 that in a mysterious way. We have already been seated with him with Christ Jesus in the heavenly places.

It's a taste of the glory that we have in Christ. And when we die and we meet Jesus face to face we will be transformed in his presence. Philippians 3 21 says our lowly body will be Transformed to be like his glorious body.

Our hearts will be completely washed and cleansed of the sin and for the first time we will enjoy Relationship with God and with each other without hindrance. This is the great plan of salvation that God has secured for every one of you who have come to faith in Christ.

So looking in the spiritual rearview mirror of what God has done for us. Those are the things that he has done for us and that should help cast out our doubts. Those are objective realities that he has applied to our hearts in our experience.

And that should help cast out doubts and give us hope that he really does love us as much as his word says that he does. He has designed our salvation from eternity past. He accomplished our salvation in history at the cross.

He has applied salvation to your hearts in the present if you have faith. And he will ultimately complete your salvation on the last day when he brings you into his presence and glorifies you and transforms you.

So.

If God is for us four ways paul is showing us that God is for us first. We've seen that he is for us and these things that these things being this this looking back at the comprehensive picture of salvation.

The second way that God is for us in verse 32, we see that God is for us in the cross of Christ. God is for us in the cross of Christ so the cross Provides us the greatest assurance that God loves us in his for us.

Greater than any other evidence. Greater than any other message in Scripture the cross of Christ provides us the greatest assurance. Paul here is making an argument from the greater to the lesser. You can see that in the text.

He said as God is willing to give his son. If he was willing to give his own son the eternal lord of glory. How much more? Will he not graciously give us all things? You see there is no greater act of love in all of history than Christ on the cross in our place bearing the punishment for our sins.

So that we could be forgiven we could be saved and we could be made righteous and accepted in the presence of God. We cannot fully appreciate all that Christ did on the cross though. Unless we see that point in time as significant as it is for our salvation.

There's no greater moment for our salvation. We can't understand the gravity of that moment unless we see it against the backdrop of salvation history. And so I want to take a minute to just remind us from start to finish.

The gospel story. It's a story that we can't hear enough. It is the heart of our faith. It is ultimately the reason why we are here. It's the core of what we believe. I want you to do something different though as I share the story of the gospel from start to finish.

I want you to place yourself. Try to place yourself within the story imagine yourself taking part in this story in the beginning.

God.

All existing in perfect glory spoke the universe into existence out of nothing including Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were perfect human beings for a time. God made them in his image and they reflected his glory in a peculiar a unique way.

But sadly this state of glory did not last. Adam and Eve were were tempted by satan and then chose to pridefully pursue Their own glory rather than God's glory and this was a dark day in history. You see death at this point for the very first time entered the world sadly.

Every offspring of Adam and Eve ever since has chosen to rebel against God as well and to pursue Their own glory like their parents. Adam and Eve did humanity. You see flip the design of God on its head and then this led to rampant wickedness and utter chaos entering the world and the perfect lord of all creation Saw this chaos that humanity had brought on itself because of its sin.

He saw the pain. He saw the suffering. He saw the hatred. He saw the murderers. He saw the adulteries the lies the stealing the worship other gods and ultimately worse than all others the worship of ourselves over God.

And sitting on the throne in heaven the perfect and holy creator could have wiped out humanity as punishment for our sins but instead He had mercy. Compassion stirred in the heart of God. He decided to leave heaven and enter this sinful broken world.

The creator took on a body and then walked with his creature. He expended 33 years of his life perfectly obeying the father Doing good works to his fellow man and offering everyone the free gift of eternal life if they would but believe in him.

But instead they condemned him Unjustly. They crucified him. On the cross the perfect creator died in the place Of his sinful creatures in order to pay the price for their sins and the creator was then buried in a tomb.

On the planet he had spoken into existence. This was the darkest moment in human history and the lord of glory did not avoid it. He could have but he did not avoid it. You see he loved sinful humanity enough to have his flesh torn.

To have his beard plucked. His friends desert him at his hour of greatest need and distress. And his fellow jews condemn him and above all he loved us to endure the eternal wrath of god. Against our sins poured out on him on the cross.

You see because of this he was then raised from the dead he had fulfilled the will of god. He perfectly carried out the will of god. He said i'm here to do the will of my father and he did every day of his life.

And he ultimately completed the father's will of salvation at the cross. And then he was raised from the dead and he was seated in heaven at the right hand of god paul says. And he rules and reigns over all creation right now in the present.

See christ's death on the cross in your place is the greatest act of love that god Could have and has shown for sinners. There is no greater conceivable act of love than what Jesus christ did for us on the cross.

It is the climax of human history. And it should give us hope it should give us confidence and security that he does love us even though we are sinners and absolutely undeserving. Before we go on to the third evidence that god is for us I want to take a moment to talk about the all things of verse 32.

Look at verse 32 with me paul says. He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him graciously give us? All things. What does paul mean by all things here? A lot of people when they read this text, that's one of the first questions one of the big questions they ask.

What? Graciously give us all things. What does that mean? This could be the point where I tell you this means god is going to give you that promotion at work. He will expand your bank account that sickness or chronic illness that you've been dealing with he's going to heal you.

He's going to take that off of your plate. You see this is a a text I think we're a little bit uncomfortable with. Because the the mass of the expansive promises that god makes to us here. It can almost make us uncomfortable because we've we've seen health and wealth gospel preachers.

Just take this and abuse it again and again. Well, we have to interpret the all things in the context of romans 8. See in verses 28 through 30 paul has just laid out this beautiful big picture golden thread view of our salvation.

He talked about how god is predestined called justified glorified us. John murray says that the purpose of the phrase all things is to quote drive home the incontestable assurance that all things requisite to.

Yea, all things securing and furthering the glorification of the people of god will be freely and unfailingly bestowed. End quote. You see all things at the very least means that god will give us all things necessary for our salvation.

That's what he was just talking about in 28 through 30. Some commentators think it might have a broader scope than just all things necessary for our salvation. Paul could in essence Be saying that god will not only save us from our sins, but will also ultimately Restore us to the glory that we had before the fall.

The all things could be the all things of the creation mandate which man was originally intended to exercise dominion over. I tend to agree with that interpretation. I tend to think that it's talking about something a little bit broader and just given the cosmic scope of redemption talked about in romans 8 he talks about The earth groaning and waiting for the adoption of sons.

There's just this cosmic language of of redemption in this chapter. And so I do think that all things Not only captures the all things necessary for salvation god is going to freely give us all things we need to have eternal life in him.

But I do believe that paul here and it's definitely clear in other parts of scripture that he's also going to To restore us to the glory that we were intended for as his image-bearing creatures. And that we forfeited at the fall, but will be restored to in the last day.

So that's the all things. Let's let's move on now and look at the third way that god has shown that he is for us. The resurrection is the third way that god has shown that he is for us. God is for us in the resurrection of jesus christ verse 34 says who is to condemn?

Christ jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised who is at the right hand of god. See god shows his love for us by by raising jesus from the dead over in victory over sin satan and death.

You see if christ had stayed dead. Then it wouldn't it wouldn't matter How much he loved us it would accomplish nothing for us. It would have been a good sentiment a good emotion. He he might have loved us.

But if he had stayed dead and in the tomb, it wouldn't matter how much he loved us. You see he had to overcome death and return to glory to accomplish a way of salvation for us and he did. Three days later he rose from the grave and he walked out of that tomb.

So the romans could never produce a body to dispel the myth. The romans nor the jewish leaders. Could never produce a body to dispel the myth that the disciples were propagating that they had seen jesus risen from the dead and alive.

See his disciples who had just deserted him. Spent time with him and told everyone about it. These were the men who had just abandoned jesus. They're not the people I want being my witnesses if i'm if i'm in a courtroom being tried.

I mean they they just abandoned you and now that they're going to come and they're going to be the most significant witnesses for the resurrection of jesus christ. They even went on to die as martyrs.

They sealed their testimony. This wasn't just a pact. Hey guys, let's get together and come up with a theory a little hoax and see if we can pull it off. You don't die for a lie, you know to be a lie.

You don't die for a hoax, you know, you came up with yourself. They saw the risen christ and so many of the 12 original apostles died as martyrs. Testifying to the resurrection of jesus christ. Jesus is alive and he is reigning on his throne and in heaven.

His resurrection to glory and his return to his position of power at the right hand of god. Guarantees that he is for us and that nothing can separate us from his love. Our hope. Brothers and sisters is not in a god who is dead.

As christianity hangs on the hinge of the resurrection. Our hope is in the god who lives. And still god's love for us does not stop even there. Paul now shows us a fourth way that god is for us. God is for us in christ intercession for us.

Verse 34 says who is to condemn christ. Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised who is at the right hand of god who indeed is interceding for us. This means that jesus pleads our case before the father.

Jesus stands in the gap and Represents us. You see our sins have alienated us from god. Our sins have created this infinite gap Between us and god that we cannot bridge ourselves and jesus stands in the gap.

And he intercedes for us as the second adam as incarnate man. Jesus is qualified to represent us as humans as the resurrected son of god. The eternal lord of glory. He enters the courtroom of god with the authority to plead our case.

See, I can't enter into the courtroom of god in heaven and plead your case. Because I am not god. I have no business being there. I have no right. I have no authority. But jesus does he was fully man and fully god as our representative.

He goes into the throne room of heaven and he before the father pleads our case. This is the intercessory work that he is doing for us right now. And the father listens to his son and has mercy on all the people who are united to christ by faith.

See the intercessory work of christ Is one of the greatest comforts We have as christians. We do not have to attain our own righteousness and then then try to plead it before the father. He has already done that.

He has accomplished perfect righteousness. And the eyes of the father and he now pleads it on our behalf and and in justification. He he credits it. He reckons it to our account and we are covered with the righteousness of christ.

There's an important lesson about the intercessory work of christ that we can see from the grammar of this passage. Some of the verbs that paul's been using just before this, uh, this claim he's making about christ being interceding for us have been these uh verbal elements participles.

He's using participle participle participle when he talks about Christ's intercessory work for us christ pleading our case before the father. He changes tense and he uses the present tense. He is Interceding not was or not will interceding.

He is interceding for us to me this. This present tense means that christ's intercessory work is presently ongoing. He is pleading our case before the father. Continually, we will never have to plead our own case before god.

Jesus has loved us enough to do that for us and to take that impossible responsibility off of our shoulders. My brothers and sisters in christ. Rest in that amazing reality that jesus as your great high priest is for you.

The only only one who could condemn you Is actually for you. It's an amazing thought so that's The first main point god is for us. We've seen four ways that he's for us and just to summarize verse 31 to 34 Jesus has died for us.

Paul says was raised from the dead and intercedes for us to secure our salvation. And the central emphasis of these verses is that god is for us. And that he's shown that through the death resurrection and intercessory work of christ.

So god wants us to take our doubts to the cross. And then to measure them against the love of christ demonstrated there. Anytime you find yourself doubting that god loves you. Go to the cross. Picture yourself at the foot of the cross.

Outside jerusalem looking up at the son of god hanging exactly where you and your sinfulness and I and my sinfulness should have been hanging. Picture yourself there and then also picture jesus Exalted to the right hand of god and interceding for you.

Now in this moment even still perpetually ongoing. And let those images drive out any twisted notion that you are not secure in the hands of god who has Decided to demonstrate his infinite love in being for you.

So verses 31 to 34 paul's laid out this first main point that god is for us. And he has shown that to us in the cross of christ. Now in verses 35 to 39 He moves on to make his second main point by answering the question.

So what? What does it mean in your experience as a follower of christ for god to be?

For you.

Practically what what's what's the implication of this? In these verses paul makes the following conclusion, which is our second main point today. Christian if god is for you Nothing can separate you from the love of christ.

That's his whole driving emphasis. His main idea in verses 35 through 39 is that nothing can separate you from the love of christ. In this section paul is going to show us first that we have many adversaries that will make us tempt to Question and doubt the love of christ for us and doubt that we can actually be separated from him.

And then second we have he's going to make the point that we have a great conqueror in christ. Let's talk about our adversaries first. As christians we are a people.

At war.

We have many adversaries whose primary goal is to cut our faith off at its knees. They will do anything to tempt us to deny or at the very least question the love of god for us. Paul lists some of these adversaries in verses 35 and then 38 through 39.

He talks about Tribulation Distress persecution famine nakedness danger the sword death or life angels or rulies rulers things present or things to come Powers height or depth or anything else in all creation.

The reality is brothers and sisters. We are.

At war.

We are not ultimately glorified yet. Positionally before god we are justified and we are glorified. But ultimately we haven't. We haven't seen that consummated we haven't seen that fully realized and in this life we are at war.

Have you ever had somebody? Try to question your faith in god. Maybe it was a friend or a family member or co-worker. Maybe it was a professor at school. Could have been an atheist who asked you complex questions about god difficult things that you didn't have a watertight answer to and you felt Flustered and you found yourself doubting the love of god and you found yourself suddenly asking is god actually good.

So we we have Opposition we have adversaries and we all face them. I've been in that same position before personally. As a young christian, I was confronted with the problem of evil. Problem of evil being essentially if god is all good.

And god is all powerful. That then how can evil pain and suffering exist in the world. I didn't have a good answer to that and I struggled so much with that I wrestled it with it to the point where I doubted the goodness of god and even questioned my own salvation.

For a time I was flailing.

Spiritually.

Because I could not answer that question. And I was in this deep fog for a while until a pastor Friend of mine told me some words that Just stuck with me. I don't think i'll ever forget. He said brad.

Do not disbelieve because of what you do not know. Believe because of what you do know. Don't don't disbelieve because you you have this big. Tough complex question that you're trying to synthesize an answer to and you're having a hard time.

Articulating and understanding if we don't disbelieve because you don't fully know. Believe because of the things that you do know. And that was just so helpful to me. I'd been so focused on what I didn't know.

Which was how to reconcile the the power of god and the goodness of god and yet the evil that I saw in the world. I was having such a hard time reconciling that that I lost sight of what I did. Know what I did know is that in history jesus christ became man left heaven became man.

Lived a perfect life and in jerusalem went to the cross and substituted himself. In my place for my sins. I knew that I had confidence in that I believed in it. But I was so fixated on this thing that I didn't know.

That I was doubting. Maybe your adversary takes another shape than mine. Mine was more of a internal intellectual crisis. I was dealing with a question that I couldn't answer. Well paul's list shows us that our adversaries could be persons.

That could be demonic spiritual powers in nature or even difficult life circumstances. He lists famine nakedness and the sword. Maybe you're struggling financially. Maybe you're struggling to pay rent or to pay a mortgage or to pay for all the necessities that you need in life.

And that's causing you to question the goodness and love of god. Maybe you were just diagnosed with a pretty serious medical condition. And you know you're going to be dealing with this potentially for the rest of your life.

And that's making you doubt the love of god. Does god know does he see this? Maybe you've been Abandoned in a relationship. By someone you were once close to or you are in a marriage where your spouse is for all intents and purposes absent and disengaged.

And you are there questioning whether god is in the middle of that or has he abandoned you too. See paul is very real and honest about our adversaries. He even relates the life of the believer to that of a sheep who is to be slaughtered.

The life in this fallen and sin-cursed world is hard. It's wrecked by sin and it deals us tough hands that can make us question the goodness of love of god and we may have. We have many adversaries. And which the reality is we face many adversaries and it would be unhealthy to pretend like they do not exist.

And like we each of us individually do not struggle with them. I struggle with them. I am I am not perfect. I would that I love the lord my god with all my heart soul mind and strength to the fullest every day.

I don't. I want more of it. But i'm not perfect. All of us in this life will not be perfect. We need to to look to christ and trust in him because not only do we have adversaries. But secondly paul tells us that we have great hope.

Because we have a great conqueror. See verse 37 paul says no in all these things all these Adversaries and adversities that you deal with no in all these things. We are more than conquerors. Through him who loved us.

What does it mean for us to be more than conquerors? We are more than conquerors in the face of all these adversaries not because we in and of ourselves are strong enough to deal with them but because brother and sister.

We have been united to christ by faith and he is victorious. He has risen from the dead and has conquered sin satan and death. We are victorious as we are united to him by faith. He is the great conqueror.

It is the love of christ specifically that gives us confidence than ultimate victory as we face every adversity that this life throws at us. So the powerful love of christ demonstrated in verse 31 to 34.

That drove christ to the cross and raised him from the dead for our salvation is the love the same love That allows us enables us to overcome every adversary and rest secure In the salvation that he has already accomplished for us in history.

And if you have believed has applied to your heart presently you see. This infinite love of christ and the security it provides is not a myth. It's not the unicorn we could talk about it. But we'll never see one.

It's not something that you know, we can we can talk about in the abstract sure god could be that loving but we'll never see That or experience that for ourselves. No, this is something that we can actually see.

You might say though my adversaries are too strong. Paul could not have anticipated what I am facing what I am having to deal with. Paul did Anticipate it. His lists of adversaries are meant to include every hardship imaginable.

He closes his list. This is list wasn't expansive enough. He closes the list in verse 39 with this all-encompassing statement that that nothing else in all of creation Will be able to separate us from the love of god in christ.

So jesus sits in heaven right now victorious over sin satan and death. He has secured your salvation surely after dying to save you. And in continually interceding for you in heaven. He will not allow you to fall away to any adversary.

There is no adversary you are experiencing or will experience that jesus did not anticipate. You see paul just said that that god predestined he he planned your salvation in eternity past. And applied it in the present and worked faith in your heart.

See from eternity past he knew what you would face. He knew every bit of opposition and every adversary that would tempt you to disbelieve and to separate you from christ. So whatever you're facing brother and sister jesus anticipated it.

You may be surprised by it and you may be reeling from from the hardship that you're dealing with. But jesus is not surprised by it. He fully anticipated this. The loss of your job cannot separate you from the love of christ.