June 25, 2017 What Shall We Say by Pastor Josh Sheldon

Romans 8:31-34 and the Question of What We Say

Now turn your Bibles to the book of Romans and chapter 8. Now text this morning will be verses 31 through 34 in Romans chapter 8. You'll notice in your bullet and the title of this message is what shall we say?

You'll recognize where they came from as soon as I begin to read Romans 8 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 it to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised. Who is at the right hand of God who is indeed?

Interceding for us. You know we've been in this book of Romans for about a year now. Having started at some time ago I'm not going to count for you the number of sermons. Because you might think we're only halfway through how long is this going to take and I don't want you to think like that.

But I want you to think this way. We've been in this book these eight first eight chapters for quite some time. Imagine though that it has been a classroom. Imagine for a moment just put yourself in the setting where it's been a lecture.

Your students, and you're being lectured by a professor. Which in a sense we have the professor being the Apostle Paul the author of this book of Romans as He is inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit to write this eternal word for us.

And now we're here at chapter 8 and verse 31 and Paul our instructor says to us his students. What then shall we say to these things? That's quite a question. These things. What are you guys here? What is your conclusion?

What have you gotten out of this? What have you understood? You know one of the ways rabbis teach. I recognize this immediately when I was first reading the New Testament as a Jew trying to resist God's Word is how often Jesus asks questions in order to make statements.

Ask questions in order to see what people actually understood. And the rabbis that I learned under did the same thing. They would test us by the questions that we asked and that they asked. That's the way it was Determined if you really understood the material so Paul in a very rabbinic way says to us.

What then shall we say? What is your conclusion? Have you gotten anything out of this? You've been listening for a good long while. You've comprehended each point at least you raise your hand say yes, I understand at each major point and.

At each major juncture he has paused he has summarized his material sometimes with statements to bring it all together. Other times with logical questions and sometimes answering the questions for us all this material.

Now comes to bear here closed book test. Closed smartphone test. I'm watching to make sure they all got silenced. What then shall you say about these things. You're done with algebra. You're done with your geometry.

You're done with your trig. It's time for calculus, but first. Do you understand where we've come from? Do you understand the conclusions leading us to this point? How far back are these things how far back must we go?

We have a closed book test and. And how much material Paul are you going to make us answer back? Let's go back to chapter 1 verse 16 the theme of this entire epistle of Romans. For I'm not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

For in it the power the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written. The righteous shall live by faith back there. And perhaps all the way forward to the verse just ahead of what we're right reading this morning.

And we preached last week and who those whom he predestined He also called and those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified he also glorified. So what what shall we say? What indeed shall we say about these things?

This entire letter would have taken maybe 45 minutes to read to an audience. I don't know exactly how it was presented to the church at Rome or to other places where it was sent once it was copied. And distributed.

I don't know exactly the form did a man stand up and preach a little bit elevated. So everybody could hear the way we do in today in this church. Did he even preach it or just read it? Was there time for questions or did the preacher the reader of this letter when it was first presented to Rome?

Did he read a verse or a sentence I should say because it wasn't broken down into verses then. Did he read a sentence and stop and explain it? We don't know. I believe though That the people who heard this letter 2 ,000 years ago.

Perhaps even the first time it was ever read. Were the same as us. No different than you and me people who would hear these things it would wonder about these things. They would have questions. They would need Paul to summarize things to force us to conclusions that we wouldn't think of ourselves.

They would need somebody to knew Paul who understood theology to explain it to them. Point by point. I don't think they're any different than we are today. So if you would have trouble Summarizing these eight chapters.

If this were a class and the instructor looked out and said what then shall we say before we move on to chapter 9? Or I should say finish chapter 8 the last few verses before that. What do you have to say about what's come before are you ready to move on and looking out at you?

Nobody wants to raise their hand and I shifting slowly left and right say I hope he does. I hope she raised her right because one of them there's a smart people they know. If you're having trouble summarizing it all you're not alone and in fact Paul actually does it for us.

What then shall we say about these things in verses 31 to 34. He gives us what are the necessary and logical conclusions to be drawn from all this come up to this point? And what is the theme of this letter?

What is Paul been driving us towards? What is it? He's defending and presenting. What are these questions that he's assuming people are asking this diatribe mode of argumentation that we've been going through for these Many months these last these these previous eight chapters.

It's all about justification. It's all about your justification. Before God because of what he has done for you or for us in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what Paul's been working towards now. There's been some sub themes as we go through but it all ties together.

It all comes to this one grand idea. You've been justified by faith. Even justified in verses 35 through 39 he's going to draw some of the implications of what God has done for us in his son and by his spirit in terms of Undying and unalterable love for those who have faith in his son Jesus Christ and that's for next week for this week before that.

Before what shall separate us from God. Understand that it's because we've been justified by declaration of God. That we know we can't be separated from God. And so we dare not jump to what shall separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus before we understand.

That the reason we can't be separated from him. The reason for his love for us is because we've been justified by the work of his son Jesus Christ. Work of his son is simply shorthand for what Christ did when he walked on this earth as a man.

God in the flesh on The cross at Calvary where he paid the price for our sins. What has he done for the community of faith. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God. The work he did on the cross to pay for our sins our sins being put upon him.

So his righteousness put upon you justification. That's what this has been about when Paul says what then shall we say about these things? What are we gonna do? What do you conclude? What's this all mean to you?

That's it. Your justification in Christ has been secured by the sacrifice of God's only begotten Son who is constantly even now interceding for us. Standing between us and God. That's what we shall say it's really that simple.

The Logic of God's Gift in Christ

I Want to look at these verses, of course as you might have guessed in a bit more detail than that. There's a issue of structure that I want you to take notice of here. At least maybe maybe two issues and the first is that in verses 31 to 32 It speaks about how God gave his best and how does therefore absurd to think that he would withhold anything less Than his best if he gave the ultimate which of course is Jesus.

It's only logical to say he wouldn't hold anything beneath him back and what's beneath Jesus. Everything everything. Verses 33 33 and 34 then tell us What it is that we will ultimately have. My say ultimately I'm speaking of the last day the great day of judgment when all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and we'll Get to that.

But what will we have then? What's Paul promising? It's ultimately vindication. Vindication for I'm not ashamed of the gospel. Remember all those months ago. What does ashamed mean? I know that the gospel that this work of God in Jesus Christ Accomplishes what God says it accomplishes or accomplished what God says it accomplished.

The gospel is reliable. There's nothing about the gospel that will fail no aspect of it. I'm not ashamed of the gospel. I will never be ashamed of the gospel. No, no one will ever now or on that great day Be able to point to one word one jot or tittle from God.

That has fallen to the ground. And failed to do exactly what he said he would do. Vindication ultimate vindication. That your faith was properly placed in the only God and his only Son and the only work the cross.

Where sins could be answered? The second thing I want you to notice is that the the first verse verse in each couplet with verse 31 and 32 being a couplet. 33 34 being a couplet. The first verse Focuses more on God God the Father and the second tells us how what God what it says about God is then secured in Christ so verse 31.

Sort of like how much is God for us? Verse 32 the second verse of the couplet. He's so much for us. He's so much for you if your faith is in him. He's so much for you that he gave his only Son for you.

He did not withhold Jesus for your sake. That's how much he is for you. What shall we say then if God is for us? I can be against us as God. How much is he for you? He gave Jesus verse 33. The question is sort of like just how secure are we in our justification?

Verse 34 answers we are secure in our justification as. Is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ true and efficacious. That's how secure you are. Jesus Christ rose from the dead a historical fact.

Is it efficacious? Rowan's 425 he raised him for our justification. So if verse 33 would ask you how secure you are. Verse 34 says we are secure as the work that God did in Jesus Christ. What God has done what he accomplished in him.

One other matter of structure is that the questions here aren't really questions at all. What shall we say then is really saying you ought to be saying something by now. You ought to have a sentence in mind.

About everything that's come before. They're not really questions throughout this thing. If God is for us who can be against us is really saying seeing that it is a Done deal a conclusion we can hang on to seeing that God is for us.

No one can be against us. It's really a statement. You know a wife says to a husband why didn't you love me enough to remember that I love amber and not yellow roses. It's not a question. It's a statement.

It's you didn't love me enough to remember that. I love pink. I'm now blue. I mean those other roses. You get my point. There's not a question at all. It's a statement seeing that God is for you. No one nothing can be against you.

So I have kind of a I don't want to call it a paraphrase but a rephrasing of our verses. Something like this seeing that God is for us. We conclude that no one who is against us is of any ultimate concern or consequence.

Because God gave the greatest his son Jesus on our behalf all lesser things are assured to us therefore anyone who would charge us must first overcome God's declaration of our Justification and anyone who would condemn us must first find something against us that was not covered by the death of the Son He gave for us.

Do you see how I kind of tried to weave those together if anyone would charge those in Jesus Christ? With any wrong they must first overcome. Somehow neutralize. I forget the legal term for it, but setting aside there's a legal term for that.

Set aside God's declaration of our justification if they can do that Have at it. If you can set aside God's declaration that because of my faith in Jesus Christ I am justified if you can nullify that's the word I was looking for nullify that.

Have at me because if you can nullify that there's nothing more I can do. But you can't. You cannot do it. So what shall we say about these things. What shall we say? We shall say that we are secure in the arms of God as could be Because of Christ his son and what he has done.

That's what we should say. Seeing the God is for us who can be against us. Well, we do have to acknowledge don't we that there's many against us Isis though I've never met an Isis fighter. We know that Isis is against us as Christians.

We know that from what they're doing elsewhere in the world Isis is against us and I would say we as a church and we as What we believe we would find that the two senators from California are really against us.

I Would find that many powerful people of lesser note than they are Against us if for no other reason than they're fools who said in their heart There is no God, but they are against us and if they are against God, they must be against what we stand for.

Paul the author of Romans he wrote this having Withstood himself many who are adamantly against him. In 2nd Corinthians 11 24 we read how five times he received 40 stripes less one from the Jews. The pagans at Lystra in Acts 16 soon after thinking him and Barnabas be gods and sacrificing to them.

They were easily persuaded to stone Paul and leave him for dead. He knew many people against him. The Pharisees were against Jesus while he walked on this earth as Were the Pharisees strange bedfellows the Sadducees?

The Sanhedrin was against Christ as was Herod as was Pilate. It's not that no one's no one is ever going to oppose us. We know this from experience. We know this from the promise of Scripture where Jesus says in this world.

You will have tribulation. But take heart I've overcome the world but you will have tribulation you will have trouble. You will have those Adamantly opposed to you because of who and what you are in Christ.

It's not that no one's ever going to oppose us. Is that no one who opposes us or you is to be of any ultimate concern for us ultimate or final concern for us. Their opposition Needs to be considered in light of the fact that God is for us.

God is for us to put the emphasis differently. God is for us and therefore None of this is of ultimate consequence. Now I say ultimate because we know that opposition of all kinds is difficult to withstand.

It's hard when we're derided in the office when our neighbors won't talk to us when family members reject us. It's hard and God knows it's hard. Notice, I didn't say it's not of any consequence. It's not of ultimate Ultimate consequence.

The Bible never makes light of what we go through in this life and Paul doesn't say to us here well just buck up and Get on with it ignore pull yourself up by the bootstraps and just be a little tougher.

How come you're so easily persuaded by something as small as a fellow man or woman or anything like that? He doesn't talk to us that way. He doesn't tell us just get used to it. No, he says that when they come against you.

He says take strength take comfort in the fact that they are against someone whom God is definitely for you know when the world comes against you and Oftentimes we have to admit there's not much we can do about it if anything at all.

But how much easier can we handle it? How much more can we represent God rightly if in the depth of your soul? You're looking at this Mortal who's but a breath who like the grass on a hot day is gonna fade away and be done when God is for you.

God So much for you that he gave his only son for you. One man wrote this way. Yet these that be against us. So far are they from thwarting us at all that even without their will? Excuse me, they even without their will they become to us the causes of crowns and Procurers of countless blessings in that God's wisdom turns their plots unto our salvation and glory.

Isn't that great? That's a great way to look at the difference between those who are against us and he who is for us and What they can do for us in this life or against us and what God has done for us.

Not only in this life, but in eternity. So what shall we say to these things? God is for us. What shall you say to all these things from Romans chapter 116. All the way through where we've been so far brethren brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Say this in the depth of your soul. God is for me. Let that be our strength. Let that be our hope. Let that carry us through the opposition of this world. God is for us. That's what we should say these things includes everything against us as at the end of the verse.

It ties to verse 28, which we looked at last week. God works all things for a good. So what do you say to these things these things are part of the all things this life this now this present evil age.

The quote I gave you Says these things work for a good. Against their will trying to do us harm. God works them for good. We did that last we went through that last week that God works all things for our good.

Peter considers our trials one factor in the refinement of our faith. Like the the smelting furnace purging impurities and bringing out our luster, which is our precious faith. How can that be because God is for you because even wicked men.

As Joseph told his brothers you meant for evil. God meant it for good. God works all things for our good. So what do we say if you answer since God is on my side? No one who is not is of any note if you say that.

Well, you've passed and The next time the professor stands and says well, what are you gonna say about everything? I've said so far in this series of lectures. You don't have to look nervously from side to side and wonder if that person next to you Will get the professor's eyes off you by raising their hand.

No, you can answer you can say God is for me. God has declared me justified. Therefore. I am justified and that's the end of the story. Well, if you could say that you've passed. If you can say that you no longer need to fear any questions.

So you can put your hand up and stand up in front of the class and answer boldly. Because it's really the point of these eight chapters. We've taken so long to go through. Well, if you have that then I have a question for you.

Why is it you can be sure God is really on your side. That just a thought that makes you feel good. That just a happy imagining. That makes life a little bit easier. How can be sure? God really is on your side.

If that's the answer if that's the getting a plus on your final exam answer. The next question say whoops. I thought you said I passed. I thought you said I'm okay. I think I can raise my hand boldly now.

I have another question. How do you know? He really is on your side and the next verse tells us He that's God God the Father he who did not spare his own son and that's Jesus. But gave him up for us all how will he not also with him graciously give us all things.

We see Paul argues from the greater the lesser. That's pretty easy to see and we should say not the greater to the lesser from the greatest to the least. From the greatest which is Jesus to the least.

What do we say? We say that if while we were enemies Christ died for us, that's Romans 5 10. How much more is he well disposed towards us now that we are his adopted children. Christ died for you while you were his enemy.

Christ died for me was thumbing my nose in his father's face. Insulting and blaspheming his name. Deriding him at every turn. Being no better towards his people. What did God do? He saved me. He saved you.

He saved Saul and made him Paul. He saved the disciples. They needed saving. He saved Mary. She needed to be saved while we're enemies. If while we're enemies he did that he gave his son while we're enemies.

How much more is he well disposed to her? How much more is he for you? Now that you believe in the son he gave for you now that you are his adopted children. Was it two weeks ago three weeks ago. We're in that passage the Holy Spirit of God within you.

Testifying to you something about that that you are his adopted child by faith in his son Jesus Christ. So what do we say to these things? I say That if God gave me Christ and there's nothing in all the universe in all creation.

That's above or better or even close to Christ if he gave me his only begotten son. For my sin, I could be pretty confident in anything this God says towards me. Namely justification so God. We could ask.

How would he now withhold anything from those whom he loves? If he has done this How would he hold anything else back? Better to ask how can we ever even entertain such a thought? Is God for you or not.

Remember that God does not work in half measures. God doesn't give promises and then dole out little Fulfillments of them. It's God for you or not. He gave his best. How can we even think that he would hold back anything less than that?

How is there's nothing left really to give. Is he a God who now frowns upon you and says what do you want this time? Haven't I had enough of you haven't I done enough for you. I gave my son for you. I justified you.

I gave you my spirit. I gave you the scripture. Give me some break here. Give me some rest. We don't serve a God like that at all. Have I done enough for you enough? Yes enough to purchase me out of hell out of hell's maw.

You say enough yes, you've done enough to translate us from death to life enough. Yes enough to power us through this life by the indwelling help of your own. Holy Spirit Who is not given to us by measure as we read in the Ephesians chapter 4 verse 8.

When he which is Christ when he ascended on high he led a host of captives and gave gifts to men. You know, that is a quote of a psalm Written about King David and in the original psalm It was he it was King David who received gifts from men when he ascended on high.

Well, how high? Just the steps to the throne. Where he sat in the throne and was king over Jerusalem or over Israel. And when he ascended on high he received gifts from men but now Christ. Ephesians 4 8 Christ David's greater greatest son.

When he ascended to his throne the one at the father's right hand, he does not receive gifts, but he gives them. He led a host of kept he led a host of captives and gave gifts to men so what shall we say.

We answer the question. How shall he not also with him gracious give us all things. It's this way. Here's how we answer it. He who has given all Will hold back nothing. He who is for me So much so that he gave me his son will hold back nothing.

Everything descends in value and importance after him. So I'm 118 verses 5 through 7 Says this out of my distress I call on the Lord the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side. I will not fear.

What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper. I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. See men do cause distress the Lord who is for me. He sets me free not from the trial. But from the anxiety that comes from wondering about the outcome of it all.

And whatever that outcome is God is on my side. God is with me. He is my helper. I will not fear. Doesn't mean we know the exact outcome. Only God knows that God's on my side. There's Psalm 56 verses 8 through 11 Speaking to God.

He says you have kept count of my tossings put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call this I know That God is for me. In God whose word I praise in the Lord whose word I praise in God I trust I shall not be afraid.

What can man do to me? Like prayer rising to his altar as a sweet incense your tears are ever before him. In fact, he wrote your tears in his book before you shed them. He ordained them and that for our good all things being worked right now in this life by the God who is for us to that one purpose.

To do you good? Because he's for you. To do you good which is to conform you to the image of his son Jesus Christ. We studied that last week. Come what may he is on your side. So praise his word. Do not be afraid of man glance at man acknowledge them to God but gaze upon God and ask What can man do to me?

We might ask what did they do to our Lord Jesus? Well, they scourged him they beat him they spat upon him they crucified him they pressed that thorn of crowns into his brow. Was that was not all that written in his book?

Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 spoke of exactly that in prophetic terms. Hundreds year above hundreds years years before. So, where did Jesus look? Not at men he said not my will but yours be done. Where did Jesus look not at men.

He said father into your hands. I commit my spirit. Psalm 23 verse 4 a beloved verse in a beloved Psalm. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil for you are with me.

Your rod and your staff they comfort for me. They comfort me. Even if our bed is made in Sheol God is there for us. So what do we say about these things say this if God is for me no one can be against me.

Say this church if God is for me. No one could be against me. You know, we don't do much responsive reading here. Every now and I say the church said and all you have to say is amen. Which I can usually get.

I have not abused the pulpit with you know, the the ear thing. And we haven't done a lot of responsive real had a lot of respect for our Generally culturally sort of repressed way of worshiping here. And I give you my word.

We're not gonna have a new habit here. But I would like to hear this. I would like to hear the church say if God is for me. No one could be against me. I want to know that this truth is in your soul deep enough that it can come out your lips.

If I ask again, what then shall we say about things? I want you to say it with me if God is for me. No one could be against me. I give you my word. If you do this now, I'm not gonna take advantage and we're gonna do it next week or next month.

But I want you to say this. I want you to get this. I want to be sure that is deeply imprinted on you. It's something that we can say when the troubles and vicissitudes of this life go upon us because this is where Paul is taking us.

This is where we're gonna go in the rest of Romans now that we have this theological this doctrinal foundation. So the answer is going to be if God is for me. No one could be against me when I ask the question.

I want everyone to say it just like that. The question is this what then shall we say to these things and the church said if God is for me No one could be against me. Thank you. Wait till you see what we have next week.

I'm kidding. I will not take advantage. It's that important though. It's that important. So much so he didn't spare his own son. He's that much Jesus Christ whose death on the cross as our substitutes the only answer for our sins.

Think about Abraham's son Isaac as the prototype in Genesis 22. We read how God tells him take your son your only son. The son you've been waiting for the son you've been praying for the son you tried to us substitute Eliezer for.

You take him now that you have him to a mountain in Moriah, which I will show you and There he's my burnt offering. And we're not going to go to Genesis 22 and read that it would take too long this morning.

But you know that you we all know what happened that Abraham bound up Isaac as a burnt offering and put him on the wood and Was ready to bring the knife down upon him and the angel had to call out twice the angel of the Lord I believe is Jesus Abraham Abraham.

Do not lay your hand on the child. Do not harm him. God stopped him. He spared him. I believe he stopped him because only Jesus could die as a sin offering which is what Isaac was being prepared for. Only Jesus could actually do that.

Because only Jesus was that without sin Isaac you see if Isaac was a sin offering for anyone else first. He has to compensate for his own sin. Which of course means there's nothing left for anyone else.

God withheld Isaac. He allowed Abraham to withhold his son, but Jesus The only one without sin the only one whose death could then benefit anyone else because no sin on his part Had to be paid. He was not withheld.

Will not such a God Before you against any and all comers will not such a God is that before you in anything that occurs in this life and Seeing that he is for us seeing it is for you. No one can finally be finally be against us or you.

Do you believe that? Do you believe that because if you do you've just passed the final exam from Romans 1 16 to chapter 8 verse 32. You passed. That's the point. Look again at verses 33 and 34. Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?

It is God who justifies who is it 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 follows neatly from these first two verses like this seeing that God is for us and That to the extent of not sparing his son Jesus.

Seeing that anyone who would do such a thing is that will not stop being for those for whom he gave his son. Seeing all this to be true God will not allow any charge against us to stand all. That we've just been discussing being true.

Paul now goes to this idea of your justification Before God because of Christ and because of that no charge against you can stand. Now this does not mean that no charge whatsoever will Will always be any charge whatsoever will always be false.

I should say if you were to drink too much and drive. And you got pulled over and were unable to pass the roadside test. And got a blood test or a breath test or whatever it was and you had the wrong amount within you.

You would be properly charged with something and the judge would probably properly agree with the charge rightly, so. This is not what Paul has in mind here. Paul has a mind here the last day the great day the day of judgment the final day.

That day when every soul is called to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Now imagine. You're there. Imagine that you are there. The judge of all the earth is scanning the scene and what is the scene?

The great day is a great courtroom and there he is. Looking out having called all meaning all To be before him and there are the angels those who did his bidding. There are the prophets who carried his messages to men.

The angels who fell with Satan are there right next to the goats on Jesus left side. The Saints are there on his right. They're the lambs and next to the judge of all the earth is the Son who in his body bore the wrath of God for sin.

Everyone who ever lived willingly or unwilling has come to the proceeding. Remember John 5 28 all who are in the tombs will hear my voice. That's Jesus voice and come out those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

When Jesus speaks all Humanity is going to be before him. No choice about it. No one's going to say, you know, I Kind of enjoy this tomb it's been restful. It's not as hard as living was and I don't really care to meet you right now Jesus.

No. The Son of Man speaks with the authority of God. So there you are on this great day with the judge of all the universe and his son next to him. It's a scene really in 2nd Corinthians 510. We almost appear before the judgment seat of Christ is a scene of Isaiah 4111.

Listen to me in silence. Oh coastlands. Let the people renew their strength. Let them approach. Let them then speak. Let us draw together for judgment. And now the judge of all the earth looks out on this entire assembly and There you are if you believe in Jesus Christ there you are on his right.

With the Saints. It's dead quiet. Not a soul stirs not an angel. And God says Who? Shall bring any charge against my elect. Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? He does not open the docket for charges against angels fallen or otherwise.