No, No, No! - [Romans 8]

Bethlehem Bible Church

1 view

May 12, 2013

00:01: Wasn't that long ago someone said to me when I listen to your podcasts. I usually do it at about 1 .5
00:09: speed so I can get more done during the day Well, they won't have to speed up this sermon turn your
00:16: Bibles to Romans chapter 8 and brace yourselves We have so many things to cover and we're going to go quickly
00:23: But hopefully efficiently and most of all biblically in Christ centeredly Romans chapter 8 usually it takes us four or five years to get through books of the
00:34: Bible, but we're doing 16 chapters of Romans in 16 weeks to hit the highlights of this great book
00:41: So you kind of get a little bit of the flavor that you might want to go study it more on your own Romans chapter 8
00:49: We live in a security conscious world, don't we? pin numbers passwords deadbolts alarm companies
00:59: Firewalls Everyone is concerned these days about security financial security home security health security
01:07: People need assurance people want security and this chapter is a good dose of God's security found in Christ Jesus safe and secure from all alarm
01:20: Charles Hodge said the theme of chapter 8 is the security of believers and It's all based on the unchanging love of who
01:27: God is in Christ Jesus. Are we secure? Will it last to the end? sometimes my theology changes a little bit hopefully for the better not very much over the years, but Maybe this next statement might make you think
01:39: I've changed my theology You can lose your salvation should see your faces
01:47: Left to yourself. You could lose your salvation But because of who Christ Jesus is he has gained it for you and you can't lose what
01:55: God has gained and thankfully Romans 8 Talks about the security of the believers the perseverance of the
02:01: Saints because of the preservation of God You can't lose what you didn't own and it would cost God the
02:06: Father More if you lost your salvation than it would you because the glory of God rides on it
02:15: We still sin We still as Christians deal with the flesh.
02:21: Is there hope of heaven for us? Are we secure? The law has shown us all kinds of things in chapter 7.
02:28: Can we make it to the end? We're weak. We're frail
02:34: What does God think of Christians Romans chapter 8 answers the question?
02:40: When I'm weak and dying on my deathbed you come and you read Romans chapter 8 to me, would you?
02:46: Because it's all about who God is take a look at these book ends of Romans first verse and even last verse
02:55: Romans 8 1 there is Therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus And there's no separation either verse 39 nor height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us
03:10: From the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus Our Lord the security for the
03:16: Christian because of the work of Christ Applied by the Holy Spirit that is
03:22: Romans Chapter 8 and it's important for you because this will help you with your
03:27: Christian growth if you're a Christian Wouldn't you like to grow now? Let's think big pics for a picture for a second
03:34: Romans 1 2 & 3 a dealt with sin. We have no righteousness of our own. We need
03:40: God's righteousness 3 b 4 & 5 dealt with justification how God imputes righteousness forensically
03:48: Christ's righteousness to our account even though we didn't deserve it because Christ life is great enough to be
03:54: Imputed to all those who had belief our sins placed on Christ Christ's righteousness placed on us.
04:01: So you've got sin Salvation and now we move to the sanctification section of Romans 6 7 & 8 all deal with sanctification with the exclamation point in 8 about Security and so how do we live the
04:16: Christian life if you're like me? This will be good for you because here's how I live the Christian life left to myself.
04:22: I got to try harder I got to do more and you know what if I get up early enough and I have my devotions and I have my prayer time and if maybe
04:31: I Evangelize to a few people this day and if I if I love my wife like I should you know, what boy?
04:38: God loves me so much more doesn't he? I I'm just loved by God more that's wrong thinking and Romans 8 clears that up because God can't love you more
04:48: He loves you the most in Christ Jesus. He loves you as much as he loves his son Now it's good to read the
04:55: Bible honey, is it good if I love you, it's very good, but that doesn't earn anything
05:02: Actually, I take good Bible principles read your Bible and pray and Evangelize and then
05:10: I turn them into a new Christian law if I do those and everything does goes well in my life friends
05:15: Chapter 8 is walking by faith and what the Spirit of God does We walk by faith and not by sight
05:23: Rules are bad. The law is bad with you. Try to live by the law to earn God's pleasure
05:30: This is so good. It takes us back to the power of the Spirit for our sanctification
05:38: You know, what's gonna be the best about this? For you if you're a Christian and you struggle with your assurance.
05:43: Am I really a Christian or not? This chapter is going to teach you when you look to yourself you are going to lose your assurance
05:52: You won't be able to feel like you're saved when you look at yourself because we always fall short even as Christians This whole chapter is going to be
06:00: Christian look up Christian look away from yourself Christian look around instead of trying to grab hold of assurance and chase it like an idol
06:10: I've got to have assurance. I've got to have assurance. I've got to have assurance when you try to grab that idol it's like a
06:16: It's like a grease pig slips away What's that gonna sound like at 1 .5
06:22: speed? I don't know. I'm really sped up yet But if you keep your eyes on the
06:28: Lord Jesus Christ and what he's done for you at Calvary his life is death Then the dove of assurance just comes and floats down and just sets on your shoulder
06:38: When you struggle with assurance, it's because maybe there's sin in your life The main sin is looking to self instead of looking to the
06:45: Lord and this is a great chapter to keep our eyes Right where they should be. Am I secure
06:51: Romans 8? Yes. Will salvation last? Yes, are there is there any condemnation for those
06:57: Christians who still sin no condemnation? Who is old enough to remember the wide world of sports?
07:07: Some probably raise their hand There's an ABC show and it just showed you different sporting events around the world and remember the very beginning the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat
07:22: Showed some guy wiping out flipping over 500 times on skis Now switch those two around and you've got
07:28: Romans 7 you've got Romans 8 the agony of defeat Romans 7 and the thrill of victory victory achieved by the work of another
07:39: This is gonna be so good because I don't have to tell you today be good and do good Be nice.
07:46: It's nice to be nice, isn't it? Of course, but you don't need the Bible to have that said to you
07:52: But you do need to have the Bible to say this to you There's nothing you can do to undo
07:57: God's work for you nothing You see a little glimmer in Romans 7 25, don't you?
08:04: It's a flicker Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. He just got done saying how wretched he is there's a flicker of hope but now
08:12: Romans 8 we get the halogen beam of a of a Lighthouse bursting forth a mighty fortress is our
08:22: God. Let me give you seven Indestructible promises that will forever guide your walk of faith for our outline today
08:30: Guide your walk of faith by the Spirit's power all derived from Christ Jesus Seven indestructible promises the fortress of the
08:39: Christians assurance For those of you that maybe can identify with this. Let me Additionally call it seven kryptonite like assurances vice -grip like assurances and Every one of them starts with no and oh because friends
08:55: It's actually good sometimes to teach by bringing the point home with a negative First Peter chapter 1 our inheritance is imperishable
09:05: Undefiled and will not fade away. So we'll do the same thing They all start with no or just a quick side note before we get into the text
09:12: Outside on the billboard it am service. It says no, no, no and Then p .m.
09:18: Service it says Greek update so we had our outreach concert the other night and we had a lot of Greek people come from Boston for the concert and so They were walking up to the church.
09:27: It says no, no, no Greek update. So they didn't know what to expect It's a .m.
09:32: P .m. And tonight. We won't have a Greek update tonight's first Thessalonians chapter 2 But the point is no, no, no and Paul teaches right from the very beginning
09:43: Promise number one no condemnation Assurance number one security number one no condemnation versus one through four this is the flipside of Positive justification
09:58: Christ died for us where we have imputed righteousness. What's the opposite of justification? Condemnation the penalty has been paid verse one.
10:07: There is therefore now No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Could there be greater assurance and If you're a
10:16: Greek writer What you do is to make an emphasis you put words to the front of the sentence
10:22: Or you could put them to the back of the sentence any guesses in Greek what the first word is in this sentence
10:30: Read the sign No No condemnation. He's trying to make it emphatic.
10:37: No none Impossible not a wit not an ounce not a smidgen
10:43: Judicially, you're declared righteous and therefore there's no condemnation of any kind for you
10:49: The law condemns but Jesus Christ fulfilled the law Jesus Christ died to the law and you in Christ died to law no condemnation
10:57: There's no law to condemn you Jesus fulfilled it Isn't this the banner for Christians?
11:03: Shouldn't this be the trumpet? No condemnation for those in Christ Jesus Friends I deserved it and you deserved it hell
11:12: We deserved and yet there's no condemnation based on the work of Christ Jesus forgiven
11:17: The price has been paid No Damocles sword of condemnation anymore because the cross of Christ provided the solution for sin and condemnation
11:30: Jesus was condemned in our place We have our sins forgiven. No wonder
11:35: Paul says in Romans 4 blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven All those old haunting sins all those sins now even past present future no condemnation paid
11:47: What I like about this friends Is when you know, you don't have to pay for your sins instead of running around trying to make sure you don't die with those
11:57: Sins placed in your account and then go to hell, you know, you're free to serve I Love the
12:03: Golden Gate Bridge and I like to visit there every year and just look at this massive structure the Golden Gate Bridge and I Think about all kinds of things like Jesus was the bridge between man and God and another thing
12:15: I think about is Before they had safety nets installed 23 men fell and died
12:22: Well, then they put safety nets there and some apparatus so there would be security Ten men fell but didn't die and the amazing thing is production went up 25 %
12:34: What I I'm gonna work hard and I'm not gonna have to worry about dying Christian What's the worst thing that can happen to you?
12:39: You can serve not trying to say to yourself like I did when I was a kid. Do you know what? All right. It's time to confess my sins.
12:45: It's 1030 at night. I'm in bed, Lord I didn't do this and I should have and I did do this and I shouldn't have and let's see
12:51: Is there anything else because if I forget to confess one sin, I'm gonna go to hell for that one sin. That's unconfessed
12:57: What kind of life to live is that? Friends, there's no condemnation for any of those in Christ Jesus because Jesus paid for all your sins past present future
13:06: Is it good to confess? Yes, but if you forget one Jesus didn't forget about that sin and he paid for it in your place
13:12: No condemnation you're able to serve the Lord James Denny said assurance is a sin in Romanism.
13:20: It's a duty in much of Protestantism But in the New Testament, it's simply you have assurance you have security
13:31: Penalty has been paid more than that verses 2 through 4 The power of sin is broken liberated from the laws bondage
13:41: Verse 2 for the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in the
13:47: Messiah Jesus from the law of sin and death This is like the practical application of no condemnation
13:56: The law of sin gravity is reversed and now we're gonna focus here on the spirit in chapter 8
14:03: Iii in chapter 7 the spirit working in chapter 8 the spirit of life not the law of death
14:11: Jesus Acquired by his death burial resurrection life for us now the spirit applies it
14:20: Practically how what's the divine method verse 3? For God has done what the law weakened by the flesh
14:27: Could not do how by sending his own son now
14:34: Look at the words here carefully worded in the likeness of sinful flesh It doesn't say in the likeness of flesh like he's some ghost.
14:41: It doesn't say in the sinful flesh Jesus committed no sin first Peter. He knew no sin 2nd
14:47: Corinthians and in him. There's no sin first John But he was our representative wasn't he in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin he condemned sin in The flesh
15:00: Oh the laws good the laws holy the laws righteous, but it can't say but Jesus can Notice here everything is bound up in what
15:09: Jesus did you want security you have to look back away from yourself and look to the cross
15:15: And what's the purpose here of verse 3? It's found in verse 4 In order that the righteous requirement of the law perfect obedience
15:23: Perfectly obeying the law might be fulfilled in us. Oh, we have a responsibility
15:29: We'll get to that later But you see the passive language where it's the Spirit of God working in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit
15:38: The just requirement and demand of God's law has been fulfilled by those who are in Christ Jesus Charles Finney wrote it is self -evident that the entire obedience to God's law is possible on the ground of natural ability
15:56: Really That's not what we're reading here The life of holiness is because of what the
16:01: Son did applied by the Spirit. No condemnation. I Think Charles Wesley wrote a song about that didn't he?
16:09: number two no vacancy Second indestructible promise number one no vacant no condemnation number two
16:15: No vacancy you need help and sanctification the Spirit of God dwells in you versus 5 through 13
16:23: What a neglected topic these days the role of the Spirit in the life of the believer assurance
16:30: Christian friend your life is not one long hard endeavor to be good. We fight the good fight of Faith not the good fight
16:43: Mounts said how to live in and by the Spirit is the single most important lesson the believer can ever learn
16:50: And Paul teaches us here Liberating you can't live by your own strength and when you do frustration angst
16:57: Really you go back to Romans 7 I I I I maybe 30 times I in English and here in chapter 8
17:03: It's the Spirit of God probably 20 times used And the Spirit of God helps us set our minds on his desires verses 5 and following for those who live according to flesh
17:14: Set their minds on things of the flesh That's how unbelievers live But those who live according to the
17:21: Spirit Set their minds on the things of the Spirit. That's their desire.
17:27: That's their yearning and There's a good result to that because there's a bad result to what the unbelievers do verse 6
17:34: For to set the mind on the flesh is It's death But to set the mind on the
17:39: Spirit is it's life and peace Contentment sense of security That describes a
17:46: Christian powered by the Spirit of God We don't want the opposite you want to go back to who you used to be verse 7 for the mind that is set on the
17:53: Flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law indeed cannot
18:01: Those who are in the flesh unbelievers Cannot please God that's a good reason not to go according to the flesh
18:10: But here's the good news the Spirit dwells in you the Spirit of God lives in you
18:17: You however verse 9 Are not in the flesh He's not talking about skin here
18:24: But in the Spirit if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you anyone who does not have the
18:29: Spirit of Christ does not belong To him all Christians get all the Spirit But if Christ is in you although the body is dead because of sin the
18:38: Spirit is life because of righteousness Christian you are in the
18:43: Spirit you have the Spirit dwelling in you we read it in Ephesians chapter 1 that's why when we do things it's not by might nor by power, but by my
18:52: Soul of bootstraps us say is the Lord we have resources to obey and you know one day even the ultimate this body
19:03: I'm gonna get a new body and so will you verse 11 if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you
19:09: He raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his
19:14: Spirit who dwells in you and So the Spirit of God comes along and he woos and he obliges us to live for him verse 12
19:24: So then brothers we are debtors Not to the flesh to live according to the flesh
19:31: No, that's not us For if you live verse 13 according to the flesh you will die
19:37: But if by the Spirit see this is the Christian life living by the Spirit a walk of faith
19:43: You put to death the deeds of the body you will live No wonder
19:50: Paul said to the Galatians you foolish Galatians who has bewitched you to run back to the law again when you have the
19:57: Spirit of God Promise number three these are building aren't they promise one no condemnation promise to no vacancy promise three no orphans
20:08: No orphans boy how just how horrible it is when you read another story of the Boston Logan Airport Where a 20 year old delivers a baby and then puts the baby in the toilet stall
20:20: Abandoned you Christian have a father You have a father and the
20:28: Spirit of God is involved in making sure you understand that verse 14 for all who are led by the
20:35: Spirit of God are sons of God By legal right by nature.
20:42: This is tied into assurance. You're led by God now. This isn't led by God like Where do
20:48: I go out to lunch today? This is led by God progressively in sanctification
20:53: If you're a Christian the Spirit of God leads you into growth into Christ Jesus Question do fathers give guidelines to children do fathers lead their children in the right paths?
21:07: When God the Father then lead you in the right path to say well, I had a bad father
21:12: Well, this is a good father and even when you're hurting and you need to cry out guess what you get to cry out dad now some people they take a look at this next verse and they think it's kind of When my kids couldn't sleep at night and and I would just go pick them up and I would
21:31: I would sing this little song I'd rock them like this and I would sing. I won't sing it. I'll just say it. Everything's alright in my father's house
21:38: I would just sing it back and forth and they would just kind of whimper cry, you know, you ever heard those little whimper
21:49: This is different. This is a cry of I've got a Thorn stuck in my finger and I need help dad
21:57: Take a look for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear
22:04: But you have received the spirit of adoptions as sons by whom we cry
22:12: Abba father Daddy, we don't have slave like fear. We can call him this name with full privilege daddy
22:21: Aramaic for father but that cry is emphatic that cry is
22:30: Shriek of a woman in childbirth Romans chapter revelation chapter 12 Sinclair Ferguson said the picture is not that of a believer resting quietly in the father's arms in childlike faith
22:44: But of the child who has tripped and fallen crying out in pain daddy daddy
22:50: That Christ Sinclair said is the mark of the presence of the spirit of adoption Not least because it shows that in time of need it is towards our
22:59: Father in heaven that we look Don't kids want to do that. I have a problem dad.
23:06: Could you help? Oh, they asked their mother to as well But the illustration here is God is a father and when you're hurting you can go to God as father when you used to hurt
23:16: You didn't say it, but it was true. You probably yelled out for your father except for the unbeliever the father that they have is
23:24: Satan now you have a heavenly father Luther said although I be oppressed with anguish and on terror
23:31: I have terror on every side and seem to be forsaken yet. I am your child And you are my father for Christ's sake.
23:39: I am beloved small B because of a beloved capital B Wherefore this little word father conceived effectually in the heart passes all the eloquence of Cicero You have a father verse 16 the spirit assures us and confirms that we are children
24:03: God could have saved us and never given us assurance, but he saved us and gave us assurance. You're mine verse 16 the spirit himself
24:10: Emphatically not just the spirit bears, but the spirit himself bears witness with our spirit It's a subjective thing that we're children of God and we get an inheritance too
24:22: And if children then heirs heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ Provided we suffer with him in order that we also may be glorified with him
24:33: Children have parents and they inherit things When a parent dies there's an inheritance that's split up if you're a child you get an inheritance
24:42: I Remember when my father was already he already had died and then my mother died
24:48: I have a brother and a sister and we split her inheritance Now I wanted to do it in the biblical
24:55: Old Testament fashion, and that is the firstborn son gets double I Should have got 50 my brother should have got 25 and my sister should have got 25
25:04: That's the way it should have been done biblically But to honor our parents even while they were dead we wanted to make sure that we were going to be grown -ups
25:14: And it's just split a third 33 point three three thirty three point three three
25:19: But since I was the oldest I did get the thirty three point three four because it has to add up to a hundred here
25:29: There's no doctrine of Old Testament the oldest son gets the double we all are heirs
25:36: Everybody's an heir if you're a child you're an heir of God and co -heir with Christ a child of God Now Kim has no parents left and no grandparents.
25:47: I have no parents no grandparents We have no inheritance coming our way unless there's some uncle in Nebraska.
25:53: I didn't know about who's rich I hope there was I hope his name's Warren Buffett, but short of that I Have no inheritance
26:01: But don't feel sorry for me because my father owns a cattle on a thousand hills
26:08: I Have it all I have everything and so do you if you're a
26:15: Christian number four no hopelessness No despair
26:22: In trials we as Christians realize that suffering reaps glory and God is there his spirit is there no condemnation
26:30: No vacancy, no abandonment or orphanage. No hopelessness verses 18 through 27
26:37: Our hope is not built around site Cryonics freezing the dead
26:45: Let's find out what our hope is in and let's find out if all our problems go away when
26:51: God saves us verse 18 For I consider I'm firmly convinced.
26:57: I suppose I count I conclude this is numerical calculations This is the kind of word that if you take your smartphone like this
27:06: And it's got an easy calculator on it, and it's just plus minus addition multiply
27:11: You know some and you take your smartphone, and you turn it like this it turns into what kind of calculator
27:18: Turns into some kind of uber calculator that they use a WPI and elsewhere This is that word
27:24: I? Turn my smartphone like this because it's an uber calculator And I'm going through the motions now of my mind saying hmm the sufferings of this present time
27:33: I do suffer there is suffering there is wickedness there is there are trials our body does decay
27:40: But the sufferings of this present time there's a different time too by the way a future time are not worth comparing
27:51: Your body's fading away. You've got trouble at work at home someplace else It's not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us
28:01: No wonder Paul said to the Corinthians Momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison glory dwarfs suffering
28:13: When you're suffering you think future and suffering just part of it even the creation groans verse 19
28:21: Creation here personified for the creation weights the creation stands on its tiptoes the creation
28:28: Cranes its neck forward waiting with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God Waiting for Jesus to come back
28:39: For the creation was subjected to futility didn't do it itself.
28:44: It's not by evolution but because of him who subjected it in Hope that creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God Adam sinned and it affected everything it affected
29:01: Adam It affected Eve and all those in Adam and it affected the world as well
29:07: By the way on a side note you want to deal with the ecological problems earth They won't solve it because earth they doesn't understand man's sinfulness in Christ's redemption verse 22 for we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now and you know what creation groans
29:25: We groan verse 23 and not only creation, but we ourselves see suffering hurts
29:31: We're not Christian scientists denying suffering But we know God uses suffering and we know we serve a suffering servant
29:38: So we probably are gonna suffer too. This is a cursed world This isn't heaven but we ourselves who have been the first fruits of the
29:44: Spirit grown inwardly as We wait eagerly for adoption as sons the redemption of our bodies.
29:50: We long forward long ahead as well looking forward to Heaven verse 24 for in this hope we are saved now.
30:02: Hope that is seen isn't hope we can't see but we still hope for who hopes for what he sees
30:11: But if we hope for what we do not see we wait for it with patience Even as we suffer even if as we struggle hoping for what
30:19: God promised to do And the Spirit of God is gonna groan as well creation groans.
30:25: We groan verse 26 likewise The Spirit helps us in our weakness.
30:31: Oh, thank you We do not know what to pray for as we ought But the
30:37: Spirit Himself now if you see the word spirit intercedes, it means he intercedes But when you put in himself, it's emphatic, but the
30:43: Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words Lord I'm struggling there's suffering
30:49: This is a decaying world and I need help and I don't really know how I should pray or what I should say or how
30:55: I should go about it, but the Spirit of God dwells in you and he knows I Used to meet people
31:00: Kim's relatives and grandma Evie's friends and they'd say we pray for you every day and Then they get older and then they die and I think
31:08: I need prayer partners I need people men and women to say, you know what pastor we're gonna just pray for you every single day
31:16: You know, there's something better as good as that is And by the way, if any of you want to commit to pray for me every day, I need that But the
31:24: Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words He helps
31:30: I'm weak But the Spirit helps present tense keeps on helping and if our main problems and weaknesses are spiritual
31:36: Then I need the Holy Spirit to take hold face -to -face Is the idea as we have heavy burdens that he knows all about he doesn't have difficulty in praying
31:46: He doesn't have a difficulty in having his prayers answered. He always prays in accordance with the
31:51: Father's will We're not alone in weaknesses. We're not alone in trials We have a perfect prayer partner and notice it's in groanings too deep for words.
31:59: So stop trying to do these groanings It's the Spirit Himself. I told you the story many times. I just have to make it fast since this is the 1 .5
32:05: speed deal I wanted everything that God wanted for me and I'm in trials. And so what do
32:11: I do? It says groanings here So I would just get down on my knees make sure Kim was still a work or wherever She was
32:16: I'm by myself turn up the stereo and I would just lay there and go. Oh, oh Oh Cuz I need help
32:25: I needed help just reading the Bible simply is what I need to help on My poor dog she'd come up and she's like, you know, are you okay master?
32:33: Oh She's worried So then I thought you know what Satan's in my dog
32:39: Cuz Satan doesn't want me to have the second blessing. And so I rebuke you Her name is Marley.
32:45: I Rebuke you Marley this before it was a popular name your dog Marley I rebuke you and she just went down to the edge of the bed and I thought
32:51: I don't need to to pray in tongues When I can cast demons out of dogs, I've got it all
33:00: Forget the dog whisper Friends, this isn't our language.
33:09: This is the Spirit's language He's the one he's there for you
33:15: He intercedes the Greek word is word less They're unexpressed but the
33:23: Father hears This is not a private prayer language Unless it's private between the
33:28: Spirit of God and the Father And the good news is he knows exactly how to pray verse 27
33:35: I love those dear ladies that prayed for me every day But they can't pray like the Spirit of God can pray and he who searches hearts knows
33:41: What is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the Saints according to the will of God what assurance?
33:51: Number five no tragedy verses 28 through 30. No condemnation. No vacancy.
33:56: No abandonment. No hopelessness. No tragedy God works all things together for good supreme success
34:04: People say well, there's only two things certain in life death and taxes Better add another one according to Robert Deffenbaugh.
34:11: You better add that God will sanctify Christians Using everything using all things together for good everything's of an
34:22: Advantage to the Christian as God uses it for that sake verse 28 ESV reads and we know that for those who love
34:29: God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose NAS says and we know that God causes all things to work together for good
34:39: At the end of the day both are true because God is the one working in our lives all the time
34:44: Never getting tired on our account No deistic God no blind fate. He's working everything together the word working together refers to medicine
34:54: Mixing several poison ingredients together to make the medicine good for the patient Yeah, Paul, but you don't realize what
35:06: I've been through you haven't been what I've been through That's true But Paul's been through more and you can read 2nd Corinthians 11 to see what he's been
35:12: Through and they all work together for good. So why kill yourself with care? Why keep asking why questions and you should be asking who questions?
35:22: verse 29 And then he gives this great chain five unbreakable chains to all point to when
35:28: God calls a sinner Things can't change it. God doesn't repent of calling a sinner to himself to himself
35:35: The first word is the word for no For those whom he foreknew he also predestined word one not one for no
35:45: I Can go a little bit longer here for second service, but I want to make sure you get this, right?
35:51: Don't ever think to yourself. Oh, yeah for no God knows ahead of time and and he looked down the corridors of time and he looked down that time wormhole
36:00: And he saw that I would believe and therefore he picked me. There's lots of reasons why that's not true
36:08: One if God would look down the wormhole of time he would see morally unable people
36:13: Never able because of sin to pick God To if God would look down the corridor of time and see you pick him and then pick you
36:24: Then God would have learned something God already knew that you wouldn't pick him. This word has nothing to do with to know ahead of time
36:33: Amos God said of Israel of all the nations. I only knew you
36:39: What does he mean? I don't know the Philistines. I don't know the Egyptians the
36:46: Hebrew word for no is intimate love Adam knew his wife to know means to love and Here when you were still in the womb
36:58: Jeremiah, I loved you The word is I knew you of course, he knows he's omniscient, but I love you in advance
37:05: This word means to love in advance and here the point is not He for loved
37:11: Me because of my actions look at the text again whom he foreknew he foreknows people.
37:17: It's all about God's choice It means to love the
37:24: Hebraic thought is coming into a relationship with somebody before time begins Depravity means we can't choose anything
37:32: Charles Spurgeon said I'm so glad he chose me before he saw me because if he had waited until he saw me
37:38: He might not have wanted me and to correct the Prince of preachers He wouldn't have wanted you
37:45: Charles and he wouldn't have wanted me either Don't let anybody ever tell you that the word for love is
37:54: Derived from the American Heritage Dictionary because it's not to the word predestined
38:01: This is the goal of foreknowledge. This is the goal. This is the end it focuses on the person as well
38:08: To mark out to a point. That's what predestined means To what end what is that goal?
38:14: It tells us to become conformed to the image of his son That he might be the firstborn among many brethren
38:22: And by the way as you walk through this if God starts off with a million Whom he foreloved whom he predestined whom he called these he also justified these he also glorified if he starts with a million
38:34: He doesn't end with nine hundred thousand He starts with a hundred he ends with a hundred. He starts with the elect.
38:40: He ends with the elect Third word is called these he also called verse 30 in the
38:46: New Testament It just applies in the epistles not to the outward believe call, but when the
38:52: Spirit of God changes on the inside Effectually These he also justified.
38:58: He declared righteous. We learned about that in chapter 3 and whom he justified
39:06: These he also glorified it's the past tense for a future event because it's as good as done
39:15: And he doesn't include sanctification here because that relies upon us. This is all about what
39:20: God has done This is the order of salvation. It reminds me of the story that s Lewis tells there's a guy on his seminary
39:27: Final and what are the six stages of? The order so the order of salvation and the guy writes down for knows
39:36: He writes down predestined. He writes down called he writes down justified and writes down glorified
39:42: And he doesn't know the last one. He can't figure out and he's working through the passage the bell rings He's got to hand it in and then he writes down on number six more glory
39:56: They laugh more when s Lewis told the story than when I told it so I Didn't tell that to the first service you guys get the extra but take it out of the tape
40:11: No ultimate tragedy know what no matter what happens to you in your life. It can't undo the work of God of foreknowing
40:21: Predestinating calling number six. We got two more to go. Here we go. No real
40:31: Adversaries No ultimate foes verses 31 through 34 and now we come to this will make you wake up John Calvin's life verse
40:40: You have a life verse. Maybe this would be a good life verse for you Not because of Calvin but because of what it says this is a conclusion.
40:49: It's a confident conclusion It's a praise. It's all God -centered
40:55: What then shall we say to these things What do we say to the sovereignty of God in salvation in chapter 8 verses 28 29 and 30?
41:04: What do you say to that? Yeah, yeah, no biggie. What do we say to those things?
41:11: How about hallelujah? I'm thankful I'm glad it's not for me to keep my salvation because I'd surely lose it
41:19: What do we say to these things? You ask another question It derives itself right from Isaiah 50 about the
41:27: Lord helping us and who then is the one who condemns if God is for us who can be against us and by the way, it gets better when we think
41:36: God should be against us as Unbelievers and all the sins we committed certainly a inflexibly righteous
41:45: God should be against us But God's more than inflexibly righteous. He's infinitely gracious and because of Christ's work.
41:52: He's not against us Luthi said they would not at all be surprised if God were against us
41:58: They know that God would have had good reason for being against us Which service right if God were against us?
42:06: But now Paul says it's not like there's no opposition to Christianity but compared to who
42:12: God is How puny is the opposition if God is for us who is against us?
42:19: Who dares approach the bench as prosecutor when you have the Advocate Christ Jesus to what extent is
42:25: God for you verse 32 He who did not spare that's the exact language used in the
42:33: Greek Old Testament for Adam Excuse me, Abraham not sparing his son on Mount Moriah He who did not spare his own dear
42:43: Intimate possession the son he didn't spare his own son, but gave him up for us all
42:51: How will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
42:57: He didn't spare anything He showed how generous he was and how giving his was giving he was by letting
43:05: Christ come to earth and die and He was delivered up for us all
43:12: Winslow said who delivered up Jesus to die Not Judas for money
43:17: Not Pilate for fear not the Jews for envy, but the father for love
43:25: Here's the point mark this would God do less for his children than he did for his enemies
43:33: And if you were an enemy and Jesus died for you, how will he treat you now? The justification question verse 33 who shall bring any charge against God elect the highest court in the land
43:45: No one because it's God who justifies. There's no impeachment of a Christian Jesus was the propitiation for our sins.
43:52: What's the sanctification question verse 34 who is to condemn? By the way,
43:58: Jesus only has the right to condemn John 5 Christ is the one who died more than that who was raised who is at the right hand of God and we thought it was
44:05: Good when the Holy Spirit was praying for us who is indeed? interceding for us Listen to this.
44:14: I quote from an anonymous source If I could hear
44:19: Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies
44:26: Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me and doesn't
44:33: Hebrews 7 say that he always lives to make intercession for us and Finally number seven no separation seven promises of security for the
44:48: Christian Who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ by faith alone? No condemnation.
44:54: No vacancy. No abandonment. No hopelessness. No tragedy No real foe. No, no, no, and finally no separation from God's love verses 35 through 39
45:05: In the day and age we live in the fickleness of love people falling out of love How does it work with the
45:14: Lord who shall separate us verse 35 from the love of Christ?
45:22: How can God love me and let this happen if there really is a
45:28: God he's all -powerful and all -caring How does he let this happen to me? Bad circumstances do they really show that God will separate his love from me.
45:39: God will divorce me as the word And he just lists a bunch of things that can't shall tribulation
45:46: This is external difficulties a squeezing troubles from the outside That can't do it
45:55: Distress is the second one. This is internal problems. This is Internal Affliction that can't do it
46:08: Persecution that can't actually the Bible says blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake?
46:15: Famine no rain no food Nakedness so vulnerable so unprotected
46:24: Running around can't even afford clothes Wandering around Hebrews 11 says in deserts and mounds and caves and holes in the ground
46:35: Peril exposed to treachery lots of believers are exposed to treachery sword the assassins dagger
46:42: Probably how Paul died Was Stephen separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus James the victims of Nero Jim Elliot Some say 500 ,000
46:54: Christians a year die for their faith. I don't know what the number is, but it's a big number Christians suffer verse 36
47:03: Paul quotes the Old Testament to tell us that as It is written for your sake. We are being killed all the day long.
47:10: We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered Shouldn't be surprising. It shouldn't be strange
47:16: Sheep go to the butcher But God is in charge of it all that doesn't separate the love of God God wasn't loving the
47:24: Sun less on Calvary No verse 37 in all these things
47:29: We are more than conquers. We're super Nikes. We're we're conquers We're invincible to translate it we're preeminently conquers as one man translated far more exceedingly conquers
47:44: Because we're great no because of who God is through him who loved us
47:51: You look at Calvary and you say to yourself if I didn't have eyes of faith. It is a defeat
47:57: But it was victory You look at your circumstances if you don't have eyes of faith, you'll say it's a defeat
48:03: God doesn't love me, but he does and the
48:08: Bible says that very thing And they work together for good actually if we want to back up a little bit more than conquerors
48:16: And then we come to verses 38 39 One commentator said these are the finest
48:22: Expressions of religious exaltation ever recorded and they cannot be improved by comment
48:30: So I'm not going to try to comment too much But I will say this if you put your name in there it brings out the effect
48:40: When you think about won't be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus and Paul says for I'm sure
48:48: I'm Persuaded I stand convinced That all these things can't separate me from God's love and just so you know what they are
48:58: Death there's a lot of contrasting pairs here. He's just trying to think of everything. He's like a guy It's like all comers just Whoever you are just come at me and and no matter who you are what you are you can't knock me down I remember once in football practice.
49:14: I wasn't that great in football, but I do remember this drill 70 guys would get lined up in one line
49:19: And you would have to get in a small little box about this big and your job was to stay in the box where these
49:25: Guys five yards away the whistle would go they'd run full blast at you with pads And you'd try to crouch down low enough
49:32: They would knock you out of the box, and then they would get to be in the box for the next guy and so five guys
49:38: I'm still down there Six guys and pretty soon things start flying out of your nose and your eyes and your ears and all this stuff and pretty soon by about the tenth guy you just Completely plastered on the ground you can't get back up to even go over there
49:53: But here it's like okay come on What can separate the love of God from Christ from the love of God from Christians to Jesus?
50:01: What can get in there? So it's like come on one after another after another. It's like the battery commercial all right
50:07: Think of something Paul just gives a little example death the separator is what it's called that can't separate
50:16: Even the separator death can't separate us from God's love Was Lazarus separated from the love of God was the thief on the cross separated from the love of God was
50:25: Jesus separated from the love of God Francis Bacon said men fear death as children fear the dark well.
50:36: He's got these pairs life. Oh life distractions things coming at us seductions
50:46: No Failing health no suffering no Angels good angels they couldn't do it if they wanted to bad angels principalities.
50:56: They can't do it Nor things present things in time indwelling sin
51:03: Temptations if you stumble into sin they can't nor things to come God's immutable you can't say you know what but what if I get to heaven and then somehow sin or God stops loving me in Heaven or maybe you know could
51:17: I fall in heaven somehow like maybe the angels did fall from grace No, or powers verse 7 probably miraculous signs
51:28: Satan has fake power and signs and false wonders second Thessalonians, too
51:33: Am I gonna somehow get caught up into something to lose my election because of deceptive deception of Satan?
51:39: No Now he says nor height nor depth and probably what this means is we're talking about The lowest part of the ocean and the highest part of the stars and when people started looking up at the stars they started thinking fate and chance and probability and Astrological things is
51:57: God's love really more powerful than chance of Course, then we come to the end here nor any other created thing.
52:07: I Won't make you raise your hand and I won't make you look to your neighbor and say I am a created thing But friend you are a created thing
52:14: So when you hear someone say, you know what God's security is sure
52:20: Christians can't lose their salvation But when Jesus and John says no one can snatch them out of my hand
52:28: Maybe what if I jump out? I hear it all the time I can unsave myself by jumping out of the
52:34: Father's hand friend Are you a created being because if you are you can't do it covers everything?
52:41: Covers everyone everything except God Nothing can separate you.
52:46: No fine print. No loopholes. No one more loving. No one more sovereign. No one more powerful
52:51: No more no one who's more wise Can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our
53:00: Lord So then when you hear these words of Jesus you say amen my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me
53:08: And I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish and no one shall snatch them out of my hand
53:15: My father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the
53:20: Father's hand I and the Father are one nation.
53:27: No separation Christian you're free Live like it. Let's pray Father in heaven, we are very thankful today that you have done so much on our behalf and to think that this gives you glory
53:41: We're glad for that and somehow down the line. It's so good for us, too
53:47: But we're glad you're glorified in the redemption of sinners like us father Help us to walk by faith this week and not by sight help us to keep our eyes locked on Calvary and Christ Jesus as person as work and Ferris Lord Jesus as the hymn says so that we might
54:05: Think and live a life. That's just like Romans 8 in Jesus name. We pray.