Sunday Sermons
Romans 8 - Part 6
ROMANS 8:32-39
Romans 8:32 “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?”
"He that spared not his own Son": An echo of Genesis 22:12. “God searched heaven and earth to find a way to redeem us. There was no one; there was nothing. Only His Son! And God wouldn't even spare Him. Does God want me saved?” [1] This realization that God didn’t spare His own Son is what motivated early Christians to completely live for Jesus:
Galatians 2:20"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me”
2 Corinthians 5:14-16 “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer”.
Application Time:
How many don't believe that God really loves them, until God gives them “something else” in addition to His Son? “'If God really loved me then He would give me...a baby, nice house, my health back, wealth, a mate...etc..” Do you actually need some physical or material thing to 'perfect' the gift of Christ? So the gift of Christ isn't that impressive until I get my other 'stuff' first? How many people 'hold God to ransom' for such things as these? How many say, “God IF YOU LOVED ME YOU WOULD GIVE ME.....”. Resist that temptation! There is no “if” when it comes to God's love for us!
If we presently feel that our lives will be wasted or ruined if we don’t achieve some earthly goal, then what we are saying is that the sacrifice of Jesus means nothing to us.
"Freely give us all things"-Matthew 6:33; Ephesians 1:3. Seeing that the Father gave the best He had for our eternal welfare, how can we even question God’s care for our physical welfare?
Romans 8:33 “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth”
“Lay anything to the charge of God's elect"-if some are against us (8:31), then certainly they will make accusations against us. God's people have always had their enemies ( 1 Peter 2:12; 4:4-5). But since God (the Judge) has acquitted us of our sins, “no one can reopen the case against us, so, too, no contrary verdict need be feared” (Erdman p. 106). Some Christians are haunted by sins they committed in the past. But if you have obeyed God and found forgiveness, the charges have been dropped. Remember, God’s elect are not people predestined for salvation apart from their own choice. We have the choice as to whether or not we become part of the chosen people:
1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy”.
2 Peter 1:10-11 “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you”.
Romans 8:34 “who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”
"Who also maketh intercession for us"-we have an "Advocate" at God's Court (1 John 2:1; Hebrews 7:25). Since Christians have a ready and willing Advocate constantly at the right hand of God, Who is always available for the repentant and humble, there is no reason that the Christian should find himself in condemnation! With such Divine help so near; the Christian doesn't need to fear the future. In addition, this verse infers that people will condemn us. We need to realize that the world is threatened by our presence (John 15:18). Let us reflect on the statement “who is he that condemneth”. Often we are troubled by accusations from the world, but we need to look at the person making the accusation, “who are they?” Our detractors are finite, limited, fallible and sinful.
Having such an Advocate, the Christian that quits in frustration, complaining that it is too hard to live the Christian life, is without excuse.
Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
"From the love of Christ"-this is Christ's love for us. Can anyone lead Christ to cease loving us? The items mentioned will not make Christ love us less nor are they proof that God has stopped loving us.
"Shall tribulation..."-“The world likes to point to our afflictions as proof of that Christ has ceased to love us, or that His love is imaginary” (Lenski p. 573). See Hebrews 12:5-6.
Some people point to what we were before we became Christians, and say, “God can never love you”, others point to the sins we have committed since, and say, “You are hopeless”. But those that seek God on His terms are forgiven, regardless of what others say. Some say, if God really loved you (as you claimed) God would certainly have given you a mate, children, health, prosperity, and so on by now. Physical afflictions or hardship isn’t proof that God doesn’t love us, just look at how Jesus suffered! Do we allow “tribulations” (troubles) is under mine our confidence in God’s love? “Christian people are not guaranteed immunity to temptation, tribulation or tragedy” (Stott p. 259). God’s promise is not, “You will be protected from trials”, but rather, “Trials must not be interpreted as a lack of love on God’s part”.
Romans 8:36 “Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter”
The above is a quotation from Psalm 44:23. God's people have always endured their share of suffering. Those that God clearly loved in the past have endured the same type of things (Hebrews 10:32-39; 11:32-40).
Romans 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us”
“In all these things"-or despite of all these trials. “Yet amidst all these things (TCNT).
"More than conquerors"-to vanquish beyond, to gain a decisive victory.
Not only do such things fail to convince us that God no longer loves us, they only make us more convinced that a better life lies beyond (8:18). Notice the confidence that the faithful Christian can have. We can face anything, even the worst possible circumstances of this life, and still come out of that experience with a tremendous love for God and a strong faith. So often we see professed Christians “worn down” by life. They are no longer optimistic, positive, or full of faith. But this doesn’t have to happen to me!
Romans 8:38 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers”
"For I am persuaded"-“I stand convinced” (Robertson p. 379). God here has Paul deliberately using the perfect tense, “I have become and I remain convinced”. Paul remains convinced of this truth, even after he has endured all sorts of trials (2 Corinthians 11). This is the key, as to why some Christians fail and others succeed. It all comes down to conviction, faith, and trust (1:17). The person that will not trust God will fail! The good news is that trust is something that we have control over. We don't have control over the externals nor many of the circumstances, but we do have control over what we choose to believe, and whom we choose to trust. We don’t have control over what happens to us, but we do have total control over how we respond (Philippians 4:10-13).
Romans 8:39 “nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”
Modern Application:
“Paul took one good long look at the Cross of the Master and from that time forth, he said: "I cannot be convinced that God doesn't love me!" "And there's nothing in the world or out of it that can change my mind." This man, in essence, has told us: "If I had children and they were starving to death, bellies distended, eyes sunken, too weak to cry, but able yet to beg with their eyes for food, of me their father who could provide nothing; if that were the case, I'd remain unconvinced that God didn't love me...And upon what is all that based? An emotional surge? The possession of the comforts of life? Having a sound mind and enjoying a sound body? Is this the basis of his convictions? Are these the things which lead him to defy everything in heaven were it so, when these things were taken away the conviction would be gone. This conviction is based on the historical and historic work of God in Jesus Christ. LET NO MAN SAY, BECAUSE OF WAR AND FAMINE AND DISEASE I CANNOT BELIEVE IN A LOVING GOD. LET HIM LOOK BACK TO GOLGOTHA AND SEE THE DIVINE EXHIBITION WHICH TOOK PLACE IN THE MIDST OF WAR AND CURSING AND WICKEDNESS. TO THE TIME AND PLACE WHERE GOD SAID: I DO LOVE YOU, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. TRUST ME!” [2]
Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017
www.ch-of-christ.beaverton.or.us/mdunagan@easystreet.com
