If God Be for Us… (Part 2 of 2)

The there are times when light feels like a wrestling match. As we battle sin.

And as we struggle against forces that oppose Christ. But as followers of Jesus. We don't enter that battle alone. Today on Truth for Life weekend. Alastair beg talks about how with God in our corner. We cannot be defeated. It's part of our study titled life in the spirit and Alastair is teaching from Romans chapter 8 so then add the second half of their starting one hears his first great question. If God is fought as who can be against us the name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous run into it and are safe.

Let me illustrate this in the Old Testament just for a moment or two and I hope I won't ask your patience. In doing so he had the numbers you go to chapter 13 is pretty easy and when you get there, you discover that God has told Moses that the Israelites are going to possess the land of Canaan and because they are going to possess the land of Canaan. He would like some people to go up and do a reconnaissance mission.

So the majority report on the committee of the reconnaissance committee is nice place, nice idea went on and we are to go in it so that you go to characters.

One is called Caleb on the other is called Josh what's wrong with these characters. Then Caleb verse 30 silence the people before Moses and he said we should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. Why did he say that because of Romans chapter 8 verse 31 but he didn't know Romans chapter 8 verse 31 while he knew the principal he just didn't know the verse because the verse didn't exist. There simply say one plus God is a majority, and that runs the whole way through the Old Testament, let's go from numbers into Joshua will do just another one Joshua chapter 11 and you got the same kind of idea will ignore Gideon the walls of Jericho coming down and all click all the other ones that that we love and in the in Joshua and in chapter 11 you have to do this on your own because I we don't of the time to do this, but Joshua 11 begins with the story of all these people all the Hittites parasites, Jebusites highlights data did it it it did it when you read the Old Testament like that in your reading through the Bible is why people keep reading about all this was what is what what is what is the purpose of this is to show the insurmountable challenge that faced the people of God. The writer is not just loading up his ass. He has it with. He is bringing to bear upon the mind of the reader. The fact that there are's five all these kings joined forces verse four they came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots and our huge army. As numerous as the sand on the seashore. In other words, we had a big problem here. A huge problem. You might say their six the Lord said to Joshua. Do not be afraid of them because by this time tomorrow I will handle all of them over to Israel slain you are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots is just a passing gaze so we needn't camp here. We can camp here, but you will notice the juxtaposition between the sovereignty of God and the fulfillment of his purpose, and the activity of man in the fulfillment of his purpose. I will hand them all over to Israel slain, it does not then say Joshua told the people. Okay were all going have a siesta and lie down in the grass and wait for this to happen no, I will hand them over slain, and you will hamstring their horses, God accomplishing his sovereign purpose and using his people in the accomplishment of that when you read the Old Testament and follow it through. You find that this comes again and again. The psalmist makes it clear in the Psalm that I just read from Psalm 144 in there kind of catechetical approach that is there in the 24th. Some which in the magical Psalms. When you sing the Psalms from verse seven through to the end. As a boy I used to love to hear the congregation as saying he Gates lift up your heads on high. I know what it was about but it sounded great. He doors that last for a KYE forever be lifted up, that so the King of glory enter may and then it was song and to finally one group saying, but who is he that is the king and the rest of the congregation sang the King of glory. It is he, and then together they sank the Lord of hosts, and strong in my and grade in victory oh is a boy. I said if this is the God that is on my site.

This is wonderful. This is the God who arms himself for battle. This is the God who secures victory when you read all of this in the Old Testament go wrong because remember, the Bible is a book about Jesus and what the psalmist describes their was part of the songs that Jesus saying Jesus saying in church, Jesus saying this sounds Jesus saying you are the one who arms me for battle. You are the one who secures my fingers for victory. When he hung up on the cross. His fingers had been secured for victory when he rose triumphant from dad. He was the victorious warrior king lift up the gates open up the doors the kings coming in who is this King is the Lord mighty in battle. What a shame that contemporary Christianity is really in my lifetime has turned Jesus into some kind of mill toast character, the pressure of political correctness has prevented us from saying Jesus is a warrior king, Jesus is a mighty triumphant one. Although we have a Jesus is sort of you know if your medium is probably turn it bring your your your carriage near you. Your trolley back to giant Eagle. You know is it is all let me help you with that is is a sort of nice. Jesus attended Jesus is as it is in the words of Dale Ralph Davis. He's a Jesus who comes to his reeking of hand cream and ours is sort of a family. Jesus is sky a moment that he wanted a carpenter workshop that he hammered and chiseled and worked his way and summarizes some of the hand cream please know he's not that he's a victorious warrior king and but were afraid to say onward Christian soldiers marching as to war with the cross of Jesus going on before if we don't know it's a war here. Come with me to dally I will show you the war, all hell is let loose against the believers there and in Nepal and in Afghanistan and there is no reason for these young men to give up their lives and their home for a Jesus that uses hand cream by they may give their lives for the Christ, who is a warrior king and that is the one who is bought us. He is the one who is taken on the evil one and defeated in. He is the one who is taken on death and triumphed over.

He is the one who is taken on sand and all its ugliness and borne it in himself. If God is for us who can be against us. And there's nobody against us. He saying that ultimately everything that is against us pales before the significance of the fact that God is on our site back to Paul and out of the Old Testament, he is wonderful in his logic. He says let me prove it to you. If God be for us, who can be against us. Let me give you the evidence he says of God's grace to us. First of all, he did not spare his own son, his own son is the same phrase is used in verse three of the chapter. It is the Pauline equivalent of the Johannine only begotten son, Paul is distinguishing between those who are sons by adoption of whom we read in verse 15 and this eternal and incompatible Christ. If God is for us who can be against us. He who did not spare his own son. In other words, when Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane Lord, remove this cup from me. The father said no he didn't spare his own son, and Jesus drank the cup of suffering and the cup of pain and the cup of bitterness in order that we might drink a cup of blessing so that when we gather around the Lord's table. Christ has drunk that bitter in order that we might take this cup as a cup of blessing. He advances his argument here did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, gave him up for us all. We love to sing the hymn to only how deep the father's love for us.

How vast beyond all measure that he should give his only son to make a ranch. His treasure now, of course, as were some of you have got off the got off the trolley buses because you don't like and if you know any wretches you know it surely is in you and so you've concluded that whatever he's doing for wretches seems like a nice idea but is entirely irrelevant in your case seat. The work of God is to show us our wretchedness so that we may then understand the wonder of somebody dying in the place of a ranch, O someone might die for a good might be prepared to die for the good. But here is the wonder that even when we were sinners, Christ died for us. That's what Paul is driving home here. He gave him up for us all to think for even a moment of Jesus as an unwilling participant in the plan of the father is nothing less than heresy and I mentioned that because some of you are up-to-date with current theological trends. Some of you reading journals and you pay attention to things and you're aware of the fact that there is a whole reemphasis of the notion that somehow or another the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement is a bad in the dark and the nonbiblical concept and the idea is that it is a horrendous thing to think that somehow or another the father would punish his son. While of course it is a great misunderstanding of the role of the sun and being given up for us all. John start has done a great service to the church and all of his teaching and writing and in his book the cross of Christ. He gets to this in just a wonderfully purple passage I read it for you, and you can go find it for yourself. When you choose to buy the book is and what he says when we talk of the father's plan and the son's sacrifice. We should not think of the father laying on the sun and ordeal he was unwilling to bear nor of the sun extracting from the father salvation he was unwilling to bestow. It is true that the father gave the son.

It is equally true that the sun gave himself.

We mustn't speak of God punishing Jesus or of Jesus persuading the father.

We must never make Christ the object of God's punishment or God. The object of Christ's persuasion for the father and son are subjects not objects taking the initiative to gather to save sinners is wise if you all the time that is helpful just to keep in mind that what God the father planned.

Christ, the son procured and what Christ as son procured, the Holy Spirit applies to the lives of those who trust in him and that is at the heart of Paul's letter to Rome will go one step further and then we will stop what then shall we say in response to all that I've just written it.

First of all of God is for us who can be against us. After all, he didn't spare his own son, but he gave him up for us all. Here's another question. He says how will he not also, along with him graciously give us all things.

Now the logic is is and is unassailable.

If God is given as the greatest and the best in Jesus, he will not withhold all of the blessings of grace that will complete his work in the lives of his children is not going to give to his his very best in the Lord Jesus and then withhold all that is necessary for us right sometimes when we sing their blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.

We then sink all what a foretaste of glory divine because in Christ we have everything. The people come around and tell you what you get started in Jesus, but we can add all these things and if you come to ours and listen to us we can help you there. Tell them there's a going fly a kite telling that God has not given up his son for us and then would deprive us of all these other things also don't go wrong with the phrase all things and start silly stuff about naming and claiming the things that you want. You know he see he gives us all things.

And if it says he gives his all things, then that must mean he gives us all things. So I would like a large house in the Bahamas and I would like this and I would like because it's all things that your silliness is not John Murray helps us when he gives us this wonderful sentence all things is an obvious example of an expression in universal terms used in a restrictive sense. In other words, Paul is talking about is the benefits and the blessings of grace that are part and parcel of the great package that God gives to us in Jesus. There is nothing missing from the box. If you are in Christ you have all you need to have all you need. That's why the hymn writer again. Get series is now Christ are all I want more than all in the I find your all I want. I got everything I need some of my discipline. Most disappointing Christmas days there weren't many were those occasions when and pulling back the wrapping paper, I discovered that I had received one of the gifts for which I was desperately hoping often a car that had a measure of mobility to it, at least potentially so because the dark shadow fell over the proceedings, when I noticed the small print at the bottom of the box and remember what it said batteries not included is like a curse. Everything is closed, at least for 24 hours here. I've got this fantastic thing I can do a thing with it because is absent the necessary components to enjoy so often I meet people and that's what they think Christianity is a summer another thinker started, but there's no batteries included with is going to go out and try and find batteries very kind to yourself.

You are trying keep going yourself is going to struggle on and finally make it listen in Jesus, you get all package. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus set free from the law of sin and death set free to righteousness nor set free to sinlessness. While I don't if I'm going to build a make it to the end will fly because the work that is goodness began the arm of his strength will complete his promise is yes and amen and it never was forfeited.

To quote Calvin in conclusion, all that Christ has done for us is of no value to us so long as we remain outside of Christ. These are the benefits and blessings of those who are in Christ Jesus question. Does that phrase describe and include you, and if not, would you not lay hold upon the promise of God. Even today, and in these dying moments and say Lord Jesus Christ.

I actually believe this help me with the bits I find hard to believe in God will honor the promises of his work and you laid hold of that promise. If you haven't, we'd love to help you learn more about the plan of salvation what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Visit Truth for Life.org/the story where you'll find helpful video and other resources your listing to Truth for Life weekend. Alastair Biggs in a series called life in the spirit he will wrap things up with prayer in just a minute, so please keep listening.

But first I want to remind you about a book were featuring this month that is written especially for those in their 20s or 30s who might be facing 1/4 life crisis. You've heard about right. The book is titled is this it so what happens when you spent your life screaming and working toward a career or a goal and you end up in a position that has nothing to do with what you were imagining or how do you respond when everyone else on social media seems to have liked figured out, and you're still searching. This is a common reality for many people today, especially young adults who find themselves feeling empty and unfulfilled. If you can relate to this experience regardless of your age or if you know someone who can.

You want to take advantage of this book recommendation. The author is a young woman named Rachel Jones and she writes from her own experience to help others like herself discover that true fulfillment and joy comes from only one source, Jesus himself learn how to request the book is this it when you visit us online@truthforlife.org again that's Truth for Life.org. Now here's Alastair close gracious God and father, look upon as we pray, in your mercy and grace and affirm for is the truths that we been considering because when we think about the challenges that face is and all that life throws at us when we think about the accusations of the evil one himself. The only way we're going to be able to stand us to think properly and to realize all that is ours in the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to believe and to live in the light of these things for your son's sake.

Amen Bobby peeing. Hope you can join us next weekend as Alastair continues our study in Romans eight called life in the spirit. This program, the Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by truth for the Learning is for Living