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April 21, 2022 12:00 am
There is no devil cunning enough and no accuser credible enough to convince God to change His verdict of innocence over us. If the Judge Himself stands in our defense, who can stand against us?
You don't experience the fresh release of Gil Simpson and then decide you want the stunt don't go back to you on hunger and thirst after God and then entirely forever altogether lose your appetite. You don't live in the light of heaven and be happy with living in the light of hell, or the darkness of the underworld.
You don't fellowship with the saints and sing the praises of God and then later despise the church of the living Lord you walk with him and depend on him and and trust in him and then say I don't even need a minimum God is not uncommon to have those friend.
God wants to help you think biblically about this issue.
There is no lawyer cunning enough, and no witness believable enough to convince God to change his verdict.
If you've trusted Christ. You've been declared innocent forever. We need to understand this and Stephen Davis.
Can I help you today. This message is called answering internal questions Romans chapter 8 is where we will return today is your turning on me tell you a little bit of story sort of set the stage on March 11, 1898, a teenager by the name of Peter Donica sail away from his homeland Russia. He was bound for Nova Scotia him. It was literally the other side of the world and he would become an evangelist that would be greatly used by God and on this voyage, God was about to teach him an unforgettable lesson. His parents had saved for many months to purchase for him a ticket to his future and Peter's mother in order to save costs had packed enough food for him for the entire voyage of box most of it was just rough bread and garlic and they couldn't afford much more than that every day on this voyage.
Peter would look longingly through the windows into the dining room with the wealthy patrons as they feasted on these scrumptious meals and how he envied them as he returned was little room and eat one more piece of his black bread with garlic, but halfway to the voyage, some of the sailors noticed his client and they promised him that if if he would do their work in the kitchen that they would give him some food. Even so, he was happy with this arrangement as we begin to work very hard doing their chores and the sailors kept their promise and gave him food that he would eat in the back of the kitchen.
It wasn't until the very last day of the voyage. Peter discovered the truth.
The three meals a day in the ships dining room were included in the price of the ticket. He belonged in there with everybody else. He had been tricked into doing all of this work to get food that literally belonged to him and he never forgot that lesson is related to salvation.
You know most of us today would believe if I asked you after the service if you thought your ticket to heaven was free probably say yes, but we don't understand all that it involves all the things involved in this comprehensive ticket.
We have been chosen by God and given a ticket to heaven and those in is chosen is called and then justified in. He is already in his own mind glorified part of the believers problem is that he doesn't understand what he has. We know we have this ticket to heaven but were not really all that secure because we don't understand how eternally entirely comprehensive and unchangeable are ticket to heaven is so today many people are insecure in their faith as they journey their way to heaven.
I'm afraid many been led to believe that they can somehow lose their place on board they have been taught that summer. Perhaps out in the middle of this journey. They can be put on another ship and taken back, others are led to believe that they can on their own choosing jump overboard and as it were swim back to Russia. Anybody bad for having none want to swim back right. Any true believer is comprehensively secure in his salvation bound in this journey, by the power of God.
It's all part of the all expenses paid ticket paid for by Christ and that's the focus of Paul now gets to the last paragraph of this great chapter. This is an incredibly wonderful paragraph. It's been called by some a him of assurance it's been called a song of triumph. One Bible scholar called this paragraph, the highest peak in the highest Himalayan range of Scripture. Another one called at the highest plateau in the whole of divine revelation.
Paul begins in verse 31, as it were, by taking this deep breath and then exclaiming, what shall we then say to these things. What about these things.
One of the these things will certainly includes the preceding paragraph where Paul is announced. The truth of the believers predestination in the believers calling the believers justification on the believers glorification, but I would agree with those of expound of this text in prior generations that Paul here has reached the climax of this letter. This is the midpoint in this is sort of the peak of his logic and his his argument in his passion related to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He began in chapter 1, by introducing us to the corruption and depravity of man in chapters 1 and two, the UNIX usability of man. In chapter 3. The failure of man. In chapter 4. The inability of manual press God.
In chapter 5 the origin and in escape ability of mankind's sinful nature. In chapter 6 the enslavement Amanda sin instead of the God in chapter 7. The conflict arranges even in the life of the believer between sin and spirit and in chapter right now the initiating life-giving electing calling redeeming God moves on our behalf to bring us out of hopelessness and groaning into the light and life of God.
Now what are we gonna say about all these things seven questions Paul poses in this paragraph and I've put them into four categories for categorical declarations or statements for irrefutable overwhelming comprehensive proofs regarding the eternal security of the Christian.
Here's the first one, because God has delivered you. There is an anybody who can destroy you and I would say that again.
Now, as I do.
I know their English teachers and students in this audience, and are not supposed to begin a sentence with the word because I just like the way it sounds.
And so just don't put a period at the end and will pretend it's not a sentence okay here it is again because God has delivered you. There is an anybody who can destroy you. Look at verse 31 what then shall we say to these things. If God is for us who is or who can be against with this question Paul delivers his first declaration, the believers salvation cannot be destroyed, doubted, yes, discouraged within it. At times, yes, but destroyed salvation, security, relationship, position, acceptance status, never ever be my right into the margin of your Bible. Next to that little word. If so, doesn't trip you up.
Better translation of that word could be, since since God is for us little Greek particle epsilon unit.
I translated it doesn't refer to the possibility of something happened refers to a fulfilled condition. Actually, again use the word because because God is with us, who can be against us know the obvious implication here is that if anybody were able to rob us of our salvation. They would have to be greater than God and who is greater than God. Since there is an anybody greater than God above gave and sustains our salvation. Then, conceivably, there is an anybody powerful enough to take it away. It's as if Paul is shouting out this question to the universe. Is there anybody stronger than God.
Well, I guess not, then who can be against us will have another people think about some possibilities that other people take away our salvation. Most of the people reading this letter. By the way were Jewish and would be well aware of the Judaizing heresy that taught the by legalistic Jews claiming to be Christians who insisted the Gentiles who said they were say that being circumcised, they had to adhere to the Mosaic law, including circumcision if they wanted to become part of God's people, and to adhere to the law they had to go back in that covenant they had that look like and act like a Jew, so they were robbed of their security unless they fulfilled some act of obedience to the law or some duty they could not be secure in their faith and ladies and gentlemen, I want to tell you that some things never change.
Never change. Today there are Protestant denominations that want to add to the work of God by requiring some work of man such as baptism in order to ensure their salvation. We didn't Peter say, repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin. Yes without little word for God are to be rendered because of or in light of her as a result of repent and be baptized as a result of having had your sins remitted you read the Roman Catholic Church teaches that salvation can be lost by committing mortal sins as if some sins aren't fatal. Many citizens the Roman church also claims the power and authority to revoke grace. That is, they can take away that not only dispense but they can remove it will ease that teach the works of man. Add like the Pharisees to the word of God through Christ there is any support in Scripture anywhere that gives any church or any individual the right to take away anybody's salvation. The apostle Paul is implying in this verse to do that he would have to be greater than God, for God is initiated salvation and he has promised to preserve the believer to the Maryann Jesus said in John 10 my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish. Apollo me. They shall never be lost. Not one of them lost, Christ goes on to say, my father, who has given them to me, is greater than all others the same word he is greater than anybody and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand. In other words anybody was capable of taking your salvation away would have to be greater than God and more powerful to loosen his grip upon you, and since no one is greater or more powerful than God to loosen his grip upon you. Nobody can take away so many mice. It will couldn't God give it away. Couldn't God lose you. Can you slip out of God's hand. Could he change his mind, for God to do that.
That would require God with failed triune God who chose us and called us and redeemed us and immerse us in the Christ life imputed to us the righteousness of Christ and sealed us with the spirit on and on and on and on. If he then decided to cast you out after doing all of that for you, would require failure on his part to finish the last part of his promise that he would glorify and see you through.
That's his argument in the very next verse, verse 32 you did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things that is a greater or lesser argument was of God is able to give us this great gift you can give us little gifts is this way. Suppose a millionaire comes up to God to the service and says I want to give you $1000 if he can give you $1000. Could he give you a nickel surety into the greater the lesser that's Paul's argument. If God would give his only son to die.
Can I give you life well. Some would say, God, you give us a way well of God gives us away will be failure on his part, but it would also require disunity among the dotted the sun would need to change the eternal will of the father. The father would have to change the mind of the sun will even out or cease for us.
They both would have to convince the spirit to somehow unseal us if the father set aside to sacrifice himself for you when you were an enemy of God than they had agreed upon that by the way, before the foundation of the world. The Christ would redeem the father's chosen people get after the work of Christ is completed in the spirit he now continues to fulfill that work in that process ultimately bring us to glorification with him in heaven for the father to even reject any one of us that would bring about great confusion in the Trinity that would bring about great disunity and they have never voted any other way than unanimously on everything but you would be the special case that would never happen. Will others would add to this and say that, well, you can lose your salvation by committing some terrible sin for the person or church that believes this doesn't understand the depravity and sinfulness of man to begin with, person, or church to believe this doesn't understandably the calling of the father of true believers and understandably the initiating redeeming work of Christ independently of good works didn't do anything good to get it, you won't do anything bad to lose it. It was the work of God on your behalf bringing you to life.
In other words, since you were not saved by your own power or effort to decide now you can free yourself from sin, you gonna bring yourself to God to make yourself the child of God. God is not all that. How then could it be that by your effort, you can now notify the work of God in his grace in accomplishing salvation for you this this is going to be shocking, but I want to say this even the Christian is not greater than God. Imagine that. But there are others who suggest 1/4 possible cause of losing your salvation, and that is the Christian himself can choose to return the gift is cut handed back exchange and something better or different, the individual who thinks they can return salvation for God or never learned. We came to God because God first, what came to us. We love God because God first. What loved us so the argument starts with the wrong person known at this, the so-called Christian who hands there salvation in and wants to exchange it for something that fits them better never had it to begin with anybody you don't want it proves they never had it. They are the one that seems the following on good soil there seems to be a little life there. But then things come along in their scorch the they fade away. They say well you I really didn't want to begin with and I walked away from it all. They never had the genuine article to begin with. That doesn't mean that a Christian can backslide or sin or disobey or even deny the Lord temporarily. The disciples that all of that right but the individual who says they were once a Christian, but now they are happily reunited with the world and the flash and the devil and are happy to be there.
They never had the lights to begin with.
Maybe you know somebody like that these to go to church, maybe even talked about the Lord.
But now you run into them on the street or in the classroom or the neighborhood or whatever they say.
I really don't care about any of that.
I I was there once but I guess I lost it.
No, the revealing that they never had because they prefer to have nothing to do with you know we have a way of a dog at home may patches she's a Beagle Basset hound mix yesterday. My oldest daughter gave her a bath. She immediately runs around outside, looking for something a role in something that is counterproductive to the fact that she had a bath. We have a horse pasture behind us connected our backyard is loves nothing more than running out there and finding some old dried manure to roll around.
She rolls around and runs back, I'm convinced she is totally depraved and unredeemed sure. She evidently prefers that to the perfume smell of shampoo. She liked that better defense hath forsaken me.
Paul lamented having what loved this present world. He loves the world, that's his true love he would rather have the love of the world than the love of the Lord.
You don't experience the fresh release of guilt from sin and then decide you want the stench of guilt back again you don't, hunger and thirst after God and then entirely forever altogether lose your appetite for God you don't live in the light of heaven and be happy with living in the light of hell the darkness of the underworld. You don't fellowship with the same sin and understand as you sing the praises of God and then later despise the church of the living Lord you don't walk with him and commune with him and depend on him and and trust in him and then say I don't even need a minimum.
That's the individual John had in mind when he wrote of some of it left the fellowship.
First John 219 they went out from us, but they were not really of us, for they had been a loss, they would've remained with us, but they went out in order that it might be revealed that they all were not the true believer.
Paul declares no one can destroy what God is done. No church, no person, no tradition, no rule or regulation that even the Christian himself, nor God will ever know if I would. God is done. Listen eternal life is eternal, it's eternal and you don't have to wait to get to heaven to begin experiencing eternal life. You have it now whether or not you believe this, I still would say to you probably never got up to somebody and said hey look I just like to share with you about the gift of temporary life.
Can I share that with you. I just want you to understand a little bit more. The doctrine of eternal insecurity. No before we leave this first declaration I want to show you play on words here in verse 32 Paul uses his Jewish readers would've immediately caught on those who knew Greek and had read the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew text beginning verse 32 of the phrase he who did not spare his own son.
Those words are taken right out of the book of Genesis chapter 22 where we have the story of Abraham's faith in regard to sacrificing his only son Isaac. Genesis 2216 says, because you have done this and have not spared your only son I will bless you that the irony of the story and the use of Paul's words would not of been lost on his Roman readers. Abraham you remember it been commanded by God to offer his only son is a burnt offering to God and Isaac as her walking up Mount Moriah. Isaac asked his daddy where's the lamb for the offering and Abraham said to him, God will provide the lamb right with God never did. He provided a RAM not a lamb so you know they went up to the top of Mount Moriah.
This was a small ridge of hills and and they session the altar and evidently somewhere during that Abraham explained to Isaac what he was going to do, and Isaac willingly offered himself on that altar Kia picture of the Lord Jesus the only son of God willingly offering himself as the offering of sin for us were told that Isaac willingly allowed himself to be placed on this altar evidently trusting what his father told him we believe since Abraham to the gospel. He had preached were told they need explain the resurrection and God's promise through the seed of Abraham through Isaac. We just believe he probably told the son of the resurrection. God will bring you back to life and you know the story I RAM and raised that dagger and he was about to bring it down when God stopped him.
Speaking from heaven, and he then began to praise the faith of Abraham and the promise of God concerning his seed. What happened next is probably more significant than what had just happened, yet it is most often overlooked Abraham, then glorifies God praises God to take the RAM that was caught in the second they offered there and then Abraham prophesies by saying as he names this count Jehovah what Gyro the Lord will provide its future tense the Lord is going to provide the lamb. In fact, if you go back to that textual rate Abraham said the Lord on this amounts will provide the lamb Abraham was speaking of the coming Lamb of God would be slain a number.
I was among other hills along that ridge just a little distance from Mount Moriah. Centuries later, city would be built and inhabited often on by Abraham's descendents right. The city call what Jerusalem by the time of our Lord. That hill on the same ridge nearest the city been given a slang or make expression because of the way we shake. It was now called dog ladies and gentlemen, the prophecy of Abraham would come true to the very last detail including the geography of the promise on this amount. The Lord will provide. It would be on that mountain. I can prove it and I researched all I can to say it's at that very spot. But it was on that mount on that ridge where the cross would stand in the Lamb of God would not be spared.
The only son of God would not be spared the same language that said that the son of Abraham was spared play on words that would take every Jew back to that story, God designed every detail, every detail that now. Centuries later, was fulfilled.
Listen, my friend, God planned your redemption from eternity past, and the power of God redeemed you from the past is already prepared your future, and he has come back as it were to escort you there. Since God is for us who can be against us.
In other words, Paul is saying there isn't anybody made it up. God there is an anybody powerful enough to overpower God because God is delivered you. Nobody can destroy.
Here's the second declaration of your eternal security found in the next verse, verse 33. Because God is acquitted, you there is an anybody who can indict you who will bring a charge against God's elect, Paul asks God is the one who justifies. And I love the. The anticipation of Paul in the life of the St. the believer, because the enemy might whisper in your ear and maybe he's whispering it even today. Sure, okay God did everything for you and Jesus died for you by just look at just look at yourself. You don't deserve heaven.
You don't deserve God's grace. You'll deserve forgiveness you'll deserve salvation. Job chapter 1 informs us that Satan has the ability to accuse the believer before God. In other words, he goes back and forth accusing the same before the believer and he comes to us accusing God to us right in other words he's saying and maybe even today.
Do you see Jim down there. Do you see Susan down there.
Do you see Stephen down there do you see what Jim is thinking that you see when Susan is done you see what Stephen is done. Do you really want them you can do better than that.
Why do you want to keep him or her. This is actually legal language. The words bring any charge can be literally rendered a rain before judge are the charges real that they are. Add to that our consciences are past our present. The understanding of our sinful struggle even in the future, we would certainly be indicted but wait. Paul says were acquitted. He provides the answer. In the latter part of verse 33 of the High Court of heaven.
It is God who justifies.
He answers that legal argument with a legal word justification. It means for judge to declare righteous or sinless, as it were, it is God who takes sinners and calls them Saints even though they continue to sin, it is God who imputes to bankrupt sinners. The righteousness of Christ's own personal account. In other words, God says to the accuser. You cannot tell me anything new about Jim Susan or Stephen hired another iron and when I justify Jim and Susan, Steve and I knew the sins they had committed before they were saved and I know the sins that are going to commit after they are saved but my salvation is not dependent upon them sending less or not sitting at all. I justify I declared them righteous before me. So you can tell me anything new. I know everything about them and my son pay for everything about past sin presence in future. Soon all bundled up and placed upon the sun and my son, God, the judge says has paid this comprehensive entire all expenses entire payment for their sin upon his payment. I declare them justified.
They are clean in my side by his blood.
First John 17 in our country. If somebody is found guilty, they will immediately do what they're gonna appeal right. This is Paul's idea. How can anybody bring a charge to God's elect. When the highest court in the universe as exonerated when the highest John has declared you justify. There is, in any higher court overruled God's court. There isn't any more powerful judge to overrule God, the judge it's as if he says God has taken the gavel in his hand and he has brought it crashing down upon his sovereign bench and the sound of it rings throughout the universe and his verdict will never ever be reversed.
Your case is closed forever. I hope the truth of this passage encourage today.
You've been listening to wisdom from the heart and our teacher Stephen Davey Stephen has a short booklet on this topic called blessed assurance today were sending a free copy of that book to everyone who makes their first contact with our ministry would also like to send you the next three issues of our magazine. If you've never contacted us before all you need to do is give us a call at 86 648 Bible again. That's 86 648 Bible call today Stevens going to continue through this series. Next time, so please be with us that right here on wisdom