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April 22, 2022 12:00 am
Paul has been accused at times of being heady and analytical in his writings. In certain discussions of theological matters, he can seem too systematic and cold. But not so in this passage. Paul turns poetic as the vibrant, colorful images of Christ's love dance across the pages from his heart to ours.
Adding more assurance. Christ is the one who died, yes rather who was raised, you can render that word rather but more than that hello he says here. In other words, Jesus Christ died, but even more than that, he came back from the over a thousand man we know from historical record work crucified the same year, our Lord was crucified. But none of them ever arose from the data.
If he were not raised forward to our faith would be no salvation. The apostle Paul wanted all believers to know and understand eternal security. So we taught it several different ways in the passage we examined today.
He gives five airtight reasons why a believer's salvation is secure. Welcome to wisdom for the heart. Stephen Davies is calling the message you're about to hear the five points of security. Grab your Bible. If you're able and let's join Stephen right now. By the time of Paul's letter to the Romans. The religion of Buddhism had been in the Empire for some 20 to 25 may be as long as 30 years. So the question this religion asks that every other man made religion in the world last is how are you doing to make it to heaven for the religionist, how are you doing to earn paradise for the Jew. How are you doing in your faithful living again. The third heaven for the Mormon. How are you doing to reach this nirvana. The state of divine consciousness. How are you doing because it basically points to you. You will never be able to do well enough, you're left with doubt about your eternal destination which you open your Bibles to chapter 8 of Romans, and you may have noticed the verse one verse number one begins with the words, no condemnation and it ends the chapter and verse 39 with no separation. You can't get any more secure than that, you discover your security is not in how you did. But in what God did for you not in how you are doing, but in what God has done and is doing and will do for the one was been born again by faith in Jesus Christ. Listen to John's confidence as he wrote in first John five these things I have written unto you, believe in the name of the son of God, in order that you may what in order that you may know that you have eternal life, that you may know not think so hope so. Maybe so, but no so this to the clarity and confidence of John as he writes this is the testimony God is given to us eternal life, and this life is in his son.
He who has the son has life and he does not have the son of God does not have life and you need to burn in the margins of your minds, the words absolute confidence in God not in you, but in God, perhaps as you read the confidence of John and the security given to us in Paul. Perhaps, like others that have talked to me already today you say to yourself, what I do about my doubting.
I have had people over the years asked me what I do with the struggle that I have. I have a religion in my pastor told me my confidence in God was dependent upon how I live my week how many prayers, I prayed. How many sins I resisted. So I doubt the truth of God's word even though I have placed my faith in Christ alone.
I I find it hard to speak with this kind of confidence like John would my doubting ever cause me to lose my salvation does my doubting me and I don't have it I will have another preacher answer that question for you least in this assembly today. His name was Henry Drummond in 1887 he preached a wonderful sermon entitled dealing with doubt is what he said. Jesus Christ never failed to distinguish between doubt and unbelief. Doubt says I can't believe like that. Unbelief says I won't believe that doubt is honesty. Unbelief is obstinacy. Doubt may be looking for the light unbelief is loving the darkness, loving darkness rather than the light. This is what Christ attacked and attacked on sparingly but for the doubting questions of Thomas and Philip and Nicodemus and many others who came to him to have their questions answered.
He was generous in teaching them the truth. When Thomas came to him, having denied the resurrection doubting the life of Christ, stood before the resurrected Christ, expecting scathing words in a tongue lashing for his unbelief. They never came. They never came. Instead Jesus Christ showed him the facts he gave them the facts, we cannot produce faith and those of you this morning do not believe we can provide the facts for you who believe in your faith will grow stronger. For those of you here who do not believe I want you to be saved. It is my longing and desire that you come to faith in Christ alone. For those of you who do believe I want you to be strong. I think that's what Paul had in mind as he comes to this paragraph he says, in effect, listen to the facts. Verse 31 what then shall we say to these things. What are we to say about this truth.
If God is for us, who is against us. He who 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.
Now these questions, in effect, state of the first fact of our eternal security.
And here it is again because God is delivered you there is and anyone who can destroy you.
We dealt with at our last session read on verse 33 who will bring a charge against God's elect.
God is the one who justifies. Here's the second fact, we noted because God is acquitted, you there is an anybody who can indict you, and I was there is an anybody that can bring up new evidence and God will say all I did know about that but now I know that changes everything. Know God is omniscient.
He knew everything about you from time beginning the time ending and he is justified by faith in his son Jesus Christ. The third factor want to give you this morning and they were in a race to the fourth probably go back to the next Lord's day is this Jesus Christ redeemed you because of that there isn't anyone who can condemn you because Jesus Christ redeemed you. There is an anybody who can condemn you and I love what Paul does her. Look at verse 34 who is the one who condemn Christ Jesus is he who died, yes rather who was raised was at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
You can approach this verse two different ways, and neither way is fine and I'm like, and having decide they're both wonderful ways to approach it. Paul might be thinking this who can condemn you since Jesus Christ died for you rose and intercedes for you or Paul might be thinking of it this way. Who can condemn you and then he assumes that hearing. An answer will Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is been given the authority we learn from other Scripture to condemn all the unbelieving world Jesus Christ were told in John is been given by the father, the right to John so that they will honor the son even as they honor the father John 522 and 23 what John informs us is then the final judgment of all the nations, all the unredeemed humanity is given to this judge. This ascended resplendent son of God judgment that will eternally vindicate his holy righteousness and perfect justice. What Paul might be saying is this who can condemn you by Jesus Christ. He is the only one who has the right and authority, but Jesus Christ is the one who died for you and rose for you and intercedes for you before the father either.
When you take it as a win-win. No one, not even Christ himself will condemn you. In other words, men and women what he saying is the one with the authority to condemn you died for you. The one with the right to eternally denounce you and dismiss you as delivered. Now Paul substantiates this fact of eternal security in this one verse, along with five different points. The first list look back at it again.
Jesus Christ died. He died it wasn't some mistake this was part of God's eternal plan.
Philippians 2 tells us in verse eight Paul writes he became obedient unto the point of death, even death on a cross.
Our security is bound up is based upon that incredible blood shedding the life giving offering. Our security is based upon his sacrifice. James Montgomery Boyce provoked my thinking in his commentary on this text he wrote this.
If Paul were one of our contemporary Bible teachers or modern theologians. He might answer our doubting of God's love by saying, now you don't need to worry about your eternal future because remember God loves you and God is love. Paul was a pastor. He knew full well that we all easily doubt such statements, particularly when life becomes difficult. We might say, will I grant that God is allowing but does he really love me. How can I believe he loves me when I have lost my job were destitute. My husband or wife is left me for someone else.
What I have been diagnosed with some incurable disease. These are the times when I don't feel that God loves me, or that even cares about me at all. Paul knew Boyce wrote that Mary assurances that God loves us, are not effective. So instead of dealing with our doubting on the emotional level, which is what God loves you. Does he turns from emotional experience to shore truth. According to this verse we can know that God is for us and that we are redeemed, not because we somehow sense that it is his nature to be a loving but because he gave us his son to die for. Look at the facts. He says I love the perspective perspective that was lived out in the life of a minaret about recently in Dundee, Scotland, who'd been confined to his bed for 40 years, having broken his neck in a fall at age 15, and his spirit remained unbroken a believer in Jesus Christ his chair and his courage were just infectious and that so inspired people that he enjoyed a constant stream of visitors, even those that came to him for encourage one day visitor asked him.
Doesn't Satan ever tempt you to doubt the love of God, how can you believe God loves you. Satan ever whisper that in your ear, and he said oh yes I lie here and sometimes as I see my old schoolmates now grown up with families driving along, Satan will come along and say of God loves you. Why did he allow this guest asked him what you say when those thoughts are whispered to you, replied the invalid. I take him to Calvary and I show him Jesus Christ.
I point to the wounds of Christ and I say there he loves.
We don't just believe that God loves us. We have proof this undeniable event in history that reveals the love of God number two Jesus Christ mentally died. He rose from the dead. Paul writes, adding to our assurance. Christ is the one who died, yes rather who was raised, you can render that word rather but more than that. I love what he says here.
In other words, Jesus Christ died, but even more than that, he came back from the dead, and that is so important, obviously, because without the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ. There would be no salvation for those of us who believe in him.
If he were not raised. Paul wrote to the Corinthians.
Our faith would be no void. Ladies and gentlemen, thousands of people were crucified was the favorite form of execution by the Roman government over a thousand men. We know from historical record were crucified. The same year. Our Lord was crucified. But none of them ever rose from the dead after only heat that he rose from the dead. I wonder if it was in Paul's mind. Buddha did not. His tomb is full of dust, but Christ's is empty.
I would rather follow someone who claimed to know how to get into eternity and that someone having come back to show us that he did it. Someone who never did. As far as we could.
There's even more to our security than this blog is on and tells us 30 mentally died and rose again, but he ascended, he ascended the text tells us to the right hand of God. This is the position of power and representative authority. This doesn't mean that Christ isn't God. It literally means Christ speaks as God, he is given the power and the authority of triune God.
Colossians 1 verses 15 to 19 tell us that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of deity. One day when we see God will be looking at Jesus Christ, the father in spirit are still invisible to our human he speaks, he judges he rules for and with the authority of triune God.
That's where he is seated. That leads me to the fourth thing that is this our case will never be reopened before the divine judge because Jesus Christ were told the seated that simply says in this text he is at the right hand of God. If you go outside of this text to others. You get a little more detail.
Listen as I read what you wrote to the Ephesians, and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms.
Paul wrote to the Colossian believers since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated. This is a significant concept missed by us in the 21st century, the Jews then knew immediately and would to some degree know today what he means. With these words regarding Jesus's physical arrangement and Mina Jesus never stands up or it's a walk around nor is this some trivial detail. You need to understand what every Jewish reader understood in the temple there were no chair. There were no seats in the holy place. Why because the priest was never finish so he stood and he walked and he moved and he labored sacrificing over and over again before the presence of an unsatisfied God Jesus Christ our great high priest finished the redemptive work and satisfy the holiness of God the Father and Christ is now what seated Hebrews 1011 announces this difference in my quote in every priest, speaking of the Old Testament stands daily ministering in offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But he, Christ, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down significances.
There are no seats in the temple. There are no finished works there, but there is a seat in the High Court of heaven and the great high priest finished forever. The work of redemption on our behalf, and he now is seated signifying he rests from his labor on our behalf. We still doing something for us though not to redeem us, but because we are redeemed and that's the fifth thing you think Paul and said enough. But he goes on to give us 1/5 assurance of our salvation informs us in the latter part of verse 34 that Jesus Christ is presently interceding for us. What rich truth. What amazing truth about our comprehensive complete incorruptible, irrefutable, unstoppable delivery. Jesus Christ is interceding for you, the believer one preacher asked if you knew Jesus was in the next room, praying for you. What to make a difference what it would make a difference if you can hear him what to make a difference if when you left today and he walked out through the lobby there was Jesus Christ kneeling at a chair praying as you want by you heard him mention your name. Would it make a difference in how you live with it make a difference would that fill your heart with joy. Would it fill your heart with hope when it give you courage.
Wouldn't it overwhelm you with sorrow for sin, that you may be leaving here today cherishing told is interceding for us with the father ever deny the intercessory prayer of his son and now defendant intercedes on our back. Is it conceivable that the father would ever refused to hear his son pray didn't his son say in John 1142 they began to pray. Father, I know that you always hear. John writes in first John two on the son of God speaks to the father in our defense on earth. The spirit is pleading for us in the office and the sun above us in heaven is interceding in defending us in our cause. Listen for someone to condemn you now would mean that Christ defends a view was ineffective, that the spirit safeguard over you was unsuccessful and that is inconceivable they will succeed. Paul is delivered the facts because God has delivered users and anybody who can destroy you first, second, because God is acquitting you, there isn't anybody who can indict you.
Third, since Christ is redeemed you there is no one who can condemn you and hear the five proofs he died, he rose from the dad, he ascended, he sat out on any now intercedes for the believer. Now Paul anticipates the very next thought that to come from his reader since it's obvious that Christ has the believer securely wrapped up. He died he arose, he ascended, he seen in the intercedes for the believer. It's obvious that the father is satisfied. But what happens if Jesus Christ decides he didn't want to see for you anymore. What happens of Jesus decides to stop loving you I mean he's tired of you.
You're told these praying for you and yet you walk out there and you continue to live like you live. Suppose he stop loving you. Those were truly redeemed. Mrs. Paul's fourth fact and give it to because Christ loves us eternally. There isn't anything that can separate us eternally.
Notice verse 35 is what he says, who shall separate us from the love of Christ and then he is just gonna let his inspired imagination run Unicom with about 17 thing that I got room in time for seven very quickly shall tribulation, separate us and he expects the answer no, or distress, no persecution, no famine, no nakedness, no peril, no sword, no, and by the way, would you notice as we race through those that all of those things are things that might cause you to stop loving but our security is based on our love for him. It's his love for us right they will never cause the Lord to stop loving the believer, no matter what your response to them even might be what you know here Paul is no armchair theologian you know using some best-selling author trying to make all the Christians feel better now if you look at the list. Paul is experienced every one of them except one look again tribulation. This word refers to a heavy sled that was designed using the first century to drug across wheat, separating the chaff and the grain. It's the Latin word Tribune London was what the sled was called the wonderful transliterated word for us tribulation and don't you feel that way at times you feel that life is just rolling over you.
It is just crushing the life out of use that word often felt that way often the next word is… Distress knock off the first two letters and you actually have a great word describing what the Greek word stress. It's a compound Greek word that means narrow space confined pressured in squeeze in ever felt like that with your obligations and responsibilities in your duties is in the details of life right maybe you're in a dead end job in your squeeze maybe because you don't have a job. Maybe you're surrounded by small children and that makes for a very narrow's space right confined to condition. We all feel at times. In fact, it is our human nature to feel that way you ever wonder why advertisements pander to our need and want for what freedom to just be loose be free. The matter whether advertising it could be so for the laundry and a shot commercial of a woman not a big beautiful feel hanging sheets on along my new hang sheets on a line anew on the big beautiful field, but panders to our oh, she's free. While automobile advertisements. They don't show people in parking lots and in traffic jams here on the Blue Ridge Pkwy. and the leaves are blowing your free seen that commercial of that Chevy the new Chevy pickup truck. It's a convertible that the greatest invention ever mean that's free give me better get back to the text here. Number three is the word persecution, which I do want to bring about any my way with this is being rejected or mock or abandoned or mistreated because of your faith. The next two words in the list are virtually unheard of by the American believer. Famine number four and number five nakedness literally not having anything they need, not having anything to wear but I want to know around the world, the believer is suffering from this then I know where they're going to get their next meal from a struggle for water.
They have a change of clothing, so they're reading today in their worship service and maybe there studying when it gets to famine or nakedness are going to sit on the edge of their seat. That's them and they might be led to believe. Maybe God not allow us baby Jesus. I know I was anymore were hungry. Paul says even that can separate you from the love of Christ.
Number six peril word means danger we may not be in danger of physical persecution or danger because of our faith, but an effect that danger is real because we are believers right we are to be alert to the danger of our enemy, the roaring lion who prowls about seeking the context is believers whom he met a lot lower literally discredits finally the word sword appears that's the only one.
Paul hasn't experienced yet but he will. He will experience all seven when he eventually is beheaded by the Emperor Nero ladies and gentlemen, you don't need to hope for reincarnation.
You don't work your way into the third heaven. You don't earn your way into paradise. You don't suffer your way out of purgatory.
You don't strive to become free of desire and become one with divine consciousness know you come to Jesus Christ and find that he has finished the work you find that he is no longer dead but ascended not only ascended six resplendent in his glory defending your cause taken a seat for you. If you have received him, you never need fear for nothing and no one can ever separate you from the love of this reason ascended interceding sovereign Savior and I want to say you paid him nothing for his alone. You paid him nothing. You had nothing to offer but we owe him everything because of his love everything. Thanks for joining us today on wisdom for the hearts. Today's lesson comes from Steven Davies teaching series entitled Blessed assurance. This particular message is called the five points of security in addition to producing these daily Bible lessons. We also publish a magazine.
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