Divine Covering, Part 5

I was surprised this past week
to discover that we started this journey, this study into Romans
eight. On March 4th. And so. For nearly five months, we have
been feasting and nourishing ourselves from Romans eight,
and I say that because today we draw To close and at least
this portion of the study in the book of Romans. Maybe if
for no one else for us we have just been enriched and really
prepared by these thoughts and I trust and pray that the saints
of God will take these words to heart and take them deep. And rejoice in the truths that
are presented here in Romans 8. We’re wrapping up with verses
31 through 39. If you would just consider those
verses again as I read them. What then should we say to these
things? 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? Who will bring a charge against
God’s elect God is the one who justifies who is the one who
condemns Christ Jesus is he who died yes rather who was raised
who is at the right hand of God who also intercedes for us. Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ so tribulation or distress
or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword. Just as it
is written for thy sake we are being put to death all day long.
We were considered a sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these
things, we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us, for
I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present or things to come, nor powers, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other created thing. Shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
You know the context well Paul as I’ve suggested is taking inventory. He is reminding God’s people
that they are divinely covered that God is covering over them
that their resources are there and they are plentiful and if
they are as it were covered over by God’s own wing they are truly
safe. Paul is answering essentially
four questions in this section. In this spiritual inventory,
the first one is where is the Christian’s enemy? In verse 31,
Paul says, if God is for us, who is against us? And he he’s
not saying, as we studied those chapters, those verses, rather,
he’s not saying that we don’t have any enemies. Our enemies
are plentiful. It would be foolish to think
that the devil is not against us, that there are people that
hate us because they hated Christ. We know that we have enemies.
What Paul is saying here is what enemies do we have if God is
covering over us? The great thought. The second
question that Paul poses in this spiritual inventory is where
is the Christian’s grace? Is it possible that we could
run out? Is it possible that God would withhold that grace?
And he answers that in verse 32. 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? How would God possibly hold back
grace? Grace to persevere. Grace to
overcome. Grace to conquer. Grace to be
victorious over sin. How would God not give us that
grace if he has given us the greater? The third question that
Paul seeks to answer is where is the Christian’s accuser? Who
will bring a charge against God’s elect? Verse 33. Well, there
are many who would bring the charge, but God has exonerated
us from them all and not just declared us not guilty, but he
has declared us righteous. And it is closed the question
for all time. There is no one who can stand
and raise a charge that would stick. There is no one that can
indict us that can bring us literally back to hell. No one, not even
the devil himself. Even what he says about us, even
though true. Doesn’t indict us because Jesus
Christ has already paid the penalty for those sins if we are in Christ. But there’s a fourth question,
and that’s where we began several weeks ago. Where is the Christians
God? And all of these questions are
those that the Christian wrestles with, can we run out of grace?
What about the fear in my heart because of my accuser? What about
the fear in my heart because of my enemy? But this one, this
one we all fall into, where is God? Where did he go in the midst
of all these difficulties, in the midst of tribulation and
distress? Where did he go and why has he abandoned me? And
if he’s gone, does that mean he doesn’t love me anymore? Does
that mean that there’s a wedge been driven? Between me and my
God, between his love for me. We began looking at this passage
last week. We didn’t make it all the way
we made it far enough. I suggested to you that verse 37 is what
I would call the hinge verse, you have a statement made in
verse 35 and 36, and then you have statements made supporting
verse 37 and verses 38 and 39. Verse 37 is the hinge verse,
and we made it that far. At least in principle, we’ll
take up a few more matters this morning, what We began to consider
last Lord’s Day is who shall separate us and Paul personifies,
in a sense, these. Potential detractors from our
relationship with God, who or what, and I told you last week,
I don’t think that you should split hairs over the issue, whether
he’s personifying these troubles or whether he is just simply
asking a question. What shall separate us? These
are the things that tend to get in the way. These are the things
that tend to drive the wedge. So tribulation, and we consider
that one for a lengthy period, that’s just trouble. Trouble
that comes from life, and we know that we have plenty of it.
We can’t escape it. It’s part of part of our Christian
walk. It seems to come to us from all
angles at times. It seems to come in all various
forms. And then distress. Distress is
that which flows out of which follows after and flows out of
tribulation, that’s what happens in our heart. Tribulation is
what happens from without. Distress is what happens within.
We call it stress. Anxiety. That distress that wells
up because of our troubles, woe is me, where is my God, where
is the grace that I need for this battle? And we said that
neither one of those, neither one of those in any measure can
ultimately drive a wedge between the Christian and his or her
God. Not sure, not tribulation, not
distress, not even persecution. Not even the stoked fires of
persecution can come between the Christian and his God, because
we saw that it actually makes the relationship stronger in
the true saint of God. The true saint of God is eager
to go before any persecutor. And when we are afflicted and
when we suffer for the sake of Christ, we are made strong by
God’s grace. Paul said it himself, When we
are persecuted, we endure. We are persecuted, but not forsaken.
Second Corinthians four nine persecution does not set the
child of God. Aside from God. Not even the
Roman Church, which Paul is writing to. That while currently enjoying. A piece, it was a piece that
was really the eye of the storm, because in eighty sixty four.
It is recorded in Fox’s Book of Martyrs that Paul, during
Nero’s persecution, was beheaded. Christians then and there were
used as candles in Nero’s city. Their goods were confiscated.
They were constantly blamed for the crime and any difficulties
that came about. They had to meet in the catacombs.
And then came another persecution from a man named Domitian. This
is the one that first began to practice feeding Christians to
the lions. They weren’t intended to be fed.
They were intended to play sport with the lions and yet the lions
had their way with them repeatedly. Trajan came along in 8108 and
really stepped up the torture of Christians. Marcus Aurelius
in 8163 seemed to try to outdo each of his predecessors. Persecution
would come to the Roman Church, but what Paul was telling them
and telling them ahead of time is that no persecution would
stand between them and their God. And it hasn’t. Throughout
the centuries, persecutions have come and yet the church flourishes. But Paul is pointing to a number
of other things and we’ll take them in rapid fashion, famine,
nakedness, peril, sword. One of the byproducts, the results
of persecution is often famine. They often try to starve the
church. They often try to starve out
God’s people in order to get us to recant of our faith. Paul said that he was often in
hunger and in thirst, and yet he looks at this and says, there’s
no way that hunger is going to stand between me and my God.
Nakedness doesn’t have to necessarily be an absence of all clothing,
because in Second Corinthians 11, Paul merely mentions it as
exposure and inadequate supply of clothing without a jacket,
without proper clothing, without enough clothing, without shoes
that didn’t have holes in them or sandals in Paul’s case. Another
way of starving out the Christians is to begin to deprive them and
to make them live With leanness, leanness of means, leanness of
food, leanness of clothing and housing. That wouldn’t stand
between the Christian and his God, not in Paul’s testimony. Paul mentions another one there
in verse 35, peril. This is a fascinating one. Because
it really is just translated danger. He said, well, the dangers
all the time, danger drive an I-25. Paul had a little bit something
more pointed in view. In 2nd Corinthians 11 Paul’s
giving his testimony I’ve taken you to this passage frequently
don’t turn there because I’m only going to read one quick
verse. Paul said this and he uses this
word over and over and over what kind of dangers is he talking
about what kind of peril does the Christian find himself in.
Paul said, I’ve been on frequent journeys in dangers from rivers,
in dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from
the Gentiles, danger in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers
on the sea, dangers among false brethren. Paul says life is peril
and a Christian life is exceedingly perilous. What about sword? The word sword is literally used
literally in the Gospels. And when that word is mentioned
it’s usually in the context of the passion where swords are
either threatened or drawn in the case of Christ. They came
at Christ with swords and clubs. Peter drew a literal sword but
in the epistles it’s interesting in the epistles that they often
take on the word often takes on an almost figurative sense. In Romans 13 14 government is
a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil
be afraid for it does not bear the sword doesn’t have to be
literal there. What it’s talking about is capital
punishment. It does not bear the sword for
nothing. Not all governments throughout
history have used the sword by means of executing justice and
executing criminals. Ephesians 617. Paul there talking
about the armor of God he says take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the spirit is not talking about a literal sword. The sword. He says is the word
of God. The sword is the gospel. The
sword is the message that we go out to face a hostile world
and he says essentially here in Romans 8. It’s a euphemism
for death. It’s the ultimate act of persecution
that a believer might ever face. It is in a sense a figurative
sword that it has a literal implication. It’s death by whatever means.
Not all martyrs in the history of Christianity have died by
the sword. There have been plenty who were drowned or burned or
bludgeoned. Paul saying is death death because
I’m a martyr. Is that going to stand between
me and my God. No way. No way. And perhaps. Paul even took took
heart of those faithful saints throughout the centuries. that
have withstood even death, death of a martyr, to stand in the
gap and to say that nothing will separate me from God, nothing
will stand between me. That’s essentially what he’s
saying in verse 36, if you glance down just for a moment. Just
as it is written, a quote from Psalm 44, 22, For thy sake, we
are being put to death all day long. We were considered as sheep
to be slaughtered. What he’s doing is essentially
spelling out the history of God’s people, the difficulties that
they faced throughout centuries. It’s nothing new, nothing new
that now Christians and it’s it’s only a temporary relief
that we enjoy from such persecution. If Paul comes to the hinge verse
in verse 37, it’s to here I want to park for a moment. Verse 37. I’ve suggested to you
that this is the pivot point. Paul has made this statement,
what shall separate us? Can any of these things stand
in our way? No way. Not in your life. Paul says that in all these things
we overwhelmingly conquer. through Him who loved us. In
all these things, pointing backwards to verse 35 and pointing forward
also to verses 38 and 39. And we’ll take those verses in
a moment. But he said, in all of these things, in all of them
combined or any one of them individually, they cannot, will not separate
me from my God. In all of these things, we overwhelmingly
conquer. Now, if you’ve got one of the
newer translations, that’s the trend. That’s the way that it’s
gone. We overwhelmingly conquer. But
I want to pause and take this apart a little bit. You could
almost literally translate this, we over-conquer, we super-conquer. We, if you use modern jargon,
we totally overcome, right? The indication here is that we
so completely pride. Even in the midst of these kinds
of things. Persecution distress trouble. We so completely thrive that
we could conquer even if greater foes were to present themselves.
Nothing can stand in the Christians way. Nothing can ever come between
the Christian and their God. But the great and memorable translation. of this little phrase is we are
more than conquerors. What a great translation. It
first appeared in the Geneva Bible. We are more than conquerors. That’s what so many translations
have done over the years with this little word. It’s literally
to super conquer. Now I’ve told you in times past
Paul had this penchant. It’s almost appalling habit. To add super to all kinds of
different words and I’ve showed you a few of them in the past
and I’ll show you a few more this morning. Just listen as
I go and if you want to jot down the verses find them your own
and study them in the whatever translation you prefer and see
how they have utilized these words. In Ephesians 121. He talks about Christ being elevated
far above super above. There is no higher place that
Christ has been elevated to. In Ephesians 4.10, he who descended
is he himself also who ascended far above, super above all the
heavens. In 2 Thessalonians 1.3, we ought
to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting
because your faith is super enlarged, greatly enlarged. I told you,
this is Paul’s habit and he does it in almost every epistle and
he does it plentifully and with all kinds of different words.
Ephesians 119, the surpassing greatness, the super greatness. Of his power towards us who believe.
In Ephesians 2, 7, the surpassing riches, the super riches that
are bestowed upon us. In Romans 7 13 one of the most
bland translations of these compound words that Paul uses is that
he says it was sin rather than rather it was sin in order that
it might be shown to be sin by affecting my death through that
which is good so that through the commandments sin would become
utterly sinful super sinful. Second Corinthians 4 7. He talks
about the surpassing greatness. of the power that will be of
God and not of ourselves. In 417, he talks about an eternal
weight of glory far beyond, super far beyond all comparison. Ephesians 3.20, far more abundantly. 1 Thessalonians 3.10, most earnestly. Philippians 3.8, the surpassing
value of knowing Christ. Philippians 4.7, the peace of
God which super passes all. Comprehension. Romans 520, the
law came in so that the transgression would increase, but where sin
increased, grace superabounded. Second Corinthians 7.4, I am
overflowing. I am super overflowing with joy. First Timothy 1.4, the grace
of our Lord was superabundant. Philippians 2 9. For this reason,
God highly exalted him. He super exalted him. So when
Paul says here. We are more than conquerors.
Paul uses one of the most frequently used devices that he had in his
in his arsenal, and he uses it to tell us that in every way
we super conquer. There isn’t anything left on
the table and bring whatever foe you may. I’m winning. I’m
not going to be overcome. Nothing is going to come between
me and my God. No wonder. Because Paul started this little
subsection by saying God causes all things to work together for
the good, and so here when he says in verse 37 all in all these
things we overwhelmingly conquer, he’s echoing that same thought.
He’s repeating it in a sense in different words. That these
various difficulties and hardships, they’re not going to hurt us.
Instead, they’re here to help us. We’re going to super conquer. They work together for our good.
Not only are they not going to deprive us from any fruitfulness
or usefulness, not only are they not going to harm us, they are
ultimately going to be used by God for our good. What a profound
thought. Regardless of how your translation
words it, we overwhelmingly conquer, we super conquer all of these
difficulties that come into the Christian’s life. One pastor
said. That the appearance to the contrary
is what places the reality and completeness of the victory in
bold relief. Martyrdom seems to be defeat.
So it is regarded by the perpetrators and too often we look on the
outcome of conflict with the forces of iniquity as mere escape. In truth it is victory and not
merely but completely and gloriously. You remember we don’t just survive
these skirmishes. We don’t just survive these difficulties. And it isn’t even to use the
word thrive isn’t even enough. I have weeds in my garden that
are thriving. But Paul says when he says it
elsewhere, Second Corinthians 417, this momentary light affliction
is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all
comparison. Not only do we thrive, We super
thrive. We super conquer all of these
things by God’s grace. One Puritan put it in these terms
he said the Christian not only overcomes the worst of his trials
but more than overcomes his adversaries and all those things which seem
to be against him it is better for him that he had not been
Pardon me, it is better for him than he had not been called to
suffer. He gains and conquers both in
the immediate fruits of his sufferings as God overrules them for his
good. And by what means? By what means
do we conquer? Is it our own fortitude? Is it
the fact that we had a quiet time all seven days this week? Is it because we’re part of such
a good group of people? Is it because we walk with such
faithful saints? Is it because we have the right
version of translation that is so popular in our day? Why do
we so conquer? Paul tells us plainly. In all
of these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved
us. It’s always by God and always
by His grace. It’s always by that unending
supply. It’s always by the grace of our
Lord Jesus. Paul said it, by the grace of
God. 1 Corinthians 15.10, by the grace of God I am what I
am. His grace toward me did not prove
vain. Galatians 2.20, I’ve been crucified
with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me. It’s always the grace of God
that flourishes and enables us not just to survive, not just
to thrive, but to overcome. To super conquer all these things. One faithful shepherd wrote,
no form or phase of being can break the golden chain that binds
the heart of God to his loved ones. No, not death with its
terrors, not life with all of its changes, not any condition
of existence, not angels, nor any hierarchy of invisible beings,
whether good or evil, nothing within the sweep of time, either
present or to come. Nothing, however, powerful, nothing
in the unlimited spaces above heaven, nothing at all. The vast
creation shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. What a profound and comforting
truth. That even though we sometimes
are shaken, even though we sometimes are feeble and made feeble by
our lack of faith. Ultimately, it’s God, God holding
on to us, God in his grace, seeing us through these difficulties,
using them to strengthen us and make us strong in faith. And
then Paul gives support to this statement. This. This pivot point in verse 37,
but in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved
us for. Paul gives support. For I am
convinced this isn’t just wishful thinking on Paul’s part, Paul
had done his homework and in doing his homework, he said,
I am absolutely certain this too is a word that Paul frequently
uses. I am convinced. Say what what was so convincing. Paul wasn’t convinced that his
circumstances would turn around for the better. Paul didn’t think
that somehow he was going to get out of this trap that he
was in. Paul didn’t think that somehow like so many Christians
have this tendency to well now that I’m following Christ things
are going to straighten out. I’m going to get a better paying
job. I’m going to I’m going to enjoy good health. Things are
going to go well for me. People are going to stop harassing
me. So what Paul concluded. Paul saw these things on the
horizon. He didn’t say that these things
were all going to just magically vanish because he had become
a Christian. That kind of thinking is dangerous. Because when God
doesn’t behave like we want him to behave, when God doesn’t remove
these difficulties in these trials, then we want to impugn God. Not
Paul. Paul said, I’m convinced. I’ve
looked at the data, I’ve studied my circumstances, and I am absolutely
convinced that nothing, nothing can come between the child of
God. And God Almighty. Glanced down,
if you would, at this list, this new list that Paul provides Neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things
present or things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other created thing. Let me say a word about the groupings
of these terms just briefly. There are 10 terms in all. And
commentators have become quite creative over the years in an
attempt to cleanly group these terms. They want to say five
groups of two. Perhaps. Most of them. Like the terms death and life
are clearly an opposing set. They are complementary. Most
of them. Others seem to be disconnected
and stand alone like powers and any other created thing. And
in an attempt to resolve that, some commentators have suggested
that the term powers somehow over the years got dislocated
and really means needs to be put in there, put back in there
with angels and principalities. Angels principalities and powers.
Well it’s interesting but the evidence doesn’t support it.
Others have suggested two groupings of two with the first four terms
and two groupings of three with the last three terms. And that
seems forced and unnecessary in reciting his list. Paul does
what you and I would do if we were giving a list. Some things
do get paired up and then some things stand completely on their
own. It doesn’t make the list illogical. It doesn’t have to be perfectly
balanced. Paul is speaking and preaching
from his heart, and he’s giving these people this profound list. Of those things that could. But should not. Come between. The Christian and his God. It’s
the same exact way that we would provide a lengthy list. The first
six. I don’t have a problem with them
as pairs, death, life, angels, principalities, things present,
things to come, I get it. But when Paul says nor powers.
It’s not dislocated, it’s not out of place. Paul’s driving
the point home that nothing, nothing. nor height, nor depth,
and then he adds as a capstone to it all, nor any other created
thing. Glance at them just briefly.
This particular list, Paul starts with death, last list, he ended
with death. Paul says that death is a non-issue.
He had already quoted in verse 36 from Psalm 44, and the Apostle
Paul there is absolutely pointing to martyrdom. He’s saying that
death as a martyr, death out of persecution, will not stand
between the Christian and his God. You see, the psalmists seem
to wonder about that at times. Sometimes the psalmists are pouring
their heart out, and in so doing, they are stymied by what lies
in the future. They don’t know. They lack confidence
in that. Psalm 6-5, there is no mention
of you in death and Sheol, who will give you thanks? The psalmist
thinks all is hopeless. Psalm 30 verse 9, what profit
is there in my blood if I go down to the pit? Will the dust
praise you? Will it declare your faithfulness?
And yet, in many places in the Psalms and over and over again
in the Psalms, the psalmist does come around to know with confidence
that he We’ll never be separated from God, Psalm 73 with your
counsel, you will guide me and afterward receive me to glory.
I’m not going to be separated from my God. Death can’t separate. And it can’t separate because,
as Paul would tell us in Ephesians or pardon me, in Philippians
121 and following, death can’t separate because the moment the
believer departs this life, he goes to be united with Christ.
What about life? How would life separate me from
God? Well, it isn’t life itself. It’s
all that life brings, all the alluring traps that the life
brings, all the sufferings that come that make us to wonder where
God is. All of the toils, all of the
distracting things that come into our life. 1 John says it this way, 1 John
2, 16, all that is in the world, right? The lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, the boastful pride of life. It is not from
the father, it is from the world. Those are the things that trap
the Christian. Those are the things that could
come between us and our God if we allow them. We can’t do that. God won’t have it. Paul writing
of a man named Demas. said lamentingly that Demas,
having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. One of the saddest statements
in all of Paul’s epistles. If death doesn’t separate us
from God. Life could, but it shall not. Life’s troubles, life’s
allures, they cannot be allowed to come between the Christian
and his God. What about angels? You say angels. I thought angels were here to
help us. Paul clearly is pointing here to evil angels, not just
Satan, but all of his henchmen, the demons. Those are all fallen
angels and all of them. Their whole goal is to trip us
up and harass us and to get us to think that any of these wedges
have worked. And that God is ineffective or
God is uncaring or unloving or unsupportive. Or unable. Frequently in the scriptures.
Angels are spoken of and what are mentioned on numerous occasions
are angels that can only be demons. Matthew 25, 41, he will say to
those on the left, apart from the accursed ones into the eternal
fire, which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. The devil doesn’t have his own
set of angels, their angels that fell called demons. Second Corinthians
12, 12, 7, because of the surpassing greatness of the revelation for
this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given
me a thorn in the flesh. This is fascinating. A messenger,
a angel of Satan to torment me from Paul, this demon, this harassing
force had to be without him outside of his body. But there are many,
many of these that. Operate from within a person,
not a Christian, mind you. Second, Peter, two for an echo
of that book of Jude. And second, Peter, two, four,
if God did not spare angels when they sinned, well, during the
great fall of the angels. And he cast them into hell and
he committed them to the pits of darkness reserved for judgment. Demons, as I said, are Satan’s
henchmen. They assist the devil in doing
the devil’s bidding. They promote idolatry they cause
mental disorder they bring about physical infirmities they spread
false doctrine they influence harass and they possess individuals
but not Christians and ultimately demons will be judged at the
end of the world and they will be cast into the lake of fire.
But for now they are real. They are real and they bring
about real trouble. Can they come between a Christian.
It is God Paul says no. Not even demons nor principalities
which is a larger view of this these individuals these demons. Principalities could and it can
and has been translated civil authorities that Paul’s not talking
about civil authorities here is basically talking about the
group of demons. He’s talking about them as a
group. In Ephesians 3.10, he speaks about the rulers and
the authorities in the heavenly places. In Ephesians 6.12, he
echoes that same thought and he says, our struggle as Christians,
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers. Those principalities. against
the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against
the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. He’s
talking about demons and groups of demons and perhaps even ranks
of demons. Can that come between the Christian
and his God? No way, Paul says, no way. What
about things present or things to come? Nothing in our current
circumstances even as we rejoiced last week yet will I praise him
that is always the Christians testimony no matter how bad things
get in this present life yet will I praise the Lord just like
tobacco. What about things future the
future is so unknown. I read recently where record. Numbers of dollars are being
given to fortune tellers to tell us what’s in the future. I can
tell you what’s in the future. Difficulty and then glory. How
much difficulty? I have no idea. But ultimately,
the scripture says it’s glory. And it’s eternal glory. Powers. Powers. And there’s overwhelming
evidence to leave this located right here. Paul just reminds
us once again, as if he he just wants to insert one more thought.
Can any power, even angelic demon power, can anything that stands
between the Christian, not at all, nor height nor depth, all
this vast space from heaven, the highest heaven to the lowest
hell, nothing. Nor any other created thing should
be able to separate us from the love of God, nothing. I want to pause. Because we’ve come to the end
of Romans 8. And what a rich treasure it is. To hear Paul,
in the course of taking spiritual inventory, ask where is the Christian’s
God? Is it possible that the Christian
could be separated from his God? Paul says, who shall separate
us? Is it even possible that a Christian could find himself,
as it were, divorced from his God? But in all these things,
he says, we overwhelmingly conquer, there’s nothing there’s nothing
that can come between the Christian and his God, and it really is
just a. A continuing echo. Of all that Paul has said in
Romans eight. Think with me in your. Your mind’s eye. Paul started this great chapter
by saying there is therefore now no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus. And the key question that has
to be asked. Are you in Christ Jesus? Have
you placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you forgiven,
are your sins forgiven? If there is an absolute certainty
in your heart. that you have received that forgiveness,
that you have placed your faith, then you stand condemned. There’s more truth in Romans
8. If Christ is in you, verse 10, though the body is dead because
of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. We
as believers, we are brought literally back to life. And as
we are brought to life, we are bestowed upon us. Not that we
are so good. We’re not. But we’re bestowed
upon us by God’s grace, righteousness, the righteousness of Christ.
And because of that, we stand alive. In verse 16. Verse 16, Paul says the spirit
himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of
God, if we are in Christ, we are the very children of God
and heirs of God. In verse 26, Paul reminds us
that the Spirit Himself intercedes for us. In verse 28, Paul says
God causes all things to work together for the good. In verse
31, he says, if God is for us, who can be against us? And in
verse 37, he says, in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer.
If you are in Christ, If you were in Christ, these are the
greatest words the Christian can ever digest. The question
is, the question has to be, are you in Christ? Have you placed
your faith in Christ? He’s our only hope. Let’s examine
our hearts before him and him alone. Our merciful King. We have taken our time savoring
These precious verses. Verses that have enriched our
soul and challenged our thought life. Strengthened us. And yet, Father, we know because
we know human nature, there are those in our midst who have not
placed their faith in Jesus Christ, who have not repented of their
sin. And because of that, these truths
are not for them. What a heartbreak, Father. To
sit for these long months and to hear all these glorious truths
proclaimed, and not to know in our heart that they’re said of
us. O Lord God, if there are any
in our midst, bring them to repentance and to faith in our Lord Jesus
today, that they too might enjoy these profound truths. We rejoice
in Jesus’ name, Amen. The song.