A Joyous Conclusion
Notes
Transcript
Context of Romans 8 & Chapters 1-8
Context of Romans 8 & Chapters 1-8
Romans 1-8 - Paul explains the Gospel - why we ALL need it - it’s implications on our lives - what life in the gospel looks like - how and why we can be assured of the Gospel.
The Gospel as the Revelation of the Righteousness of God (1:1-17)
Romans 1:16–17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.””
God’s Righteousness in His Wrath against Sinners (1:18-3:20)
The unrighteousness of the Gentiles
The unrighteousness of the Jews
The unrighteousness of all peoples
The Saving Righteousness of God (3:21-4:25)
Hope as a Result of Righteousness by Faith (5:1-8:39)
Paul unfurls how Christ has triumphed over the sin of the gentiles, the Jews, & of all peoples.
Paul explains more deeply the relationship between the Law & Grace.
The TRIUMPH of grace over the power of the Law.
Romans 8 =
Romans 8 =
Life in the Spirit (1-17)
Assurance of Hope (18-39)
What did you discuss last week?
Let’s dive in to verses 31-39...
Romans 8:31-39
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“What then shall we say to these things?”
Romans 6:1 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”
Romans 6:15 “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!”
Romans 7:7 “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.””
Paul is a gifted persuasive speaker - you see it specifically in this letter to the Romans...
He is closing his argument that Christ is supreme over all.
“If God is for us, who can be against us?
A second rhetorical question - the ANSWER is OBVIOUS!
Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
When I look at the cross, I learn to say: 'The Son of God loved me, and gave Himself for me' (Galatians 2:20). I begin to believe with Paul that if God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up to the cross for me, then He loves me so much He will always give me only what will bring me blessing (Romans 8:32).
Sinclair Ferguson
“Who is to condemn?”
A third rhetorical question… it should be very clear by this point what the answer is!
Before we go further let’s define some terms to help us make sure we understand what Paul is saying...
Elect =
Faithlife Study Bible Election
The Bible describes election as both corporate and individual.
Faithlife Study Bible Election
Yet God’s election of Israel as His chosen people did not equate to the personal salvation of every Israelite.
Faithlife Study Bible Election
Both Jews and Gentiles—non-Jews—who believe in Jesus are the true children of Abraham (John 8:38–40, 56–59; Rom 4:16–17).
Faithlife Study Bible Election
Historically, nearly all Christian interpreters have agreed that God’s electing choice flows entirely from His grace, that human beings are moral agents responsible for our actions, and that personal participation in the community of the elect is by faith. But interpreters fall into two major approaches to the question of how God’s electing purpose comes to expression in the salvation of individuals: what might be called election unto faith versus election in view of faith. Are people believers because they are elect, or are they elect because they believe?
Faithlife Study Bible Election
Whichever approach is taken, the biblical theme of election should lead all believers to praise God, like Paul does, for graciously choosing—even before the foundation of the world—to love us and save us in Christ (Eph 1:4–5; 2:14–22).
Justifies (Justify) =
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 34.46 δικαιόω; δικαίωσις, εως; δικαιοσύνη, ης
to cause someone to be in a proper or right relation with someone else
“to make right”
Condemn =
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 56.31 κατακρίνω; κατάκρισις, εως; κατάκριμα, τος; καταδικάζω; καταδίκη, ης
to judge someone as definitely guilty and thus subject to punishment
Webster’s Dictionary:
“to declare to be reprehensible, wrong, or evil usually after weighing evidence and without reservation”
“to pronounce guilty”
Intercede =
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 33.169 ἐντυγχάνω
to ask for something with urgency and intensity—‘to plead, to beg, to appeal to, to petition.’
Separate =
to separate from, as the result of motion away from—‘to depart, to leave.’
There is a laundry list of things that CANNOT separate us from the Love of Christ…
Tribulation
Distress
Persecution
Famine
Nakedness
Danger
Sword
How does this list make you feel?
Encouraged? Discouraged?
Psalm 44:22 “Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
“Paul uses this verse to remind believers that God’s people have always had to face such situations, yet they must not conclude that they are thereby separated from the love of Christ.” - ESV Study Bible
More than conquerors?
More than conquerors?
What does this conjure up in your mind?
to be completely and overwhelmingly victorious—‘to be completely victorious, to have complete victory over.’
Many Christians have a tendency to walk around with the weight of the world on their shoulders…
Look at all these rules I have to keep...
I still struggle with temptation and sin…
God hasn’t blessed me as much as my neighbor…
This is all a form of “navel-gazing” when we should be “savior-gazing”…
THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED US!
Christ is who secured our salvation.
Christ is who has conquered sin & death - once and for ALL!
Christ is who will hold us until the end!
“Even as mature Christians, we need to remind ourselves continually of the basis of our acceptance—it is entirely because of what Christ has done for us. Thus, faith in Christ is not a onetime event; we must live by faith each day.”
Derek Thomas, How the Gospel Brings us All the Way Home
“Our salvation is bound up not in something intangible and impersonal, but in a person-in Jesus Christ.”
Derek Thomas
Paul reiterates that NOTHING will separate us from the love of Christ!
Paul reiterates that NOTHING will separate us from the love of Christ!
Even these other POWERFUL things will NOT be able to separate us from him!
When you read Paul’s epistles you’ll see this often. He almost seems to break from his rhetorical argument into this sort of sing-songy meter & essentially breaks out in praise to God in the middle of writing these deep theological truths.
Let this be INSTRUCTIVE to as as believers.
“The purpose of theology is doxology.” - J.I. Packer
Praise of Romans 8.
“If you know this chapter you know the heart of the Bible. If you know this chapter you know the gospel.” - Tim Challies
John Piper on Romans 8 —>
“Greatest Book, Greatest Chapter, Greatest Joy. The greatest book is the Bible — and we saw why on Friday night. The main reason, we argued, is that the Bible is only book without which God’s ultimate purpose for the universe would fail — that is, the purpose to be supremely glorified in the white-hot intensity of the everlasting joy of his redeemed people in himself. The greatest chapter in this greatest book is Romans 8, and we will see why in this message. The greatest joy is seeing, savoring, sharing in, and showing the glory of God. That will bring us to the end.
First, why is Romans 8 the greatest chapter in the Bible?
Romans chapter eight is so dense and so constant with good news — good news that is so great and so glorious and so vastly superior to all the good news in this world — whether health good news, or family good news, or church good news, or job good news, or political good news, or international good news, or financial good news — so vastly superior to all earthly good news and so relentless, that you can scarcely feel the full force of it until you take virtually every verse and restate it as the good news that it is.”
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.