Assured

Introduction:

Good Morning. I hope this morning you are thankful for His unfailing love. I hope you realize how truly wonderful, how glorious, how beautiful the Lord is.

The other day, me and Kayla were in Mardel in Little Rock. She cannot stand taking me in there. She knows we have wasted a day if I walk into Mardel or Lifeway. I spend hours upon hours in those stores. We were in there and I was browsing the Bibles and she was sitting in the floor reading a Bible and a man came to the shelves and me and Kayla moved out of the way. He said he was looking for a new PREACHING Bible. I decided not to talk to him because I’m not much of a talker. I strike up a conversation and I found out He pastors a church not too far away from Rison. So we were talking and I’m pretty sure Kayla was asleep because two pastors can’t just have a 5 minute conversation. He picked up this King James Version and started thumbing through it. He showed me the font size and I asked him this question: Do you like that purple Bible? He had picked up a purple Bible. He said I kind of do. So I told him, Hey, it’s a royal color. He told me this and it’s stuck with me, He said, I’m not very royal, but God’s Word sure is. He bought the purple one.

I don’t think we treat the Bible with enough respect or reverence. When I was growing up, we were not allowed to put anything on top of our Bible. Not because it would mess up the binding, not because it would ruin the leather, but because of what it is. It is THE WORD OF GOD.

How many of you this morning, if I were to ask, How many of you this morning like to be lied to? How many of you like being told something other than the truth?

A while back, social media got pretty ridiculous. The majority of the problem was on Facebook. I could not scroll past two posts in a row without seeing a new article. Here was the problem: almost every article was fake. I think every actor and singer died, whether they knew it or not. I had to fact check everything. I would probably have to say 85% of it was false. The article would cause uncertainty. No one had a clue if they were true or not. I did see one that said Check Norris had died, so I knew that was false.

When we talk about the Bible, it is the Word of God. It is Holy. It has authority. It has power.

Please take God’s Word and open it to the book of Romans.

This morning, we are going to look at some assurances. These assurances are things that we, as believers, can be certain are true because God has told us them and God cannot lie. These assurances are found in the 8th chapter of Romans, beginning in verse 31.

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What then shall we to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

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.

Background Information:

The book of Romans has been said to be “The Constitution of Christianity”. It is the most complete book of doctrine in the Bible. In the book, we are told of Judgement, we are told of Sin, we are told how to be saved, we are told of the New Life, we are told of Faith, we are told of Freedom in Christ, we are told of Israel’s Rejection, we are told Glorifying God, we are told of relationships, we are told of Christian Service. Almost everything we need to know as believers can be found in the Book of Romans. Why is that?

We are told in Chapter 1, that Paul is the writer. Paul wrote this letter during his three month stay in Corinth. Now Paul is writing to the saints that are in Rome. No church is mentioned until Chapter 16. The Bible says they were meeting in each others’ households. So why, as Paul writes a letter to the saints in Rome, why does Paul include everything we need to know as believers? It’s because Paul had never been to the church at Rome. He had never been to visit. While Paul was on his third missionary journey, he began taking up a collection for the church at Jerusalem. When Paul wrote the 2nd letter to the Church at Corinth, the collection hadn’t been finished. When he wrote to the saints at Rome, he mentioned in chapter 15 that the collection had been finished, and after taking it to Jerusalem, Paul planned to visit the church at Rome and head to Spain as well. We know though, by reading Acts once Paul arrived at Jerusalem, he was charged, and had to have a military escort to Caesarea. As we know, in court, he appeals to Caesar and is then transported to Rome, where he remained on house arrest and freely ministered to those who came.

Paul had never visited the church at Rome, so he writes a thorough and descriptive letter so the saints could know exactly what doctrine to believe and how to live in their daily dealings with the sinful world in Rome.

Let’s examine some of things God has assured the believer through this letter of Paul to the Romans.

Doctrine of Salvation (chapters 1-8)

Dealings with Israel (chapters 9-11)

Dealings in the Day’s Society (chapters 12-16)

1. God has Taken Action for the Believer (v. 31)

“What then shall we to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

What then shall we to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

“What then shall we to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

“If God be for us”- this is not hypocritical. This is not sarcastic. This is a reality for the believer! Paul is asking, if God be for us, who can be against us. Throughout the Bible, believers are reminded that God is for us! David said in the 23rd Psalm, “I will fear no evil”, WHY? He said “For You are with me”. In , David said “This I know, because God is for me,”! God is for us! He has taken action for us!

“Who can be against us?”- Sometimes, those against us look very numerous. The world, the flesh, Satan, the demons, worldly religions, our enemies. Sometimes we feel outnumbered. This question is rhetorical. Paul asks if God, the creator, the Almighty, if God is for us, who can be against us! No one can stand against us, it may feel like it sometimes, but we are told that God is for us!

Notice three ways that God has taken action for us:

A. As Our Savior (v. 32)

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all,

I am reminded of the Old Testament account of Abraham. As we know:

As we know:

God decided to test Abraham so God told Abraham to take his son and God even added your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering. We know that Abraham was faithful to the point that Isaac was bound, lying on the alter and Abraham went for the knife. What was going through his mind? Think of how Abraham felt! Think about Isaac! Imagine what you would be thinking about as you hold the knife ready to kill your child because God said to!

Imagine the relief Abraham and Isaac felt when the angel of the Lord told Abraham not to harm Isaac! Isaac was spared! God’s Son was not spared. He was delivered up.

Who delivered Him up? Judas? Pilate? The Sanhedrin? Satan? The Father delivered Jesus up for our sins.

God went through with the sacrifice. God decided to place His only Son, whom God loved and offered Him as a Sacrifice. God didn’t spare His own Son. He delivered Him up. When they came to arrest Jesus, remember what He said in Matthew? He could have had 12 legions of angels if He so called, but he decided to allow Himself to be arrested. He allowed Himself to be beaten. He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross. He allowed Himself to be laid on the alter as a Sacrifice all so He could be your Savior.

Because God hasn’t even withheld His son, He also acts:

B. As Our Provider (v. 32)

how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Giving His Son for us was the greatest gift in all of history. He is bound to give us everything else. Nothing could ever cost God as much as it did when He gave us Jesus!

1. Spiritual:

1. Freely Given

2. Eternal:

Notice how our provisions are given: freely! God’s gift was given to us freely! It was a free gift! If He gave us His own Son as a free gift, He will provide all things to us freely. He does not ask payment, He does not ask for works or deeds for the gifts. He gives them freely because He loves us!

3. Material:

2. Through Christ

Notice all things come through Christ. If we are with Christ, with Christ, God will give us all things. No matter the sin, no matter the shame, no matter suffering we go through, God has assured us He will see

C. As Our Justifier (v. 33)

Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God! It is only God! Only God can charge us with sin and shame! Only God can charge us! But look what He does! He does not charge us with anything! He justifies us. Ever done something wrong? Ever tried to justify it? We have done something wrong, but if we have trusted in Jesus, God does not charge us. We are one of God’s elect, we are forgiven. He forgives us. No one can charge us with anything! He justifies us!

Man cannot charge us. Only God can charge us! God is our judge, and look what He does: He does not lay sin against His children. He does not lay shame against His children. He justifies them! No matter how far we have fallen, no matter how far we’ve slidden, no matter how bad we have messed up, He justifies us in Christ Jesus! Aren’t you thankful! God does not leave us down and defeated. He justifies us.

2. Christ does not Condemn the Believer (v. 34)

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Christ does not condemn the believer! Look at the question: Who is he who condemns? It is Christ! It is only Christ! Only Christ can condemn us for our sin and shame. But Christ does not condemn us. We just looked at what God does. He justifies us.

Let’s look at four things we see Christ do on our behalf:

A. He Died

He Arose

It is Christ who died,

- “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”

God is a holy God! He is a just God! He has standards! He has expectations! He had a bar! He had a target! And every single one of us here have missed that mark! Why? Because of our sin. God is a Holy, God is Almighty! We can’t come to Him with our sin and He can’t come to use with our sin! Our sin has made a wall! For ALL have sinned! We have ALL messed up! We have ALL fallen short! We have ALL missed the target. For all have sinned.

- “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

A wage is a payment or reward for a deed or action. When you work, you get a wage. Because you have commited sin, the payment or the reward for sin is death. Now, the death here is not just going into a box then into the ground. It is being cast into the lake of fire. It is being separated from God. Because of our sin, we deserve to be separated from God for all of eternity. But look at this:

God gives us a gift. That gift is eternal life and look who it is through: Christ Jesus our Lord. The Father delivered Him up to be the sacrifice.

- “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

God loved us so much, He decided not to spare His only Son. He decided to deliver Jesus up to die so we could be saved. He showed us how much He loves us by dying in our place. He extended to us a pardon. However, we must be the ones to accept it.

- “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In 1883, George Wilson was convicted of robbing the US Mail in Pennsylvania. He was sentenced to death. His friends intervened and influenced President Andrew Johnson to pardon him. Wilson refused the pardon. This had never happened so the Supreme Court was asked to rule in on the case.

The Supreme Court decided that if the prisoner does not accept the pardon, it is not in effect. There is no power in the court to force i upon the prisoner.

God has extended to you, this morning a pardon. We deserve to be condemned by God. We don’t have to face condemnation . Christ has already paid the sin penalty. He pardons you. All you must do is accept His pardon. He won’t make you take it. He won’t force it upon you. He simply extended it to you. You must be the one to accept it. You must be the one who calls on the name of the Lord. You must admit that you are a sinner. You must believe that Jesus did come and die on the cross. You must ask Him to come into your heart, to forgive you of your sin, and to be your Savior. If you do, He will save you. He has promised you that in . But you must accept His gift. Won’t you accept it? Won’t you receive it?

B. He Arose

and furthermore is also risen,

There are 2 things the Resurrection of Christ does:

Listen to - “For the death that He died, He died for sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1. The Resurrection of Christ proves God’s Satisfaction with Jesus’ Death

“For the death that He died, He died for sin once for all”- the Resurrection of Jesus proves that God was satisfied with the death of Jesus Christ! When Jesus died on the cross, it was acceptable to God. God has accepted Jesus’ death for us.

- “For it is not possible

Had God not been satisfied, He would have left Jesus in the grave, but we know Jesus arose on the third day!

2. The Resurrection of Christ gives the Believer a New Life

“Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”- When Jesus died and was resurrected, He went through an irreversible transformation. When believers are saved, they also undergo an irreversible transformation: we die to the old man and after, we live as new creatures. The Resurrection of Jesus gives the believer a new life and makes him a new man. When we are saved, we become dead to sin and we are raised to walk in a newness of life.

Look at where Christ ascended to:

C. He was Exalted

who is even at the right hand of God,

Christ has been exalted for us! He is our exalted Lord. He sits side by side at the right hand of God the Father!

Notice two things about this:

1. We Will Also be with God

- “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

Even though we have not yet experienced resurrection, we are assured this future by the fact that Christ, in whose death we share, has been raised from the dead.

2. The Lord Jesus Christ is Exalted as Sovereign

He is the Ruler. He is the Creator. He reigns and rules over all. He is the one that Created. He is the one who is going to destroy and eliminate sin. He is the one who will establish a kingdom of righteousness.

Next, look at what He does there:

D. He Intercedes

who also makes intercession for us.

Jesus is our mediator. He is our advocate. He stands between God and man and makes intercession for us.

- “My little children, these things I write to you, so that may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

Jesus’ death was not the end of His ministry but, now He serves as our advocate, our helper, our mediator at the right hand of God the Father.

3. Christ Protects the Believer (v. 35-37)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

--Tribulation: to undergo struggle, trials, temptations, sufferings, or affliction

--Distress: to suffer anguish, trouble, strain, agony

--Persecution: to be abused, mocked, ridiculed, shamed, mistreated, ignored, neglected

--Famine: to have no food, to be starving, and have no way to secure food

--Nakedness: to be stripped of all clothes and earthly comforts, to be bare

--Peril: to be exposed to the most severe risks

--Sword: to be killed

Imagine a person experiencing these types of events! What would his thoughts be? When we go through ONE of these, we feel like God has forsaken us. We feel like we are in the midst of the valley. We feel like we have been left in the dark. We feel like the world is going to end.

Look at what Paul tells us: He says ALL of these things can not separate us from the love of Christ! There is nothing! No matter how dark, no matter how severe, no matter how depressing, nothing can separate us from God’s love! Circumstances are not evidence that God does not love us. God loves us no matter what the circumstances may be.

4. Christ Secures the Believer (v. 38-39)

As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

In v. 36, Paul brings in a quote from Psalms. Believers are going to suffer while they are in the world. As long as we are continue to believe and continue to live for Christ, we are going to be persecuted. It isn’t like the persecution we think of. As we live out godliness, the world is going to be convicted.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

However, notice what Paul said: No matter the circumstances, we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. We don’t conquer because of our ability, because of our power, because of our knowledge. We conquer because God loved us!

--Christ Meets all the Material Necessities of Life. In Matthew, He said not to take thought for what we shall eat or drink. Why? Because if we seek first, the kingdom of God, all of these things will be added unto you.

—Christ Gives us Rest. In Matthew, Jesus said come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,

—Christ gives us peace.

—Christ Supplies all our Needs.

4. Christ Secures the Believer (v. 38-39)

4. Christ Secures the Believer (v. 38-39)

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

Paul says ‘I am persuaded’. Paul is standing firm on His beliefs that nothing could separate him from the love of God.

--Death: Confronting death and leaving this world cannot separate us from Christ and His love. What does Paul say to the church at Philippians? For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

--Life: No hard time, no pleasure, no person, nor anything else in life can separate us from Christ and His love.

--Angels, Principalities, Powers: No heavenly creature, no spiritual creature, or any other being can separate us from Christ’s love!

--Present, Future: Nothing in the present, nothing in the future, absolutely nothing can separate us from Christ’s love!

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.

--Height, Depth: Nothing from space nor nothing from the depths of the Earth can separate us from Christ and His love!

Look at the way Paul concludes His letter, and we’re going to prepare to close:

--Any Other Created Thing: If Paul had missed anything, he is sure to include it at the end of his passage and includes anything and everything under this blanket conclusion.

Nothing can separate the believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion:

When John Chrysostom was brought before the Roman empress, Eudoxia, the empress threatened to banish him if he continued preaching Christ.

JC: You cannot banish me, for this world is my Father’s.

E: But I will kill you.

JC: No, you cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God.

E: I will take away your treasures.

JC: No, you cannot, for my treasure is in heaven and my heart is there.

E: But I will drive you away from your friends and you will have no one left.

JC: No, you cannot, for I have a Friend in heaven from whom you cannot separate me. I defy you, for there is nothing you can do to harm me.

Chrysostom understood what Paul wanted the Roman saints to understand: once we are liberated, once we are freed from the condemnation of sin and death, we are truly free. Nothing else matter—not geography, not possessions, not relations, not life or death. We enter into the life and peace that can be experienced by those who have come to know freedom through Christ.

Do you have the freedom Christ offers?

Have you been set free from sin and death?

Have you accepted Christ as your Savior?

If not, your sins are not forgiven and you are not free, but you can be. It is our prayer this morning that you will receive Christ as your Savior. We would like to invite you to come during this invitation.

Maybe you have been saved, but you need to be scriptually baptized, or maybe you want to join our church. We would like to invite you to come during this invitation. What does God want you to do?