Cost-Value Analysis
Notes
Transcript
The last 2 words in Rom. 8:32 are all things. This is what God will give His people. What are those things? I think the flow of Paul’s argument here is best understood as follows:
Based on what God has already done for His people in the past
Peace wit God (Rom. 5:1-11)
Having the righteousness of Christ as our own (Rom. 5:11-21)
Union with Christ (Rom. 8:1-13)
Adoption into the family of God (Rom. 8:14-17)
Life under the control of the Spirit (Rom. 8:18-30)
Based on all of this, we can be confident that everything else God desires to give to his people will be given to them. What is everything else? Rom. 8:33ff summarize it:
No charge of guilt against God’s people will ever be given any merit in God’s eyes because Christ has already taken our penalty (v. 33)
The fact that God’s people were chose by God is the basis of our salvation (v. 33)
Our justification: God’s declaration that we are forgiven of our sins and righteous in His sight (v. 33)
We will never face the condemnation of God because Christ has already been condemned for us (v. 34)
The intercession of Christ to the Father on our behalf (v. 34)
We will never be separated from the love of Christ (v. 35)
All of these promises belong to us if we are in Christ. But what’s the key to being confident in these promises? What’s the key for these promises making any functional/actual difference in our every day lives?
Because
FCF: We often fail to value God’s promises.
Now, I have little doubt that many of us here would have any hesitation agreeing that having peace with God or having Christ’s righteousness as our own or being part of God’s family through His adoption of us, or being sure that we will never face the condemnation of God are wonderful, comforting truths.
But consider this:
Does the fact that we have peace with God make any real difference in the conflicts we have with people?
Does the fact that we have been adopted into the family of God, by God Himself make any difference in the discouragement we can feel as a result of difficulties in our own families? Or in the times of loneliness we feel when family is not around or people just seem to be in their own worlds and not concerned about what we’re facing, does our adoption of our loving heavenly Father make any difference in that time of discouragement?
When we feel all alone and that no one cares about us, does the fact that Christ is praying for us.... interceding for us make any difference?
I think most of us would agree we want these truths to make a functional, everyday difference to us, but we struggle to see our lives in light of these wonderful promises.
What will help us wit this struggle?
There are probably several answers to this question, but the one we find in our text this evening I think is particularly important. Let’s see the answer together by reading
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?
What will help us to see our everyday lives in light of the promises of God?
Main Idea
Knowing the cost of God’s promises yields valuing God’s promises.
Knowing the cost of God’s promises yields valuing God’s promises.
The promises that belong to God’s people are theirs as a result of a tremendous price being paid. None of us had to pay the price. No one, in order to inherit these promises, need to pay anything. No one possess the resources necessary to pay the price. The price has been paid in full.
But knowing, that is, understanding and appreciating, properly valuing the cost of these promises is crucial to the functional application of these promises to our everyday lives with their everyday challenges.
So
What did the promises cost?
What did the promises cost?
This verse is from the perspective of God the Father. Jesus (God the Son) is clearly present in this verse, but as far as the sacrifice is concerned, it is described primarily from the Father’s perspective.
What did the promises cost?
The sacrifice of the Son
The sacrifice of the Son
...He who did not spare His own Son
...He who did not spare His own Son
The Father sacrificed His own Son
What should we recognize about the Father’s sacrifice of His Son?
His sacrifice resulted in the harm of the Son
His sacrifice resulted in the harm of the Son
the word spare here means to refrain from harming, and what is made clear here is that the Father did not refrain from the harm of His Son.
This act of the Father was the fulfillment of prophecy
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
And notice how the relationship between the Father and the Son is conveyed here: His own Son. There is an intimacy between the Father and the Son that does not exist between anyone else and the Godhead.
We have examples of relationships between fathers and sons in Scripture
And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
King David, the father of Absalom, who was wicked and rebellious, wept over the death of his son. He would have gladly traded places with him if he could.
or
and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
Abraham, willing to obey God and sacrifice Isaac. He did not withhold him, and because of this God blessed him
But there’s is something unique about the father’s sacrifice of His Son. They enjoy an intimacy that is not affected by sin like existed between these two dads and sons. The Father and the Son, from eternity enjoyed perfect harmony, perfect fellowship. But we know that the Father not sparing the Son was always the plan.
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
But this is part f the cost, the Father not sparking the Son from harm. The intimacy the Father and Son enjoyed interrupted for the sake of the people of God.
This act of sacrifice resulted in the people of God becoming benefactors of the promises of God.
What did the promises cost?
The penalty of our sin applied to the Son
The penalty of our sin applied to the Son
…but gave Him up
…but gave Him up
The word gave is an important word
to surrender, to turn over
This same word is used earlier in Romans
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
These verses teach that God gives people who reject God and His word to the results of their sin.
What God the Father did was give His Son over the the consequences of sin. Not the Son’s sin, but the sins of his people. And the consequences of sin is death.
Again, this is fulfilling prophecy
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Knowing the cost of God’s promises yields valuing God’s promises
What did the promises cost?
The Son became a substitute sacrifice for His people.
The Son became a substitute sacrifice for His people.
...for us all
...for us all
The word for us significant. It means on behalf of, in place of. Jesus, in other words was given on behalf of His people… instead of His people.
You and I are born debtors. We have a debt that we cannot pay.
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
He will render to each one according to his works:
This is the reality of every person apart from God’s redemptive work. God will render to each one according to his works. We may strive to do good and be good, but all we can do in our own strength is store up for ourselves… God’s righteous judgement. No matter how good we are able to be, we will still fall way short of God’s righteous standard. BUT, here’s where hope comes in. That Christ is our substitute is our hope.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus became sin for what purpose? So that we might become the righteousness of God. We deserved the judgement that God placed on Jesus, but Jesus, is our substitute, and the result for those who place their faith in Him alone is that we become the righteousness of God. Our debt is paid, and we are no longer storing up God’s righteous judgement, but treasures in heaven.
Conclusion
This is the cost of the promises we have from God
The Sacrifice of the Son
The penalty of our sin applied to the Son
The Son becoming a substitute sacrifice for us
But remember the question we asked at the beginning of this message. But now that we have a little clarity on the cost of the promises, are we seeing the connection between that clarity and the promises of God having an impact on our everyday struggles? Maybe not yet?
Look what comes next in verse 32. A rhetorical question (a question that is really a statement more than it is a question… no answer expected)
how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?
how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?
What Paul is saying here is if God the Father was willing to make such a sacrifice with His Son, of course God will grant us all these things that are part of the salvation He grants His people. Of course He will grant
that peace to us even when people are making unwarranted accusations against us or unfair conclusions about us because no one can bring any charge against God’s elect.
Of course God grants that
assurance in the times we feel abandoned by everyone, even God Himself, because we have been promised that Jesus is interceding for us.
Church, we have the promises of God that should, that must prevail in our moments of struggle and trial. The key to this is understanding of course God will produces fruit in our lives through these promises. He sacrificed His own Son to make that possible.
So let’s celebrate this wonderful reality by reflecting on the sacrifice of our Lord and our Savior Jesus together.
The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper
Fence the table
And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
The Old Rugged Cross
No doxology, no benediction because there’s more to the story. Jesus suffered, and He died, and it is with tears we rejoice in this. But there’s more. Come back Sunday, and we will celebrate together.