1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,920 Well this great chapter that’s been our focus now for four weeks is really the answer to 2 00:00:07,920 –> 00:00:13,680 Paul’s question in Romans chapter 7 and verse 24 he’s been struggling with the 3 00:00:14,320 –> 00:00:20,480 problem of sin that every human being who knows him or herself struggles with and he says chapter 4 00:00:20,480 –> 00:00:29,280 7 verse 24 o wretched man that i am who will rescue me and the answer to that question is 5 00:00:29,280 –> 00:00:38,000 Jesus Christ will rescue you and Romans 8 really tells us how Jesus Christ does this and 6 00:00:38,000 –> 00:00:45,279 what he does to implement his rescue in a person’s life and we’ve seen that God’s 7 00:00:45,279 –> 00:00:53,040 rescue operation in Christ involves four spectacular gifts number one justification 8 00:00:53,119 –> 00:00:59,439 which Christ removes sins penalty. Number two sanctification in which Jesus Christ 9 00:00:59,439 –> 00:01:05,680 breaks sin’s power in your life the stranglehold that it otherwise would have over you. Number 10 00:01:05,680 –> 00:01:12,639 three adoption in which Christ brings you into the Father’s love and number four glorification 11 00:01:12,639 –> 00:01:19,839 in which Christ creates a unique reflection of himself in the life of every redeemed person 12 00:01:20,400 –> 00:01:27,839 for his own glory and for your joy forever and forever. We saw last week that when this 13 00:01:27,839 –> 00:01:32,320 rescue that Jesus Christ accomplishes in the lives of all his people is complete 14 00:01:32,879 –> 00:01:39,919 he will bring even the earth itself into our joy. Christ will remove the curse and 15 00:01:39,919 –> 00:01:45,839 there will be a new heaven and the new earth and the whole of creation we saw will be brought into 16 00:01:45,919 –> 00:01:53,360 the glorious freedom of the children of God. Now this is the promise of the gospel and I hope as 17 00:01:53,360 –> 00:01:59,199 we’ve been saying throughout this series that you have been savoring what is yours in Jesus Christ 18 00:02:00,160 –> 00:02:08,000 and if you’re not, I hope that you’re beginning to see what can be yours in Jesus Christ and that 19 00:02:08,000 –> 00:02:15,759 you’re beginning to feel some drawing towards this as you learn what he promises in the Gospel. 20 00:02:16,080 –> 00:02:21,679 Now if you want to get a summary of everything really that Paul has been teaching in chapter 21 00:02:21,679 –> 00:02:28,639 8 so far, I think a good summary would be in verse 31 where Paul says if God is for us 22 00:02:29,440 –> 00:02:36,320 who can be against us. Think of that. God for you. 23 00:02:38,399 –> 00:02:43,679 God’s judgment is for you in justification. 24 00:02:44,080 –> 00:02:49,039 God’s power is for you in sanctification. 25 00:02:50,080 –> 00:03:00,160 God’s love is for you in adoption and God’s glory is for you in glorification forever 26 00:03:00,720 –> 00:03:05,360 and so what Paul is telling us here is he tries to sum this up under the inspiration 27 00:03:05,360 –> 00:03:08,960 of the Scripture. He’s saying God is totally for you 28 00:03:08,960 –> 00:03:15,360 totally for you in Jesus Christ and if God really is for us 29 00:03:16,479 –> 00:03:25,360 then who can be against us. Think of it this way if God is in your corner, you must prevail 30 00:03:26,800 –> 00:03:31,360 and so today we’re going to come now to the last part of this marvelous chapter 31 00:03:31,360 –> 00:03:37,039 and really Paul is moving into the application of these marvelous truths that we’ve been learning 32 00:03:37,039 –> 00:03:44,639 together. I want to ask two questions. Here’s the first. Why do you need to know, 33 00:03:45,839 –> 00:03:53,839 Romans 8, why do you need to know that God is totally for you in Jesus Christ? 34 00:03:55,440 –> 00:04:01,679 Why did God give us this chapter? What’s the point? What’s the application? 35 00:04:01,679 –> 00:04:08,479 Now, I want to suggest two answers. Why do we need to know what we’ve been learning here? 36 00:04:09,919 –> 00:04:16,480 The first reason is that you need to know that God is totally for you. Answer number one for 37 00:04:16,480 –> 00:04:25,279 your joy, need to know it for your own joy. God wants you to know that these gifts are yours in 38 00:04:25,359 –> 00:04:32,160 Jesus Christ so that you might live in the joy and in the freedom of them. 39 00:04:33,119 –> 00:04:37,920 You see, that is where Paul goes at the end of the chapter in verse 38 and verse 39 where he’s 40 00:04:37,920 –> 00:04:44,320 saying I’m convinced that there’s nothing in all of the created order and nothing in heaven above 41 00:04:44,320 –> 00:04:50,320 or even in hell below that could ever separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our 42 00:04:50,320 –> 00:04:58,160 Lord. There’s joy there, there’s security there, there is confidence there, there is triumph there 43 00:04:58,160 –> 00:05:07,760 and God wants you to have that kind of confidence in his love. Now imagine with me for a moment 44 00:05:07,920 –> 00:05:19,040 a guy who meets the woman of his dreams and falls head over heels hopelessly in love. 45 00:05:20,079 –> 00:05:27,519 He dates her, he woos her, and eventually he gets to the moment where he decides the time is 46 00:05:27,519 –> 00:05:33,200 right to pop the question. I hope you’re getting the romantic feel of this today. 47 00:05:33,920 –> 00:05:41,600 All his future happiness hangs in the balance as he gets down on one knee 48 00:05:43,040 –> 00:05:51,279 and he takes her hand and with a trembling kind of a voice, he says will you marry me? 49 00:05:53,600 –> 00:05:58,880 And she says yes, maybe. 50 00:05:59,839 –> 00:06:10,160 and he says what do you mean yes maybe. Well, she says I’m saying yes. 51 00:06:12,079 –> 00:06:18,720 But I’m not totally sure now. How much joy does this guy have when he goes back home 52 00:06:18,720 –> 00:06:26,399 at the end of that evening? Not very much. He has some hope of future happiness 53 00:06:27,359 –> 00:06:33,279 but then again it might not happen. So rejoicing would be premature. 54 00:06:34,079 –> 00:06:38,959 Now look, apply that to what we’ve been learning together. You can believe all the promises of 55 00:06:38,959 –> 00:06:43,839 the Gospel, justification, sanctification, adoption, glorification, but if you add a 56 00:06:43,839 –> 00:06:51,200 maybe on the end you lose all the joy. It’s like putting a nail in the tire of your car, 57 00:06:51,359 –> 00:06:56,160 I mean I put a nail in your car, all the air goes out, and the thing won’t take you where you 58 00:06:56,160 –> 00:07:05,279 want to go. A maybe kills joy every time, as does a word like if or but. You know, God is totally 59 00:07:05,279 –> 00:07:10,720 for me in Christ if I have really lived a good Christian life this week. Can you feel the air 60 00:07:10,720 –> 00:07:18,079 going out of the tire, right there? God is totally for me in Christ, especially when I pray and when 61 00:07:18,079 –> 00:07:24,559 I witness. Can you feel the air going out of the tire right there? See, as soon as you make 62 00:07:24,559 –> 00:07:30,799 God’s love conditional upon something that you do, you lose the joy, and you lose the power, 63 00:07:30,799 –> 00:07:36,480 you lose the whole point of everything that we have been learning in Romans, in chapter eight. 64 00:07:36,480 –> 00:07:42,239 And the truth is that many Christians live in a twilight world 65 00:07:42,239 –> 00:07:53,119 where you believe that God loves you somewhat sometimes. Where you believe that you are 66 00:07:53,119 –> 00:08:02,799 justified, sanctified, adopted, and glorified maybe, probably, hopefully. You feel that God 67 00:08:02,980 –> 00:08:12,000 is for you usually, normally, frequently, but you’re not convinced that God is totally 68 00:08:12,000 –> 00:08:21,579 for you always, unconditionally, and forever in Jesus Christ. Now the whole 69 00:08:21,579 –> 00:08:25,779 point of the message today and the point of the end of Romans in chapter 8 is 70 00:08:26,500 –> 00:08:35,419 that you should taste the joy of knowing that God is totally for you in Jesus 71 00:08:35,419 –> 00:08:39,960 Christ. God does not want you to spend the rest of your Christian life like the 72 00:08:39,960 –> 00:08:43,719 little girl with the flower, you know, pulling off the petals, He loves me. He 73 00:08:43,719 –> 00:08:48,440 loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not. God does not want you to regard His 74 00:08:48,539 –> 00:08:56,359 love in that kind of an insecure kind of a way because there is no joy there 75 00:08:56,359 –> 00:09:02,960 and what an amazing thing for a person who professes faith to believe all that 76 00:09:02,960 –> 00:09:08,260 we’ve been learning for these last weeks and then to lose all the joy of it 77 00:09:08,260 –> 00:09:15,200 because of a massive maybe that dominates your mind and your heart. The 78 00:09:15,479 –> 00:09:19,059 point of the triumphant ending of Romans chapter 8 is that God’s people are 79 00:09:19,059 –> 00:09:25,059 supremely confident of his love. I’m convinced that nothing can ever separate 80 00:09:25,059 –> 00:09:32,260 me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord. So we need to know 81 00:09:32,260 –> 00:09:38,679 what Paul is teaching us here in Romans in chapter 8. Number 1, for your joy for 82 00:09:39,500 –> 00:09:45,539 your joy. It’s critical to the whole dynamic of your Christian life. There’s 83 00:09:45,539 –> 00:09:49,719 a second answer to this question, why do we need to know what Paul is teaching us 84 00:09:49,719 –> 00:09:54,580 here? This message that God is totally for you in Christ in Romans 8 you need 85 00:09:54,580 –> 00:10:04,979 to know this for your suffering. For your joy and for your suffering. Have you ever 86 00:10:05,119 –> 00:10:14,179 noticed that this marvelous chapter, that lays out the splendor of God’s 87 00:10:14,179 –> 00:10:19,780 salvation in Jesus Christ, the amazing dimensions of his rescue, that it ends 88 00:10:19,780 –> 00:10:27,179 with a major emphasis on the forms of suffering that a believer may endure in 89 00:10:27,179 –> 00:10:33,640 the course of a human life. Have you noticed that in verse 35 90 00:10:33,719 –> 00:10:42,059 Paul lists seven, no less than seven, distinct forms of suffering. An amazing 91 00:10:42,059 –> 00:10:47,820 thing to do, at the end of this glorious chapter. Why does he do it? Because it is 92 00:10:47,820 –> 00:10:54,260 precisely for this reason that we need this teaching. That we need to embrace 93 00:10:54,260 –> 00:10:57,940 this marvelous truth so that you may have joy so that you may be able to 94 00:10:57,940 –> 00:11:02,780 stand in your suffering. Now let’s walk through these very, very 95 00:11:02,919 –> 00:11:07,739 briefly together. Seven forms of suffering in verse 35 and as I walk 96 00:11:07,739 –> 00:11:14,539 through them. I want you to ask a simple question, will I experience this form of 97 00:11:14,539 –> 00:11:22,140 suffering in my life of the seven forms? Which will you experience? And as we go 98 00:11:22,140 –> 00:11:25,419 through I think you’ll find that the answer is either going to be, yes I 99 00:11:25,419 –> 00:11:32,659 definitely will experience this in my life or it may be, perhaps, maybe I will 100 00:11:32,659 –> 00:11:41,099 experience this in my life. This is why we need Romans 8. Who then shall 101 00:11:41,099 –> 00:11:44,919 separate us from the love of Christ shall trouble now will you experience 102 00:11:44,919 –> 00:11:51,599 trouble in your life? Answer yes and the Scriptures make that very clear John 103 00:11:51,599 –> 00:11:58,919 chapter 16 in verse 33 our Lord says in this world you will have trouble 104 00:11:59,840 –> 00:12:03,859 Caregorical statement but take heart I have overcome the world so we definitely have 105 00:12:03,859 –> 00:12:09,880 that one number two hardship. Will you experience hardship in your life? Answer 106 00:12:09,880 –> 00:12:16,859 again I think yes and for this reason Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 7 endure 107 00:12:16,859 –> 00:12:21,780 hardship the writer to Hebrews says as discipline because God is treating you 108 00:12:21,780 –> 00:12:28,320 as sons what son is not disciplined by his father so what the writer to Hebrews 109 00:12:28,520 –> 00:12:32,020 is saying is that God brings discipline into the lives of all of His children if 110 00:12:32,020 –> 00:12:37,419 you’re a Christian this will be part of your experience and hardships are the 111 00:12:37,419 –> 00:12:40,919 way in which God does that it doesn’t mean all hardships are His discipline 112 00:12:40,919 –> 00:12:46,979 but some hardships are His discipline in our lives in other words don’t read 113 00:12:46,979 –> 00:12:54,020 hardship as God failing to love you it is precisely the opposite if God allowed 114 00:12:54,080 –> 00:13:00,700 your life to be an uninterrupted party you could not become a son or a daughter 115 00:13:00,700 –> 00:13:05,960 who reflects His glory so the father will not allow you to slide into a life 116 00:13:05,960 –> 00:13:11,780 of a wasted life of self-indulgence he breaks up the party and he brings 117 00:13:11,780 –> 00:13:19,119 hardship into my life into your life why because he loves you so will we 118 00:13:19,119 –> 00:13:23,359 experience hardship definitely yes on the basis of Hebrews chapter 12 and 119 00:13:23,359 –> 00:13:28,340 verse seven persecution will you experience persecution in your life as a 120 00:13:28,340 –> 00:13:36,340 christian answer yes 2nd Timothy chapter 3 in verse 12 Paul says everyone everyone 121 00:13:36,340 –> 00:13:41,500 who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted 122 00:13:41,500 –> 00:13:50,419 Kategoric statement if you live a godly life in this world don’t expect to be 123 00:13:50,619 –> 00:13:57,299 thank for it expect to be disliked and sometimes marginalized and here’s why 124 00:13:57,299 –> 00:14:04,099 when you live with obvious integrity you will trouble the conscience of some 125 00:14:04,099 –> 00:14:13,580 other people folks love darkness don’t like light and if your life is like a 126 00:14:14,200 –> 00:14:20,679 light among people who love darkness the folks who love darkness will be 127 00:14:20,679 –> 00:14:24,340 disturbed by your life they will resent it and they will say we don’t want that 128 00:14:24,340 –> 00:14:29,559 light shining around here we like darkness so this won’t be your 129 00:14:29,559 –> 00:14:33,119 experience all of the time but it will be all of Christ’s children’s 130 00:14:33,119 –> 00:14:41,500 experience some off the time persecution number four famine will you experience 131 00:14:41,520 –> 00:14:48,880 famine in your life answer maybe thousands of Christ’s children have 132 00:14:48,880 –> 00:14:54,820 suffered through famine and drought and Christ has provided more than enough 133 00:14:54,820 –> 00:14:59,179 food for the whole world which surely makes us think about what our 134 00:14:59,179 –> 00:15:05,340 responsibility is here on this issue are there any people in Chicago who are 135 00:15:05,500 –> 00:15:17,900 hungry today yes could it be that one day you will be hungry maybe five 136 00:15:17,900 –> 00:15:26,340 nakedness will you experience nakedness in your life answer maybe there are 137 00:15:26,340 –> 00:15:31,919 Christians who need clothing in the world today let me ask this question 138 00:15:32,159 –> 00:15:41,039 sensitively could a Christian experience the shame of nakedness through a violent 139 00:15:41,039 –> 00:15:51,580 assault could that sort of thing happen to one of God’s own children answer yes 140 00:15:51,580 –> 00:15:58,820 policies it can and tragically sometimes it does we’re asking why do you need to 141 00:15:58,820 –> 00:16:04,679 know that Christ is totally for you because if you have experienced the 142 00:16:04,679 –> 00:16:14,299 shame of nakedness you need to know that God is totally for you in Jesus Christ 143 00:16:14,299 –> 00:16:19,979 and you need to know how you can get there number six danger will you 144 00:16:19,979 –> 00:16:24,520 experience danger in your life yes obviously absolutely we live in a world 145 00:16:24,840 –> 00:16:30,400 terror where evil men can bring massive destruction without notice or warning we 146 00:16:30,400 –> 00:16:37,419 live in a world of accidents 42,000 deaths on the roads in the United States 147 00:16:37,419 –> 00:16:42,119 every year and do these fatalities forty two thousand a year include any of God’s 148 00:16:42,119 –> 00:16:49,640 children of course they do absolutely it’s all part of life and Christians are 149 00:16:49,659 –> 00:16:55,359 not somehow insulated from the dangers and realities of life in this fallen 150 00:16:55,359 –> 00:17:01,099 world what about sword sword here of course is a reference to martyrdom to 151 00:17:01,099 –> 00:17:05,400 someone’s life being taken on account of their faith will you experience 152 00:17:05,400 –> 00:17:17,359 martyrdom in your life answer maybe the gospelweb.net site reckons that 153 00:17:17,660 –> 00:17:26,939 there are approximately four hundred and 65 Christian martyrs a day in our 154 00:17:26,939 –> 00:17:33,900 world today 465 whose lives are taken laid down for the cause of Jesus Christ 155 00:17:33,900 –> 00:17:45,500 every day 465 of your brothers your sisters and mine in Jesus Christ now you 156 00:17:45,500 –> 00:17:51,260 see this is the reality of the world in which we live some folks become so 157 00:17:51,260 –> 00:17:57,979 sentimental whenever the love of God is mentioned as if the love of God and 158 00:17:57,979 –> 00:18:01,540 nothing can separate us from the love of God that this is a kind of emotional 159 00:18:01,540 –> 00:18:08,739 retreat from the realities of the world not a bit of it in Romans chapter 8 Paul 160 00:18:08,739 –> 00:18:14,359 spurring it right in our face the seven forms of ugly human suffering in this 161 00:18:14,520 –> 00:18:18,979 fallen world because we don’t come to worship to kind of retreat from the 162 00:18:18,979 –> 00:18:20,180 realities of life 163 00:18:20,180 –> 00:18:24,280 we come to worship so that in the strength of God’s love we can face the 164 00:18:24,280 –> 00:18:30,680 realities of life in this dangerous troubled hard difficult persecuting 165 00:18:30,680 –> 00:18:38,400 martyring kind of a world and what Paul is saying to us here is that in a 166 00:18:38,400 –> 00:18:47,459 suffering world you need to know that God is totally for you in Jesus Christ 167 00:18:47,459 –> 00:18:54,260 and Paul who no doubt suffered more than anyone else that you know it is telling 168 00:18:54,260 –> 00:19:01,060 us here that God loves you and you can find joy in that even in the face of 169 00:19:01,060 –> 00:19:06,979 massive suffering so think about this seven forms of human suffering 170 00:19:07,560 –> 00:19:13,380 four of them you will definitely experience three of them you may experience 171 00:19:13,380 –> 00:19:19,020 and God wants to bring you in the face of this reality to the place where you 172 00:19:19,020 –> 00:19:24,939 could say in the hardest day of your life with the Apostle Paul that in the 173 00:19:24,939 –> 00:19:31,380 pain and suffering of this world you are finding a joy that is in the love of God 174 00:19:31,380 –> 00:19:36,660 for you in Jesus Christ that can never be taken from you whatever else happens 175 00:19:36,760 –> 00:19:43,780 in your life. How’d you get there? We’re getting why we need Romans 8 what it’s 176 00:19:43,780 –> 00:19:50,780 all about why it’s given to us how then do we get to that place where we are 177 00:19:50,780 –> 00:19:54,640 sure that the blessings of the gospel are ours 178 00:19:54,640 –> 00:20:01,979 no ifs no buts no maybes no joy-killing qualifiers so that you can have the joy 179 00:20:01,979 –> 00:20:07,060 of knowing that God is totally for you in Jesus Christ even in the face of 180 00:20:07,060 –> 00:20:21,959 great suffering how can I know that God is totally for me in Jesus Christ 181 00:20:21,959 –> 00:20:30,260 let me lay out the principle here and then let’s see how Paul States it and it 182 00:20:30,339 –> 00:20:35,619 really is a huge thing for some of us to grasp right here 183 00:20:35,619 –> 00:20:45,900 learn to measure God’s love for you from what He has done not from your feelings 184 00:20:45,900 –> 00:20:51,560 or from your circumstances let me say that again 185 00:20:51,579 –> 00:21:00,300 learn to measure God’s love for you from what he has done not from your feelings 186 00:21:00,300 –> 00:21:06,079 or from your circumstances now in a postmodern world for some of us 187 00:21:06,079 –> 00:21:11,800 that’s a massive mind shift because we evaluate reality from our feelings and 188 00:21:11,800 –> 00:21:18,400 we evaluate reality from our circumstances and if you try to do that 189 00:21:18,400 –> 00:21:24,040 in a suffering world where Satan is rampant trying to destroy Christians 190 00:21:24,040 –> 00:21:29,380 faith you will never settle your mind in the joyful assurance that God really 191 00:21:29,380 –> 00:21:35,640 loves you. Got to be able to make this shift away from trying to assess whether 192 00:21:35,640 –> 00:21:41,280 he loves you by feeling and circumstances and onto knowing that he 193 00:21:41,479 –> 00:21:51,300 loves you from what he has done. Now how then do I know from what he’s done that 194 00:21:51,300 –> 00:21:55,819 God is totally for me in Christ. Just two things that Paul lays out here and they 195 00:21:55,819 –> 00:22:01,119 are absolutely glorious and they propel him into this marvellous statement 196 00:22:01,119 –> 00:22:04,739 of the love of Christ that many of us know well at the end of the chapter. 197 00:22:05,219 –> 00:22:06,319 Here’s the first, 198 00:22:12,180 –> 00:22:14,619 Look at what he says. 199 00:22:25,000 –> 00:22:28,239 Now this word justification, Bible word so it’s worth knowing it’s 200 00:22:28,239 –> 00:22:34,500 really the opposite of condemnation. It is God’s final decision in your 201 00:22:34,540 –> 00:22:40,020 favor. It is the decision and the declaration of God that will be made on 202 00:22:40,020 –> 00:22:46,180 the last day brought forward and announced in advance to those who have 203 00:22:46,180 –> 00:22:51,719 faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and what matters here is not only what has been 204 00:22:51,719 –> 00:23:01,599 done justification but who does it. God justifies. See, a decision in a court case 205 00:23:01,599 –> 00:23:09,280 in our society can be overturned, reviewed, appealed to a higher court many 206 00:23:09,280 –> 00:23:14,579 times and some of you who’ve been involved in legal battles know about 207 00:23:14,579 –> 00:23:18,400 this you know you get a decision but it’s not a decision because you find 208 00:23:18,400 –> 00:23:22,599 that there’s another day and there’s another round still to be had in court 209 00:23:22,599 –> 00:23:29,280 but the point that Paul is making here is that when God justifies there is no 210 00:23:29,280 –> 00:23:35,400 higher Court of appeal there’s no place else to go his name 211 00:23:35,400 –> 00:23:39,719 and his judgment is above all there is no other hearing there is no other 212 00:23:39,719 –> 00:23:44,979 appeal and if God has decided in your favor which is what he does when you 213 00:23:44,979 –> 00:23:48,819 come in faith to Jesus Christ who shed his blood for you 214 00:23:48,819 –> 00:23:54,420 then that decision is final and it is irrevocable you are justified by faith 215 00:23:54,880 –> 00:24:04,020 in the Lord Jesus Christ when you know that this judge the ultimate judge and 216 00:24:04,020 –> 00:24:11,180 finally the only judge has decided in your favor you will then be able to 217 00:24:11,180 –> 00:24:16,900 answer all other charges that come against you see when he says who’s gonna 218 00:24:16,900 –> 00:24:25,540 condemn who’s going to bring any charges against you you know that in this world 219 00:24:25,540 –> 00:24:29,880 there are all kinds of charges all kinds of condemnations all kinds of struggles 220 00:24:29,880 –> 00:24:35,719 that we have in that regard I mean for a start aren’t there times when your heart 221 00:24:35,719 –> 00:24:41,739 condemns you your own heart says to you how can you possibly believe today that 222 00:24:41,819 –> 00:24:47,280 God really loves you in the light of who you are and how much you mess up in your 223 00:24:47,280 –> 00:24:51,959 life how can you really believe that God loves you and you your heart condemns 224 00:24:51,959 –> 00:24:57,819 you how do you answer your heart when your heart condemns you the answer is 225 00:24:57,819 –> 00:25:04,560 this God is greater than your heart and the ultimate judge has already announced 226 00:25:04,560 –> 00:25:09,479 his decision you want to check that out by the way that’s first John chapter 3 227 00:25:10,119 –> 00:25:16,020 this is how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn 228 00:25:16,020 –> 00:25:24,280 us God is greater than our hearts and some of you have been raised in 229 00:25:24,280 –> 00:25:28,680 environments when in I talk about who shall bring in a charge against you 230 00:25:28,680 –> 00:25:35,040 you’ve had criticism and charges and accusations and no that’s no good and 231 00:25:35,040 –> 00:25:38,920 you’re not half the man your father was and you don’t have what your sister has 232 00:25:38,920 –> 00:25:43,880 going for her and all this kind of thing and because of the barrage of criticism 233 00:25:43,880 –> 00:25:48,579 that has come to you over your life it sort of shriveled your soul it’s 234 00:25:48,579 –> 00:25:55,319 crushed your spirit now how can you possibly live a life of joy after that 235 00:25:55,319 –> 00:26:02,040 you naturally have a frown rather than a smile on your face how do you answer 236 00:26:02,719 –> 00:26:13,040 spirit Paul had to do that you know he came under a barrage of criticism from 237 00:26:13,040 –> 00:26:18,939 some troublemakers in the church in Corinth and if this is a struggle for 238 00:26:18,939 –> 00:26:23,439 you you might like to check out 1st Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 3 239 00:26:23,439 –> 00:26:28,640 because Paul says there and this is wonderful I wish at times I could say 240 00:26:28,640 –> 00:26:36,319 this as clearly as Paul does he says I care very little if I am judged by you 241 00:26:36,319 –> 00:26:45,380 or by any human court my conscience is clear it is God who judges me you see 242 00:26:45,380 –> 00:26:51,020 the freedom of that here’s a man who’s facing a barrage of criticism but he’s 243 00:26:51,020 –> 00:26:57,680 not crushed by it why because he knows that the one judge who really matters 244 00:26:57,680 –> 00:27:04,280 has already decided about him and decided in his favor you see how 245 00:27:04,280 –> 00:27:08,939 knowing that you are justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can enable you 246 00:27:08,939 –> 00:27:14,520 to live life in this world where otherwise we may be crushed by charges 247 00:27:14,520 –> 00:27:19,119 and condemnations from other people from our own heart let alone by the devil who 248 00:27:19,119 –> 00:27:24,140 is always seeking to accuse believers there is only one judgement about you 249 00:27:24,140 –> 00:27:28,500 that ultimately matters and if you are in Christ it has already been made in 250 00:27:28,500 –> 00:27:38,319 your favor justified not condemned forgiven not guilty case closed court 251 00:27:38,319 –> 00:27:45,140 dismissed I tell you if you don’t know this reality in your life already why 252 00:27:45,140 –> 00:27:52,479 would you not want God to make that kind of declaration about you today and that 253 00:27:52,520 –> 00:27:58,640 can happen for you today it can happen here’s how let me just quote to you from 254 00:27:58,640 –> 00:28:02,959 Romans chapter 3 directly from the Bible so that you get it absolutely straight 255 00:28:02,959 –> 00:28:09,439 as to how you can be justified today how the decision of God about you can be 256 00:28:09,439 –> 00:28:14,839 brought forward from the last day and revealed to you right now and made real 257 00:28:14,839 –> 00:28:20,140 for you right now Paul says this all have sinned and fall 258 00:28:20,780 –> 00:28:23,060 short of the glory of God that’s the first thing you’ve got to get you have 259 00:28:23,060 –> 00:28:27,219 sinned as I’ve sinned you have fallen short as I have of the glory of God 260 00:28:27,219 –> 00:28:33,599 you’re a sinner by nature you’re a sinner by practice but we’re justified 261 00:28:33,599 –> 00:28:40,060 freely by God’s grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ I’m 262 00:28:40,060 –> 00:28:46,560 quoting Romans chapter 3 God presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement 263 00:28:47,060 –> 00:28:54,959 through faith in his blood. Do you see how a sinful person like you or me is 264 00:28:54,959 –> 00:28:59,839 justified? It’s because God has sent Jesus Christ into the world 265 00:28:59,839 –> 00:29:05,660 Jesus Christ has given himself his life as a sacrifice for sins and you put your 266 00:29:05,660 –> 00:29:12,439 faith in his blood his blood covers your sin brings you into an entirely new 267 00:29:12,920 –> 00:29:18,119 relationship with God and that can happen for you today it can happen for 268 00:29:18,119 –> 00:29:24,339 you as you draw near to Jesus Christ in faith and you say to him Lord Jesus I 269 00:29:24,339 –> 00:29:31,479 need your sacrifice I trust your sacrifice I need the rescue I make that 270 00:29:31,479 –> 00:29:38,739 rescue happen in my life make me one of your people take the penalty break the 271 00:29:38,939 –> 00:29:43,680 bring me into the knowledge of the Father’s love and one day bring me into 272 00:29:43,680 –> 00:29:51,979 your glory and this promises you’ll do it cry out to Him and He will launch the 273 00:29:51,979 –> 00:29:59,420 rescue in your life applying all that He has accomplished by His death and His 274 00:29:59,420 –> 00:30:08,300 resurrection on the cross how can you have this joy even in the toughest 275 00:30:08,300 –> 00:30:12,140 circumstances of your life know that God loves you even when everything seems 276 00:30:12,140 –> 00:30:19,400 against you because God has already decided you’re in Christ he’s totally 277 00:30:19,400 –> 00:30:25,400 for you and unchangeably so here’s the last thing 278 00:30:25,400 –> 00:30:32,439 Jesus Christ’s work is already done this is verse 34 and I just want us to look 279 00:30:32,540 –> 00:30:39,979 at it and how it launches Paul into the climax of this marvelous chapter who is 280 00:30:39,979 –> 00:30:47,520 he that condemns verse 34 Christ christ Jesus who died more than that 281 00:30:47,520 –> 00:30:55,660 who was raised to life he is at the right hand of God and is also 282 00:30:55,660 –> 00:31:05,000 interceding for us romans 834 perhaps the most marvelous summary of the saving 283 00:31:05,000 –> 00:31:12,420 work the rescuing work of Jesus Christ our savior and our Lord everything that 284 00:31:12,420 –> 00:31:16,479 is needed for your justification sanctification adoption and glorification 285 00:31:16,479 –> 00:31:23,579 is already done and you can rejoice no if’s Buts our maybes in the gift of 286 00:31:23,579 –> 00:31:27,060 your justification sanctification adoption and glorification through 287 00:31:27,060 –> 00:31:32,819 because of Christ’s death his resurrection his Ascension and his 288 00:31:32,819 –> 00:31:38,699 intercession that is how you find joy security in the love of God even in the 289 00:31:38,699 –> 00:31:44,500 face of pain and suffering think about it with me 290 00:31:44,500 –> 00:31:52,979 Christ died that changes death for you 291 00:31:53,439 –> 00:32:04,900 he took your sins into his death so that you might be free from your sins when 292 00:32:04,900 –> 00:32:13,640 you go into your death death changed which is why Paul says death can’t 293 00:32:13,640 –> 00:32:18,239 separate us from the love of God because of the death of Christ it’s changed the 294 00:32:18,260 –> 00:32:24,800 nature of death secondly Christ rose for you jesus Christ was raised to life if 295 00:32:24,800 –> 00:32:31,439 he’s raised to life that changes life for you he is the Lord of Life he gives 296 00:32:31,439 –> 00:32:36,119 the life of his spirit so that you may face everything that is happening in 297 00:32:36,119 –> 00:32:41,439 your life which is why Paul says at the end I’m convinced that nothing in life 298 00:32:42,000 –> 00:32:48,939 can separate us from the love of God third Christ ascended for you he is at 299 00:32:48,939 –> 00:32:54,319 the right hand of the Father that changes the future for you one day you 300 00:32:54,319 –> 00:32:58,959 will share his ascension if you die before he comes to be absent from the 301 00:32:58,959 –> 00:33:04,839 body is to be present with the Lord and may we be among those who are alive when 302 00:33:04,839 –> 00:33:09,520 the Lord Jesus Christ returns then we will be caught up to meet him in the air 303 00:33:09,660 –> 00:33:13,300 we will be with the Lord forever and that is surely why Paul says at the end 304 00:33:13,300 –> 00:33:17,099 of Romans 8 there’s nothing in the future that can separate us from the 305 00:33:17,099 –> 00:33:21,900 love of God he’s already in heaven all the demonic powers are under his feet so 306 00:33:21,900 –> 00:33:30,459 they can’t touch us either he’s already there where one day we will go and then 307 00:33:30,459 –> 00:33:35,619 Christ intercedes for you he’s inter sending for us at the right hand of the 308 00:33:36,560 –> 00:33:43,160 present Christ is the sovereign Lord intercede means that he represents us 309 00:33:43,160 –> 00:33:47,400 there and he gets what he wants because he’s the sovereign Lord and you can 310 00:33:47,400 –> 00:33:52,040 therefore be sure that everything you need for facing life in this troubled 311 00:33:52,040 –> 00:33:57,040 world is yours through Jesus Christ which is why Paul says there’s nothing 312 00:33:57,040 –> 00:34:02,300 in the present for which the grace of Jesus Christ will not be adequate for 313 00:34:02,540 –> 00:34:07,439 no struggle that you face that is somehow beyond his love to hold you and 314 00:34:07,439 –> 00:34:17,659 to keep you so Paul says verse 33 God’s decision is already made verse 34 315 00:34:17,659 –> 00:34:29,939 Christ’s work is already done and on that basis I am absolutely convinced 316 00:34:29,979 –> 00:34:36,679 persuaded that death can’t separate me from his love because he’s died for me 317 00:34:36,679 –> 00:34:41,620 that nothing in life can separate me from his love because he’s Lord of life 318 00:34:41,620 –> 00:34:46,139 for me the angels and demons can’t separate me from his love because he’s 319 00:34:46,139 –> 00:34:50,739 already ascended over them the future can’t separate me from his love because 320 00:34:50,739 –> 00:34:55,600 he’s already there where one day I am going height that’s anything in heaven 321 00:34:55,939 –> 00:35:01,340 depth anything in hell or anything else in all creation none of this could ever 322 00:35:01,340 –> 00:35:07,959 possibly separate me from the love of God in Jesus Christ my Lord because what 323 00:35:07,959 –> 00:35:13,419 he has done is already accomplished and there are no ifs buts or maybes about 324 00:35:13,419 –> 00:35:18,520 the death resurrection ascension and intercession of Jesus Christ no ifs buts 325 00:35:18,679 –> 00:35:25,860 or maybe is about God’s declaration that you are justified in Him you see how 326 00:35:25,860 –> 00:35:32,719 Paul gets to the place of saying I’m convinced I got to tell you as I’ve 327 00:35:32,719 –> 00:35:38,399 tried to soak myself in Romans chapter 8 I had to say to you with joy I’m 328 00:35:38,399 –> 00:35:47,439 convinced I hope you’re convinced I hope you see the unshakeable security 329 00:35:47,899 –> 00:35:54,520 that is yours in Jesus Christ not because of how great you are but because 330 00:35:54,520 –> 00:35:59,639 of how great he is and therefore that you would be able to say with the 331 00:35:59,639 –> 00:36:05,379 Apostle Paul and with me and all the people of God that nothing can separate 332 00:36:05,379 –> 00:36:09,580 you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord and that you know 333 00:36:09,580 –> 00:36:13,379 it and therefore you have joy even in the face of the most difficult things 334 00:36:13,500 –> 00:36:17,780 that you may face in your life so will you say it with me I think the words are 335 00:36:17,780 –> 00:36:22,500 going to be here for us on the screen and I want to hear the word convinced 336 00:36:22,500 –> 00:36:26,879 that sounds like the congregation of the Arlington Knights Evangelical Free 337 00:36:26,879 –> 00:36:31,300 Church is actually convinced. will you say it with me 338 00:36:31,300 –> 00:36:39,100 I am convinced that neither death nor life neither angels nor demons neither 339 00:36:39,120 –> 00:36:45,600 the present neither future nor any powers neither height nor depth nor 340 00:36:45,600 –> 00:36:52,239 anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God 341 00:36:52,239 –> 00:36:58,199 that is in Christ Jesus our Lord