The Unbreakable Love of God | Romans 8:31-39 | Todd Burgett

00:45:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucsKWy2AR-4

Ringkasan

TLDRThe sermon reflects on a personal experience of rejection during high school and contrasts it with the unconditional love of God. The speaker emphasizes that while we may feel unworthy, God's love is everlasting and proven through the sacrifice of Jesus. The message is rooted in Romans chapter 8, which assures believers that nothing can separate them from God's love. The sermon highlights God's sovereign care, the proof of His love, and the permanence of that love, encouraging listeners to embrace and share this love with others.

Takeaways

  • 💔 Personal rejection can lead to deeper understanding of God's love.
  • 📖 Romans 8 assures us of God's unbreakable love.
  • ✝️ Jesus' sacrifice is the ultimate proof of God's love.
  • 💪 God's love empowers us to face suffering and challenges.
  • 🕊️ Believers are justified and free from condemnation.
  • 🍞 Communion symbolizes Christ's love and sacrifice.
  • ❤️ Nothing can separate us from God's love.
  • 🌟 Embrace and share God's love with others.
  • 🙏 Trust in God's sovereign care over your life.
  • 💬 Preach the truth of God's love to yourself.

Garis waktu

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    The speaker recalls a personal experience of receiving a disappointing letter after asking a girl to prom, which serves as a metaphor for life's realities, including broken hearts and the need for salvation. He contrasts this with God's message of love and salvation, emphasizing that while we may not be great, God offers us unbreakable love through salvation.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:10:00

    The speaker introduces Romans chapter 8, highlighting its significance and the assurance it provides to believers. He explains that the chapter summarizes God's actions for those who receive salvation by grace through faith, emphasizing the importance of trusting in God's sovereign care.

  • 00:10:00 - 00:15:00

    The main point is established: God's sovereign care for believers is secured by His unbreakable love. The speaker invites the audience to read Romans 8:31-39, focusing on the assurance that nothing can separate believers from God's love, reinforcing the theme of security in God's promises.

  • 00:15:00 - 00:20:00

    The speaker discusses the proof of God's love, referencing Romans 8:32, which states that God did not spare His own Son. He emphasizes that this act demonstrates God's commitment to providing for believers, assuring them of His ongoing generosity and love beyond just salvation.

  • 00:20:00 - 00:25:00

    The speaker addresses the pardon of God's love, explaining that no charges can be brought against those justified by God. He emphasizes that Christ's sacrifice has removed all condemnation, providing believers with a sense of security and freedom from guilt.

  • 00:25:00 - 00:30:00

    The permanence of God's love is explored, with the speaker listing various trials and tribulations that believers may face. He reassures the audience that these challenges do not separate them from God's love, and instead, they can be transformed into opportunities for growth and strength in faith.

  • 00:30:00 - 00:35:00

    The speaker emphasizes that nothing in life or death, nor any spiritual powers, can separate believers from God's love. He encourages the audience to find comfort in this truth, reinforcing the idea that God's love is constant and unwavering, regardless of circumstances.

  • 00:35:00 - 00:40:00

    The speaker concludes by inviting those who have not yet accepted God's love to do so, emphasizing the importance of faith in receiving this unbreakable love. He reiterates the message of Romans 8, highlighting the assurance of no condemnation and no separation from God's love for those who believe.

  • 00:40:00 - 00:45:40

    The message is wrapped up with a call to action, encouraging the audience to reflect on God's love and to engage in communion as a reminder of Christ's sacrifice, which secures their relationship with God.

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Peta Pikiran

Video Tanya Jawab

  • What is the main theme of the sermon?

    The main theme is God's unbreakable love and how it assures believers of their salvation and security.

  • What does the speaker compare to God's love?

    The speaker compares a personal experience of rejection in high school to the unconditional love of God.

  • What scripture is primarily referenced in the sermon?

    Romans chapter 8 is primarily referenced.

  • What does Romans 8:31-39 emphasize?

    It emphasizes that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

  • How does the speaker describe God's love?

    God's love is described as unconditional, everlasting, and proven through the sacrifice of Jesus.

  • What is the significance of communion in the sermon?

    Communion serves as a reminder of Christ's sacrifice and God's love for us.

  • What does the speaker say about suffering?

    The speaker acknowledges that Christians face suffering but emphasizes that God's love remains constant through it.

  • What is the assurance given to believers?

    Believers are assured that they are justified and that there is no condemnation for those in Christ.

  • How does the speaker encourage listeners to respond?

    Listeners are encouraged to embrace God's love and share it with others.

  • What is the ultimate message of the sermon?

    The ultimate message is that God's love is unbreakable and provides hope and security for believers.

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Teks
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Gulir Otomatis:
  • 00:00:00
    Well, have you ever gotten a
  • 00:00:02
    disappointing letter in your
  • 00:00:04
    life? Well, I remember as a 17-year-old,
  • 00:00:07
    my buddy and I were interested in asking
  • 00:00:09
    these two girls to the prom. We hyped
  • 00:00:12
    each other up, and in a rare act of
  • 00:00:14
    bravery, we called each of them up. We
  • 00:00:18
    professed our undying love to them.
  • 00:00:21
    That's probably an exaggeration, but we
  • 00:00:23
    did ask them to the prom. Well, my buddy
  • 00:00:26
    was successful. She said yes.
  • 00:00:30
    I got a
  • 00:00:31
    letter. See, this was the 80s. There was
  • 00:00:34
    no texting. There was no uh emails, no
  • 00:00:37
    social media. I had a handwritten letter
  • 00:00:40
    and I held on to it for a couple of
  • 00:00:42
    hours because I was pretty fearful of
  • 00:00:44
    what was going to be in that letter. And
  • 00:00:46
    so I finally got enough courage and I
  • 00:00:48
    opened it up and it was just as I
  • 00:00:49
    suspected. She didn't want to go to the
  • 00:00:51
    prom with me, but she did let me know I
  • 00:00:54
    was a really great guy and that she just
  • 00:00:55
    wanted to be friends. And so, in all the
  • 00:00:59
    great wisdom of my 17-year-old friend
  • 00:01:01
    and compassion, he said, "Dude, that's
  • 00:01:03
    like a B+ in
  • 00:01:06
    math." And I couldn't disagree with
  • 00:01:08
    that. It was pretty much like a B+ in
  • 00:01:10
    math. So, at the end of the day, this
  • 00:01:12
    funny silly little story was some of the
  • 00:01:15
    beginning reminders in my life that
  • 00:01:18
    there is a reality in life. And that
  • 00:01:20
    reality involves broken hearts. It
  • 00:01:23
    involves broken vows. Even for many
  • 00:01:25
    people it means broken
  • 00:01:28
    lives. But good news, God sends a letter
  • 00:01:32
    and it's actually worse and better than
  • 00:01:35
    the letter I received. It's worse in
  • 00:01:38
    that God in his letter tells me that I'm
  • 00:01:40
    not a great guy. That in fact I need
  • 00:01:43
    saving. But the good news is that he has
  • 00:01:46
    done just that.
  • 00:01:48
    And if I receive his gift of salvation,
  • 00:01:51
    there is a promise of an unending,
  • 00:01:54
    undying, unbreakable, unmatchable
  • 00:01:58
    love that will never go
  • 00:02:01
    out. If God were to sign this book, and
  • 00:02:04
    particularly Romans chapter 8, he would
  • 00:02:07
    sign it. Love always God. Let that sink
  • 00:02:12
    in. Love
  • 00:02:15
    always God.
  • 00:02:18
    We're going to pick up in chapter 8 and
  • 00:02:19
    verse
  • 00:02:20
    31. And here Paul says this in this
  • 00:02:24
    summary kind of conclusion here. He
  • 00:02:26
    says, "What then shall we say to these
  • 00:02:29
    things?" And it's important for us to
  • 00:02:31
    understand what these things he's
  • 00:02:33
    talking about. Now, most scholars would
  • 00:02:36
    agree with some minor variations that
  • 00:02:39
    really what he's talking about is
  • 00:02:41
    everything from Romans chapter 1 verse
  • 00:02:43
    16 all the way through Romans 8 verse
  • 00:02:47
    30, the verse right before this. Now,
  • 00:02:50
    others might shorten that a little bit
  • 00:02:51
    and say, "No, it's really Romans 5:1
  • 00:02:54
    through Romans 8:30. It's more of a a
  • 00:02:57
    book in there." Either way, the same
  • 00:02:59
    conclusion of what these things are is
  • 00:03:01
    real and true. And that is that that is
  • 00:03:03
    a reference to all that God has done on
  • 00:03:06
    behalf of those who have received
  • 00:03:09
    salvation by grace alone through faith
  • 00:03:11
    alone in Christ
  • 00:03:14
    alone. See, chapter 8 is a most amazing
  • 00:03:18
    chapter and some would call it the best
  • 00:03:20
    chapter in all of the Bible. And I
  • 00:03:22
    wouldn't disagree with that. The Apostle
  • 00:03:24
    Paul here instills confidence and great
  • 00:03:26
    assurance and calls us to battle the
  • 00:03:29
    flesh in the power of the spirit and to
  • 00:03:32
    embrace suffering in the power of the
  • 00:03:35
    spirit. And then he sets our feet firmly
  • 00:03:39
    into trusting God and his sovereign care
  • 00:03:42
    of every aspect of our lives. In fact,
  • 00:03:44
    the immediate context of this, those few
  • 00:03:46
    verses just before then, starting in
  • 00:03:48
    verse 28, the most famous of Roman
  • 00:03:51
    chapter 8, of all the verses in Romans
  • 00:03:53
    chapter 8, says this, "And we know that
  • 00:03:57
    for those who love God, all things work
  • 00:04:00
    together for good. for those who are
  • 00:04:02
    called according to his purpose. For
  • 00:04:04
    those whom he forneew, he also
  • 00:04:06
    predestined to be conformed to the image
  • 00:04:08
    of his
  • 00:04:09
    son, in order that he might be the
  • 00:04:12
    firstborn among many brothers. And those
  • 00:04:14
    whom he predestined, he also called. And
  • 00:04:16
    those whom he called, he also justified.
  • 00:04:19
    And those whom he justified, he also
  • 00:04:23
    glorified. What then shall we say to
  • 00:04:27
    these things?
  • 00:04:31
    I like how one scholar says it in this
  • 00:04:34
    great chapter of Romans chapter 8. God
  • 00:04:36
    is bringing us all the way home to
  • 00:04:39
    himself. And we see that over the course
  • 00:04:42
    of our life. And this these verses 31
  • 00:04:44
    through39 is an amazing
  • 00:04:48
    crescendo of all that's been taking
  • 00:04:50
    place from Romans chapter 1 all the way
  • 00:04:53
    to Romans chapter 8 leaving us with
  • 00:04:56
    God's unbreakable love for
  • 00:05:00
    us. In fact, our main point is this.
  • 00:05:02
    God's sovereign care of the believer's
  • 00:05:05
    life is secured by God's unbreakable
  • 00:05:08
    love. God's sovereign care of the
  • 00:05:10
    believer's life is secured by God's
  • 00:05:13
    unbreakable love. Not only is your
  • 00:05:15
    salvation secure, it is secured with
  • 00:05:18
    God's
  • 00:05:19
    love. It's incredibly important to
  • 00:05:22
    understand that. In fact, now that
  • 00:05:24
    you're nice and comfortable in your
  • 00:05:25
    chair, would you please rise as we read
  • 00:05:27
    God's word
  • 00:05:28
    today? We do this in one of many ways to
  • 00:05:31
    honor God's word. If you uh got one of
  • 00:05:34
    the Bibles on your way in, page 146 in
  • 00:05:38
    that Bible takes you to Romans chapter 8
  • 00:05:40
    verses 31-38 39. I'm going to read to
  • 00:05:43
    you 38 and 39, which I know for some of
  • 00:05:45
    you these are your two favorite verses
  • 00:05:47
    in all of scripture or among them at
  • 00:05:49
    least. Let me read to you right now. For
  • 00:05:51
    I am sure that neither death nor life,
  • 00:05:53
    nor angels, nor rulers, nor things
  • 00:05:56
    present, nor things to come, nor powers,
  • 00:05:58
    nor height, nor depth, nor anything else
  • 00:06:00
    in all creation will be able to separate
  • 00:06:03
    us from the love of God in Christ Jesus
  • 00:06:06
    our Lord. Amen. Yes, you may be
  • 00:06:10
    seated. Let's take a look at this most
  • 00:06:13
    amazing conclusion to this chapter. A
  • 00:06:15
    favorite to many of you, often visited
  • 00:06:17
    passage, as it should be. And we're
  • 00:06:20
    going to look at
  • 00:06:23
    three three unsurpassing realities of
  • 00:06:26
    the love of
  • 00:06:27
    God. Now, why unsurpassing? Well, he
  • 00:06:30
    tells us in verse 32 this that he who
  • 00:06:34
    did not spare his own son, but gave him
  • 00:06:36
    up for us all. How will he not also with
  • 00:06:38
    him graciously give us all things? And
  • 00:06:42
    so, he's telling us about these things.
  • 00:06:44
    And now he's telling us that through
  • 00:06:46
    Jesus, he has given us all things.
  • 00:06:49
    That's the unsurpassing part of these
  • 00:06:52
    realities. What is meant by all things
  • 00:06:55
    now? Well, you might hear me say this a
  • 00:06:58
    lot and I feel like I say this a lot and
  • 00:07:00
    that's this. That salvation is more than
  • 00:07:01
    a ticket to heaven. It's more than just
  • 00:07:04
    I don't want to go to hell. I'd rather
  • 00:07:06
    go to heaven. And so, how do I get that
  • 00:07:08
    ticket? And then life is just spent
  • 00:07:11
    however you want it. That's not what it
  • 00:07:13
    means to be saved. It means to be born
  • 00:07:15
    again to a new life that is lavished in
  • 00:07:18
    God's love.
  • 00:07:19
    And this is what God gives us in that
  • 00:07:21
    when he makes us born again. Let me read
  • 00:07:24
    to you a few verses that speak to this
  • 00:07:26
    all things. 2 Corinthians 9:8. And God
  • 00:07:30
    is able to make all grace abound to you
  • 00:07:33
    so that having all sufficiency in all
  • 00:07:36
    things at all times you may bound in
  • 00:07:38
    every good
  • 00:07:40
    work. Ephesians 1:3. Blessed be the God
  • 00:07:43
    and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
  • 00:07:45
    has blessed us in Christ with every
  • 00:07:48
    spiritual blessing in the heavenly
  • 00:07:50
    realms. How about second Peter 1:3? His
  • 00:07:53
    divine power has granted to us all
  • 00:07:55
    things that pertain to life and
  • 00:07:58
    godliness through the knowledge of him
  • 00:08:00
    who called us to his own glory and
  • 00:08:03
    excellence. You see, God's love, his
  • 00:08:06
    provision is sufficient, not just
  • 00:08:10
    efficient. He doesn't just eek us by
  • 00:08:13
    into his kingdom or give us just a
  • 00:08:15
    little drop to get us there. No, this is
  • 00:08:19
    the the God so loved the world of John
  • 00:08:22
    3:16. This is what the Apostle John says
  • 00:08:26
    in 1 John 3:1 when he says, "What kind
  • 00:08:28
    of great love is this?" Or as the NIV
  • 00:08:31
    says, "The the great love with which
  • 00:08:33
    he's lavished us with." What kind of
  • 00:08:35
    love is that? Well, Paul tells us in
  • 00:08:39
    this passage today and so let's look as
  • 00:08:44
    we look into this passage and what would
  • 00:08:47
    the need be for this? Well, there's
  • 00:08:50
    always a need because Christians face
  • 00:08:52
    suffering. They pa they face battles
  • 00:08:55
    with sin. And so at the core of that is
  • 00:08:58
    am I loved? Am I cared for? Do I have
  • 00:09:02
    hope? Do I have security?
  • 00:09:04
    And we've got three realities that tell
  • 00:09:06
    us that. Number one, the proof of God's
  • 00:09:09
    love. Also, when I was in high school,
  • 00:09:11
    there was a classic devotional for
  • 00:09:13
    teenagers called, "If God loves me, why
  • 00:09:15
    can't I get my locker open?" And I
  • 00:09:17
    talked to a guy last night and after I
  • 00:09:19
    said this, he's I had that book. My
  • 00:09:20
    parents got that book for me. I said,
  • 00:09:21
    "Yeah, I didn't make it up. It's
  • 00:09:24
    real." And it speaks to something there,
  • 00:09:27
    right? Especially in the world of
  • 00:09:29
    teenage problems, getting your locker
  • 00:09:30
    open is kind of a big deal if you have
  • 00:09:33
    one.
  • 00:09:34
    But here's a greater reality. How do you
  • 00:09:37
    measure whether or not God loves
  • 00:09:40
    you? What is your
  • 00:09:43
    proof? Well, Paul's going to explain to
  • 00:09:45
    us this proof. We're going to enter
  • 00:09:48
    Paul's courtroom, and he's giving us
  • 00:09:50
    several rhetorical questions, which
  • 00:09:53
    means the answers should be plain and
  • 00:09:56
    obvious to us.
  • 00:09:59
    And he asks and starts right off with
  • 00:10:02
    this says, 'What then shall we say to
  • 00:10:05
    these things? And then he tells us, if
  • 00:10:07
    God is for us, who can be against us? So
  • 00:10:10
    here's the first question. Who can be
  • 00:10:11
    against us if God is for us? And we need
  • 00:10:14
    to make an abrupt stop right now and ask
  • 00:10:17
    ourselves and understand who's the us
  • 00:10:20
    that he's talking about here. That's
  • 00:10:22
    super important because you want to be a
  • 00:10:25
    part of that us. And what he t what he's
  • 00:10:28
    talking about here in the us is that for
  • 00:10:30
    the last eight chapters, Paul is
  • 00:10:32
    explaining what it means to be saved,
  • 00:10:34
    what it means to be a Christian, to be
  • 00:10:36
    saved by grace through faith in Christ
  • 00:10:38
    alone. That's the summary of eight
  • 00:10:40
    chapters. Much more detail is given, but
  • 00:10:43
    that's exactly what he's summarizing
  • 00:10:48
    there. We're sinners saved by faith in
  • 00:10:51
    Jesus Christ. and what Christ has done.
  • 00:10:53
    And that is a gift that's been given to
  • 00:10:54
    us that's received as a gift. So if
  • 00:10:58
    that's you, then listen closely. God is
  • 00:11:01
    for
  • 00:11:02
    you. That doesn't mean you're the center
  • 00:11:04
    of the universe, but what it means is
  • 00:11:07
    the the God of the universe is for
  • 00:11:10
    you. So then, who can be against you?
  • 00:11:14
    Now, that might be the second time out
  • 00:11:16
    where you're like, "Wait a minute. A lot
  • 00:11:18
    can be against us." I mean, doesn't the
  • 00:11:19
    Bible tell us that the devil, the flesh,
  • 00:11:21
    and the world are against us? And the
  • 00:11:23
    answer is yes. But remember those verses
  • 00:11:25
    I just read to you,
  • 00:11:27
    28-30. God has called us, predestined
  • 00:11:29
    us, fornown us, working all things
  • 00:11:31
    together for good in our lives. He's
  • 00:11:34
    justified us. He's conforming us to the
  • 00:11:35
    image of his son and will one day
  • 00:11:37
    glorifies
  • 00:11:39
    us. That is the
  • 00:11:41
    omnipotent power of God at work in our
  • 00:11:44
    lives. meaning that there is no
  • 00:11:46
    adversary that can come against any of
  • 00:11:48
    that
  • 00:11:50
    ever. Why? Because God is for
  • 00:11:53
    us. Okay? Again, how do we know if God
  • 00:11:57
    is for me, for you? He tells us verse
  • 00:12:01
    32, he who did not spare his own son,
  • 00:12:04
    but gave him up for us all. How will he
  • 00:12:07
    not also with him graciously give us all
  • 00:12:11
    things?
  • 00:12:14
    He did not spare his
  • 00:12:15
    son. The father gave the son. This was
  • 00:12:18
    the father's
  • 00:12:21
    initiative. The son even himself says I
  • 00:12:24
    nobody takes my life from me. I give it
  • 00:12:26
    up. Why? Because he was working on the
  • 00:12:30
    father's directive to obey the father to
  • 00:12:33
    do what he had come to do and that was
  • 00:12:34
    to save those who are
  • 00:12:37
    his. He did not spare the son. Now, that
  • 00:12:41
    would have been some some wording and a
  • 00:12:44
    connection to Paul's original audience,
  • 00:12:48
    especially if there were former Jews in
  • 00:12:50
    the audience that were now believers.
  • 00:12:52
    They would remember that phrase, that
  • 00:12:54
    statement in light of
  • 00:12:58
    Abraham. Abraham was the one that God
  • 00:13:01
    had made the covenant with to form a
  • 00:13:04
    people, the Hebrews, the Jews, God's
  • 00:13:07
    chosen people. Abraham and Sarah were
  • 00:13:10
    barren. After many years of following
  • 00:13:13
    and trusting, God provided Isaac to
  • 00:13:15
    them, an offspring. And then God did
  • 00:13:17
    something
  • 00:13:18
    amazing. He asked Abraham to sacrifice
  • 00:13:21
    Isaac. Take him up the mountain and
  • 00:13:23
    sacrifice him. And Abraham did. He went
  • 00:13:27
    up the mountain. And just before he was
  • 00:13:29
    about to sacrifice him, God said,
  • 00:13:31
    "Stop." And provided a ram for him to
  • 00:13:34
    sacrifice instead. We don't do that. You
  • 00:13:37
    passed the test. You were willing to
  • 00:13:39
    trust me. Though I had given you this
  • 00:13:41
    blessing, you were willing to sacrifice
  • 00:13:43
    your
  • 00:13:45
    son. But instead, God spared Isaac and
  • 00:13:48
    birthed a chosen people from him. Now,
  • 00:13:51
    that was a shadow of something greater
  • 00:13:53
    to come. And that's the new covenant,
  • 00:13:55
    the new one here, where God was not only
  • 00:13:58
    willing to give his son, but he actually
  • 00:14:00
    did not spare him and birth new life in
  • 00:14:04
    his chosen people as a result.
  • 00:14:07
    And through Jesus and that gift that he
  • 00:14:09
    gave, Jesus achieved for us what we
  • 00:14:12
    could not. And that's our
  • 00:14:16
    salvation. And as a result of this, then
  • 00:14:19
    we understand that the God that is for
  • 00:14:22
    us is the God that paid the highest
  • 00:14:25
    price for our
  • 00:14:27
    release. Our release from sin, death,
  • 00:14:30
    hell. He paid for it.
  • 00:14:33
    And out of that reality, we understand
  • 00:14:35
    that cost determines the value. It's not
  • 00:14:38
    the other way around. Jesus didn't die
  • 00:14:41
    for us because a shucks, we were so good
  • 00:14:44
    and worth
  • 00:14:45
    it. That's not what the Bible tells
  • 00:14:48
    us. Even though you might hear a song or
  • 00:14:50
    two on Caleb that might say that you
  • 00:14:52
    were so worth it, God died for you. No,
  • 00:14:54
    actually, it's better than that. We
  • 00:14:57
    weren't worth it and God died for us.
  • 00:14:59
    That tells us there's nothing in
  • 00:15:02
    us that moved God's heart other than his
  • 00:15:05
    compassion and love for us to save us.
  • 00:15:10
    And so just like we didn't earn it, we
  • 00:15:12
    can't unearn it. While we were still
  • 00:15:15
    sinners, Christ died for us. And in
  • 00:15:17
    that, the father gave us everything in
  • 00:15:19
    Jesus
  • 00:15:21
    Christ. Verse 32, he graciously gave us
  • 00:15:24
    all things. And as many scholars note in
  • 00:15:28
    this, he who did not spare his own son,
  • 00:15:31
    but gave him up for us all, how will he
  • 00:15:33
    not also with him graciously give us all
  • 00:15:36
    things? This is a what scholars would
  • 00:15:38
    call uh an argument of the greater to
  • 00:15:40
    the lesser. Since God gave the greatest
  • 00:15:44
    gift, it is a guarantee that God is not
  • 00:15:46
    just a singular
  • 00:15:48
    giftgiver. As great as that gift may be,
  • 00:15:50
    it was the greatest gift. He gave us
  • 00:15:52
    Jesus to save us. And if that's all he
  • 00:15:54
    had ever given us, we would be rich and
  • 00:15:57
    blessed beyond we were ever deserved to
  • 00:16:00
    be. And yet he's making this case here
  • 00:16:04
    that salvation is more than just getting
  • 00:16:06
    by and just a little drop of something,
  • 00:16:09
    but rather the
  • 00:16:10
    incredible lavishing of his love on us.
  • 00:16:14
    meaning that he's giving us a a
  • 00:16:18
    testimony of his on ongoing generosity
  • 00:16:21
    towards us through his love. The Apostle
  • 00:16:25
    John tells us this in John
  • 00:16:27
    1:16. He he says that it's grace upon
  • 00:16:30
    grace that we're given. Not just the
  • 00:16:33
    grace for salvation, but the grace to
  • 00:16:35
    live after we've been saved. The grace
  • 00:16:37
    for every step of the way. and grace and
  • 00:16:40
    that he brings us all the way
  • 00:16:45
    home. I like how John Murray in his
  • 00:16:48
    famous commentary in Romans says, "If
  • 00:16:50
    God has done for our good, the greatest
  • 00:16:52
    that is conceivable, will not all other
  • 00:16:55
    blessings follow by
  • 00:16:57
    necessity." Yes. James 1:17, "Every good
  • 00:17:00
    gift, every perfect gift is from above,
  • 00:17:04
    coming down from the Father of lights,
  • 00:17:05
    with whom there is no variation or
  • 00:17:07
    shadow due to change. Every gift is from
  • 00:17:10
    the giver." In fact, going back to
  • 00:17:13
    Romans 28, 8:28 again, we see this
  • 00:17:16
    amazing truth. And we know that for
  • 00:17:19
    those who love God, all things work
  • 00:17:21
    together for good. Even those things
  • 00:17:23
    that were intended to be
  • 00:17:25
    bad, God turns them into a good gift.
  • 00:17:29
    Who does that? Well, only a godlike God
  • 00:17:32
    can do that. So, let me ask you again.
  • 00:17:35
    What is your measure of proof of God's
  • 00:17:37
    love to
  • 00:17:39
    you? Not getting your locker open
  • 00:17:41
    doesn't mean he doesn't love you. But
  • 00:17:44
    more seriously than that, maybe it's an
  • 00:17:46
    unspeakable
  • 00:17:48
    tragedy. God surely doesn't love me
  • 00:17:50
    because this wouldn't happen to me had
  • 00:17:52
    that been true. Maybe there's an unmet
  • 00:17:54
    desire.
  • 00:17:56
    Maybe there's unattainable health or
  • 00:17:58
    unattainable
  • 00:18:01
    wealth. Maybe you have a hard time with
  • 00:18:03
    God's love because of those awful
  • 00:18:06
    Christians, those imperfect people who
  • 00:18:08
    can't seem to get it
  • 00:18:10
    right. Do you have doubts when your
  • 00:18:12
    adversaries push
  • 00:18:14
    in? Here is the supreme proof. The
  • 00:18:18
    father gave the son and he is for
  • 00:18:23
    you. How precious. Excuse me. How
  • 00:18:26
    precious are you to God because of what
  • 00:18:29
    he has paid for you. Your proof is not
  • 00:18:32
    in your feelings. Our feelings betray
  • 00:18:35
    us. You may come in today, I don't feel
  • 00:18:37
    like God loves me. Well, guess what? The
  • 00:18:41
    evidence is rock solid that he does. If
  • 00:18:44
    you've placed your faith in him, he has
  • 00:18:47
    given you his
  • 00:18:51
    son. Maybe it's things or the absence of
  • 00:18:53
    things. Oh, God doesn't love me. I don't
  • 00:18:55
    have I only have a three-bedroom house,
  • 00:18:57
    not a
  • 00:18:59
    fourbedroom. Or maybe there's some
  • 00:19:02
    tragedy and there's just an absence of
  • 00:19:04
    understanding in that God must not love
  • 00:19:06
    me. This wouldn't happen. But here is
  • 00:19:09
    the undeniable truth. There is no
  • 00:19:11
    greater proof. There's no greater
  • 00:19:13
    offering or gift than this. God of the
  • 00:19:17
    universe has given his son and did not
  • 00:19:20
    spare him as he gave them to you. Gave
  • 00:19:23
    him to you. And that's not all that he
  • 00:19:25
    gives. He keeps
  • 00:19:28
    giving. This is the proof of God's love.
  • 00:19:32
    And what a proof it is. And that leads
  • 00:19:34
    to number two reality. And that's this.
  • 00:19:35
    The pardon of God's
  • 00:19:37
    love. Now, we're still in his courtroom
  • 00:19:40
    here in verse 33. He poses a couple more
  • 00:19:42
    hypothetical questions. Who shall bring
  • 00:19:44
    any charge against God's elect in verse
  • 00:19:46
    33. Verse 34. Who is to condemn? If
  • 00:19:50
    there's accusations, then there must be
  • 00:19:51
    a condemnation.
  • 00:19:53
    Who is the accuser and what is the crime
  • 00:19:55
    in the
  • 00:19:56
    sentence? Well, the truth is we are
  • 00:19:59
    guilty. Romans chapter 5 tells us that
  • 00:20:02
    we were weak, ungodly, still
  • 00:20:04
    sinners before Christ saved us. We were
  • 00:20:07
    enemies with God.
  • 00:20:09
    5:10. Ephesians 2:3. We don't like this
  • 00:20:12
    one. By nature, we were children of
  • 00:20:15
    wrath. So, how do we plead? Guilty is
  • 00:20:18
    charged. That's confession. You can deny
  • 00:20:20
    that and go, "Oh, that's so mean.
  • 00:20:23
    No, it's just true. And confession is
  • 00:20:26
    agreeing with God. You're right on all
  • 00:20:28
    of those
  • 00:20:30
    accounts because Romans 6:23 tells us
  • 00:20:33
    the wages of sin is death. That's what
  • 00:20:36
    we've
  • 00:20:37
    earned. Romans chapter 2, unless God
  • 00:20:40
    blesses you with
  • 00:20:42
    repentance, we are storing up wrath,
  • 00:20:45
    fury, we are perishing without his
  • 00:20:48
    goodness in our lives.
  • 00:20:51
    Romans 3:23. We'll look at this in just
  • 00:20:52
    a little little bit here. Sin has
  • 00:20:55
    separated us from God. Justice demands
  • 00:20:59
    payment. A holy God can't look the other
  • 00:21:01
    way with sin. There must be justice.
  • 00:21:04
    This is all the bad news. It helps us
  • 00:21:07
    understand just how good the good news
  • 00:21:09
    is because here we are in verse 33 of
  • 00:21:12
    chapter 8 now as he's explained all it
  • 00:21:15
    means to be saved and justified. And he
  • 00:21:19
    says, "Who will bring a
  • 00:21:21
    charge?"
  • 00:21:25
    Crickets. Nobody. Why? He tells us verse
  • 00:21:29
    33, "It is God who
  • 00:21:33
    justifies." You can't go against the
  • 00:21:35
    righteous judge. And what does the
  • 00:21:37
    righteous done? He no longer condemns
  • 00:21:40
    but justifies us. Not only does he
  • 00:21:42
    declare us not guilty, but he gives us
  • 00:21:45
    the righteousness of his son. That's how
  • 00:21:47
    we're good
  • 00:21:48
    enough. It's a double gift. The justific
  • 00:21:52
    Well, let's read it in chapter 3.
  • 00:21:55
    Remember, he's summarizing what's come
  • 00:21:56
    before. And this is just the the white
  • 00:21:58
    hot sinner of God's justification for
  • 00:22:01
    sinners, starting in verse 23 of Romans
  • 00:22:04
    chapter 3. For all have sinned and fall
  • 00:22:07
    short of the glory of God. I'm glad the
  • 00:22:09
    chapter didn't end
  • 00:22:11
    there. and are justified by his grace as
  • 00:22:16
    a gift through the redemption that is in
  • 00:22:18
    Christ Jesus whom God put forward as a
  • 00:22:21
    propitiation by his blood to be received
  • 00:22:24
    by faith. Propitiation means he
  • 00:22:26
    satisfied God's justice. He took on
  • 00:22:29
    God's wrath in our place. He redeemed
  • 00:22:32
    us. He bought us back from sin and
  • 00:22:34
    death.
  • 00:22:38
    This was to show God's righteousness
  • 00:22:40
    because in his divine forbearance, he
  • 00:22:42
    had passed over former sins. It was time
  • 00:22:44
    for judgment to be poured out on
  • 00:22:47
    sin before the final judgment that's
  • 00:22:53
    coming. And he did it. He gave his son
  • 00:22:57
    to do that. And it was to show his
  • 00:22:59
    righteousness at the present time so
  • 00:23:01
    that he might be just. He's a holy God
  • 00:23:03
    and justice must be served. But then
  • 00:23:05
    here's the twist and the justifier of
  • 00:23:08
    those who have faith in Jesus. Here's
  • 00:23:10
    the demand. And oh, by the way, I'm
  • 00:23:12
    going to pay the demand myself. I'm
  • 00:23:14
    going to give my
  • 00:23:17
    son. Folks, that's
  • 00:23:19
    beautiful. And that's why when he says
  • 00:23:22
    any
  • 00:23:23
    charges, nope. They've been paid for.
  • 00:23:27
    Done. And so no charges. Then verse 34
  • 00:23:31
    says, who is to condemn? If there's no
  • 00:23:34
    charges, there's no condemnation. Oh
  • 00:23:36
    yeah. Remember how we started Romans
  • 00:23:37
    chapter 8? If any of you have read that
  • 00:23:40
    there is now no condemnation for those
  • 00:23:41
    who are in Christ Jesus. And he
  • 00:23:44
    reiterates it
  • 00:23:45
    here. If God has declared that there is
  • 00:23:47
    no condemnation for us, then guess what?
  • 00:23:49
    There's no condemnation for us. That's
  • 00:23:52
    the hope that you can walk every day
  • 00:23:55
    in. You don't have to to walk with your
  • 00:23:59
    eyes over your shoulder of some doom
  • 00:24:02
    that's coming to get
  • 00:24:04
    you. Yeah. Yes, there is reaping and
  • 00:24:07
    sowing. This doesn't mean there's not
  • 00:24:08
    accountability for things that we do do.
  • 00:24:11
    But ultimately in God's final court as
  • 00:24:15
    we appear before him, if we've placed
  • 00:24:17
    our faith in Jesus Christ, no
  • 00:24:21
    condemnation, no, there is absolutely no
  • 00:24:26
    charges. They've all been paid for and
  • 00:24:29
    taken care of. And how so? There's a
  • 00:24:32
    four-part authentication here. Who is to
  • 00:24:34
    condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who
  • 00:24:36
    died. More than that, was raised. Who is
  • 00:24:39
    at the right hand of God? who is indeed
  • 00:24:42
    interceding for us. His death made the
  • 00:24:45
    payment for sin. The resurrection was
  • 00:24:47
    the father's acceptance and vindication
  • 00:24:49
    of that payment. He is now seated as the
  • 00:24:52
    God man, meaning he did what he was
  • 00:24:55
    called to do so he can sit down next to
  • 00:24:58
    the father, having accomplished the
  • 00:24:59
    father's will. And now as the god man is
  • 00:25:02
    the high priest, advocate, mediator,
  • 00:25:04
    making intercession for
  • 00:25:06
    us. Now, what does that intercession
  • 00:25:09
    look like? Well, I like how theologian
  • 00:25:11
    Derek Thomas kind of puts it together in
  • 00:25:13
    a perhaps sort of way. We don't exactly
  • 00:25:16
    know, but I like how he puts this
  • 00:25:18
    together because it gives a I think a
  • 00:25:21
    very biblical understanding of what this
  • 00:25:23
    looks like. Imagine this. This is Jesus
  • 00:25:26
    talking to the
  • 00:25:28
    father. This one, this one,
  • 00:25:32
    you whom Satan is accusing is mine.
  • 00:25:37
    You give him to me, Father, before the
  • 00:25:39
    foundation of the world. He's mine. I
  • 00:25:41
    died for him. I shed my blood for this
  • 00:25:44
    one. I bore the wrath for him. I did it
  • 00:25:46
    all. Everything. Now, Father, help him
  • 00:25:49
    in his struggles. Send the Holy Spirit
  • 00:25:51
    to encourage him. Give him victory over
  • 00:25:54
    his sins. Remind him of what I've done.
  • 00:25:56
    And give him peace.
  • 00:26:01
    I think that's a great picture and
  • 00:26:02
    understanding of what's happening in
  • 00:26:04
    intercession that Jesus as the risen
  • 00:26:07
    victorious God man is seeding is seated
  • 00:26:10
    making an appeal on your behalf based on
  • 00:26:13
    his atoning death to your loving father
  • 00:26:15
    and no charge sticks there's no
  • 00:26:21
    condemnation that also means that your
  • 00:26:23
    good works they don't do anything here
  • 00:26:25
    in this in this court yes we are called
  • 00:26:29
    to to follow and obey Christ, but not to
  • 00:26:31
    earn our salvation. But it's because
  • 00:26:32
    we're saved and we're born again to a
  • 00:26:34
    new life. That also means that there's
  • 00:26:36
    no guru, priest, saint, or even Mary or
  • 00:26:40
    rabbi that can get you off the hook.
  • 00:26:42
    None. There's only one is the mediator,
  • 00:26:44
    Jesus Christ. Only he can do
  • 00:26:49
    this. Well, who would charge and who
  • 00:26:51
    would condemn? Well, there's a couple of
  • 00:26:52
    key accusers that happen in life. One is
  • 00:26:55
    probably pretty obvious, and that's
  • 00:26:56
    Satan.
  • 00:26:58
    He's the father of lies. He's called the
  • 00:27:01
    accuser. Christ defeated him at the
  • 00:27:03
    cross. And there's also a coming defeat
  • 00:27:06
    of him. And we'll look at that in
  • 00:27:08
    Revelation 12. Look
  • 00:27:11
    here at the great promise at the
  • 00:27:15
    end. Revelation 12 verse
  • 00:27:19
    10. This is what John says in his vision
  • 00:27:22
    of the end. He says, "And I heard a loud
  • 00:27:24
    voice in heaven saying, 'Now the
  • 00:27:26
    salvation and the power and the kingdom
  • 00:27:28
    of our God and the authority of his
  • 00:27:30
    Christ have come. For the accuser of our
  • 00:27:32
    brothers has been thrown
  • 00:27:34
    down, who accuses them day and night
  • 00:27:36
    before God, and they have conquered him
  • 00:27:39
    by the blood of the lamb and by the word
  • 00:27:41
    of their testimony, for they loved not
  • 00:27:44
    their lives even unto
  • 00:27:47
    death." Satan is doomed.
  • 00:27:50
    There will be no
  • 00:27:52
    accuser. Who's the other accusers? Well,
  • 00:27:56
    this one is probably obvious after I
  • 00:27:58
    tell you. I guess that's how that works.
  • 00:27:59
    Once I tell you, then it's obvious,
  • 00:28:00
    right? The
  • 00:28:03
    self. First John 3:20. Apostle John
  • 00:28:06
    tells us, "For whenever our heart
  • 00:28:08
    condemns us," have you been
  • 00:28:11
    there? Where you beat yourself up as a
  • 00:28:14
    Christian? You look in the mirror and
  • 00:28:16
    you go,
  • 00:28:17
    "Man, you're a loser. Look, you're
  • 00:28:20
    you're supposed to be a Christian and
  • 00:28:21
    look at these failures. Look at these
  • 00:28:24
    these horrible things you've done. How
  • 00:28:25
    could God love
  • 00:28:27
    you?" Well, let's keep looking at that
  • 00:28:31
    verse. For whenever our hearts condemn
  • 00:28:33
    us, God is greater than our heart. Not
  • 00:28:37
    only that, he says, "And he knows
  • 00:28:39
    everything." You're actually worse than
  • 00:28:41
    you think you
  • 00:28:42
    are. That's not helpful. It is because
  • 00:28:45
    it says God overcomes our hearts. He
  • 00:28:47
    knows everything about you. The one who
  • 00:28:50
    has every right to condemn you and
  • 00:28:52
    accuse you. And what does he do? He
  • 00:28:54
    overcomes your
  • 00:28:55
    heart. Why? Because he has overcome it
  • 00:28:58
    all on the
  • 00:29:00
    cross. And he offers his amazing
  • 00:29:05
    love as a replacement.
  • 00:29:10
    So when those little voices in your head
  • 00:29:12
    start to do that to you, shut them up
  • 00:29:15
    with the gospel. Preach to yourself.
  • 00:29:17
    Don't listen. Preach. Hey
  • 00:29:19
    Todd, Jesus died on the cross for your
  • 00:29:23
    sins. They are totally paid for. They
  • 00:29:26
    are done. God says in his word that
  • 00:29:28
    there is no condemnation for you. There
  • 00:29:29
    is no accuser for you.
  • 00:29:34
    Lift your head up and walk
  • 00:29:37
    straight. Preach it to yourself. So when
  • 00:29:40
    the devil, when your past, when
  • 00:29:42
    yourself, someone else accuses you, run
  • 00:29:45
    to the cross where it is finished. You
  • 00:29:47
    see, Jesus is only, he's the only one
  • 00:29:49
    who has taken our charges. He was
  • 00:29:51
    condemned in our place. God's love is so
  • 00:29:54
    strong. He has lovingly removed any and
  • 00:29:57
    all charges to us. He's removed all
  • 00:30:02
    obstacles. And then that leads to number
  • 00:30:04
    three, the permanence of God's
  • 00:30:07
    love. So now we understand the price,
  • 00:30:10
    the proof of it, and the pardon of God's
  • 00:30:14
    love. But like our hearts condemn us,
  • 00:30:17
    sometimes we think, well, will that love
  • 00:30:19
    stay? Because the loves we know, even
  • 00:30:22
    the best of earthly loves we know aren't
  • 00:30:24
    always perfect. Is that how God loves
  • 00:30:27
    us? And the answer is no. Look at verse
  • 00:30:30
    35. Who shall separate us from the love
  • 00:30:32
    of Christ? And then Paul goes into
  • 00:30:35
    giving some ideas here of things that we
  • 00:30:38
    may fear may come between us and the
  • 00:30:40
    love of God or that we might mistakenly
  • 00:30:43
    think would give reason that God does
  • 00:30:44
    not love us. Listen to what he says. Who
  • 00:30:47
    so separate separate us from the love of
  • 00:30:49
    Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or
  • 00:30:51
    persecution or famine or nakedness or
  • 00:30:53
    danger or sword? As it is written, for
  • 00:30:55
    your sake, we're all being killed all
  • 00:30:57
    the day long. We are regarded as sheep
  • 00:30:59
    to be slaughtered. No, in all these
  • 00:31:00
    things, we are more than conquerors
  • 00:31:02
    through him who loved us.
  • 00:31:06
    Wow. Look at all these things.
  • 00:31:08
    Tribulation, that's trouble. That's
  • 00:31:10
    affliction. Oppression, pressure, a
  • 00:31:13
    little more than an unopen locker.
  • 00:31:17
    distress. That literally means a narrow
  • 00:31:19
    place where you feel the pressures of
  • 00:31:21
    life. Stressful circumstances closing in
  • 00:31:24
    on
  • 00:31:25
    you.
  • 00:31:27
    Persecution. This is when you have
  • 00:31:28
    opposition that wants to hunt you like
  • 00:31:31
    an animal. That's what that literally
  • 00:31:32
    means. Illreatment caused because of who
  • 00:31:35
    and what you believe in. It's programmed
  • 00:31:38
    harassment. You feel that much these
  • 00:31:41
    days? The world will hate you, but God
  • 00:31:44
    does not. He loves you forever. Maybe
  • 00:31:48
    famine and nakedness. When we lose
  • 00:31:50
    things, when we don't have even things
  • 00:31:52
    sometimes that we need, it
  • 00:31:54
    seems danger. That's peril. That's
  • 00:31:57
    risk. That's the cause of every
  • 00:32:01
    phobia. Fight your phobia with God's
  • 00:32:05
    love. And the sword that could be the
  • 00:32:08
    government. And it's this sword is the
  • 00:32:10
    slaughter knife. It's the short sword
  • 00:32:12
    for stabbing. It's used for execution.
  • 00:32:15
    They were experiencing
  • 00:32:18
    that. What Paul is doing there in verse
  • 00:32:20
    362 as he quotes that psalm is saying
  • 00:32:22
    that the people of God know
  • 00:32:25
    suffering. Jesus warned us of this in
  • 00:32:28
    Matthew 5 11-12 and John 15:20-25. If
  • 00:32:31
    they hate me, they hate you. If they
  • 00:32:33
    persecute me, they're going to persecute
  • 00:32:34
    you. Just how it goes. So, you are right
  • 00:32:38
    on track if you feel a growing heat of
  • 00:32:40
    hostility the closer you get to the
  • 00:32:42
    flame of Christ.
  • 00:32:45
    But that's not a barrier to love. It's
  • 00:32:48
    where we warm
  • 00:32:51
    ourselves. In fact, Paul is not even
  • 00:32:53
    speaking hypothetically here if these
  • 00:32:55
    things happen. These all happen to
  • 00:32:59
    him. Maybe some or most or even all of
  • 00:33:02
    these may have happened to you. I've
  • 00:33:04
    experienced some of these. And guess
  • 00:33:06
    what? God's love has never stopped in
  • 00:33:09
    the midst of it. And that's what he's
  • 00:33:11
    saying here. I know these things. These
  • 00:33:13
    things have happened to me. God's
  • 00:33:16
    love, you are never separated from it.
  • 00:33:20
    Not only are you not separated, but in
  • 00:33:23
    fact, you are more than a conqueror.
  • 00:33:25
    Now, how can you be more than a
  • 00:33:26
    conqueror? That Greek word is super
  • 00:33:28
    conqueror. How can you be a super
  • 00:33:29
    conqueror? Well, got a couple
  • 00:33:31
    theologians here that help us understand
  • 00:33:33
    this. Says a conqueror is a person who
  • 00:33:35
    defeats the enemy. That's good. All
  • 00:33:36
    these things we can look at and go, "Oh,
  • 00:33:39
    defeated tribulation, distress,
  • 00:33:41
    persecution, famine.
  • 00:33:42
    more. How's more? What's the more? Says
  • 00:33:45
    the one who is more than a conqueror
  • 00:33:47
    causes the enemy to become a helper.
  • 00:33:50
    These things that feel like enemies to
  • 00:33:54
    us can become a
  • 00:33:57
    helper. Remember Romans 8:28, God uses
  • 00:34:01
    everything to work for our
  • 00:34:03
    good. So then, I like how Tom Shriner
  • 00:34:06
    says it in his commentary. says to be
  • 00:34:08
    more than conquerors over affliction,
  • 00:34:09
    distress, persecution, and so on
  • 00:34:12
    indicates that these enemies are
  • 00:34:13
    actually turned to the good of believers
  • 00:34:15
    through the power of God. The point is
  • 00:34:18
    that the love of Christ is so powerful
  • 00:34:20
    that it turns our greatest enemies into
  • 00:34:23
    our
  • 00:34:25
    friends. That's
  • 00:34:27
    amazing. Tribulation, distress,
  • 00:34:30
    persecution, famine, nakedness, danger,
  • 00:34:32
    sword. Hello, old friend.
  • 00:34:36
    God's going to use these things in my
  • 00:34:38
    life for my betterment. Man, the
  • 00:34:40
    greatest example of this very type of
  • 00:34:43
    thinking and is the
  • 00:34:46
    cross. From a worldly perspective, Jesus
  • 00:34:49
    looked defeated. He was abandoned,
  • 00:34:51
    beaten, and left for dead and was
  • 00:34:54
    dead. But it achieved the ultimate
  • 00:34:56
    victory. It was the greatest twist
  • 00:34:58
    ending of all time. The ultimate bad was
  • 00:35:02
    used for the ultimate good.
  • 00:35:05
    So notice in this that he's not saying
  • 00:35:07
    these things won't happen to you. But if
  • 00:35:09
    and when they do, they are not cause,
  • 00:35:11
    reason, or evidence that God's love is
  • 00:35:15
    gone. And then he doubles down in verse
  • 00:35:17
    38. For I am sure. Sweetest of words
  • 00:35:20
    here. Utter confidence in the
  • 00:35:23
    unseparable love of God. And he raises
  • 00:35:26
    the ante. Now he starts talking about
  • 00:35:28
    big scope things. Life and death. He
  • 00:35:31
    says here, "For I am sure that neither
  • 00:35:33
    life nor death, nor angels, nor rulers,
  • 00:35:35
    nor things present, nor things to come,
  • 00:35:37
    nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor
  • 00:35:39
    anything else in all creation will be
  • 00:35:41
    able to separate you from the love of
  • 00:35:43
    God." That is vast life and death. It's
  • 00:35:48
    not just for the next life. It's for
  • 00:35:49
    this life, too. That's why it's more
  • 00:35:52
    than a ticket to
  • 00:35:53
    heaven. His love is going to sustain you
  • 00:35:56
    through all that life throws at you. And
  • 00:35:59
    God will not turn his back on you in
  • 00:36:02
    death. What happens after we die? Well,
  • 00:36:04
    I'll tell you this. You're not going to
  • 00:36:06
    be separated from God's love. You're
  • 00:36:08
    going to be a little bit closer to it in
  • 00:36:10
    person. That's good news. How about
  • 00:36:13
    angels and principalities, rulers,
  • 00:36:16
    powers? This is all the supernatural
  • 00:36:19
    world. We don't fear it. It can't take
  • 00:36:22
    us from God's love.
  • 00:36:25
    All those powers, those wonderworking
  • 00:36:26
    powers, there nothing of the
  • 00:36:28
    supernatural can get in between us. The
  • 00:36:32
    present or the future, today's worries,
  • 00:36:34
    tomorrow's fears. No, his is an
  • 00:36:37
    everlasting
  • 00:36:38
    love. Height or depth. Some think this
  • 00:36:41
    is a reference to the the
  • 00:36:44
    astrological understanding that, you
  • 00:36:46
    know, there's the high stars and the low
  • 00:36:48
    stars and you can figure out your fate
  • 00:36:50
    from the stars in those days. a lot of
  • 00:36:52
    that and even to this day that goes on a
  • 00:36:56
    lot and and Paul's laughing at this in a
  • 00:36:59
    sense this ambiguous impersonal force of
  • 00:37:01
    universe that doesn't exist it's not a
  • 00:37:04
    problem I think maybe in a real sense
  • 00:37:07
    he's just saying all time and space
  • 00:37:09
    there's nothing in it that's going to
  • 00:37:10
    take you from the love of
  • 00:37:12
    God in fact he says this in Ephesians
  • 00:37:15
    3:18-19 about Jesus love and the
  • 00:37:17
    dimensions of his
  • 00:37:19
    love may that you have strength to
  • 00:37:22
    comprehend with all the saints what is
  • 00:37:24
    the breadth and length and height and
  • 00:37:26
    depth and to know the love of Christ
  • 00:37:28
    that surpasses knowledge that you may be
  • 00:37:29
    filled with all the fullness of God.
  • 00:37:32
    Again, it's not a little
  • 00:37:34
    drop. It's everything.
  • 00:37:37
    It's then he throws in nothing in all
  • 00:37:40
    creation. In other words, he kills our
  • 00:37:42
    imagination right there. But what but
  • 00:37:44
    what about Nope. If you can name it, it
  • 00:37:48
    can't separate you from the love of God.
  • 00:37:50
    So don't even
  • 00:37:52
    try. Like how JA Packer says it in his
  • 00:37:55
    great work, Knowing God. God's love for
  • 00:37:57
    us is a function of omnipotence and has
  • 00:38:01
    as its heart an almighty purpose to
  • 00:38:04
    bless which cannot be
  • 00:38:07
    thwarted. Therefore then our identity,
  • 00:38:10
    our care, God's view of us, his promises
  • 00:38:14
    are secure and they're secured by his
  • 00:38:17
    love.
  • 00:38:19
    So then when you only get 100 likes on
  • 00:38:22
    social
  • 00:38:24
    media, or people fail at loving you,
  • 00:38:27
    maybe your love language, circumstances
  • 00:38:30
    go way beyond a bad day for you, you
  • 00:38:33
    find yourself
  • 00:38:34
    lonely, maybe there's scars and strong
  • 00:38:37
    memories from bad choices that dog
  • 00:38:40
    you. Good news, good news. Good news.
  • 00:38:45
    You are loved by God and nothing can
  • 00:38:48
    separate you from that love. You are
  • 00:38:52
    loved not by your favorite sports
  • 00:38:54
    player, rock star, movie star,
  • 00:38:56
    president, crush, celebrity, pastor, but
  • 00:39:00
    the God who knows every last detail,
  • 00:39:02
    every last imperfection says to you, "I
  • 00:39:06
    love you
  • 00:39:09
    always." John Stodd even says it this
  • 00:39:12
    way. A famous British pastor who says,
  • 00:39:13
    "Our confidence is not in our love for
  • 00:39:15
    him which is frail, fickle, and
  • 00:39:17
    faltering, but in his love for us, which
  • 00:39:20
    is steadfast, faithful, and
  • 00:39:24
    persevering. Who can be against us? Who
  • 00:39:27
    shall bring any charge against God's
  • 00:39:28
    elect? Who is he who condemns? Who shall
  • 00:39:31
    separate us from the love of
  • 00:39:33
    Christ?" We
  • 00:39:35
    pause. Crickets.
  • 00:39:38
    Nothing. Nobody. No thing is stronger
  • 00:39:42
    than God and his love for those who are
  • 00:39:45
    his. Those justified by faith in his
  • 00:39:48
    loving gift, Jesus Christ. And if that's
  • 00:39:52
    you today, I don't know how you walked
  • 00:39:54
    in, but my hope and prayer is that when
  • 00:39:56
    you walk out of here, you walk with full
  • 00:39:58
    security, peace, joy, and a deeper
  • 00:40:02
    desire to love the one who will never
  • 00:40:04
    stop loving you.
  • 00:40:07
    And if that is not you today, why not
  • 00:40:10
    right now give your heart and life and
  • 00:40:14
    receive the love that never
  • 00:40:16
    ends by faith as a gift of God's grace
  • 00:40:20
    in his son Jesus Christ. We can help you
  • 00:40:23
    with that today. You see, Roman 8,
  • 00:40:27
    Romans 8 begins with no condemnation and
  • 00:40:29
    ends with no
  • 00:40:31
    separation. It may feel like the world
  • 00:40:33
    is against you. First of all, it's not.
  • 00:40:35
    But even if it was, God's unbreakable
  • 00:40:37
    love holds you fast in all aspects of
  • 00:40:39
    your life. And it results in boundless
  • 00:40:42
    joy, hope, and eliminates any reason
  • 00:40:46
    that hinders
  • 00:40:47
    worship. You may feel like God doesn't
  • 00:40:50
    love you because, and you can fill in
  • 00:40:51
    the blank for that, but the evidence is
  • 00:40:54
    a resounding no. He does, and he's
  • 00:40:57
    proved it. The Father's love is given
  • 00:41:01
    through Jesus Christ for you.
  • 00:41:05
    God's love is an everlasting treasure
  • 00:41:08
    that radically identifies his children
  • 00:41:12
    and produces the greatest of benefits
  • 00:41:14
    for them and through
  • 00:41:17
    them. Let's
  • 00:41:21
    pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for
  • 00:41:24
    such an amazing gift. We can't even
  • 00:41:26
    really wrap our heads around it in many
  • 00:41:28
    ways.
  • 00:41:33
    I know that there are many days where I
  • 00:41:35
    don't act like I believe
  • 00:41:38
    this. And so Lord, help us to be changed
  • 00:41:42
    knowing that you have an inseparable
  • 00:41:44
    love for us. That even when all these
  • 00:41:45
    things might happen to us, we know this
  • 00:41:48
    that we can make it through it. Knowing
  • 00:41:51
    that you will make us more than
  • 00:41:52
    conquerors and that your love cannot be
  • 00:41:55
    broken from it.
  • 00:41:59
    that should give us incredible
  • 00:42:00
    confidence and assurance for our trust
  • 00:42:03
    in
  • 00:42:03
    you. And we thank you for it. It's in
  • 00:42:06
    your name we pray.
  • 00:42:08
    Amen. Well, what better way to
  • 00:42:13
    celebrate as to have communion together
  • 00:42:16
    in light of this passage. So, if you
  • 00:42:19
    didn't get one of these cups, the guys
  • 00:42:20
    are going to come by and just raise your
  • 00:42:22
    hand if you're a Christian. If you're
  • 00:42:23
    not a believer, just let it pass. Um,
  • 00:42:25
    this is for those who have understood
  • 00:42:27
    what Christ has done and have received
  • 00:42:29
    it. And we'd love to talk to you about
  • 00:42:31
    it, like I said, afterwards. But these
  • 00:42:33
    are symbols of what Christ did on the
  • 00:42:35
    cross for us. He gave his body and he
  • 00:42:37
    shed his blood that we might have life.
  • 00:42:39
    And in fact, these are symbols of the
  • 00:42:41
    very thing we talked about today.
  • 00:42:42
    Christ's body and blood given by the
  • 00:42:44
    father is the proof of his love. So
  • 00:42:46
    every time we take this, this is proof
  • 00:42:48
    that God loves
  • 00:42:50
    us. And it's also a symbol of his actual
  • 00:42:54
    payment that pardons us from our sins.
  • 00:42:58
    He shed Jesus blood once and for
  • 00:43:01
    all. This body and blood is what secures
  • 00:43:04
    and reminds us that God's love is
  • 00:43:06
    absolutely
  • 00:43:08
    unbreakable. It's why we take this as a
  • 00:43:11
    reminder until he comes
  • 00:43:14
    again, knowing that he has not stopped
  • 00:43:17
    loving us.
  • 00:43:19
    So take take a few moments and think
  • 00:43:21
    about this truth. Ponder the amazing
  • 00:43:23
    love of God. There's any sin in your
  • 00:43:25
    life. Confess it. In just a moment,
  • 00:43:27
    we'll take this together.
  • 00:43:32
    [Music]
  • 00:43:42
    Well, in Romans 8:32, it says this that
  • 00:43:45
    God has graciously given us all
  • 00:43:48
    things. Quite frankly, he's given us his
  • 00:43:51
    son. And this is a reminder of that. And
  • 00:43:54
    the night of the Passover, before Christ
  • 00:43:56
    went to the cross, the Passover was a
  • 00:43:58
    shadow of something greater to come.
  • 00:44:00
    That was a reminder to the Jewish people
  • 00:44:02
    that God had delivered them out of
  • 00:44:03
    slavery in Egypt. And he did so when
  • 00:44:06
    they put the the blood of the lamb on
  • 00:44:08
    the doorposts and the angel of death
  • 00:44:11
    passed
  • 00:44:12
    by. Well, something greater than a lamb.
  • 00:44:15
    Jesus was called the lamb. We read that
  • 00:44:18
    in Revelation who shed his blood so that
  • 00:44:22
    God's wrath would pass us over because
  • 00:44:24
    of sin. And so he took the bread and he
  • 00:44:26
    says, "Take this as a reminder of me and
  • 00:44:29
    my body that I will give as a sacrifice
  • 00:44:33
    for those sins." So take in remembrance
  • 00:44:35
    of Christ's love for
  • 00:44:39
    us. In a similar way, he gave the cup as
  • 00:44:44
    a representation of the blood that he
  • 00:44:46
    would spill as the payment for the
  • 00:44:47
    forgiveness of our sins.
  • 00:44:50
    And it it also ratified the the new
  • 00:44:53
    covenant that's given through Christ and
  • 00:44:55
    the relationship that we have. Take in
  • 00:44:57
    remembrance of Christ's love for
  • 00:45:01
    you, Jesus. We are so
  • 00:45:04
    grateful for your kindness to us and the
  • 00:45:07
    love that you have given us in a very
  • 00:45:10
    real and demonstrated way by the giving
  • 00:45:13
    of yourself on the cross to save us and
  • 00:45:18
    to lock your love in for all time. And
  • 00:45:22
    we thank you and it's in your name we
  • 00:45:24
    pray it. Amen. Hey, thanks for tuning in
  • 00:45:27
    to our Redeemer YouTube channel. If this
  • 00:45:29
    is helpful for you, please make sure
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    subscribe button, and hit that bell
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Tags
  • God's Love
  • Romans 8
  • Salvation
  • Unbreakable Love
  • Suffering
  • Communion
  • Faith
  • Hope
  • Assurance
  • Christianity