The Lord helping me this morning,
I would direct you to Romans chapter 8 verse 32. Romans chapter 8 verse 32. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? In the previous verse, verse
31, Paul asks the question, what shall we then say to these things?
And we considered that portion of this epistle about three weeks
ago, I think it was. And I'd remind you that Paul
is referring to what he had previously said in this epistle. And then he goes on to ask five
rhetorical questions in verses 31 to 35. The first rhetorical
question is there in verse 31. If God be for us, who can be
against us? The second question is here in
the words of our text this morning. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? The third rhetorical question
is in verse 33. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? The fourth is in verse 34. Who
is he that condemneth And then the fifth and final rhetorical
question is there in verse 35. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Well, I thought it would be good
this morning to take a look a little more closely at the
second of these five rhetorical questions, especially in view
of the fact that as a church we shall be observing the Lord's
Supper this evening, if the Lord will. So I thought it would be
good then to look at this second of the five rhetorical questions. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, How shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? We see here, in the Spirit-inspired
words of the Apostle, for these words of the Apostle are indeed
the God-breathed words of the Holy Ghost, we see three things. Firstly, the giving of the Son
by the Father, and secondly, for whom the Son was given, and
then thirdly, an argument taken from this blessed truth. Well,
these shall be our headings then as we proceed this morning. I trust with the Lord's gracious
help and with His blessing. Firstly, we see the giving of
the Son by the Father. He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up. It was the Father, God the Father,
who gave his son, his only begotten son. The Apostle John says in
his first epistle, And we have seen and do testify that the
Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Paul says
in Galatians, But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption
of sons. Again John says in his Gospel,
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. For God sent not His Son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him
might be saved. Yes, the Father sent His Son. The Father gave His only begotten
Son. And so it is written in Isaiah,
for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Yes, it is true that he was taken
and by wicked hands was crucified and slain. But you know it was
the Father who gave him up to such a cruel death, even the
death of the cross. Peter tells the Jews in his preaching
on the day of Pentecost him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked
hands have crucified and slain and it is true that the Son of
Man gave his life a ransom for many that he laid down his life
for the sheep But he laid down his life that he might take it
again. I mean, he laid it down of himself. Nevertheless, this
he did according to the will of the Father and in obedience
to his commandment. John 10, 17, Therefore does my
Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take
it again no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of myself
I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again
this commandment have I received of my father the father gave
the son and this was manifested the love of God toward us because
that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might
live through him here in his love, not that we loved God,
but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation
for our sins. The Father gave the Son, his
only begotten Son, and the Apostle here speaks of his giving of
the Son by the Father in the negative and in the positive. he that spared not his son that's
the negative but delivered him up there's the positive so let
us consider the negative first he that spared not his own son
the father spared not his own son it is that that we see in
type isn't it in the life of Abraham In Genesis 22 we read
of how God spoke to Abraham. And he said, Take now thy son,
thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the
land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon
one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And we read of
how Abraham obeyed the voice of the Lord. and he was about to sacrifice
his son Isaac, when he was prevented from doing so at the very last
moment, at that moment when he was about to do the deed. Genesis
22 verse 10, And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the
knife to slay his son, And the angel of the Lord called unto
him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said,
Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand
upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I
know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son, from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes
and looked. And behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket
by his horns. And Abraham went and took the
ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his
son. Oh, the Lord blessed Abraham at that
time. And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven
the second time and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the
Lord. for because thou hast done this
thing it has not withheld thy son, thine only son how often
do we hear that phrase thy son, thine only son, there is an emphasis
on it you see because this is pointing to Christ because thou hast done this thing
it has not withheld thy son, thine only son that in blessing
I will bless thee Isaac was spared, a ram was provided Oh, but the
Son of God was not spared. He had spared not His own Son. And mark the words, His own Son. The Father gave that which was
most precious to Him. It was His own Son that He gave.
It was that which was most precious to Him. This is my beloved Son
in whom I am well pleased, He says in the Gospels. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the Son of the Father in truth and love. He is the Son of His love. Oh, how important is that little
word, own. It speaks of the love that the
Father has for the Son. Twice we read in John's Gospel
that the Father loveth the Son. And so Paul writes here, under
the divine inspiration of the Spirit of God, he that spared
not his own son, not just his son, but his own son. Now interestingly, in the Holy
Scriptures, we have this phrase, spared not, five times. And each time, except
in this case, It's used with regard to the wicked. We read
of the Egyptians, in Psalm 78, "...he made a way to his anger,
he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over
to the pestilence, and smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the
chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham." Speaking of the unbelieving Jews,
Paul writes here in Romans chapter 11, for if God spared not the
natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Peter writes of the reprobate
angels and of the world before the flood and of the cities of
Sodom and Gomorrah. 2 Peter 2 verse 4, For if God
spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell and
delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto
judgment, and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the
eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the
flood upon the world of the ungodly, and turning the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making
them an ensemble unto those that after should live ungodly. Yes, God spared not the ungodly,
wicked men, wicked women. He spared not the angels that
sinned. But what is this that we read here? He spared not his
own son. His own Son, who never sinned,
who never committed the least transgression, who did no sin,
neither was guile found in His mouth. His only begotten Son,
who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. It
really is no wonder to us, or at least it shouldn't be any
wonder to us, if sinners are not spared. if transgressors
of God's law are not spared, if rebels against God and against
His authority are not spared. Oh, but the Son! The Son! The sinless Son of God! Now that
is a wonder indeed, that He spared not His own Son! We as transgressors, as sinners
against the law of God, deserve nothing but wrath. But the Lord
Jesus Christ hath done all things well. The Father testified of
Christ, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. again in Isaiah we read the words
of the Lord God testifying of his beloved son behold my servant
whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth why then was he not spared? well Paul tells us in verse 3
of this 8th chapter of Romans for what the law could not do
and it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the
flesh. It was in the flesh of Christ.
It was in the sinless human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ that
sin was condemned and dealt with. If we take the marginal rendering
of that third verse in Romans 8, it reads, For what the law
could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending
his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and by a sacrifice
for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. This is why he was not
spared. For he hath made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. Isaiah says, Yet it pleased the
Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. Yes, the father spared
not his own son. He made his soul, that holy body
and blood, an offering for sin. This is the negative, he that
spared not, his own son. And so we come to the positive
aspect of the giving of the son by the father, but delivered
him up, but delivered him up. Yes, the father delivered up
the son, delivered him up to what? Delivered him up to divine
justice. In chapter 4 of Romans, Paul
speaks of Jesus our Lord who was delivered for our offenses
and was raised again for our justification. Sin is an offense
against God. It is an offense against the
majesty of God. It is an offense against the
law of God. It is an offense against the authority of God.
It is a crime. And as such, it must be punished. Our God is a God of infinite
justice. He is the Rock. His work is perfect,
for all His ways are judgment. A God of truth and without iniquity,
just and right is He. We read in Exodus that He will
by no means clear the guilty. We read in Nahum that He will
not at all acquit the wicked. Habakkuk says, O LORD, Thou hast
ordained them for judgment, and, O mighty God, Thou hast established
them for correction. Thou art of purer eyes than to
behold evil and canst not look on iniquity. John says, whosoever committeth
sin transgresseth also the law for sin is the transgression
of the law he is speaking of course of the law of God God
as the divine lawgiver because of his infinite holiness righteousness
and justice cannot but punish sin which is the transgression
of his law No sin goes unpunished. No sin goes unpunished. Either
sin is punished in the sinner himself, and so we read of those
who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence
of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, and of the goats,
these shall go away into everlasting punishment, Or, sin is dealt with and punished
in the sinner's surety, one who will stand in the sinner's place,
and pay that which was due under the law, and make satisfaction
to divine justice. Now the good news of the Gospel
is that God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the
law, to redeem them which were under the law. The Lord Jesus Christ was delivered
up to the sword of divine justice. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd
and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts. We read in Zechariah, Isaiah
says, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised
for our iniquities. Well, these then are the negative
and the positive aspects of the giving of the Son by the Father.
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up. Oh, what
an unspeakable gift this is! Charles Wesley wished for a thousand
tongues to sing his dear Redeemer's praise. But you know, and I'm
sure Mr. Wesley would agree, a thousand
tongues would never be enough to utter all his praise the gift
is truly unspeakable if thou knewest the gift of God and who
it is Jesus said to the woman at the well if thou knewest the
gift of God and who it is for God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten son John says, and again this is the record
that God had given to us eternal life and this life is in His
Son. All thanks be unto God for His
unspeakable gift. He that spared not His own Son
but delivered Him up. Let us consider in the second
place for whom the Son was given. He that spared not His own Son
but delivered Him up for us all. Paul says here in the words of
our text, for us all. Now, before we jump to any irrational
Arminian conclusions, we need to consider to whom this epistle
was written. It is addressed to believers
in the city of Rome. Chapter one, verse seven, to
all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints,
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. Paul thanks God for these believers.
Verse 8, first I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you
all that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. He prays for these believers.
Verse 9, for God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in
the gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you
always in my prayers. He longs to see them. Verse 10,
making request, if by any means now at length I might have a
prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you, for
I long to see that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift
to the end that ye may be established. That is, that I may be comforted
together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. And so we see that this is a
personal letter written to certain particular individuals. And so
it would be the utmost folly to take these words, for us all,
and to apply them universally, which is what the Arminian does.
You know the doctrine of the Arminians? That Jesus died for
everybody? For each and every member of
the whole human race? He died for Cain as well as for
Abel? He died for Judas Iscariot as well as for Simon Peter? He
loved and he died for the great whore of Babylon, the false church,
as well as for his bride, the true church, and so on. These words for us all cannot
be applied universally to every fallen descendant of Adam and
Eve, because it is manifestly evident that there are those
to whom God does not freely give all things. He that spared not
his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things? So far is this scripture
from supporting the notion of a universal redemption, it actually
condemns it, it's against it. You see, there are those to whom
the means of grace are not given, and they never hear the word
of the gospel. and they are left in their lost and ruined condition
having no hope and without God in the world the means of grace
has not been given to them, they never hear the word of the gospel
there are others who do hear the word of the gospel but they
are not given faith to believe the word to the saving of their
souls. They're not given grace to repent
of their sin and so they perish in their sins. Remember what
the Lord Jesus said to his disciples Therefore speak I to them, sorry,
it's Matthew 13, verse 11, he answered and said unto them,
to his disciples, because it is given unto you to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to them it is not given. Clearly all things are not given
to all. And as the last us in this verse
cannot be applied universally to all, How shall he not with him also freely give
us all things? Well, so neither can that first
us be applied universally. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all. But of course, these words are
not to be limited only to the believers at Rome. there is a further application
of course to this truth otherwise it wouldn't be included in the
canon of holy scripture there is a wider application Paul wrote
to the Corinthians for I delivered unto you first of all that which
I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to
the scriptures he wrote to the Galatians Christ had redeemed
us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us to
the Ephesians He writes, Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as
he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. to the
praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted
in the beloved in whom we have redemption through his blood
the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace and
so on. These words then for us all though they cannot be applied
universally yet they do have a wider application than just
to the believers at Rome and this is seen in the context.
Who are those for whom the father sped not his son but delivered
him up? Well, they are those whom God
is for. See the previous verse. If God
be for us, who can be against us? He that sped not his own
son but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with
him also freely give us all things? How is God for them? Well, he
did foreknow them. that is he did love them before
the foundation of the world and he did predestinate them and
he called them and he justified them and he will most certainly
glorify all of them these are the ones whom the father spared
not his own son that delivered him up for. They are the elect. They are the elect of God, as
Paul says in the next verse, who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect. They are those who are united
to Christ. They are in Christ Jesus. Verse
1, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are
in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit. And Christ is in them. Verse
10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin,
but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Oh, he is the
head and they are the body. Again, Paul says in Ephesians,
even as Christ is the head of the church and he is the savior
of the body. And again, Christ also loved
the church and gave himself for it. Redemption is particular.
That is, it is for a particular people, the people of God, the
Church. He is the Saviour of the body. Christ also loved the Church,
and gave Himself for it. He is the Shepherd, and His people
are the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd, and know
my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. the Lord goes on to describe
his sheep for whom he laid down his life there in John chapter
10 who are the sheep? my sheep hear my voice and I
know them and they follow me they are the followers of Christ
they hear his voice how does he speak? he speaks through the
word they hear the word of God and I give unto them eternal
life now incidentally Isaiah also uses the words the words
us all In Isaiah 53 verse 6, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his
own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah goes on to tell us exactly
who that us all is, in verse eight of that chapter, for he
was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression
of my people was he stricken. Now the question may arise, well
how may I know that I am of that number for whom the Lord spared
not his own son but delivered him up? Well firstly in answer to that
question, I would just say that it is good to be concerned about
that matter. Many are completely unconcerned
about their souls and their standing with God and their eternal destination. And except they are awakened
in this present life by the Spirit of God, they shall pass into
eternity only to wake up in hell. It's good to be concerned about
this matter. Secondly, I would point out that if you are in
Christ Jesus, if you are a real child of God, being born again
of the Spirit of God, then the devil will come and tempt you,
and he will attempt to cause you to doubt your sonship. Did he not tempt the only begotten
Son of God in this great matter of his sonship? If thou be the
Son of God, he said to the Lord Jesus Christ, if thou be the
Son of God. There are many other things besides
the devil's temptations which may cause us to doubt that we
are of the number of God's elect, such as the greatness of the
gift, our utter unworthiness to receive such a gift as this,
the workings of sin and the felt sense of sin and the felt sense
of the power of sin in our hearts. And so on, all these things will
cause us to doubt whether we are true children of God or not.
And thirdly, in answer to that question, how may I know that
I am of that number? For whom the Father spared not
His own Son, but delivered Him up. Well, the Holy Ghost is given. The Holy Spirit is given. Verse
16, the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that
we are the children of God. And if children that heirs, heirs
of God and joint heirs with Jesus, or joint heirs with Christ, if
so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together. And you know the Holy Spirit
is the spirit of life. Verse two of this eighth chapter
of Romans, for the law of the spirit of life. for the law of the Spirit of
Life in Christ Jesus have made me free from the law of sin and
death. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit
of Life and you know where there is life there is feeling. We
contend for a feeling religion. Something must be known and felt.
What is felt? A sinner who is made alive in
Christ Jesus by the regenerating power of God the Holy Ghost is
made to feel, ironically, his own deadness. When the strength
of Israel comes into the soul, that soul is made to feel his
own weakness. When the light of the world shines
into the heart, the heart is made to feel its own darkness,
the darkness of its fallen nature. When the Son of Man comes to
seek and to save the poor lost sheep, that sheep is made to
feel its lost and ruined condition. I have gone astray like a lost
sheep. Seek thy servant, for I do not
forget thy commandments. When the life of God comes into
the soul of a man in all its purity, That soul is made to
feel its native vileness and its pollution by sin. When the eyes of the understanding
are opened, one is made to feel one's own blindness and ignorance.
And what is the end of this teaching? For that's what it is. It is
the Spirit's teaching, the gracious inward teaching of the Spirit
of God in the soul of the elect sinner. This teaching leads the
sinner out of self to the Saviour. Out of dead works to the finished
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Out of law to gospel. Out of mere religion, that is
man-made religion, to the Redeemer. O wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord. That is the teaching of the Spirit
of God in the soul of a man. You see the Apostle there in
Romans 7 sees the spirituality of the law of God and he feels
the carnality of his fallen nature. For we know that the law is spiritual
but I am carnal, sold under sin. He's writing as a believer, mark
you. Ah, but it is Christ, it is to
Christ that he looks for deliverance. O wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God! Through
Jesus Christ our Lord. And so it is with every true
child of God. The Holy Spirit is given as the
Spirit of grace and of supplications. and I will pour upon the house
of David that's the church, the house of David and I will pour
upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem
the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall look upon me whom
they have pierced that's Christ speaking in the Old Testament this is how we may know that
we are of that number for whom the father spared not his own
son but delivered him up We are taught by the blessed Spirit
of God to look to Jesus Christ and to him alone to save us. We are brought to call upon his
name, for there is none other name under heaven given among
men whereby we must be saved. And we are brought to call upon
that name, which is above every name, that we might indeed be
saved. for whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. That's the promise of
God who cannot lie. It is by the Holy Ghost, of course,
which is given unto us that we call upon God as our Father. For we have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but we have received the spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Let us consider
in the third place an argument taken from this blessed truth,
just briefly. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? From this great and stupendous
truth that God spared not his own son, but delivered him up
for us all, Paul argues, how shall he not with him also freely
give us all things? The apostle argues from the greater
to the lesser. If God has given that which is
the greatest and the most precious thing that he could ever have
given, will he withhold anything from his people? Anything? Anything
that is needful to them? And how shall he not with him
also freely give us all things? Surely there is nothing that
he will keep from his people, seeing he has given them that
which is the most precious and valuable thing that he could
ever have given. His own Son. His own Son. And so the psalmist says, For
the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord will give grace and
glory. No good thing will He withhold
from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the
man that trusteth in Thee. Who are they who walk uprightly? Well, they are those who are
walking by faith in Christ. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in thee. So what are the all things that
the apostle speaks of here? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? What are these all things? All
providences are given to us who belong to Christ, and all these
providences while working together for our good that's what Paul
says in verse 28 and we know that all things mark the word
all things work together for good to them that love God to
them who are the called according to his purpose sometimes it doesn't
seem like it like Jacob we are we think all these things are
against me But no, the word declares, and Jacob found out too in due
time, that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. All providences are given to
us for our good. all our temporal need is supplied
we have the apostolic promise in Philippians 4 verse 19 which
comes with all the authority of God himself again a God who
cannot lie but my God shall supply all your need according to his
riches in glory by Christ Jesus all the things which accompany
salvation are freely given the new birth faith and repentance,
a justifying righteousness, sanctifying grace, the pardon of every sin,
perseverance, heaven and eternal life. He that spared not his
own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things? In the Revelation we read, He
that overcometh shall inherit all things. and I will be his
God and he shall be my son the blessed sons of God by adoption
and regeneration inherit all things in and through Jesus Christ
the only begotten Son of God therefore let no man glory in
men for all things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas
or the world or life or death or things present or things to
come all are yours and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's all things are given with Christ He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely
give us all things? And let us not forget the word
freely in conclusion. All these things are freely given.
How important is that word freely? Freely! Our text does not say,
how shall he not with him also give us all things? No. and how
shall he not with him also freely give us all things freely it's
not on the basis of any of our works or doings or duties no
it is not by works of righteousness which we have done but according
to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus
Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace we should
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. May the blessings expressed in
the words of our text this morning be ours and the glory God's. He that spared not his own son
but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things Amen.