Well, the Lord helping me this
evening, the scripture that I would bring to your attention is found
in Romans chapter 8, verse 31. Romans chapter 8, verse 31, the
first part of the verse. What shall we then say to these
things? What shall we then say to these
things? It is a verse I have preached
on, well, many years ago, but I thought it would be good to
return to it this evening as we've been much in the book of
Romans in Paul's epistle to the Romans of late. Mr. Sand also
has preached from it. We indeed have looked previously
the last two occasions I was here we looked at Romans chapter
8 verses 13 and 14 so I thought it would be good to return again
to this chapter. Now the Apostle Paul, as he is
moved by the Holy Ghost, reaches a climax as he draws near to
the conclusion of the doctrinal part of this epistle. And so I'll just read those verses
from 28 to the end of the chapter. This is the concluding part of
the doctrinal part of the epistle. From verse 28 then. And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of God, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom
he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he
also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things? If God before us, who can be
against us? 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? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake
we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for
the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded
that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And these words in verse 31,
the words of our text, express the sense of wonder that was
in the heart of the apostle at all that which God has done for
us, who are the elect people of God. What shall we then say
to these things? What shall we then say to these
things? The apostle draws to a conclusion
And the conclusion is this tremendous crescendo that we have at the
end of chapter 8. I'm not going to preach the Lord
helping me this evening from the whole passage from verse
28 to the end of the chapter, but I would take for my text
specifically these words, which seem to be central to the passage,
which are, as it were, pivotal. What shall we then say to these
things? What shall we then say to these
things? Matthew Henry says concerning the 8th of Romans, Many of the
people of God have accordingly found this chapter a wellspring
of comfort to their souls, living and dying, and have sucked and
been satisfied from these breasts of consolation, and with joy
drawn water out of these wells of salvation. Or may we then
find these words, a wellspring of comfort to our souls, May
we suck and be satisfied from these breasts of consolation
and may we with joy draw water out of these wells of salvation. What shall we then say to these
things? Well, I would suggest simply
two headings as we consider these words. What are these things
to which the apostle refers? And then secondly, What does
the apostle then say to these things? So firstly then, what
are these things to which the apostle is referring? What shall
we then say to these things? What things? Well generally there
are those things which the apostle has been speaking of throughout
this epistle. such things as the revelation
of God's eternal power and Godhead in the created universe, which
renders men inexcusable before him. Because that which may be
known of God is manifest in them. For God hath showed it unto them.
For the invisible things from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,
even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. That all men, both Jews and Gentiles,
are in a state of sin and are therefore guilty before God. For there is no difference, for
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. that all
are totally depraved by nature. For we have before proved, both
Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no, not one, there is none that understandeth, there
is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the
way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that
doeth good, no, not one. that none can be justified or
saved by the law, or by the keeping of the law. Now we know that
what thing soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under
the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world
may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by
the law is the knowledge of sin." That a man is justified only
by the free grace of God, being justified freely by His grace. That the means by which God justifies
the sinner is twofold. Firstly, God justifies the sinner
through the bloodshedding of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is,
by the death that he has died in the sinner's place, being
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for
the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance
of God. And secondly, God justifies the
sinner by imputing righteousness to the sinner, even as David
also describeth the blessedness of a man unto whom God imputeth
righteousness without works. And that righteousness is of
course the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ he is Jehovah's
in Kenya the Lord our righteousness for if by one man's offense death
reigned by one is talking of course of Adam Much more, they which receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign
in life by one Jesus Christ. Therefore, as by the offence
of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so
by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous. That this justification is received
and experienced in the heart of the sinner by faith. Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Again,
therefore being justified, by faith we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access,
by faith, into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope
of the glory of God. Oh, this faith is the gift of
God, it is the fruit of the Spirit. Paul says in Ephesians, for by
grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves.
It is the gift of God. To the Colossians he writes of
the faith of the operation of God. That the sanctification of God's
elect consists in their vital union with Christ. How shall
we that are dead to sin live any longer therein. Know ye not
that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized
into his death? Therefore we are buried with
him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together
in the likeness of his death, We shall be also in the likeness
of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified
with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth
we should not serve sin. Again Paul says, Wherefore, my
brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of
Christ. that you should be married to
another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should
bring forth fruit unto God. It is by virtue of a living relationship
to and with the Lord Jesus Christ that the believer brings forth
fruit. John 15 verse 4, Abide in me
and I in you. as the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except
ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches,
he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth
much fruit. But there yet remains in the
believer a sinful, carnal nature. And that fallen nature is not
rectified, it's not made better. I find then a law, that when
I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the
law of God after the inward man, But I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that
I am! Who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? All the believer feels this internal
struggle, this internal warfare. Ah, but there is victory, there
is triumph. I thank God through Jesus Christ,
our Lord, and the Holy Spirit is given
with all for if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if
ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall
live for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the
sons of God for ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to
fear but ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we
cry Abba It is the Holy Spirit who indicts
true prayer in the heart of the believer, and the Spirit Himself
intercedes for the believer. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth
our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as
we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts
knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession
for the saints. according to the will of God. And that providence, providence
itself, is at work on the believer's behalf. And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are called according to his purpose. Well these are the things
then, generally speaking, I'm sure, which Paul is referring
to when he says, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, what shall
we then say to these things? But more particularly, he may
be referring to the verses immediately preceding the words of our text.
From verse 29, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren. For over whom he did predestinate,
them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified,
and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we
then say to these things? Here is what is often referred
to as the golden chain of salvation, or the golden chain of redemption.
It is a chain of five links, foreknowledge, predestination,
calling, justification, and glorification. Now, Some might ask the question,
well, where is sanctification? Shouldn't that be one of the
links? Well, I would answer that sanctification is there. It runs
through the whole. You see, the elect of God were
sanctified by God the Father before the world began. Jude
addresses his epistle to them that are sanctified by God the
Father and preserved in Jesus Christ and called We read here
in Romans 8 of the foreknowledge of God. God the Father knew his
people before the foundation of the world. He set them apart,
or sanctified them, in eternity. God's foreknowledge of the elect
is his setting them apart. It is the sanctification of them
by the Father in the eternal covenant of grace. And the elect
of God are sanctified, moreover, by the Holy Spirit in their call
by grace. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he also called. And that call is the internal,
effectual call of God the Holy Ghost. It is the irresistible
grace of God, drawing the lost and ruined poor
and needy sinner to Jesus Christ. And so Paul writes to the Thessalonians,
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth. Whereunto he called you by our
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the elect of God are sanctified
by the Son, It is His blood and His blood alone which cleansed
us from all sin. John writes in the Revelation
unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. The elect are sanctified by God
the Son and they are sanctified in the Son. Paul writes to the
Corinthians, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to
them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. Indeed, He is their sanctification. 1 Corinthians 1.30. But of Him, that is of God, are
ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness
and sanctification and redemption. Christ is our sanctification. And we see it here, in the golden
chain. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. That is real gospel
sanctification, to be conformed to the image of his Son. this conforming of the elect
to the image of Christ consists not only of a holy conversation
or walk in this world and future glory in the world to come now
it does consist of those things of course John says 1 John 3
verse 2 beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet
appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear
we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and every man
that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure yes, but this conforming of the
elect to the image of Christ does not only consist in that It also consists in suffering
with Christ. And that is, I believe, principally
what the Apostle is speaking of here, judging by the context.
He is speaking here of God's providential dealings with his
people. Verse 28. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. He goes on to speak, doesn't
he, of those who are against us? Of those who would lay charges
against or accuse and condemn God's elect? of those who would
separate us from the love of Christ. He speaks of tribulation,
distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword. As it
is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are
accounted as sheep for the slaughter. This is what it is to be conformed
to the image of God's only begotten Son. He was oppressed and he
was afflicted. Yet he openeth not his mouth,
he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before
her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Or it is to endure
oppression and affliction. Calvin says that the afflictions
of the faithful are nothing else than the manner by which they
are conformed to the image of Christ. There is therefore no
reason for us to be grieved or to think it hard and grievous
that we are afflicted unless we disapprove of the Lord's election
by which we have been foreordained to life, and unless we are unwilling
to bear the image of the Son of God by which we are to be
prepared for celestial glory. Paul had spoken of these things
previously in this chapter in verses 16 to 18. The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children
then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ if so
be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together
for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us. Writing to Timothy, Paul says,
it is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with him, we shall
also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign
with him. Well these are the things then
to which the Apostle refers. What shall we then say to these
things? What does the Apostle then say
to these things in the second place? Well, he asks five rhetorical
questions. Firstly, if God before us, who
can be against us? Literally, if we leave the italicized
words out, if God for us, who against us? In other words, if
God is with us and if God is for us, it matters not, it matters
not a jot, who is against us. Twice it is written in the Psalms,
through God we shall do valiantly, for he it is that shall tread
down our enemies. We read it in Psalm 44. Verse 4, Thou art my King, O
God. Command deliverances for Jacob.
Through Thee will we push down our enemies. Through Thy name
will we tread them under that rise up against us. There will be opposition. There
will be opposition but you know even our enemies are a tool in
the hand of our God which he will use to conform us to the
image of his Son. That's their purpose. And when his work is done he
will throw those tools away. He will cast them into the fire. If God be for us, who can be
against us? Even the last great enemy, death,
works for good to the Lord's people. It is by that dark gate
that they enter into glory and into eternal bliss. And even
that enemy shall ultimately be destroyed, as it is written,
for he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. The first question, the first
rhetorical question sets the theme for the rest of the chapter.
It is the cause of the apostles rejoicing. The theme is, of course,
victory. It's triumph. Triumph. In Revelation 19, we read, And
I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And then there
follows a spiritual description of the Lord Jesus Christ who
is seated on the horse. The white horse. What does it
symbolize? It's symbolic of victory. The victorious Roman generals
would ride triumphantly into Rome seated on a white horse. It is symbolic of victory. And
I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he that sat
upon him was called faithful and true and in righteousness
he doth judge and make war. And then we read further on in
Revelation 19 at verse 14 that chapter we read of the church
the elect of God and the armies which were in heaven followed
him upon white horses clothed in fine linen white and clean
oh it speaks of the victorious church following Christ clothed
in his righteousness though the beast the kings of
the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against
him that sat on the horse and against his army, yet those who
are on the Lord's side are victorious. That is what is Paul saying here.
That is what John is saying in the Revelation. If God before
us, who can be against us? The second rhetorical question
we have in 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? God has given His own Son, His
only begotten Son, to be delivered up to death, to be crucified
for us, for us all, whom He did foreknow, and for us all, whom
he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. If God
has given his Son to and for his people, is there anything
that he will not give them? No, as Paul says in another place,
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.
It is written in the book of the Revelation, he that overcometh
shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall
be my son. It's written in the Psalms, for
evildoers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord
they shall inherit the earth for yet a little while and the
wicked shall not be. yea thou shalt diligently consider
his place and it shall not be but the meek shall inherit the
earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace and
so Paul says 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 the third rhetorical question in verse 33 who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect Well, the answer
is that there is none. There is none that can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect. Why? It is God that justifies. God is the judge. And He has
determined their innocence. He has pronounced them not guilty. He has acquitted them. He has
not beheld iniquity in Jacob. Neither hath he seen perverseness
in Israel. No, they are clothed in fine
linen, white and clean, the righteousness of Christ. Who is he that condemneth? The
fourth question, verse 34. There is none, none that can
condemn us. Why? It is Christ that died. they rather that is risen again
who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession
for us it is the Lord Jesus Christ who suffered death in the believers
place he was condemned in the condemned sinners place bearing
shame and scoffing rude in my place condemned he stood sealed
my pardon with his blood hallelujah what a saviour He endured the
wrath of God, to which all the elect were liable. He stood in
their law place. He died, the just for the unjust,
and therefore none of the elect can ever be condemned. And not
only that, but he rose from the dead, which shows that the sacrifice
for their sins has been accepted. The debt has been paid in full. And if Christ has paid the price,
or the penalty for our sins, then who can condemn us? The Lord Jesus Christ is risen
from the dead. He is ascended to God's right
hand. And because of His resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ has an
unchangeable priesthood. That is what Paul says, isn't
it, in Hebrews? In Hebrews chapter 7 verse 24,
But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood,
wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them. Oh, we have one in heaven who
ever lives to intercede for us. Victory then is assured. Our faith cannot fail because
Christ cannot fail. His intercession cannot fail. And if any man sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ, shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? The fifth rhetorical
question. Paul is evidently speaking here of the love of the Lord Jesus
Christ to us who are his people. He answers the question in verse
37. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us. No one and nothing can separate
us from his love. The Apostle lists seven terrible
things which the elect may have to endure or experience in this
world or from the world. And as you know, seven is the
number of perfection or completion. The list begins with tribulation
and rises to sword. The Apostle begins with the least
and rises to the very worst. There are various degrees of
suffering, but none of these things separate us from the love
of Christ. Rather, the sufferings which
the people of God are called upon to endure from time to time
are as confirmations to them of the love of Christ, and the
love of Christ is manifested to them in all their trials,
in every trial. In chapter 5 Paul says, but we
glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience,
and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh
not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. The love of
Christ is manifested in the trial, and it is confirmed by the trial. to the Philippines, Paul writes,
and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them
an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and
that of God. For unto you it is given in the
behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer
for his sake. because it was given to these
believers to suffer for Christ's sake because they were being
made conformable unto his death it was an evident token of their
salvation and that of God the love of God was confirmed
to them it was confirmed to them even in the trial and through
the trial Yes, they were predestinated to be conformed to his image. Paul is encouraging the believers
here and he quotes from Psalm 44 as it is written, For thy
sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep
for the slaughter. This has been the common lot
of the people of God and even now that scripture is being fulfilled
in the suffering church in this present evil world. The Apostle then answers his
own rhetorical question with a nay. Nay, in all these things
we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Now the words
more than conquerors in the Greek are actually one word. Hyper-nicomen. Hyper-nicomen. Hyper-conquerors. hyper-conquerors, though all
may appear contrary, though there may be tribulation, distress,
persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword, yet the Christian
is more than a conqueror, the Christian is a hyper-conqueror. And not just when he is delivered
from these things, but when he is actually in these things. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us, the apostle
says. How so? Because all the trials
and the afflictions and the griefs and the torments and the opposition
from the world and from the flesh and from the devil, they are
all working together for his good. They are helpers of his
sanctification and therefore helpers of his salvation. Paul says in Hebrews, Furthermore,
we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave
them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily
for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, that he for
our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness. to the Corinthians
he writes, for which cause we faint not but though our outward
man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day for our
light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The believer in the Lord Jesus
Christ is a hyper-conqueror even in afflictions and distresses. And we know that it is not by
his own power or by his own strength that the Christian more than
conquers. No. It is through him that loved
us. It's through him that loved us. It is... Now it's put in the past tense.
Why is that? Him that loved us. Why is it in the past tense?
Well surely there is a reminder here of just how Christ has loved
us and how he has demonstrated that love. It points to the offering
that he has offered up, the atonement, the reconciliation which he has
made by his death and that by his blood. unto him
that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,"
John says in the Revelation. Again, it's there in the past
tense, pointing to how Christ has loved us. In Ephesians, Paul
writes, "...and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us,
and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to
God for a sweet-smelling sabre." Again, husbands, love your wives
even as Christ also loved, past tense, the church, and gave himself
for it. That's how he has loved his church. It is only through him, only
through him that the church triumphs. And it is only through him that
the individual believer triumphs. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Oh, having
loved us so well as to give Himself for us, to lay down His life
for us, to shed His blood for us, is there anything able to
separate us from His love? Anything in heaven, hell or earth? Absolutely not. This is Paul's
grand conclusion here at the end of Romans chapter 8. For
I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I don't think there is anything
else to be said, is there really? Paul has said it all under the
divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. What shall we then say
to these things? Amen.