Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayer for attention to the portion we read, Romans
chapter 8, and reading for our text, verse 34. Verse 34. 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. Romans 8 and verse 34. In the context of our text, there
are three questions that are asked. In verse 31, we are asked
this, who can be against us? And the answer put before, if
God before us, who can be against us? And then in verse 34, 33,
we read, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? And the answer, it is God that
justifieth. And our text, the third one,
who is he that condemneth? And the answer follows throughout
the verse. 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. This chapter begins with
a very beautiful declaration. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus. And so then that joins with our
text, who is he that condemneth? If we are found in Christ Jesus,
who is he? The answer is, there can be none
that condemn those that are in Christ Jesus. Our Lord Jesus
Christ answers every claim. whether that be Satan, whether
that be man, whether that be even a professed church or the
profane world, whoever it is where the Lord has taken away
that condemnation against his people, then there can be none
that bring a condemnation that remains and abides and is valid
and is the most blessed, sacred word. And I want to then look
at this word, this that is the hope of the people of God. It is the hope of the elect.
In verse 33, we have this clarified, who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect or We can describe it as that in verse
1, of them which are in Christ Jesus. God's people are chosen
in him before the foundation of the world, and they are predestinated
to in this life be conformed unto his image. How Christ was
in this world, so will they be. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. He suffered because of sins not
his own, and he knew what it was to endure the contradiction
of sinners against himself. And here it was that said, if
they have done these things in a green tree, What shall be done
in the dry? If they have persecuted me, they
will persecute you. But in this chapter, we have
then the foundation of this beautiful word of no condemnation for the
people of God. And I want before we look at
the really four points of this foundation in this verse, to
just look through the chapter. There are seven marks actually
of being in Christ or of being elect that are in this chapter. Remember, God doesn't mark out
his elect and say when they are born this one is elect and that
not. We know that it is the case when
they are born because we are told of that in the next chapter
or so regarding Esau and Jacob. Jacob have I loved, Esau have
I hated, before they were born, before they'd done good or evil. But that reveals to us of God's
eternal choice and the reason why some do believe and why some
are converted. And it is not a suggesting. that the Church of God or anyone
knows until they are called who God's elect are. Hence the gospel
is to be preached to everyone, to all creatures in every nation
and kindred and tongues. Impossible that the word should
just be preached to the elect. It is preached to all men. And we read with the early church
that when the word was preached, some believed the word spoken
and some believed not. And then in another place, as
many as were ordained unto eternal life believed. And there we have
a token of knowing those that are ordained to eternal life
in that they believe. The commission of our Lord was
to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptised
shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." But here
we have additional evidences throughout this chapter of that
which is wrought in the life of those that are converted,
those that are brought to believe, and therefore by their are known
to be the elect. The Apostle Paul has spoken in
the seventh chapter of the conflict between the flesh and the spirit,
and he's ascribed the deliverance from the wretched man that I
am as being through the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Well, when the Lord blesses a
soul, it will affect the whole of that person. And so we read
of those that are in Christ in this chapter, that it affects
how they walk. We have in verse four, that the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit. So there is the first
mark, and one would expect this because we are told that the
gift and the blessing through the Lord Jesus Christ is that
he is exalted to give repentance and remission of sins unto Israel. Repentance is a change, to change
the heart, renew the will, turn the feet to Zion's hill, and
there will be a difference in the walk, the conduct, when under
grace and the teaching of the Holy Spirit. And then we have
in verse 6, we have the mind affected as well. For to be calmly
minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. The apostle had said in verse
25 of the previous chapter, in the deliverance from the body
of death that he felt to have the sin working in his members
as a sinner, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then
with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the
flesh the law of sin. Then we have, in verse 13, a being by the Spirit mortifying
the deeds of the body. Everyone, God's children, and
God's children especially, are aware of the deeds of the body,
that they are in possession of a deceitful and wicked heart,
that they have sin that dwells in their members, that works
in their members, and that it brings forth fruit unto death,
all the time seeking after evil things. And so we read, 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. And so it is mark
of the possession of the Spirit and through the Spirit, that
the sin is mortified. That is, that instead of going
in the way of the sin, there's a struggling against it and a
seek to walk in the ways of the Lord instead. A turning of going
the opposite way, though the flesh is kicking and rebelling
against it. It is not mortifying the deeds
of the flesh by the deeds of the flesh. Then we have in verse 14, being
led, and this we are very clearly told is a mark of being the sons
of God. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, They are the sons of God. A very clear mark. The Lord says, my sheep they
hear, my voice they follow me. And the Holy Spirit reveals of
Christ, and it is the power of God, the spirit that worketh
in the people of God. Then we have in verse 15, the
spirit of adoption, ye have not received the spirit of bondage
or going to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father. God's elect are his children,
and they will be brought here below to know that they are his
children, to know that they have a heavenly Father, to value that,
to have great comfort in that, and to be part of his living
family. Then we have in verse 23 that
they are waiting, they're waiting for the redemption of the body. It is not just the soul that
is redeemed, it is the body. The apostle, when he writes to
the Corinthians and he says forth the wonderful doctrine of the
resurrection from the dead, he says, if in this life only we
have hope in Christ, We have all men most miserable. One of
the marks in Hebrews of true faith is those that have faith,
they confess that they are strangers and pilgrims here below. They
know that this is not our rest, it is polluted, and they seek
for that which is above. And the apostle says that we
grow, not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon. that death
might be swallowed up in victory. And so we wait for that redemption,
that great day when the dead in Christ arise first, when we
shall be forever with the Lord, body and soul united. And then we have in verse 26,
the Spirit helping our infirmities, helping us in prayer, helping
us by making intercession for us, even with groanings which
cannot be uttered. A living soul that just doesn't
have a form of prayer only, but breathes that prayer from the
inner man. And this is the blessing, of
course, what was mentioned to the Apostle Paul or concerning
the Apostle Paul. Behold, he prayeth, not like
a Pharisee, as he no doubt As the Pharisee of a Pharisee, she
is very good at praying in that way, but to be brought to pray
in the spirit as a broken-hearted sinner, the sacrifices of God
are broken and a contrite heart, God will not despise. And then
we have one which we would bring as a last gathering together,
and that is in verse 28. We know that all things work
together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. And there we have again, election
is known by calling. And this verse proceeds a beautiful
chain. It goes from the foreknowledge
of God, and it then goes to glorifying the people of God. In verse 29,
for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son. That's how they would be in this
world, conformed to his image, 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, were counted guiltless and freed from condemnation.
And whom he justified them, he also glorified. And then we have
the three questions that we had at the beginning. So when we
look through this chapter, we are getting mark after mark of
the election of God. Not in the secret hidden will
of God, but in that which is wrought in the lives, in the
souls, in the minds, in the thoughts, in the affections, in the very
being, the subjects of the work of God, when they are called
by grace and found in Christ Jesus. And it is to them that
this question is asked in our text, 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. And our attention is
drawn here, not to that which is in our life, as we have spoken
of these marks, no doubt there's been many of you, myself included,
which have, as well as finding it comforting, have found us
searching. Do we really mortify the spirit? Do we really walk after the spirit
and not after the flesh? We're very mindful of how imperfect
all of our walk is. But when we look at these things
that the Lord hath wrought in us, and without his grace, without
his work, we would have nothing of that. The dead, they know
nothing. Now when the Lord calls his people
by grace, he doesn't say to them, now I've called you by grace,
I will now look at your life, and your life must be perfect. And as far as it's perfect, you'll
be saved. But if it's not, then you're
not saved. No, he says, I've called you.
And I've called you because you are my people, and it is because
of what I have done. what Jesus Christ has done for
you. That is your title for heaven.
Not you turn back and look at your calling and look at your
life and your good works after you've been called. No, it is the comfort of the
people of God that their eyes are upon Christ, upon what he
has done, his perfection, not our imperfections. The dear martyrs,
when they died, they didn't look back when they're in the flames
and look back over their lives and speaking well of their lives
and what they've done or even giving their body to be burned.
No, they looked solely to Christ. Many of them, they read Psalm
51, a psalm of confession and repentance and
a psalm of looking solely to Christ as a sinner for mercy
and redemption and deliverance. And so at the end of this chapter,
we are directed in the same way. And so I want to look just briefly
at the four parts of our text The answer to who is he that
condemneth? The first is this, it is Christ
that died. What has that to do with condemnation? Our Lord was condemned and yet
Pilate said, I see no cause of death in him. He could not see
it. But the Lord said that he laid
down his life for the sheep, and that his father gave him
this commandment so to do. His sacrifice was to fulfil all
of the sacrifices that were typical of that one sacrifice that had
been offered throughout the years by Israel, the blood of bulls
and of goats. They could never put away sin,
but they pointed to the one sacrifice that could. a wrath-appeasing
sacrifice. The Lord demands that without
the shedding of blood, there is no remission. And here it
is, Christ that died, not just anyone, but Christ. Christ the
God-man, God and man in one person, a perfect man, a man in whom
there was no sin, a man who had no reason why death should ever
hold him, or that he ever had to die, as you and I must die. He was born under the law, but
not under the condemnation of the law in himself, as he had
not sinned. But he took the punishment, he
took the sins of his people, his father took them, he hath
laid on him the iniquity of us all. And so when it is Christ
that died, it is saying the payment has been made by Christ. How can his people be condemned
to death when already the payment has been made good? How can it
be that he demanded the hand of Christ and demanded our hand
as well? It is Christ that died. The sacrifice
of our Lord was a full payment. In the book of Proverbs and throughout
the Word of God, the teaching for the children of Israel was
that God demanded that there be a just weight and a just balance,
that it was answered exactly. You know, when you and I go to
buy something in a shop, we pay the amount that is asked for
it. We do not pay less, they do not
expect that we pay more. And so it is with the payment
that was required to put away sin. It was by the sacrifice
of a substitute, by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ as a
perfect sacrifice. So we have the first that is
to be of great comfort for the people of God, that it is Christ
that died. We have a very bold word in Psalm
80, I believe verse 17. Let thy hand be upon the man
of thy right hand, the son of man, whom thou madest strong
for thyself. A guilty sinner looking for thee,
substitute to take the punishment instead. Isaac taken off the
altar, the ram put in his place. Isaac did not to be put on the
altar again. The ram had been offered. The sacrifice, the one sacrifice
was sufficient. So it is Christ that died. And this is why The Church of
God must remember, in the ordinances that our Lord Jesus Christ gave
to her, the dying of the Lord, buried with him by baptism into
death, and then risen again in newness of life. Our chapter
here speaks of that newness of life. But also the ordinance
of the Lord's Supper, ye do show forth the Lord's death, till
he come. This do in remembrance of me. It is Christ that died is the
message the Church of God has never to forget. Their attention
is drawn to Christ. Out of self, the hymn writer
says, to Jesus lead. And that's where we need to be
led. That is where there is comfort
and hope and rest for a sinner, not in ourselves, not in our
works, not even in our calling, but in Christ. The second is this, yea, rather
that is risen again. While it is vital that Christ
died, that his blood was shed, that atonement was made for sin,
for that to be shown, that it was effectual for the people
of God to raise them from death to life, then the Lord Jesus
Christ must rise again. We said before that there was
no cause of death in Him, the law had no command over Him,
and if He'd have been a mere man, He would never have risen
from the dead. No one has ever risen from the
dead to die no more and never by their own power. It is the
Lord alone that did that, the one and only time that he has
then suffered and by his own power raised again. We read that God hath given assurance
unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead. And empty too is God's seal and
pledge that the payment was accepted The sacrifice was effectual,
and that through the Lord Jesus Christ, life shall be given to
his people. The Lord says, I give unto them
eternal life, they shall never perish, neither shall any man
pluck them out of mine hand. And he is the first begotten
from the dead, he is the first fruits, the first one that has
risen, And his will is that his dear people be given that life
that he has to give and be with him in heaven. And so the two
are joined together, and as we mentioned before, they join together
in the ordinance of baptism. For a candidate to remain under
the water in baptism would be death, but to be raised up again
out of the water is life. And so it is with the conviction
of sin, for one to just remain under the law and under conviction
of sin. That soul never has liberty or
joy or freedom from condemnation in their soul. But where the
Lord has begun a good work in a sinner's heart, that time will
come. It may be an encouragement to
those of you that groan under a body of death. That time will
come, the Lord will give that sweet liberty and will bring
you up from under that curse of the law. You know He is most
precious to me. Many years ago when the Lord
did this for me, the third verse in this chapter, for what the
law could not do, and I've proved that for a long time, years,
in that it was weak through the flesh. I still prove it. God
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemns
sin in the flesh. And we prove that what the law
could not do. By the law is the knowledge of
sin, but the law will never give liberty, never give joy, never
give life. The law condemns, the law brings
in guilty, but the Lord Jesus Christ speaks different words. What a difference that was with
a woman taken in adultery. Moses in the law commands that
such should be stoned, but what sayest thou? Now the Lord says,
neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. After he
had convinced all of those who were accusers in their own consciences
that they were just as much sinners as what she was. And we read
in Hebrews 12, that we are not come unto the mount that might
be touched, that burneth with fire, but unto the heavenly Jerusalem. The difference between law and
gospel. And may we know that blessed
liberty. The law, the apostle says, when
the commandment came, sin revived and I died. The law. that which was ordained
unto life, a stepping stone to point to Christ, he first found
to be unto death, unto condemnation. But then, when he had proved
there was no hope in self, when he had proved that the righteousness
that was required could not be supplied through the law, then
was opened up to him the blessedness a risen Christ and life in him
alone. So first it is that Christ, it
is Christ that died. And secondly, yea rather that
is risen again. But then thirdly, not only did
he rise from the dead, but he also ascended up into heaven,
who is even at the right hand of God. We have this witness
in the gospels, How after appearing to the disciples for 40 days,
the Lord led them out as far as to Bethany. He lifted up his
hands, he blessed them, and then he was parted from them and carried
up into heaven. And the angel appeared standing
with the apostles. He says, why stand ye gazing
up into heaven? This same Jesus, which has been
taken up into heaven, shall so come in like manner. But the
Lord has said, I must needs go away. If I go not away, then
the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father, will not come
unto you. I will pray the Father, and he
will give you another spirit, another comforter, which shall
abide with you forever. And that was shown 10 days after
his ascension into heaven, when the Holy Spirit descended and
with cloven tongues of fire, and they spoke with different
languages and tongues that could be clearly understood by those
in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost. And the apostles with great power
gave witness to the Lord, and in preaching of the gospel many
thousands were brought under conviction of the guilt of slaying
and killing the Lord Jesus Christ. and then brought to repentance
and godly sorrow, baptised and continued with them in breaking
of bread or the Lord's Supper. The Lord is of the right hand
of the Father, a lamb as it had been slain. He is in the position
of authority and power. He is in the position of which
in the times Mordecai was, speaking peace to all his seed, in the
position that Joseph was next unto Pharaoh, speaking for his
people, giving them the best of the land of Goshen, and appearing
for them in the highest court in Egypt. So is our Lord's position
in heaven at the right hand of God. Not only is his position
there, that we read in the fourth place, who also maketh intercession
for us. His position there is to appear
in the presence of God for us. He is our great high priest,
appearing in the holiest of all, within the veil for us. He is
our advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, a
voice that speaks for us, in heaven's high court for good. Who is he that condemneth? It
is the Lord, not only that has died, not only that is risen
again, not only that is ascended up at the right hand of the Father,
but he also makes intercession for us. He speaks on our behalf. He speaks with authority and
speaks with power. And if Joseph had power to bring
his father and his whole family to be with him, and to place
them in the best of Egypt, how much more has the Lord that authority
and power to enact what he prayed on earth? Father, I will that
they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they
may behold my glory. is not for a sinner to plead
his own cause. Christ pleased their cause for
them and in the highest court that there could ever be. This
is to be the comfort of the people of God. You notice where our
text stands in this most beautiful chapter. We mentioned of the
three questions that were asked there. If God be for us, who
can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Who is he that condemneth? And
then we have these beautiful four parts in this verse, this
34th verse, all centering in Christ. What he has done on earth,
how he has ascended up into heaven, how he makes intercession. After
that, we have these beautiful words, who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? And the strength, the security,
the blessedness of a position in Christ, because what Christ
has done for us is so reinforced in all that follows. Those things
that are in this life, those things that we shall certainly
come against, tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness,
peril or sword, shall these separate? When Christ has died for us,
risen again, and is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession? No. For thy sake we are killed
all the day long. Counted his sheep for the slaughter,
but knowing all these things, we are more than conquerors through
him that loved us, not in ourselves. Willing to suffer all these things,
willing to go through all these things, realising the victory
is already obtained. It is already secured. the persuasion
of the Apostle. No wonder when we read of the
Apostle's life and all the things he went through. 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. or how I desire to lift up a
precious Christ, to point you to Christ, to cause you to see
the security, the comfort that is in Him and Him alone. Our life is secure in Him. It is what He has done, what
He has accomplished. and what he is doing for us and
that which he has willed that we should be with him at last. The apostle sees this very, very
clearly and may we see it clearly. May we see and know his work
in us and by faith view that the reason why that is in us
is for what Christ has done for us and is doing for us. that
he is ours, and he is that voice that speaks for us in heaven's
high court for good. The Lord then blessed this word
to us. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea, brother, that is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us. The Lord at his blessing.