Help us to be careful to give
you thanks and praise and glory for all these things. Forgive us our sins. Cleanse
us of our unrighteousness. We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen. Alright, if you take your Bibles
again and turn with me to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. A text is going to be found in
verse 38 and 39. I know we went over this somewhat
at the very end of the message last time, but I think I went
through it very speedily. And I kind of want to go through
it a little slower. Romans chapter 8 and verse 38
says, Paul says, 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. The persuasion of Christ's love. The persuasion of Christ's love. Paul says, I am persuaded of
two things. Paul says by this phrase, I am
persuaded, he is telling us he is convinced of two things. First of all, he is convinced
that he is justified by God. And secondly, he is convinced
of the power of God to keep him in the love of Jesus Christ. And the apostle by the Holy Spirit
has displayed to every believer the triumph we have over every
difficulty, every affliction, every enemy, every objection
to our salvation both within and without. And that is this,
here is what the apostle has displayed, that we have been
justified by God. Look back in your text, he says,
verse 33, 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 dieth. In other words, he is convinced
of this, that there is no sin of ours that will ever be charged
to us. There is no sin with which God
shall condemn one of his elect. That is because God Himself has
justified us. God Himself, in sovereign mercy,
before the world began, chose us to be holy. He purposed us to be without
sin. Thus we cannot be charged, even
because in the covenant of grace, it was His purpose that Christ
should bear our iniquity that Christ should pay the penalty
for our sins in First Peter chapter 1 it says in verse 18 it says
for as much as you know This is something you know You are
redeemed You are bought Not with corruptible things as silver
and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition of your
father. You're not bought by something tangible, something
that you can... Normally we buy anything. We
buy it with gold. We buy it with something... We buy it by our merits. You
have somebody that you owe something and they say, well, let me mow
your grass for you. You bought that merit. He said,
you're not redeemed that way. You're redeemed with the precious
blood of Jesus Christ. As of a lamb without blemish
and without spot, listen, who truly was foreordained before
the world, foundation of the world, but was manifest in these
last times. He was ordained for this. Christ
was purposed to make us holy, to redeem us. And we went over
this last time. What is the grounds and pillar
of our justification? How do we know we are without
sin before God? Now look in the mirror and what
do you see? You and I see sin. And we're
not pretending it doesn't exist. There's many religions that just
say, well, we don't see it at all. Well, that's hogwash. You
know that's not true. We know it by our own experience.
We have seen it. We do see it. And so, well, there it goes. This thing
leaped out for a second. We know this, that Christ has
died for our sins. That's the grounds of my justification
is Christ died. And not only did He die, He provided
a perfect righteousness for us. So then there's no condemnation
because He removed our sin. Listen to what David said. David
said, as far as the east is from the west, Now can you imagine
the distance? Go as far east as you will and
go as far west as you will and never the two will meet. Now
listen, so far has He removed our sins from us. Christ bore
our sins. But how do we know He was successful? Well look what it says, Christ
died in verse 34, yea rather was risen again. There's the
other one, He rose again, God proved His success. Christ died for our sins according
to Scripture, was buried and rose again the third day according
to the Scripture. And we are justified because
He rose again. And thirdly, we are justified
because Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Now you listen,
your high priest, your mediator, God raised him from the dead,
proving his success, but not only, how successful was he? We measure success in various
degrees, don't we? Listen, he was so successful
that God sat him on the throne of heaven. God glorified his
son, our high priest. He said in John 17 verse 4, I
have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do. I finished it. Glorify me. Glorify me with the glory which
I had before the world was. The Apostle speaks of this work
over in Hebrews. Over in Hebrews he talks about
rest, Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4 he says, for
we which believe. We do enter into that rest. Now what rest is he talking about?
He's talking about the rest of Christ. When Christ died and
rose again and was ascended to the Father, He sat down, signifying He had finished the
work. Now in the Old Testament they
were types of this. The Sabbath day, the Sabbath
day, when God created the world, the scripture says on the seventh
day, He ceased from His work. In other words, there was no
more creating to do. He created all that was going to be created,
and He stopped creating. Why? He was done. Even so, Jesus
Christ is our Sabbath, because He, when He finished that work
of our redemption, He sat down. He sat down. And so what do we
do? For we are entered into His rest. He ceased from His works as God
did from His. Let us therefore labor to enter
into that rest. How do you labor? You labor by
faith. You labor by throwing off all
merits and all your self-worth and looking only to Him. You
labor to enter into that rest. And Christ is our rest. He finished
the work. He sat down. And the fourth thing
is this, He ever lives to make intercession for us. Knowing
this, that we were born in sin and still have this old nature
of sin. We are prone to sin. Every one
of God's people are still prone to every sin. Therefore we need
this constant intercession of Jesus Christ. His constant pleading
for our mercy, for our forgiveness. That's why John said this. If
we say we have no sin, you're a liar. I know this spiritually. He has removed my sin and God
doesn't see it, but I do. I feel it. I feel the guilt and
the weight of my sins. But I know this, He constantly
cleanses me of my sin. If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us all our sins. And cleanseth, He cleanseth us
from all our unrighteousness. So when we still feel the guilt
of our sin, Our comfort is this, that He ever lives to make intercession
for us. And this should all settle our
doubts of inward conflict. This matter of justification
has to deal with the inward conflict of the believer. The feelings
of our guilt, the unrest. I know this, when we sin we feel
as though sometimes, as though God has left. We feel as though
God has forsaken us. And we bow our heads and we say,
if you do leave me, you have every right to do it. I know
I feel that guilt, but I know this, this is my rest, this is
my comfort. It's God that justified me. Not
based on anything I've done, but based on what Christ did
for me. He died for me. He rose again
from the dead for me. He is now ascended to the heavens
and I am seated together with Him. And He ever lives to make
intercession for us. This is our comfort. And this should prove to us then
the next thing, as Paul says in verse 35, who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? Who's going to separate us from
the love of Christ? If God justified you, if your
sins have been removed, then how in the world is anything
outside now going to separate you? And that's what Paul's going
to deal with in this next section, is all of the things outside. The first thing deals with the
conflict within, the second deals with the conflicts without. He
asks this, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril,
or sword. He's saying all of these things
are happening outside of you. And the answer is no. Although
our life we are made to suffer, Listen, I know that modern preachers
are nothing more than used car salesmen. They think, they keep
telling you, well, if you just accept Jesus and you just live
good, then everything's going to go well with you. Listen,
if it's true, if you do receive Christ, if you have believed
on Christ, I'm here to tell you, everything in this world is going
to go ill for you. You will suffer. Look what it says, as it is written,
for thy sake we are killed all the day long. If you're going
to follow Christ, I'll tell you this, you are going to live a
life of suffering. It's just so. All the day long we are counted
as sheep for the slaughter. And this is exactly how it appears
to the world. When they view the church, they
see us as nothing but sheep counted for the slaughter. Why? Because we submit. We submit
to the providence and will of Him that rules all things after
the counts of His own will. Whatever's happening to me is
His will. That's just it. And what are
we? I'm just His sheep. I'm going to follow Him. You
know what the world looks at that? They look at that as weak. They think, that's just stupid. Why don't you just pick yourself
up? Why? I'm following Him. And to the world we look weak.
There was a nobleman in Rome. And he said this about Christians.
He said, the only people they can get to follow them are sick,
weak, and pathetic people. And you know what? He's right.
Because only the sick need healing. Only sinners need saving. And I'll tell you, there's nothing
more pathetic than a sinner. And that's what we are, sinners.
Any sinners? Are there any sinners? We need
Christ. That's true. And this is how
it appears before the world, we're like sheep for the slaughter.
But look what Paul says, he says, no, look at verse 37, no, this
is how it appears, this is how it feels, but this is not how
it really is. Listen, no, in all things, in
suffering, in sickness, in sorrow, in grief, in pain, in death,
in everything, you are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. You are more than conquerors
through His merits, through His righteousness, through His blood,
through His resurrection. Through His continual, constant
mediation before God, we are triumphant over all our foes,
over every affliction, over every disease, over every illness,
over every... We are triumphant. Does that
mean we're gonna be healed in the body? No. But I'll tell you
this, even in death, what happens to us? What happens to you in
death? You're victorious, aren't you?
Sometimes we are victorious in these things. We overcome these
sicknesses and these difficulties they try through him who loved
us. That's how we overcome these
things. When you got the cold, when you got COVID, how'd you
overcome that? Through him who loved us. And if you died with
it, guess what? You overcame through him who
loved us. Either way you overcome. We are triumphant in all these
things. Let us with these words then fight the good fight of
faith. Let us by faith take every thought captive. When something ill happens to
the believer, you've got a contrary thought, don't you? The flesh has a contrary thought
of how things should go. Well, I thought it should go
like this. What should you do? Take that thought captive and
kill it. Believer in Christ, though we
are sheep, we are still seated in the very
presence of all our foes. I like that in Psalm 23. I think about that. He prepares
a table before us. Where? In the presence of our
enemies. You ever imagine a shepherd leading
a sheep into the middle of a wolf's den and setting them down right
there? That's exactly what He's done for us. Look around you.
We're in a wolf's den. There's wolves all around us.
Troubles, trials, difficulties, pains, sorrows, griefs, all around
us. And it's though Christ sets us
there to defy them, to dare them to assault His people. Christ, his word, defies our
foes, defies our enemies of earth, the legions of hell, so that
none can separate us from his love. None of them. You remember in Job, who picked
the fight? Was it Satan or God? God came to Satan, he said, hast
thou seen my servant Job? Who's the one started this? You
bet God did. And God, what was the end of
that for Job? It was pain and suffering, but
in the end, you know it was better. He learned about his God. Now
then, he would get to our text. Look at this. Paul said, I'm
persuaded. And Paul said, I'm persuaded that we are more than
conquerors. I'm persuaded. The apostle here shows his own
personal interest by declaring his persuasion of the immutable
love of God. Paul said, I'm persuaded of God's
love that will never depart from me. He said, I'm persuaded that God's
love will never depart from any believer. I'm persuaded of this. I'm persuaded that no believer
need fear of the lack of God's presence, love, or power to support
you. You need God's presence? You
need God's mercy? His love? Paul said, I'm persuaded
that you won't lack any of it. I'm persuaded. He said, I'm totally
sold out to this truth. That's what it means to be persuaded.
I am totally sold out to this truth that no matter who or what
seeks to remove you from the love of God, they shall fail.
Now this language of Paul is not based in a theory or traditions
or opinions, but rather his experience. His experience that his perseverance
and preservation are confidently based in the truth that he knew
himself. Who taught the Apostle Paul this
gospel? It was actually the Lord Jesus
Christ in person that taught him. It was divine revelation. And so it is with you and me.
If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, listen, you are persuaded
because God himself by the Holy Spirit has taught you these things. You know these things. They aren't
just theoretical things. You know them experimentally. This persuasion of the Apostle
Paul is one every believer in Christ possesses, which is nothing
less than this, faith. Paul says, I'm persuaded. You
know what he's saying? I believe. I believe. I am fully sold out
to faith in this. Go to 2 Timothy chapter 1. Go
to 2 Timothy chapter 1. Notice he's going to use the
same language in this chapter. 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse
12. Paul says this, ìFor which cause
I also suffer these things?î And what did I tell you before
about suffering? If you believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, you're
going to suffer. Now pay attention. If you proclaim to believe what
I preach to you, you will not be liked of men. You will not
be accepted of them. This religious world will hate
you and you will suffer persecution. That's what Paul did. He would
not bend the knee to their false religion. Therefore, I suffer
these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed. We suffer, yet we are not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ. Listen, I'm not ashamed to preach
the gospel of Christ. Pay attention because this is
the gospel. Here it is. That man is absolutely, completely
depraved. Born in this world, dead as a
doornail. can't please God, don't want
to please God, can never come to Christ. He is absolutely depraved. But here is the hope that God
before sin, before the world, chose a people to save. He chose
a people in sovereign mercy to save them and gave them to His
Son. And in this covenant between
the Father and the Son, the Son agreed to be their Savior. And then Christ came into this
world and in great victory saved them. You know who He saved? He saved everyone the Father
gave Him. How many is that? I don't know.
But I know it's every one of them. Everyone the Father gave
Him, He saved them. He did it. It's done. The work
is finished. He saved His people from their
sins. His blood, His righteousness
was given to them. And we preach this victory that
His resurrection is proof of His success. And He sits on the
throne working all things after the counsel of His own will.
We preach these things. We are persuaded of these things.
And so Paul said this, I'm not ashamed to preach the gospel
for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded. I know whom I believe and am
persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed
unto him against that day. And I know this, when the gospel
is preached and God's people hear it, they'll come. I'm not
ashamed to preach that. I know this, whosoever will,
come. I know when a person hears the
gospel, he doesn't come by his own will, he comes by the will
of the Father. He comes by the power of God.
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. We proclaim that all who come
to Christ by faith shall never perish, never be charged or condemned
or separated from God's love because of this. I know whom
I believe. I know whom, not what. You know,
you can memorize a doctrine. Kathy, your children, they've
been often to catechism, haven't they? Jerry, everybody, your
children have been to the catechism. They memorized it. All of these
things I'm telling you, they could probably eventually, you
show it to them again, they'll probably, oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
I remember. But we don't come to a catechism, we don't come
to a doctrine, we come to a person. I know whom I have believed.
Therefore, because I know whom I have believed, I am persuaded. I'm persuaded of His power, I'm
persuaded of His blood, I'm persuaded of His righteousness, I am persuaded
that He is able to keep me. He is able, I'm persuaded of
Him. I'm not persuaded of a what, I'm persuaded of a who, Christ. If you know not Christ, you'll
never have any confidence of this. But if you know Him, you
have all the confidence you need. Are you persecuted? Are you in
trouble? Then look to whom you have believed. Christ. Are you persuaded of
His success? Are you persuaded of His immutable
love? You are if you know Him. Many times it was like Peter.
When Peter walked out on the water, you remember he was doing
just fine so long as he looked at the Savior. But the moment
he took his eyes off of the Savior, he began to sink. Believer, the
moment we take our eyes off of Christ, the world in trouble
close in and we sink. Keep your eyes upon whom you
have believed. He saved us, He called us, He
justified us, and it's His ability alone that keeps us. Now listen,
the false church of today, they have a general understanding,
a general belief of the promises of God, but they have no security.
They have no security. They generally believe that God
loves everybody, but they really don't know if God loves them. They believe that Christ died
for everybody, they just don't have any clue if He really died
for them or not. So when you ask them questions
like, where will you go when you die? Will you go to heaven? They say, well, I'm trying. You
ever heard that? I'm doing the best I can. Will
God receive you when you die? Well, I was baptized. I joined
the church. My mom and dad are Christian.
They'll try and find anything, but none of that gives any assurance,
does it? When they answer, it sounds more
like a question. Well, I was baptized. Are you asking me? No, they don't have any confidence. But we who know Christ, We who
ourselves have fled to Christ for refuge and laid hold of that hope of
glory. He is our confidence. He is our
peace with God. The Word of God says, we have
a strong consolation. Now, when you ask a believer,
what is your consolation? What is your comfort? How do
you know that you will be received? Two things. God's counsel and
His oath. God's counsel and His oath. Go to Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews
chapter 6. This is the kind of confidence
you get when you know whom you have believed. When you're persuaded
of Christ, this is the confidence you have that you will be received
into heaven. Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 16.
He said, ìFor men truly swear by a greater, and an oath of
confirmation is to them an end of strife.î Isnít that right?
You have two guys, theyíre arguing together, and then they have
a covenant, an oath. They say, ìWell, I promise.î
And this one says, ìI promise.î And they say, ìWell, thatís an
end of strife.î Two honest men get together and they promise,
and thatís the end of it. Well, He says, ìWeíre in God
willing more.î Not to just give you a promise. Not to just say,
well, I promise. That's not what he says. Willing
more abundantly to show to the heirs of promise two things. The immutability of his counsel. Confirmed it with an oath. God's counsel is immutable. When God determines to do something,
He does it. Everything that's happening right
now is what God determined to happen in eternity. His counsel is immovable. Everything that happens doesn't
thwart His counsel. It actually accomplishes what
He promises to do. But He didn't just say, My counsel.
He said this, I swear. Now God can't lie. But yet God,
for your sakes, did something that He didn't really need to
do. He said, I swear. I swear, an oath, that by two
immutable things, it's impossible for God to lie, that we might
have a strong comfort who have fled for refuge to lay hold on
the hope set before us. God says, I swear. He's counseling
His oath. Both are immutable. that we who
have fled to Christ, we who are persuaded of Christ, we who know
Christ may have comfort and assurance, because for us to be lost, God's
counsel has to fail and He has to lie. You see how sure this is? That's
why Paul said, I'm persuaded. Because God's counsel will not
fail and God cannot lie. God chose me. Christ redeemed
me. The Spirit called me. The Spirit
keeps me. Who then shall separate me from
His love? I'm persuaded of this, are you?
Have you fled to Christ for refuge? I thought about Noah. For Noah
to get in that ark, he had to be persuaded that ark was able. Did he hesitate? He was persuaded. Not necessarily
that piece of that boat. He wasn't persuaded of that boat.
He was persuaded of God who told him to make it. He was persuaded
of God that that was a picture of Christ. It was a picture of
his refuge. And so we who have fled to Christ
like Noah, we have fled to Christ. And we find in Him all our hope. Therefore we can say with Paul
this, I am persuaded. I'm persuaded. Have you been
persuaded of God the Holy Spirit concerning Christ? It is by faith we take The provisions of justification
and the immutable love of God. And we cling to it with all our
hearts. All my hope is in Christ. All of it. I don't have any confidence
in me. I don't have any confidence in
you. My confidence of being accepted is Christ only. Only. So we who are saved, we who believe
in Christ alone, listen, we may defy anyone who opposes us. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? All who are persuaded who believe
on Christ alone, no matter the greatness of our faith or the
weakness of our faith. You know, listen, the greatness
of your faith doesn't keep you in Christ. But listen to this, neither does
the weakness of your faith separate you from Christ. Because it doesn't
have anything to do with you. It's all in Him. It's all in Him. And listen,
I'm going to tell you some things I'm persuaded of. The same thing
that Paul is persuaded of, I'm a sinner. Are you persuaded of
that? I am thoroughly 100% convinced
of what I am. I am the sinner. We by nature were born this way,
we were corrupt. You weren't born good and became
evil. You were born evil and became
worse. The Scripture says the thoughts
of the imagination of the hearts of man are evil continually. Isaiah said your righteousness,
your best religious efforts are as menstrual clothes. That's
what we are. I'm convinced of that. Are you? See, I don't know if you know
this about yourself, but I know this about myself. That's true.
That's who we are. I'm 100 convinced. I'm convinced
of that. But I'm also persuaded that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh to save me. I know that Jesus
is God. Do you know that? Do you know
that Jesus Christ, that man who was born 2,000 years ago, is
God manifest in the flesh? Jesus himself said this, If you
believe not that I am. That phrase, I am, is the same
thing He said to Moses in the Old Testament. I am. If you believe
not that I am God, you will die in your sins. I'm persuaded that
He's God. Are you? He is the eternal Son
of the living God. One with the Spirit and the Father.
John says, Every spirit that confesseth Christ is, Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh as of God. He is God manifest in the flesh.
Now why in the world would God come in the flesh? Why would
God condescend to become a man? Because you and I needed a representative
man. We had one in Adam. Adam was
our representative, and when he failed and died, we all failed. Even so, this representative
man, when he came into the world, when he succeeded, all of his
people succeeded. When he saved them, all of them
were saved. He was our representative. And therefore, I know this, I
am persuaded that everyone the Holy Spirit intends to call,
they will flee to Him. If God ever convinces you you're
a sinner, you ain't got no place else to go, only then will you
flee to Christ. When you got some place else
to go, you'll go. If you got some other refuge to go to, you'll
go to. Wait until God destroys all your refuges, all of your
religion. He's got to destroy your religion.
When God destroys your religion, you ain't got no place else to
go to, you'll be like that. That demoniac who comes to him,
what do we have to do with thee? That's how we come to Christ,
come as a sinner. And what does Christ do? He causes
that evil to depart. And that demoniac, nobody could
tame. That evil sinner, nobody could
tame. Where do you find him? You find him at the feet of Christ.
That's where you find me. sinner. When God calls a sinner, he comes
to the feet of Christ and he doesn't go anywhere else. I came to Christ, I knew this.
He had every right to kill me. He had every right to condemn
me. but I found mercy. Come to Christ, listen, that's
what you'll find. I'm persuaded of that, aren't
you? I'm persuaded of that. Why? Because that's what I found.
I know that. If thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. according to the counsel
and the oath of God. I'm persuaded that. Are you? You fled to Christ? If you are, have you ever stopped
coming to Christ? You that came to Christ, you
ever stop coming to Christ? What are you doing here? Why
did you come to hear this message again tonight? You didn't come
to listen to me. You came to flee to Him. You came to hear Him again. You
came to feel His presence and pardon and mercy and blood and
know this, you that are in Him, I'm persuaded that nothing is
going to separate you from His love. Look what Paul says, go back
to your text. Paul said this, I'm persuaded. If you're in Christ,
you can be persuaded of this. If you're a sinner, in need of
mercy, and you come to him, listen, you can be persuaded of this
too. I'm persuaded that neither death, I told you this last time,
it begins with the worst. What's the worst thing that can
happen to you? You can die. Okay? Well, he said that ain't
gonna separate you. Not death shall separate us.
Death is the result of sin and the sting of death is removed. Death is real, it's solemn, and
it's final. That's true. Isn't it final? He that is unjust, let him be
unjust still. He that is filthy, let him be
filthy still. He that is righteous, let him be righteous still. However
you die is how you're going to be forever. It's final. But for
us who are in Christ, listen to what God said. Precious in
the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Why is that? Why is that precious to God?
I know it's contrary to us. But it's precious to God. Why?
Because death ushers His people into eternal glory. Into the
very presence of Christ. Where we enjoy His presence and
the fullness of this love. This love we keep talking about.
This love that we can't be separated from. Do you really know how
much He loves you? Can you comprehend how much He
loves you? You can't. Not till you die.
And when you die, you then experience the fullness of that love. So
death can't separate you from the love of God. Listen, no life. That means anything happens in
life. Death can't separate us from
the love of God. Neither can life. I got this one illustration about
death I thought was really good. There was a believer in Christ
during the Middle Ages in the Roman Catholic Church. And there
was this one prosecutor who was the most violent prosecutor. And when these believers were
brought to the stake, One of them asked for a drink. And they brought him a drink,
and he drank to his fellow sufferers, saying, Be merry, my brethren,
and lift up your hearts to God, for after this sharp breakfast,
I trust we shall have a good dinner in the kingdom of God. With those words, he grabbed
the straw and he held it to his breast as he's ready to be burned
He says, look, this is the armor of God. They burned him in the
stake and he had dinner that night with Christ. Did death
separate him from the love of Christ? No, it ushered him into
the love of Christ. Shall life, all the things in
life? No, because we know who controls
all things in this life. Who does it? Who controls all
things in this life? The one who loves you. the one
who loves you. Listen what Nebuchadnezzar learned,
he said this, the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing
and he doeth according to his will and the armies of heaven
among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand
or say what doeth thou. Can't do it. Therefore all that is done in
this life is ruled by his sovereign hand And all providence of this
life is meant not to separate you, but rather to draw you. Our salvation. Did God not move
all things to bring you to Himself? He did, didn't He? All the providences
of your life had led you to that point. All of your failures, all of
your wickedness, all of your vileness, all of that thing that
you defied God with, all of your vain religion, all of that led
you right to the point where God brought you to Himself. How
then shall He not give us all things? If He gave us His Son,
how shall He not freely give us all things He promised in
this life? Angels, principalities, or power,
Angels, fallen or otherwise. You know one angel killed 185,000
men in one night? One. That's powerful, isn't it? Yet he said this, all the angels
of hell or heaven could never separate you from the love of
Christ. They have no power, no ability. Principalities are powers,
governments Tell you, I didn't think I'd
see it in my lifetime, but I may. But it's coming closer and closer,
isn't it, to where the governments will try to separate you from
Christ. They won't be able to. Principalities
or powers. Listen, nor things present, nor
things to come. Evil men have invented a lot
of ways to separate you from Christ, haven't they? They've
had a lot of evil inventions. Those things that have been invented
and those things that they haven't even thought of yet, nothing
shall separate you from the love of Christ. Nor height, nor depth,
poverty or wealth, nor any other creature, in case he can't, you
know, the list could probably just keep going on and on, it's
just any other creature. shall be able. Like I told you
last week, it's not that they're not going to try. They will try. They just won't be able to separate
you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Are you persuaded
of this? That none can separate you Look,
go to Isaiah 43 and I'll close. Read this. Read what God said.
If you're troubled about being separated from Christ and His
love, you that are in Christ, go to Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43. Listen to what God says about
you. And I want you to notice these two words. I noticed these
today as I was reading this. I have. I have. This is God speaking of what
He has done. Listen. But now, Thus saith the
Lord that created thee, O Jacob, that form thee, O Israel. Talking about that new creation
that He's made in you. He did it. He said this, Fear
not, and why shouldn't you be afraid? For I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by name. Thou art mine. When thou passest through the
waters. Notice he didn't say if, he just
said when. When thou passest through the
waters, thou shalt not, when thou passest through the waters,
I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow
thee. Secondly, when thou walkest through
the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle
on thee. Now why? For I am thy God. the Holy One
of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Sheba for you. And why would you do that since
thou wast precious in my sight? Thou hast been honorable, and
I have loved thee. Therefore will I give men for
thee, and people for thy life. Fear not, for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the
east and gather thee from the west. I will say to the north,
give up, and the south keep not back. Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth, even everyone that
is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory. I have
formed him, yea, I have made him. I am persuaded. that God has
redeemed me. Now what He says, I have redeemed
thee. I'm persuaded that I'm His. Thou art mine. I'm persuaded
when I go through the rivers and the fires of troubles and
affliction, He will be with me. I am persuaded of this, that
He will give men for my life. Nations and people, He will give
for us. I'm persuaded of this. I'm persuaded
of this, that in His sight we are honorable. I know you don't see it in yourself.
You're not supposed to. But you see it in Christ. He's
made me honorable. And I know this. I'm persuaded
that He'll call His people. He will call them. And they will
believe on Him. Without doubt. I'm persuaded. I am totally sold out to this.
Are you? I am. I know whom I believe. and am
persuaded that he, not me, he is able to keep me. And I will
not be separated from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. I pray God give you grace to
be persuaded to believe on him. Let's stand and be dismissed
in prayer.