Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter
8. And this morning we'll be looking
at the last two verses. I know that the last message
I preached, I kind of sped through these verses. I didn't have much
time to convey them. But it is my heart's desire to
spend a lot of time concerning Paul's persuasion. And the title of the message
this morning is, The Persuasion of Christ's Love. Paul was persuaded. He said in verse 38, For I am
persuaded. Now what was Paul persuaded in? What was his persuasion? It was
in this, that nothing shall separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Now, to go back over several
of these things because all of this connects together. It runs
like a symphony together. The Apostle by the Holy Spirit
throughout this remaining part of the chapter has displayed
to every believer the triumph we have over every difficulty
over every affliction, over every enemy, over every objection to
our salvation, both without and within. Paul displays this clearly,
that all objections, all obstacles, all afflictions that would separate
us or deter us from worshiping Christ have been completely removed. Completely removed. He has told
us that no sin of ours will ever be charged to us. That was what
He said in verse 33. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? And listen, nobody is able to
condemn us. He says, who is He that condemneth? For our sin, our sin will never
be executed upon us. And what is the grounds? How
could Paul say this? That nobody could charge me,
that nobody can condemn us who are in Christ Jesus. How is that
possible? Here's the cause. Because God
Himself justified you. God Himself has justified you. By His sovereign election of
grace, which was from eternity, He puts you in union with His
Son. He justified you by putting you
in union with His Son. You remember that's in Ephesians
chapter 1. He had blessed us with all spiritual
blessings, where? In heavenly places, in Christ. According as He had chosen us,
where? In Christ. Before the foundation
of the world that we should be holy and without blame before
Him. Thus we can never be charged with sin. Because of the covenant
of grace, Jesus was purposed, ordained to bear our sins in
His own body on the tree. Peter said this, you know, you
know this, that you were not redeemed with corruptible things
as silver and gold. Isn't that right? We know that.
You who believe, you understand that. We're not redeemed with
silver and gold, corruptible things, or vain conversation
by tradition of your fathers. But here's our redemption, but
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot and
blemish, listen, who verily was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
So no charge for you. No charge for you. No one can
charge you with sin. Why, God justified me. In other
words, you've got to charge me, you better take it up with Him.
Second of all, He can't condemn us. Why? Christ died. Christ died for our sins. No
condemnation for us because Christ died. Upon the cross, He redeemed
us. Forever put away our sins. What is that scripture in Psalm
103? It says, so far hath he removed our sins from us. How far? How far has he removed
my sins from us? As far as the east is from the
west. An infinite distance that cannot
be spanned. That's how far my sin has been
removed from me. And so we are unchargeable and
uncondemnable because Jesus Christ died, but not only this, He rose
again from the dead, even according to the Scriptures. For He delivered
unto you first of all how you also received, how Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and He
rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Believer,
we are justified because Christ died for our sins and rose again
according to the Scriptures. Because there remained no more
sin to redeem. Isn't that why He rose from the
dead? Because there was no more sin
to redeem. Where's your sin? It's gone. How do you know? The
tomb is empty. There's no condemnation for us
who are... Listen, in Christ Jesus, that's my representative
man. He represented me on the cross,
and in the tomb He represented me, and so when He had no more
sin to condemn, God raised Him from the dead. And not only did
God raise him from the dead, He seated him on the right hand
of God. He, as our High Priest, did what
none of those old High Priests could do. He sat down. He sat
down. He finished the work. He said,
I have finished the work thou gavest me to do. And what was his reward? He said,
glorify me. with the glory I had before the
world was. And this finished work... Go to Hebrews 4. I want you to
see this because the Apostle Paul puts forth a lot of effort
by the Spirit of God to explain this matter of rest. And believe
me, that's what Christ is doing. He rested from His work. Verse 3. For we which have believed
do enter into rest." Now listen, you who believe, you should rest.
What does that mean? We stop working. We stop working. We don't try to earn our way
to heaven. Why? Our Redeemer has already
earned it. As He said, "...as I have sworn
in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, although the works
were finished from the foundation of the world, I don't want to
get into that. That's amazing, isn't it? The
work was done before the work was done. That's how secure the work was.
It was done before it was done. For he spake in a certain place
on the seventh day, on this wise, that God rested the seventh day
from his works." Now he's explaining the importance of the Sabbath.
The Sabbath has no other importance than this, that it typified the
rest of Christ. That's it. It has this purpose. God created and God rested from
His creation. He did not create anymore. Listen,
when Jesus Christ, that's what he's getting to down in verse
Verse 10, he said, "...for that He has entered into His rest,
He also ceased from His own works as God did from His." When God
stopped creating, there was no more to create. He finished. He rested. You listen. When Christ
finished the work and He sat down, there was no more work
to be done. There was no more redemption
to be made. There was no more offering to offer. He did it.
He sat down. He finished the work. He rested
from His work as God did from His. That's what the Sabbath
is. It's nothing more than that to show you that the rest is
in Christ. That Christ rested. And listen. for we that enter into His rest."
How? By faith we enter into His rest. This morning I'm resting. I'm not going to heaven because
I'm preaching. You're not going to heaven because
you're here. You are going to heaven because the work is finished
in Christ. That's why we're going. That's
why we're saved. We're saved not by any work of
our own. We're saved by resting, by stopping
working. Human nature is to work, isn't
it? Human nature is to do. I've got to do something. No. It's done. The work's finished. Now enter into that rest. And
that's why he said, let us labor to enter into that rest. Well,
we struggle with that, don't we? The flesh is always opposing
us. But we're resting. Why? He's resting. He sat down
on the right hand of God. And listen, he ever lives to
make intercession for us. He entered into His rest, and
now what is He doing? He is ever living to make intercession
for us, since we have this old man that still is about our neck,
still constantly condemning, constantly trying to charge us
with sin, which He does. Satan continually tries to do
this. But listen, none of it sticks.
None of it sticks. Why? I have a high priest that
intercedes for me right now. Eternally, constantly, daily,
interceding and washing me thoroughly from my sins. Constantly, perpetually. Father, forgive me. Okay. Father,
forgive me. Okay. Why? His wounds plead for
me. Daily, interceding for us. I know we still feel the guilt
of our sin, but our comfort is that if we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us. This should settle all doubts
of inward sin, should it not? All your struggles with sin should
be settled in this text, isn't it? This text in our, that what
he said, who is he to charge you? Who is he to condemn you?
Christ died, Christ rose again from the dead, Christ is set
down at the right hand of the Father, Christ ever lives to
make, so what about your sin? No, it's settled. It should settle
all doubts. It should prove this This work
of Christ, what does it prove? It proves His love, doesn't it?
What else but love would do such a thing for us? And so then, we also must not
only deal with the internal matter of sin, but the external, the
outward afflictions in which Paul mentions, in verse 35, he
says, "...Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or
sword? Shall any of these separate us
from that love?" No, Paul says. For it is written that for thy
sake we are killed all the day long, we are counted sheep for
the slaughter. Even though all this life we
are to suffer affliction as the sheep of God accounted for the
slaughter. Now, I've thought of this. Is
this not how the world views us? has sheep counted for the slaughter
that our God is some cruel taskmaster who only seeks to afflict his
people." That's how the world views us. I don't want to be
a Christian. Look at how they suffer. Look
at them. They're just sheep. They're dumb.
They're ignorant. We confess. Yes, we are. We are. They say, look at those Christians
and how they suffer. They're poor. They're sick. They're
weak. Surely God is cruel to show them
such misery and pain. This was said by some Roman noble
or philosopher, I can't remember who he is, he really is not important
at all. He said this, the only people you can get to be Christians
are poor, weak, and sick folk. Okay, true. We are poor sinners,
only poor sinners, weak sinners, needy sinners will ever be Christians. But listen, how it appears is
not how it really is. It appears we are just sheep
for slaughter. But what does Paul say? No. That's not how
it really is. That's how it appears to me.
But that's not how it really is. Listen, you are more than
conquerors. Though you are sheep counted
for the slaughter, though you are killed all the day long,
though you suffer for Christ's sake, listen, you are not just
dumb sheep, you are more than conquerors. More than conquerors,
not in yourselves. Isn't that what he said? When
all these things were more than conquerors, where? Through Him
that loved us. That's how we're more than conquerors. Through His merits, through His
righteousness, through His blood, through His resurrection, through
His continual love and mediation before us, we are always more
than conquerors. More than conquerors. We are
always triumphant over all our foes, over all our troubles,
over all our afflictions, griefs, sorrows, and pains, through our
union with Christ who loved us, who is still loving us. Haven't
you found that to be true at the end of every suffering you're
still loved? Now this, you don't feel loved
in the middle of your suffering, but listen, you are loved in
the middle of your suffering. You don't feel it. But after our sufferings, after
God delivers us from this, what do we see? We see more of His
love. We are able then to look back
and say, look, I was loved. Even in the teeth of my suffering,
I was loved. You're loved. You're loved. He is still loving you. His love is immutable as His
person. It doesn't change. It doesn't
get higher and it doesn't get lower. That's what we perceive,
isn't it? I'm suffering. His love must
be low. No, your love is low. His love
never gets low. It never gets higher. It's immutable. It's unchangeable. You're more
than conquerors in this matter of love. You're always loved. Believer in Christ, though we
are sheep of Christ, seated in the very presence of our foes,
know surely that they would devour us if left to ourselves. Isn't that right? Your sorrows
would swallow you whole if left to yourself. But you are never
left to yourself. Ever left to yourself. You are never left. Yet Christ,
in His Word, defies our foes. Why do you suppose we are sitting
in the middle of our foes? So that Christ should defy them. Try and touch one of my little
ones. You remember Job. I know Job
is an eminent type of suffering. Who started the conversation
about Job? was God. He said to Satan, hath
you noticed my servant Job? A man that fears God and eschews
evil. Opening the door for Satan to
say, hath Job served God for naught? The only reason he serves
you at all is because you have a hedge about him. Why are you not devoured? You
have a hedge, and He can't get over it. And listen, even when
God took that physical hedge, there was another hedge that
He could not get over. It was the internal hedge of
Christ. He could not devour Him, no matter
how hard He tried. And no matter what Satan is allowed
to do to you, you are more than conquerors. You will overcome
everything. through Him who loved you. Through Him who loved you. And so God says to our foes right
now, hast thou considered My servant? Have you considered My servant?
Look at them. Look at them! They fear God and eschew evil. He defies. That's why we're in
the middle of this world. That's why we're left here. So
God can defy His enemies. To touch you. To harm you. And
what will be the result of all the assaults and fiery darts
and accusations? We are more than conquerors.
That's the result. We always triumph. Know what
Paul said about the Gospel? He said, we always triumph. The
Word always effectually does its work. Always. through Christ
who loved us. It is the same triumphant language. Paul continues in our text as
he defies our foes, concluding that all the powers of the universe,
all the powers of men and beasts, angels and demons, weapons of
flesh and spirit, things invented now and things yet to be invented,
none of these shall separate it. And Paul uses this language,
listen, I am persuaded. Now I want you to ask yourself
that. Are you persuaded of these things? Are you persuaded? Paul said, I am persuaded. I
am confident. The Apostle shows his own personal
interest by revealing his persuasion of God's immutable love to his
saints. I am persuaded God's love will
never depart from me or any of God's saints. I am persuaded. that nothing shall be able to
separate, listen to that last word in verse 39, separate who?
Us. He said, I'm persuaded that nothing
separates us from the love of God. Now the language that Paul uses
is not based on some theory or tradition of man or opinion. Matter of fact, Paul is expressing
his personal persuasion confidently based on truth and personal knowledge
and experience. Paul's basing his persuasion
on experience, experimental knowledge. He knew something about this
keeping of God's love. He knew something about this
personally. Otherwise, he could not be personally
persuaded. Listen, if you don't know this
personally, you will never be personally persuaded. Except you have a real and vital
union with Christ, you will never know anything about confidence
of God's love and God's mercy. You see, Paul had some experience
of this because he himself was born of the Spirit of God. And you are persuaded of these
things only if you have been born of the Spirit of God. If God has personally raised
you from the dead, then you are persuaded. Otherwise, you'll
never be persuaded. This persuasion of the Apostle
is one of every believer possesses. Which is nothing more or less
than faith in Jesus Christ. That's what it is. This persuasion
is what we call faith. Faith. He uses this word persuasion
in another text. 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 12. He said this, For the witch cause I also suffer
these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed. Why are you not ashamed, Paul?
You're suffering. You're in prison. You're stoned. Everywhere you go, you're hated,
despised. How is it that you're not ashamed
of the Gospel? Listen, for I know whom I have
believed. And listen, am persuaded. What's your persuasion, Paul?
I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded. I'm persuaded
of this. He is able to keep that which
I've committed unto him against that day. That's his persuasion.
His persuasion is based on who he knows. Listen, who do you
know? It's not what you know. These
children can spout out doctrine, can't they? They can spout out
catechisms. They can spout out all these
things and rehearse it. We can drill it into their mind.
But listen, that's not persuasion. If you don't know Christ, you're
definitely not persuaded. You don't have any faith if you
don't know Him. And because we know whom we have
believed, listen, we're not ashamed. Are you ashamed of this gospel
of Christ? I'm not ashamed. They should be ashamed. That
mess they spout out there, they should be ashamed of that. That's
horrible. Listen, I'm not ashamed of the gospel. We declare the
great and sovereign election of our God without shame. God
chose a people for Himself, for His own glory and His own praise. And God predestinated them to
be holy. In Christ, we proclaim His great victory. Well, I'm
not ashamed of His victory, are you? They should be ashamed of
their weak effeminate Savior who can't save. I'm not ashamed
of my Savior, for He has saved His people. He's victorious in
His work. He has saved all those that the
Father gave Him. He has made for them righteousness
and imputed it to His elect, and His blood has redeemed them
forever. We are not ashamed to preach
the victory of His resurrection from the grave, His ascension
to the throne, where He now sits ruling all things after the counsel
of His own will." I'm not ashamed of that. Matter of fact, listen,
I'm persuaded of it. Are you persuaded? Who's running
this show? Presidents, Congress, those fools
couldn't tie their shoes without his help. They're not running
anything. You see, my Savior's running
everything. I'm persuaded of that, aren't
you? I am confident of this. I'm confident of this, and I'm
confident of this, that God has an elect people and they all
will hear this gospel and believe on Christ. I'm confident of that.
They'll all hear the gospel of Christ and they'll all be persuaded
with us. Isn't that right? I like Noah as an example of
that. Noah put that ark together, over 120 years built that, Do you think Noah was persuaded
that ark was enough? If he wasn't persuaded, it wasn't
by his workmanship he was persuaded. It was by God who told him to
do it. He was confident in the one who told him to build it.
that the ark was sufficient to save him and his family. Listen,
I am sufficiently confident that Christ is able to keep that which
I've committed unto him against that day. I'm persuaded of that.
And listen, I know you are, if you are a believer in Christ.
You are persuaded of these things, that the Spirit of God will call
all the elect and every one of them shall believe. And all of
us together, all of us together will be in heaven without exception. Not one will be missing. Not
one of God's elect. I'm persuaded of these things. I know whom I have believed.
Not what. Whom. Whom. Paul was confident
because he knew the person who saved him. He knew he was the
Son of God, come in the flesh. Are you doubtful? Are you fearful? Are you troubled by sin or circumstance? You know why you're troubled?
Because you're not looking at whom You're looking at what? Stop looking at what? And be
confident in whom you believed. Look to Christ whom you have
believed. He is able to keep us. He is
able to keep us. I tell you, this world, they're
confident in generalities. Their confidence is based on
generalities. God loves everyone. That's their
confidence. That's what they're persuaded
of. God loves everyone. God's grace is just general.
It's just over everybody. Smiling. Doesn't require any
justice. Doesn't require any demands.
Happy. But ask them if they're going
to heaven and see how confident they are. See if they're really
persuaded about heaven. Well, they say, well, I'm trying. I'm trying. I'm working really
hard. Maybe. Not me. I'm persuaded. I'm persuaded of heaven. Why? Because the promise of God is
very specific. It's not in general, it's to
specific people. Who? To all who have fled to
Christ for refuge. This is the promise of God. That
they all shall be saved. Every one of them. How are you
so confident? Listen, because God swore. Paul says this, this is that
we might have a strong consolation. He said, "...God, willing more
abundantly to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of
His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable
things..." What are immutable things? His counsel and His oath.
It is impossible for God to lie that we might have a strong consolation
to who? Who have fled to Christ. Have
you fled to Christ? Then you can be confident, assured,
that your refuge will stand. Your refuge will stand. I'm persuaded. I'm persuaded. God swore. God ordained. Therefore, we are sure and confident
of our salvation if we are in Christ, in union with Christ.
God has promised. Are you persuaded? Are you persuaded? You know what I'm persuaded of
more and more? I'm a sinner. Are you persuaded of that? The more
I learn, of Christ, the more I'm compelled to know my sin. I am persuaded I'm a sinner. I am persuaded that I can merit
nothing to please God. But I am more persuaded that
Jesus Christ is all my salvation. I am persuaded that He is all
my salvation. People don't like talking about
sin, do they? They don't like talking about sinners. Don't
tell me about my sin. Don't tell me... Tell me about
Jesus... How can I tell you about Jesus without telling you about
your sin? It's impossible, isn't it? You can't talk about Christ
without talking about your sin. Christ is of no value if you're
not a sinner. Oh, but if you're a sinner, then
Christ is of infinite value to you. Then flee to Him. Be persuaded. Knowing the terror of the Lord,
listen, we persuade men. Persuade them. This morning, I hope by the grace
of God, I am persuading you. Paul was persuaded. I'm persuaded. If you're not persuaded, why
are you not persuaded? I'll tell you, because you defy
God. You defy His Word. You will not believe His promises. Are you persuaded? If you are,
then listen to this. What shall separate you from
the love of God? He says this, neither death.
Death. Oh, death. The dreaded subject
of death. I was speaking to my son last
night. I came across a picture of me and my two brothers. And at that time, I noticed that
they were younger than I am now. They're older than I am, and
they were at that time younger than I am now, and one of them
is dead. One of them is now dead. And I showed this to my son. Why? Teach us to number our days
that we might incline our hearts unto wisdom. And he said, don't be such a
downer. Well, death is a solemn subject,
isn't it? But you listen, Christian, it
should not be so for you. Why? What is death to you? Does
death separate you from the love of God? In fact, it does the opposite. Death ushers you into the love
of God. It is merely a portal and all
it does is open us to the truth of all the love of God. Then
we experience the full love of God without anything between. So what is death? Does it separate
you? No, it just brings me to the love of God. That's what
it does. What about life? Life. with all its troubles and
difficulties, pains and sorrows. Will you listen to something
about life? Who actually rules everything in this life? It's the one who loves you. The
earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, and they that dwell
therein. So who does not belong to him?
That he cannot move them, keep them, or put them out, whatever
he wants to do. Who? Everything is his. And Daniel
and King Nebuchadnezzar said this, all the inhabitants of
the earth are reputed as nothing and he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth. Listen, who can stay his hand or say, what are you doing?
Who can do that? So what about this life? What
about your troubles? What about your difficulties?
What about your pains? Will they separate you from His
love? No! Matter of fact, He is using
them to draw you to Himself. Isn't that your experience? Every
time you hurt, where do you go? Every time you suffer, where
do you go? Do you not go to Him? You do. That's what life is. Life is only showing and manifesting
His glory in person to us through suffering, through pain and difficulties. Well, what about angels? He's
talking about either or principalities or powers. What is this? The
whole host of heaven, the whole host of hell, and all the men
of earth cannot separate you. Who rules them? The one who loves
you. The one who loves you. Listen,
nor height nor depth. Poverty or wealth. Sickness or health. None of these
shall separate you from the love of God. Listen, in case I miss
something, Paul says, any other creature. I don't know if there's
another creature you can think of. He said, just any other creature.
shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is
in Christ Jesus. Now why can he not separate us
from the love of God? You listen why. It is in Christ
Jesus. That's why. in Christ Jesus. Where's the love of God? It's
in Christ Jesus. Where are you? In Christ Jesus. How then shall God separate His
love from us if we are in the object of His love? His Son. You see, He would have to separate
His love from His Son to separate His love from you. You are in
such union with Him that you can't be separated. Are you persuaded of this? And listen, it doesn't matter
about your faith. Your faith is often small. Isn't that right? But remember,
it's not my faith that keeps me in the love of God. It's God. It's God who put me
there. The faith that you have is given
to you of God. So you should be persuaded in
small faith or great faith, you should be persuaded that nothing
shall separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.
May God bless this to your heart.