Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. If you would like to follow along
in your Bible, the message today will come from Romans chapter
eight. It's a wonderful chapter. I want
to begin with a wonderful verse. I'm sure it's a verse you have
heard many times. Romans eight, verse 28. It says, 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. What wonderful
comfort that is. That is such wonderful comfort. Every time I read that verse
of scripture, every time it comes to my mind and comes to my heart,
it brings comfort to me. Every single time, I quote that
verse. Sometimes it passes through my
mind a little too quickly, but sometimes the Lord lets me get
a hold of it. Slowly, you break it down, phrase
by phrase. And it's just so comforting.
And I'd like to bring our attention to the first word, and. And. It says, and we know. What that
means is the comfort doesn't start with that verse. That's
not the first word of comfort in the chapter. This chapter
is full of comforting news. This is such a wonderful chapter.
On top of all the comforting news that's in the chapter, after
all of the news has been declared and God's people rest in it and
they feed on it and they rejoice over it, After we get to a place
where our souls feel like they just can't hold anymore. Sometimes
God's people hear the word preached and it blesses them. And God's
spirit speaks to their heart and they feel so full just of
the word, heavenly bread. And they think, I just can't
hold anymore. David said in Psalm 23, my cup runneth over. I can't
hold anymore. Well, the scripture continually
always says, and it just keeps going. The wonderful news continues. It just keeps going. What I'd
like for us to do is look at this chapter. I want us to look
at Romans chapter eight, and I want us to enter into the comfort
that goes along with that word. And it just keeps coming. It
just keeps coming. all of this wonderful news. And
let's begin with verse one. It says in Romans 8 verse one,
there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. There is
no condemnation. Does that enter into your heart? There is no condemnation, not
for God's elect, not for God's elect people. If you look at
verse 33, it says, who shall lay anything to the charge of
God's elect? It is God that justifies. There
will be no examination of the law. The holy law of God will
not look at a child of God. examine him. There will be no
trial, there will be no sentencing, there'll be no punishment. Not
for God's people who are in Christ Jesus, the elect that God put
in Christ Jesus. No condemnation. Verse 34 says,
who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died. Yea rather
that is risen again and who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us." Can you enter into that? The moment any accusation comes
against one of God's chosen people, God's particular chosen people,
the minute any accusation comes, Christ stands up and he says,
that one was on me. A sin took place, Christ says,
that one was on me. That one was laid on me. I bore
that. I made the payment for that.
He cannot be condemned for it, I died. Verse 34, it says, 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. That's just wonderful. Verse
1 says, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. For what the law could not do,
men are trying to go to heaven through the deeds of the law.
Never get there. What the law could not do in
that it was weak through the flesh. It could not justify us
and make us holy because of our sinful flesh. We could not fulfill
what the law required. So it could not say, you're justified. What the law could not do in
that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son
in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. Those two words
translate by a sacrifice for sin. He condemned sin in the
flesh. He condemned sin in his own flesh. He made himself to be flesh so
he could make himself to be sin. Our sin if the father put us
in him. Now do you know why he did that? Why did Christ do that? Verse
four says, that the righteousness of the law, everything the law
demands to call us right and perfect, that the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the
flesh, but after the spirit. That means a substitution took
place. That's what it means. A transfer
took place. Christ emptied all of our transgression
against the law out of us, so that the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us. Now, who did Christ do this for?
We talk about God's elect. Who did he do this for? He did
it for every person that the Spirit has performed a work of
grace in. Every person that the Spirit
brings this heart of faith and this heart of grace to. Verse
5 says, for they that are in the flesh do mind the things
of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things
of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is
death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. What he's saying is, in this
world you shall have tribulation, But be of good cheer, Christ
has overcome the world. In time, for all of these chosen
people, there comes a point in time that through the gospel
message, God's Spirit brings life and faith and grace and
peace. And they come to see these things,
and they rest in Him. Verse 7 says, Because the carnal
mind is enmity against God. That's how we all started out.
Enmity means the enemy. That was every mind born into
this world. That was my mind before God brought
repentance to me. The carnal mind is the enemy
of God, loves his own works and not God's works. For it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that
are in the flesh cannot please God. Men are trying to go around
in the flesh and be so good that God is happy with them, and it's
not a possibility. They that are in the flesh cannot
please God. But you are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. How can I know if the Spirit
of God dwells in me? How can I know that? Well, if
you want to look with me at John chapter 14, it says in John 14
verse 16, our Lord said, I will pray the father and he shall
give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever,
even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive. God's
Holy Spirit of truth. He said the world cannot receive
because it seeth him not neither knoweth him. but you know him,
for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. That's what
he said, I'm going to send my spirit to my people. Verse 26
right here, he said, but the comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you
all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever
I have said. unto you." When he comes, he
teaches the things of Christ to a sinner, not the things of
the law. Man's reading the law, and reading
the law, and trying to obey the law, and trying to do the law,
and trying to go to heaven, and trying, and trying, and trying,
and all of a sudden, the Spirit comes and reveals Christ, the
doer of the law, the finisher of the law, the satisfier of
the law. He reveals Christ to the sinner.
If you look at John chapter 16, it says in John 16 verse 7, nevertheless,
I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away. That's
what our Lord said to his disciples. It's expedient for you that I
go away. For if I go not away, the comforter
will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send
him unto you. And when he is come, he will
reprove. That means convince the world
of sin. Every soul he comes to, he will
convince that soul that it's a soul of sin. Every time he
comes. And of righteousness. That's
what God demands. That's who Christ is. The righteousness
of God. And of judgment. God is going
to punish all sin And the hope of salvation is that our sin
was punished in the Lord Jesus Christ when that trading of places
happened. Verse 9 says, of sin, because
they believe not on me. Verse 10 says, of righteousness,
because I go to my father and you see me no more. Satisfied. Verse 11, of judgment, because
the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say
unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he, the
Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth,
all truth, not just religion, not just false religion, truth. God's people will hear that truth
and they'll say, I've never heard anything like that before. I've
never heard a preacher say things like that before. That sounds
honest. That sounds true. That describes me. I really am
a sinner. I believe that. I believe my
only hope is that Christ accomplished this work for me. I truly believe
God is only satisfied with Christ his son. I believe it's only
his blood and not my works mixed in that's gonna pay my debt and
set me free. So verse 13 says, how be it when
he the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth
for he shall not speak of himself When the Spirit comes, everybody
doesn't walk out of the service saying, oh, God's Spirit was
here, we had the Holy Spirit, we this. They all say, Christ,
Christ, Christ. When he has come, he will not
speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he
speak, and he will show you things to come. The Lord said, he shall
glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and show it unto you. If you look with me at John 6,
verse 44, it says, this is a wonderful verse of scripture too. John
6, 44 says, no man can come to me except the father which hath
sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day. It is
written in the prophets and they shall be all taught of God. Every
man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father
cometh unto me." All of God's people, all of his elect, are
taught of God by his Spirit. He convinces every soul he comes
to of man's sin. God's righteousness and the judgment
that was settled, finished, put away in the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Spirit comes, He speaks
of Christ. He glorifies Christ. He takes
the things of Christ and He shows it to His people. They are all
taught who He truly is, why He truly came, what He truly accomplished,
and where He truly is right now. They're all taught that. They're
all taught that where the spirit of God is, there's a knowledge
and there's a hope and there's a belief in him and on him. All right. Now, if you look with
me at Romans eight, again, verse eight says, so then they that
are in the flesh cannot please God, but you are not in the flesh,
but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. If that knowledge of
my own sin and God's true holiness and that righteousness that is
only found in Christ and the judgment totally put away in
Christ, if that hope in Christ and that belief on Christ is
not there, then that's the evidence that the Spirit of God is not
there. If I'm looking to my own works, and I'm looking to the
things of the flesh to satisfy God, that's the evidence that
the spirit is not there. And if the spirit of God is not
there, then that soul is not one of his. That's scary, isn't
it? Verse 10 says, and if Christ be in you, the body is dead because
of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But
if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell
in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you. If Christ
dwells in you, if we can all cry, thank God he's revealed
these things to me by his spirit, through his word. If God has
put the spirit of Christ in us, right now, the body is dead. This is dead flesh, sinful dead
flesh. The spirit that he puts in a
sinner is alive, but the body's dead. But this is what he says.
If Christ dwells in us, the same spirit that quickened his body
from death is going to quicken our bodies from death, death
to life. At that moment, we're going to
be all alive. Paul said right here, the body's
dead and the spirit's alive. But if that spirit's in us, God
is going to quicken all of us. Every piece of us will be totally
alive, completely alive. Verse 12 says, Therefore, brethren,
we're debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh. For
if you live after the flesh, you shall die. But if you through
the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.
That means if you kill the deeds of the law and only look to the
blood of Christ, you'll live. If God gives us that ability
to see that in my flesh dwells no good thing, and it's not by
works of righteousness, which I've done, It's by His mercy. It's by His
work alone. That's life. That's life. If it's my work and His work
or my work alone, that's death. But if it's His work alone, that's
life. Verse 14, it says, for as many as are led by the Spirit
of God, they are the sons of God. Think about that. They're
the sons of God. How can we know if God has truly
sent his spirit into our hearts? How can we know that? Here's
how we can know. We will truly cry, Abba, Father. I mean, we'll cry like an infant
cries in need. When an infant's crying, he's
not doing it out of lip service or because he thinks that's just
something he ought to do. That infant is crying out of
need. I need you. I need you help, Lord, please
help me. Over in Galatians 4, it says
in verse 4, but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent
forth his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem
them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption
of sons. And because you are sons, God
hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father." It's the Spirit of Christ crying that in us.
He is crying on our behalf to his Father. Verse seven, wherefore
thou art no more a servant, but a son. And if a son, then an
heir of God through Christ. He has made us to be. As it says
back in Romans eight, verse 15, you've not received the spirit
of bondage again to fear, but you've received the spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The spirit has notified
us that we were chosen by the Father, we were purchased by
the Son, we were welcomed and brought by the Spirit. And that's
why we cry, Father, Abba, Father, you've done something for me,
you've given life to me. Verse 16, it says, 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. Peter said, Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his
abundant mercy hath begotten us again, given life to us again,
unto a lively hope, a living hope, by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven
for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation,
ready to be revealed at the last time." That's a joint heir with
Christ. That's a joint heir with Him,
of all things. Verse 18, it says, 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. Unimaginable. There are sufferings, we endure
sufferings, but compared to eternity, eye hath not seen, ear hath not
heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things that
God has prepared for his own, those that truly love him. Verse
18, I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us. For the earnest expectation of
the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of
God. It's not just us. All of creation is waiting for
Christ to return and call his people to himself. Call his children,
joint heirs to himself. Verse 20, For the creature was
made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath
subjected the same in hope. Sin came to everything. Verse
21, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from
the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of God.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain
together until now. And not only they, but ourselves
also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to wit or to
know the redemption of our body. We're waiting for this moment.
All of God's people are waiting for this. Verse 24 says, for
we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not
hope, for what a man seeth, why does he yet hope for it? But
if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait
for it? If God gives us that hope and that patience, we'll
wait for it. Verse 26, 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. How glorious is that? God's Spirit in us cries and
groans in prayer on our behalf with groanings that we could
never even utter. Verse 27, 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 we know. In addition to all that, we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. All things, all
things. Verse 29 says, for whom he did
foreknow, elect. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of His Son, 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 be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not His own Son
but delivered him up for us all." Who are the us all? His elect.
How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that
justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It's
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,
anything? As it is written, for thy sake
we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for
the slaughter. That's all we're worth, that's
all we're worthy of. But verse 37, no, that's not
what's gonna happen. 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, nothing. If God the Father chose, and
God the Son redeemed with His blood, and God the Spirit calls,
if God is keeping us, if God loved us, and if God gave Himself
for us, and if God paid our debt to the law, satisfied our debt
before him. If God did that, then verse 38
says, I'm 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. How glorious is that? All of
the love of God is in Christ. And if God has put us in Christ,
God has put us in all the love of God. It's all found in Him. That's comfort, isn't it? That's
comfort. God's people cry, thank God.
Thank you. Till next week, the Lord bless
His Word. You have been listening to a message by Gabe Stoniker,
pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church in Kingsport, Tennessee.
If you would like a copy of this message or to hear other messages
of sovereign grace, log on to our website at ksgctn.org. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock AM, worship at 1045 AM and 6 o'clock PM,
Wednesday evening at 730 PM. Please tune in next week for
another message of God's free and sovereign grace.