My text this morning is one of
those verses of scripture to which I refer very often, one
of those verses that I deliberately quote regularly in preaching. It is one of those great portions
of scripture that contains such tremendous revelations of God
that they would be unimaginable where they're not plainly stated
for us in the word of God. But this is a passage from which
I've never preached a message. I have tried to do so a number
of times. I've tried to prepare a message
from it, but the Lord hasn't allowed me to do so until this
week. And I'm confident he's given
me a message for you today from Romans chapter eight and verse
32. Romans chapter eight and verse
32. This eighth chapter of Romans
is a treasure house. It's just a treasure house. It's
full of gold and silver and precious stones. I was talking to Brother
Bill Eldridge the other day when we were on our way back from
Dingus and he said, I believe you could preach from Romans
chapter eight for the rest of your life and never have to look
for anything else to preach. And I had to agree. It's just
a, rich, rich, bountiful treasure. But I promise we will move on
to chapter 9 in a few weeks. This 8th chapter of Romans begins
with the declaration, There is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus, because we are saved by the grace
of God, justified by the blood and righteousness of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Because God has given us life
and faith in Christ. Because we are dead to the law
and freed from sin by the sacrifice of our blessed Savior, there
is therefore right now. I love that word. There is therefore
now. No condemnation, no judgment,
no curse, no dread, no wrath, nothing to fear. to them that
are in Christ Jesus. Who are they? Those who walk
not after the flesh but after the spirit. To walk after the
flesh is to strive for righteousness and godliness and uprightness
and acceptance with God and holiness and sanctification by what you
do. That's what it is to walk after
the flesh. It is to live according to the religion of this world.
But this promise is to those who walk not after the flesh,
but after the spirit. To walk after the spirit is to
trust Christ. To walk after the spirit is to
trust Christ alone as our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. Do you trust the Son of God? Then this is God's word to you.
There is therefore now no condemnation. Now, as long as you endeavor
to make yourself righteous, as long as you look to yourself
for holiness, as long as you look in here for something to
commend you to God, you will constantly be condemned by your
own heart. Job said, if I justify myself,
my own mouth will condemn me. Because you can never measure
up to God's requirement of perfect holiness, perfect righteousness. That's what God requires. That's
what God demands. That's what God alone can give.
Not only are we free from condemnation in Christ Jesus. But our Lord
Jesus has fulfilled all righteousness for us by his obedience unto
death as our substitute. And now the righteousness of
the law, all the righteousness that God demands is fulfilled
in us by faith in Jesus Christ. You see, I offer God the only
thing God can accept and the one thing God has promised he
will accept, his own darling son. That's my righteousness. Christ, he and he alone, and
all the righteousness required in the law, we fulfill coming
to God by faith in his darling son. You're not in the flesh
then, you who are born of God. Those who are in the flesh, they're
dead. They're enemies against God, but you're not in the flesh.
You're in the spirit You've been born again the spirit of him
that raised up Christ from the dead will soon quicken these
mortal bodies and then we're told that we are heirs of God
and Joint heirs with Jesus Christ. No wonder Paul's conclusion is
I reckon I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with with the glory that shall be revealed
in us. Brother Ranieri and I were talking
this morning before service, we're not gonna leave this world
healthy. That's just not gonna happen. These bodies are deteriorating. These tents are being folded
up. This house of clay is crumbling
as it should, but that's no trouble. That's not the suffering Paul's
talking about. Paul's talking about real sufferings
in the flesh. Paul's talking about men opposing
you at every turn. Paul's talking about men opposing
the gospel of God's grace and struggling with sin and corruption
within. The sufferings of this present
time, whatever it is that God uses in this world by which he
would chasten and correct us as his children. These things
are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be
revealed in us. Oh, the glory of that resurrection
day when God makes all things new. and we enter into the glorious
liberty of the sons of God. And then Paul tells us that our
Lord Jesus makes intercession for us and that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. And he spends some time with
God's purpose. Understand the God of heaven
is a God of purpose. If you learn something about
that word, purpose You learn something about this book Everything
comes to pass by purpose by God's purpose the purpose of God is
the salvation of those sinners whom he foreknew and predestinated
and called and justified and glorified in Christ before the
world began now look at verse 32 the verse 32 What a rich treasure we have
before us in this text. Here is a piece of inspired heavenly
logic. Now, I never was smart enough
to study logic much, but if I thought about inspired logic, heavenly
logic, I think, man, that is deep, deep, profound logic. It
is. And that which is deepest and
most profound is utter simplicity. And it is irresistible as it
is heavenly and simple. This 32nd verse of Romans 8 is
one of those brief statements of the whole gospel that could
only be given by inspiration. It announces that perfect love.
that perfect love that cast out all fear and shows us the gracious
character of our God interpreted and illustrated in the gift of
his darling son. It says herein is love. And what
is it that love won't do for you? Here's the measure of God's
infinite love. And does not this measure take
in all your need? All right, let's read it together.
He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? He that spared not his own son. That's the title of my message.
God's sacrifice of his darling son. The Lord Jesus Christ, as
our sin atoning substitute, is our assurance from God that he
will freely give us all things. God's sacrifice of his son, the
Lord Jesus, as our sin atoning substitute, is our assurance
from God that he will freely give us all things. The one gift
and the many gifts are one gift. The one gift and the many gifts
flowing from it are pledged to us by the love of the triune
God who gave it. And let me give you my message
in five brief points. May God the Holy Spirit be our
teacher. Number one, God spared not his own son. What a great declaration of mercy,
love, and grace. He that spared not his own son. God so loved the world, our savior
said, that he gave his only begotten son. Our text is talking now
about God's son, his own son. his darling, well-beloved son,
the Lord Jesus Christ, that one great gift he freely gave, he
spared not his son. Now, when I read those words,
I try to read them in the light of everything I read in this
book. God spared not the angels that
sinned. I understand that. God spared
not the old world before the flood because it was full of
iniquity. God spared not Sodom and Gomorrah
because of the godless, reprobate behavior of those cities. God
spared not the Egyptians because of their opposition to the children
of Israel. God spared not the firstborn
in Egypt And when Israel despised and rejected his son, God spared
not that nation. All the untold multitudes of
the damned in hell, God spared them not because they fully deserve
not to be spared. But here the Spirit of God declares,
God spared not his own son. What amazing love. What astonishing
grace, what infinite mercy. He spared not his son. He spared
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but he spared not his son. He spared
Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, but he spared not his own son. He
spared Lot, Rahab, the harlot, David, and Bathsheba, but he
spared not his own son. He spared the Gadarene demoniac.
He spared the woman of Samaria. He spared that woman taking an
adultery in the very act. But he spared not his own son. He spared Saul of Tarsus. He
spared you. And he spared me. But he spared not his own son. The Holy Lord God spared not
His Son, who is eternally one with Him. who is himself over
all God blessed forever, who is the object of his love, complacency,
and delight. He spared not his own son who
is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. He
spared not his own son who did no sin, could not sin, and never
would sin. He spared not his son in the
height of his obedience to him. triune Jehovah spared not the
son of his love from anything agreed upon in the persons of
the triune Godhead before the world was for the saving of our
souls. He spared him nothing necessary
for us to be his. The son of God stooped to become
a man. He assumed our nature. He spared
him nothing of the weakness and trials and heartaches and temptations
and sorrows that men and women endure in this world in the course
of human existence. We think about our difficulties
and we, uh, All whine and cry because of our troubles. What troubles? Our light affliction
compared to his, whatever it is we endure is light. Our Lord
Jesus was spared nothing that breaks the heart of a man. Nothing. No sorrow. No pain, no trouble, nothing. He was the man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief. He spared not his son a life
of humiliation and suffering. He spared not his son, having
laid on him all the iniquities of his people. We read one of
our Lord's confessions in Psalm 38 before the message this morning. Our Lord Jesus Christ, God's
darling son, had our sin laid on him and made his sin so that
he was fully conscious of his guiltiness before God as our
substitute. And it broke his heart. He spared
not his son, suffering all the punishment due to our sin. Enduring all the infinite enraged
fury of an angry God against sin. He spared not his own son. and full satisfaction for sin
was demanded. The whole payment of our debt
was required. All was done, all was paid according
to the utmost strictness of divine justice. God spared not his son. He was not spared according to
God's purpose, according to God's promise. According
to God's grace, according to God's justice, he was spared
nothing. He that spared not his son, wonder
of wonders. He that spared not his own son. Now, hear this. Turn back to
Romans chapter five, Luke chapter five, verse six. When we were yet without strength,
in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. Christ died for the ungodly. He didn't die for anybody else. Find me somebody who's ungodly. I'm not talking about somebody
you think's ungodly. That's not hard to find. I'm talking about
somebody who knows himself ungodly. Find me somebody who's ungodly.
That's who Christ died for. And if you're not ungodly, Christ
didn't die for you. When we were yet without strength,
in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for
a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man
some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward
us into while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. In this was
manifested the love of God toward us. Because that God sent his
only begotten son into the world that we might live through him.
Herein is love. Not that we loved God, but that
he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our
sins. All right, back here in Romans 8, verse 32. Here's the
second thing. The Lord God delivered up his
son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our sin-atoning substitute. He
spared not his son, but delivered him up. God the Father delivered
him up according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. Delivered him up into the hands
of wicked men. Delivered him up into the hands
of justice. Delivered him up into the hands
of death after a life of perfect obedience, perfect holiness,
and perfect faith. when he had lived as the Lord
our righteousness in this world, as our mediator, our substitute,
and our representative, bringing in everlasting righteousness
by his obedience. When he had finished all his
work of obedience to the law and will of God, the Lord God
delivered him up to suffer and die in our stead. Not to honor,
but to dishonor. He delivered him up not to joy,
but to sorrow. Not to blessedness, but to the
curse. Not to angels to worship him, but to Satan to tempt and
buffet him. Not to grandeur, but to Gethsemane.
Not to a crown, but to the cross. He delivered him up not to life,
but to death. The painful, shameful, ignominious
death of the cross. God the Father delivered up his
darling son to suffer, to endure, to accomplish,
to die the most horrid death humanity has ever known. The
painful, shameful, ignominious death of the cross. The son of
God was delivered up by God to be made sin for us, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. Third, God delivered
up his son for a specific people, for the salvation of a specific
people. We're going to have another Sovereign
Grace Bible Conference next weekend, Lord willing. And in the conference,
I hope it will be stressed in every message, as I endeavor
to stress it here in every message. Universal redemption, that imaginary
work of Christ, that imaginary work of the imaginary idolatrous
Christ, commonly understood, believed, and worshiped in this
world. Universal redemption is no redemption at all. To say that Christ redeemed everybody
is to say that nobody's redeemed. To say that Christ died for everybody
is to say he redeemed nobody. To say Christ suffered for everybody
is to say he suffered and accomplished nothing for anybody because there
are some in hell for whom he died if he died for everybody.
Universal redemption is no redemption at all. This book states, states
plainly, states clearly, and states it everywhere the subject
is dealt with. Christ died for a specific people. God delivered up his son for
a specific people. He either spared not his own
son, but delivered him up for. Now circle that word, underline
it. Write this down somewhere. It
means instead of. Instead of. If Christ died instead
of me, that means I don't die. If Christ died instead of you,
that means you don't die. That doesn't mean you may not
die. If Christ died for me, I can't die. That's what the word means. He spared not his own son, but
delivered him up for us all. That little three letter word
for is very, very important. The Lord Jesus was delivered
up in our place, in our room, in our state, God delivered up
his darling son for us all that we might never be delivered up
to the death, the curse, the agony he endured. Who was Paul
talking about when he says Christ? was delivered up for us all.
Well, all means all. Well, it does, doesn't it? It
takes a real smart fella to figure that out. It means all to whom
all refers. Here I am talking to all of you.
That doesn't mean I'm talking to everybody in the world. I'm
just talking to all of you. Just all of you. All means all
to whom it refers. It doesn't mean all including
everybody in the world. It means all to whom it refers.
In Adam, all died. Everybody who was in Adam died
in Adam. In Christ, all are made alive. Everybody who's in Christ is
made alive. All means all to whom it refers. And if you look at the context,
it's not difficult to see to whom Paul is referring. Obviously,
he's not telling us that God delivered up his son for all
men. He doesn't give Christ to all men. Multitudes live all
their lives and die and go to hell having never heard the name
of the Son of God. Multitudes. The Apostle Paul
on one occasion sought to go over and preach over here in
Stanford. And the Spirit of God said, no,
you can't go there. Go down to Harrisburg instead.
So what the book says? He starts to go to Macedonia
and God says, nope, nope, don't go there. Because God reveals
the gospel to some and hides it from others. He takes the
gospel to a little place like Danville, Kentucky. And keeps the gospel at a place
like Los Angeles, California. God reveals these things to babes. Hides them from the wise and
prudent. God doesn't give all things freely to all men. Oh no, no, no. Korah, Dathan,
and Abiram didn't get anything from God except hell. God doesn't
deliver all men from condemnation by Christ's death. Judas was
already in hell when he died. The Lord God spared not his son,
his own son, but delivered him up for us all, all whom he foreknew. That is all whom he loved with
an everlasting love and approved of in Christ from eternity He
delivered him up for all of us who were predestinated to salvation
by his grace All of us whom he called his own named as his sons
before the world began He delivered him up for all who he justified
for all whom he glorified That is he delivered him up for all
his elect God delivered up his son to suffer and die as a substitute
for every sinner in this world for whom he made intercession
before he left this world. He said, I pray not for the world.
I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given
me. The Lord's intercessory work
and his sacrificial work is all one work. He offered a sacrifice
for the very same people for whom he made intercession, for
whom he is the high priest, for whom he's the advocate in heaven,
for whom he rules the universe. The Lord Jesus was not spared,
but was delivered up to die by the hands of divine justice as
our surety and our substitute, as the surety and substitute
for all who are saved by his blood. all of those who are freed
from condemnation, all who are justified by his grace, all who
believe on his name. Number four, this gift of God,
this unspeakable gift of God, the sacrifice of his own dear
son is God's assurance to us that he will withhold nothing
from those sinners for whom such a sacrifice was made. If Christ
died for me, all is well. If Christ died for me, the God
of glory and of grace, who delivered up his son as my sin atoning
substitute, will not and in justice cannot withhold anything from
me. That's Paul's doctrine in Romans
8, 32. He spared not his own son, but delivered him up for
us all. How shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Now, I've told you this story
many times, but I don't think I've ever told it with Dougie's
face sitting here. So I want to tell it again. Back, how many years y'all been
married now? Long time, okay. Long time. About 20 years ago, Doug was
coming over to the house one night, and I had a good suspicion
why he was coming. I had a pretty good idea. He
was coming over to ask my daughter's hand in marriage, and Shelby
fixed him his favorite meal, brown beans and cornbread with
onions. And my job was not to make him happy. I'm the daddy.
My job was to make him very uncomfortable. And I tried my best to make him
a little uncomfortable, but I was happy to grant him her hand in
marriage. And a little while later, they
got married. Went on to Hoodingman, went down to Tortola, came back,
and they came by here. First time they were here, I
had a package for him. Had insurance papers, what insurance
we have, to have more things taken care of, and gave him keys
to the house, keys to the cars, whatever else I had, showed them
where all things were in the garage, and I said, now, here
it is, this is yours, use it as you will. And you know, I've
told that story, and folks, I've had folks actually surprised.
Did you really do that? Well, yeah. I gave him my daughter. You reckon I wouldn't give him
a monkey wrench? Or a hammer? Or a car? Or a house? Huh? I gave him my daughter. My only child. With her goes
everything. Now hear me. This is heaven's
logic. God gave us his son. With Him goes everything. Everything. Everything. Forgiveness. Justification. Holiness. That's another word
for sanctification. Acceptance. Favor. Blessedness. Good providence. Everything. Heavenly glory, light,
liberty, salvation, everything. God gave us his son. With him,
he gives everything. You remember the story of the
fellow who was killed in Vietnam? A man, very wealthy. He and his father collected art.
His mother had been dead a while. And the boy was killed in Vietnam. And after the Vietnam War was
over, the conflict, whatever they call it, this man got a
knock at the door. Went to the door and there's
a fellow standing there, just ordinary looking fellow, had
a large package under his arm. And he called the man by name.
He said, you don't know me, but I'm so and so and your son and
I were very good friends. In fact, I'm the man whose life
he saved when he was killed in Vietnam. And I know this is not
much. Your son told me about your love
of art and your collection. He said, and I'm no artist, but
he unwrapped this package. He said, this is the best I could
do. It's my likeness of your son
as I knew him. And the old man took that thing,
tears running down his cheeks, and he took that beautiful painting
off the wall on top of his fireplace and hung that picture up, a picture
of his son. And everybody came in, he took
them in there and showed them that picture of his sod. And
when he died, had no heirs left, and he left instructions for
things to be auctioned off. And the auction was well advertised,
and there were lots and lots of folks around that came hoping
to get a good buy on some of this magnificent art. And the
auctioneers started off with a easel sitting there, and he
was covered up, and he said, I have strict instructions. The
auction is to begin with this picture to put off. And there's
the picture that man saw. And he tried to auction it off,
and nobody would have it. Nobody would have it. Finally, the fellow
sitting in the back, he said, I bid $10. The folks just laughed. They didn't want it. And he says,
all right, it's done. Put down the gavel. And he said,
the auction is over. And folks were angry. We came here to buy this stuff
here. He said there was one more stipulation
in the man's will. I wasn't allowed to read it until
now. And this is what he said. Whoever takes the son gets all. Whoever takes the Son gets all. Did you hear me? Whoever takes
the Son gets all. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and God with Him freely gives all things. One more thing. One more thing. Oh, what wondrous things we are to
learn from this passage of scripture. What marvelous inferences must
be drawn from this. Let me give you just four very
briefly. Number one, How wonderful the goodness. And how inflexible the severity
of God must be. Oh, how good. How good that God spared not
his son, but delivered him up for us all. That he might with
him freely give us all things. And how severe. When God found sin on his son, he forsook it. And it poured out on him all
the bitter, intense fury of his just wrath. He spared him nothing. he spared him nothing until everything was satisfied if that's so you can be sure
of this God Almighty will spare you nothing if he finds sin on
you unless your sin is put away Fully
atoned, expiated, cast behind his back, blooded out by the
blood of his son. Hell, indescribable hell, must
be your everlasting portion. Oh, God give you grace then to
flee to his son and be spared with his son the wrath of God. I see something else in our text.
what a horribly evil thing sin must be. What a horribly evil thing sin
must be. Bobby, God in his infinite goodness,
wisdom, might, and justice could not put away your sin, but by
the sacrifice of his son. What a horribly evil thing sin
must be. Number three, if God spared not
his own son, but delivered him up for us all, What great value
God puts upon the souls of men. What great value God puts upon
the souls of men. I'll give you two reasons for
the value of the human soul. Man Being made a living soul, an
immortal soul, has the capacity of communion with God. God made man to have a capacity
for communion with God. Oh, how God values the soul. Christ died for us. And the soul of man, being immortal,
never died, has a capacity for communion with God forever. John Newton made this observation.
I thought it was worth repeating. All that has been transacted
in the kingdoms of providence and grace from the beginning
of the world has been in subservience to this grand point, the redemption
of the death of the soul. All that has been brought to
pass in the kingdom of grace and providence has been brought
to pass in subservient to this one thing, the everlasting salvation
of our souls. Oh, how God values the soul. How you ought to value your own.
What is a man profited if he gained the whole world and lose
his own soul? What will a man give in exchange
for his soul? One more thing that must be inferred
from this text. And that is the certainty of
gospel salvation. If God spared not his son, but
delivered him up for us all, then all for whom God delivered
up his son to death must be saved by his grace. If he who only
has right to judge is pleased to justify, who can condemn. If Christ who died for our sins
and has risen again on our behalf has engaged to intercede for
us, who can condemn us? There is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. If Christ came to save that which
was lost and he's accepted in heaven, then every lost sinner
who trust him will be accepted of God with him in heaven's glory. Even you. Even you. He that spared not
his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things? Amen.