Well, it's my pleasure and privilege
to be with you this morning. I appreciate your pastor asking
me to come, and I thank the Lord for making us friends, giving
us, in His good providence, the time to become friends with one
another. And I have recently really been
able to do that. I've got to know Todd in Jacomba,
California, where we preached together in May. Really, for
the first time, I've known him for many, many years. But you
know how it is when you know somebody and then you get to
know them after some time. And I'm getting to know your
pastor, and I'm liking it. I'm enjoying it. I thank the
Lord for the fellowship we have in Christ and just the beginnings
of a good friendship, I believe. And I am grateful that he's asked
me to come. I know that he doesn't assign
the pulpit lightly I pray that I don't enter it lightly either.
If you would turn with me this morning to Romans chapter 8 for
just a little while, I'm going to do something that I rarely
do, which is, I guess in a sense, I'm going to take a verse of
Scripture out of context. Not in the traditional understanding
of that that we will violate the context, Normally, I preach
on a passage of Scripture, and I suppose this is a passage of
Scripture. It's just a three-word passage of Scripture. But we'll
read two verses in Romans 8, and then I'll try to speak on
three words from verse 34. But Romans 8.33, a question is
posed, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. 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. And I love these last two words,
don't you? For us. for us. There's representation. There's substitution. There's
our oneness with Him, our hope in Him. The writer here challenges
any creature in heaven, earth, or hell to condemn or even to
attempt to make a single charge of any wrongdoing stick to one
of God's chosen people. whom he foreknew, predestinated,
called, justified, and glorified." There's the context, verses 29
through 30. You know who it is, who he's
talking about when he says, the charge of God's elect, it's those
whom God foreknew. And we know that that word deals
with more than just a knowledge and understanding of who we are.
He knows the hairs of every head, how many there are and how many
there aren't in some cases. And he knows everything about
all of his creatures. He's intimately acquainted with
every creature. But this knowledge is something
more than that. It's an intimate knowledge. As Adam knew his wife
Eve, he knew who she was before that, didn't he? But he knew
her in an intimate relationship of marriage. And that's what
this is. It's a love. It's an intimate knowledge. And
all of our blessings in Christ are traced back to that, aren't
they? You begin to ask why. Sometimes
it's not good to ask why. But in this case, why? Why is it impossible to lay anything
to your charge? Well, because it's Christ that
died. Why is it impossible to condemn one of God's elect? Well,
because God justified them. Well, why did he do that? Would not he have been just if
he hadn't justified us? If none of the things that our
brother taught us regarding this morning were true, wouldn't God
still be God? Absolutely. Then why? Well, it
goes back to that love, doesn't it? Well, why did he love us?
Can't ask that. I don't know that one. I can't
answer that one. But I can answer up to that point. It's traced
back to the infinite, free, gracious, immutable love of God. And that's as far back as it
goes. And so that's where Paul started, wasn't it? Whom he foreknew.
He predestinated. We understand that, don't we?
We predestinate those that we love, too, don't we? Absolutely. I do everything in my power to
make sure that those that I love end up like I want them to end
up. Happy, blessed. Don't you? Predestinated. The
difference, though, between my doing that and God doing that,
He does everything in His power, too, to make sure that we're
happy and blessed and that we end up like He purposed that
we end up. But the difference is Everything is in his power
Or really the right way to say that is he's omnipotent. He's
all-powerful. There's nothing What was it that
Job concluded the two things that he learned was what? he
said I know that I know that thou canst do everything and
That when you set about to do it, nobody can stop you You reckon
God would put a man through everything that he put Job through in order
to teach him those two things. That's exactly what God did Thou
canst do everything. And what is it that God is pleased
to do? Bless His people and make them
like Christ. Everything He does is to that
purpose, that end. To make us like His Son. He predestinated
those that He loved. Of course He did. And He called. That's part of what He predestinated
us to. He called us to Christ. And whom He called, He justified.
And I like the ED on that last word, don't you? Whom he justified,
he glorified. It's already done in the mind
and purpose and heart of God, where it counts. Where it counts. So that's who he's talking about.
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who? I challenge anyone to do
so. That's a bold challenge, especially
considering that those whom Paul defends in such a way are altogether
vile creatures. My birth were vile. The Lord said, I saw you, that
little baby, I saw you polluted in your blood. And that's how
he saw all of us, didn't he? Polluted in our blood, came forth
from the womb, speaking lies, estranged from the womb, estranged
from God. So by birth we're vile, by nature
we're vile. It's not what we do, it's what
we are. We do what we do because of what we are. And then we're
vile by practice. We do vile things, don't we?
And so how can Paul ask this question? Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? That's like saying who can find
fault with Hitler and his lunatic disregard for human life. It's
like daring any of us to identify a single flaw in Charles Manson,
the maniac who murdered so many in such a ghastly fashion and
all the while claiming to be the Christ. Who shall find any
fault in him? That's like asking that. Maybe
you're offended by me comparing you and I to vile creatures like
that, to notorious monsters like that. Not if you know what sin
is, you're not. Not if you know what a sinner
is, you're not. Not if you understand the depth of the depravity of
our hearts. Is Paul crazy to ask such a question? Who shall lay anything? Maybe
Paul is ignorant of the nature of sinnerhood. Maybe he doesn't
know what a sinner is that he speaks so freely of justification. Well, no, I did a little research
on that and I find that Paul wasn't ignorant of what it is. He identifies us in Romans 5
and verse 8 and in many other places as sinners before God.
And I'm not sure I ever looked up the original of that word
sinners before. In that while we were yet sinners,
it says there, Christ died for you. You know what that word
means? It means devoted to sin. It means preeminently sinful
and especially wicked. That's a pretty good description
of us, isn't it? Devoted to sin. This is the same apostle who
acknowledged in Romans 3 20, therefore by the deeds of the
law shall no flesh be justified in his sight. Do you realize
what he just said? This man understands that our
condition before God is such that there's nothing we can do
about it. There's nothing we can do to
remedy it. He doesn't specify how good the
deeds or how many of them, It can't happen that way. I believe
he understood what a sinner is, don't you? I believe he did.
He has resigned to the truth and confesses the truth in Romans
9, 16 that we cannot be saved by our will. It is not of him
that willeth. We cannot be saved by all of
our efforts, however valiant or moral. It is not of him that
runneth. But if we're going to be saved,
The Apostle Paul understood that if a sinner is going to be saved,
that God is going to have to freely have mercy on us. You know what that word freely
means in the Scriptures? Being justified freely by His
grace without a cause. God doesn't do anything without
a reason. That's not what it's saying.
It means that there's no reason in us that He did so. The reason
that He saves us is found in Himself alone, not in you or
I. There's no distinction. Before they were ever born or
had done any good or evil, God said, I love that one and I hate
that one. That's free grace right there.
And Paul understood that if a sinner is going to be saved, he's got
to be saved that way. It's not of him that willeth
nor of him that runneth. God is going to have to have
pity on us. and not give us what we deserve or we're goners. I believe Paul knew what a sinner
was. How then can he ask such a question? How? Upon what basis
can Paul challenge all creation to find a speck of dirt in a
seething swamp of corruption? How can he challenge all heaven,
earth, and hell to find a dark spot in a black, deep pit of
rebellion and treachery. How can he ask such a question?
He follows the question with three words that explain everything.
Everything. Suppose it's me specifically
this morning that Paul challenges you to find fault with. Most of you don't know me very
well, but some of you know me well enough to know that if Paul
posed this question to you, you might raise your hand. Who shall
lay anything to the charge of this one? Who here can give today a reason
why Chris Cunningham should go to hell? Speak now or forever
hold your peace. I can think of a few, but as
your hand is going up, And your mind is filling up with all the
multitude of indisputable reasons why the only place for me is
the blackness of darkness forever. Paul adds three more words that
cause you to bring your hand down and clear your mind of all of
those thoughts against me and render you absolutely speechless. It is Christ. It is Christ. I say three words and not five,
not because the other two are not vital and monumentally so,
and not that we won't look at them. But I say three because
Paul, when he would speak these words which give hope to the
vilest sinner, when he renders all argument and utterly silences
all protest to the contrary. He doesn't emphasize an event,
but a person. A person. The person is the subject
of the answer. As wonderful as the events are,
as wonderful as the resurrection is, and Paul adds later in our
text here, as we read, yea rather, that is risen again. What a wonderful
event that will be. Oh, but you know, Paul didn't
emphasize that event either. When he spoke of that event,
he said that I may know Him in the power of His resurrection. Do you see the difference? Do
you see the difference? Our hope is not in the resurrection,
or the crucifixion for that matter, but in the One who died there.
and is risen again. There's a great and vital difference,
my friends. In John 11, turn there with me. John, for a moment. Verse 21, Martha said unto the
Lord Jesus Christ, upon the occasion of the death of Lazarus, her
brother and the Lord's friend, and Lazarus was one whom Jesus
loved. I can't be sure this morning
whether he loves you or not. I can't answer that. But I know
he loved Lazarus. I'm sure of that. And Martha
said to the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord, if thou hadst been here,
my brother had not died. That sounds like a compliment,
doesn't it? But it's a limitation, isn't it? No matter where he
is, if it's his will, no matter where his bodily presence is,
if it's his will, it's not going to happen. Or it will happen,
whatever the case may be. In this case, she said, my brother
would not have died. If the Lord willed that, He not
die, then he's not going to die. Let's read on there. If you had
been here, but I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask
of God, verse 22, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her,
thy brother shall rise again. He shall rise again. Martha saith
unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection
at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am. You see what just happened there?
Martha was confident and had hope in an event. I know that
he'll rise again in the resurrection. I'm looking forward to the resurrection.
I'll be glad when the resurrection day comes. Martha, I am. I am the resurrection. Do you
see now why Paul words this the way he does? It is Christ. It is Christ. Our hope is not
in the crucifixion, no event, no matter how wonderful, but
in Him who died. Our hope is not in the resurrection,
but in Him who rose again for our justification. He died, and
because He did, I live. He paid my sin debt with His
blood, and He is my perfect sin offering before God, no question. And we rejoice in that truth,
but Paul does not say here, it is death that Christ suffered.
He said it is Christ that died. Understand, I pray, the difference
and rejoice in him who died. He says it is Christ. Forget
about what was done at Calvary in time until you know the one
who did it. Don't misunderstand me or misquote
me. I'm not saying forget about the
fact that Christ died. I'm saying you don't know what
happened there unless you know the One, the Person who died
there. That's the difference. The timeless,
eternal Son of God. If your hope is limited to an
event in time, then you need to know the Person who is eternal. That's what I'm saying. It's
not wrong to glory in the event. Paul said, God forbid that I
should glory in anything else than this truth. But we glory
in the cross, the event, the work, because it is the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what he said. God forbid
that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom this world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. This person stood for me before
I ever existed. Do we have any comprehension
of that? Or even the planet that I would
live on someday even existed or the solar system in which
that planet hung This one stood for me in eternity. He has obtained
eternal Redemption for us. Do you know what that word eternal
means there without beginning or end? What he did in time was
an eternal work I The blood of the everlasting covenant, if
it's the blood of the everlasting covenant, must be everlasting
blood. Eternal blood speaks for the
sinner. And that's what Paul is saying
here. And that's the answer to the
question, who is he that condemneth? You want to shut everybody up
in regard to that? Mention the person. who represented
us and was our substitute and is our substitute and our mediator
and all of our hope before God. This person, in eternity when there was only
God, in the glorious Trinity of the Godhead, the Father purposed
to save me and chose me in Christ and predestinated me to be like
Christ. which is the ultimate culmination
and accomplishment of that salvation. When I'm like Him, then I have
been saved, I'm being saved, and I shall be saved. What do
you mean you shall be saved? I'm going to be just like Christ. That's
what I mean. You understand that? I'm going to be just like His
Son. And when that happens, there will be no more I shall be. I
will be. We shall be what we should be
then, won't we? The songwriter said. When I'm
just like Christ, I'll be saved. Indeed, and it's true already.
We're already seated in heavenly places in Christ. But in our
experience, we look for that. We groan, don't we? The whole
creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. Waiting
for what? The adoption to wit, the redemption
of this body. The redemption of this body. He redeemed my body and he'll
claim it. And I'll be with him forever. The Son of God in eternity. agreed and covenanted with the
Father to be my everlasting surety, mediator, representative, substitute,
sovereign, and Savior. He's my all. Christ is all. And
that's been true forever and always shall be. Always has been
true. He was my all before I was. And
He always shall be. The Holy Spirit also covenanted
in this eternal council of grace And his role in this was to come
where I was in time and reveal Christ to me. To give me life
in Christ, to make me a partaker of his divine nature. It is Christ. It is Christ. All Paul has to
do here to allay all of our fears as believers in the Lord Jesus
is to identify who it is who has undertaken for you and I.
Who it is. It is Christ. And this is Christlike
of Paul to do this, his manner of doing this, to identify the
person in order to allay our fears of condemnation and wrath
and any charge being laid to us. It's Christlike of him to
do that. Turn to Matthew chapter 14. How is it that Christ Himself
comforts His people? and calms our troubles, soothes
our pains and our heartaches and our worries and our fears.
How does Christ do that? Matthew 14 and verse 23. When He had sent the multitudes
away, He went up into a mountain apart
to pray, and when the evening was come, He was there alone.
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves,
for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the
night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when
the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled,
saying, It is a spirit. And they cried out for fear.
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer. What? It is I. What, Paul? Who can find fault
in a sinner that's full of fault? What? Be of good cheer? For what
reason? On what basis? It is Christ. It is Christ. But my sin... My sin... My sins are many. And my sin is great. But be of
good cheer. It is Christ. It is Christ. That's how He calms our fears.
By identifying Himself. Who it is that's with them. Who it is that's for them. Who
it is that's able to truly comfort the sinner's heart. The only
one who's able. Now it is Christ that did some
things. And we're going to look at that. What did he do? He died. First of all it says he died.
Yea rather is risen who is sitting at the right hand of God making
intercession for us. First of all he died. Christ
died. Christ died. The wages of sin
is death. Why did He die? Because He took
my wages. He took what I deserved. He became
what I am by nature. Isaiah 53. Turn there if you'd
like. Let me read it to you. Isaiah
53 and verse 4. Why did He die? Surely He hath
borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem
him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded
for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep
have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his
own way. And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted. Do you see the word he, he, he? That's what Paul is saying. It
is Christ. It is Christ. Yet he opened not
his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth
not his mouth. He was taken from prison and
from judgment. And who shall declare his generation?
For he was cut off out of the land of the living. For the transgression
of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the
wicked and with the rich in his death. Because he had done no
violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand. It can prosper nowhere else. This purpose of God to save sinners
can prosper nowhere else, but in his hand. It is Christ. He
shall see of the travail of his soul, And he'll be satisfied. You know why? Because it is Christ. If you know who he is, you would
never entertain the thought that it could be any other way, but
that he would be fully satisfied with the result of his work.
He accomplishes what he purposes. He does what he sets out to do. He hath obtained eternal redemption
for us. So you understand that if you
understand who Paul is talking about when he said, it is Christ,
then that died has true meaning. It has true efficacy. It gives
true hope because of who He is. Who He is. It will prosper in
His hand and He'll see of the travail of His soul. Of course
He will, because it is Christ, the Lord's Anointed, Son of Man
and Son of God. It shall He shall be satisfied,
and by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify." Of
course he will, because it's Christ. He'll justify many. Who? Everyone that he set out
to justify. How's he going to do it? He will
bear their iniquities. That's how he'll do it. That's
how he did it. He bore somebody's sins on the
tree, as our brother again taught this morning. He bore somebody's
sins. He bore our iniquities and therefore
He bore the penalty of our iniquities. Because God is just. And what
was that? Death. It is Christ that died. It is
Christ that died. More than just physical death.
We know better than that, don't we? Just the expiration of physical
life. There's much more to this than
that. The very wrath of God was poured out upon my substitute
and extinguished there. Extinguished. And then Paul said,
yea, rather he rose. He rose. Not rather because one
event is more important than another. I've heard people debate
that. Oh, the resurrection is more important. They usually
say that around Easter time. to sound spiritual. The resurrection,
more importantly, you know, if he had died and not rose, then
his death would... It has nothing to do with one event being more
important than the other, but rather because the one reveals
the success of the other. That's, again, you preached my
message this morning, Mark. That's all right. Because it
revealed, he rose again, revealing that the sacrifice he offered
unto God for us is accepted. is accepted. We know His death,
His offering unto God was accepted, was sufficient, was well-pleasing
in the sight of God because He arose. That's why He said, Yea,
rather that is risen again. And then this, He's sitting right
now at the right hand of God making intercession for us. There's
a man on the throne of heaven. And he's our brother, he's our
friend, he's our Joseph, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Christ. It is Christ that died. It is
Christ that rose again. And it's him that sits on the
throne of glory this morning. My forerunner, my representative,
my brother. Colossians 3 says, if ye then
be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. He's saying this, seek those
things which are above, if ye be risen with Christ, Seek those
things which are above where there's a mansion for you. No,
where Christ is sitting on the right hand of the throne. That's
our focus. That's our goal. That's our hope. That Christ sits there for me.
And Paul is saying here, let this truth govern all of your
earthly pursuits. That your Savior, it is Christ
that sits on the throne of God and He sits there for you. And notice the next part of that
passage. Seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Therefore, set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye
are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ,
who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
him in glory." It is Christ that sits there. And Paul is saying
here, because that's true, All of your affection, all of your
heart, all of your pursuits, all of your interests must be
affected by that. Must be. Because it is Christ
that sits there for you. What else matters? What are you
looking for down here that would take your attention off of Him
there? You remember what Stephen saw
when he was stoned? Do you reckon if anything could
distract you, it would be an angry mob throwing rocks at you.
You reckon? But he wasn't looking at them.
He wasn't cowering in fear. He wasn't covering and hiding.
You know what he was doing when that was taking place? When they
were beating the life out of him brutally and violently? He
said, I see the Son of Man sitting, standing, standing at
the right hand of glory. And that's what I see by God's
grace. It is Christ. It is Christ. And then he said
this. He's doing something there. He
makes intercession for us. Intercession. That's a big word.
You know what it means? To pray. It means to entreat. To pray. That's what he's doing.
He's praying for us. He always has. He always has. Even when he hung on the cross,
he prayed for his sheep. Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do.
Who was he talking about there? I don't have any idea, but I
know this. Whoever they are, they're forgiven. They're forgiven. He said, the Father heareth me
always. Always. Father, forgive them. He's always
prayed for us. He's always interceded for us.
He's always been our mediator. And he is now. You need Mary praying for you?
One of the apostles? No, not interested in that. Why?
Because it is Christ. It is the one, and he's the one
that's able to pray for me on the basis of something. You understand? He pleads his own merits on my
behalf. What can Mary plead for me? What
can one of the apostles plead? They've got nothing to say on
my behalf. They're as wretched as I am. They need the one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, just like I do.
It is Christ that intercedes for me. What do I need with some
priest doing that? I got no use for that. It is
Christ. In John 11, 41, It says what I just quoted there
a minute ago, that they took the stone away from the place
where Lazarus was laid, and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said,
Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me, and I knew that
Thou hearest me always. But because of the people which
stand by, I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent
me. That's the one praying for you. The one who always gets
what he prays for. He always does. What is he praying
for you? what he's always prayed for you.
He doesn't change. What is Christ praying on my
behalf today as we stand here? I can answer that. Can't you?
It's what he's always prayed. Father, forgive them. Forgive
them. Forgive them. He's praying that.
He always has. He's prayed on the basis of his
own merits. blood and righteousness, that
the Father not impute our sins to us, not count our iniquities
against us. And he gets what he prays for.
He always has prayed that. On the very cross he prayed that,
and it was by virtue of what he did there on that cross and
upon the basis of who he is. And that precious blood that
he shed there, that he prays this for us. Are you forgiven?
If he was praying for you when he said that, then he still is. And you are. You are. Without
question. You remember what he told Peter
when the Lord told Peter that you'll deny me three times? And
he said, Peter, Peter. Satan hath desired thee, that
he might sift you as wheat. And that's exactly what he did
to Judas, didn't he? Satan sifted him as wheat. He
said, I have betrayed the innocent blood. And he went out and hanged
himself and went to hell. And the Lord Jesus said to Peter,
Satan hath desired you too, but there's a difference between
you and Judas. You know what it was? But I've
prayed for you. It is Christ that's doing that
this morning for you, for me. It is Christ. What is it He's
praying for us? What He always has. John 17,
15, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but
that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. I'm not much worried
about God's people in this world, are you? And I don't care what
happens to the economy in this sense. I do in some sense. I
don't care who's president, I do in some sense, but not in this.
It doesn't make much difference, does it, in the eternal scheme
of things? It doesn't make any difference. The Son of God, the
Eternal Christ, sits on the throne of God, and right now He's praying,
Father, keep them from the evil. Are you kept? If it is Christ
that intercedes for you, then you are. Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant
mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively 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. The ones He's praying for, Father,
keep them. Keep them. who are kept by the
power of God because his son asked for it and bought it for us. Through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time. What is he praying for
us this morning? Well, I know this. The scripture
says delight thyself in the Lord and he'll give you the desires
of thy heart and our Savior He delighted in doing always those
things that pleased the Father, didn't He? So whatever He's praying
for me this morning, it's mine. It's mine. And I'll tell you
another thing He's praying for us this morning. Out of the desires
of Him, I'll give you the desires of Him. What is the desire of
the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ for His sheep this morning? What
it always has been. Father, I will. That they also,
whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am. That they may behold my glory. He's praying that for me this
morning, just like he did in Gethsemane. that they be with me where I
am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me. For
thou lovest me before the foundation of the world, when the Son of
God makes known the desires of his heart, his human heart, as well as divine. before the throne of glory as
he sits and makes intercession for me this morning. It's his
desire to have me with him forever. And that's my prayer too for
you and I. Let's bow in prayer.