I did choose the Lord Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Neiberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. Now this is the last of this
six-part message I've brought on Romans chapter 8, verses 28
through 39. There is not a more important
passage of Scripture in all the Word of God than this passage. I'd like to read it again, and
then I would like to speak on the last two verses of this passage
of Scripture. Paul said in Romans 8, verse
28, and we know, this is true of all of God's people, we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God,
not to everybody, but to them that love God to them who are
thee called according to his purpose. Four, whom he did foreknow,
not what he foreknew, but whom he did foreknow, forelove. Like he said to Jeremiah, before
I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. For whom He did foreknow,
He also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of
His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
Here's what predestination is. God took another look at His
Son and predestinated a bunch of people to be just like Him. 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. And that's not future. That's
past tense. This is not prophetic. It's historic. These are things that have already
taken place. Somebody says, well, you don't
look glorified. Well, my glory is in Christ. If I'm in him,
I'm already glorified. Paul then says, In verse 31, what shall we say then 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, 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 justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It's
Christ that died. Yea, rather that's 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. As it's written, for
thy sake we're killed all the day long. We are Canada's sheep
for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things, we're
more than conquerors through him that loved us. Now here's
our text. Paul says, for I am persuaded. that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord." I've entitled this message, Paul's
Persuasion. Now this is Paul's conclusion
to everything he had said up to this point. He said, I'm persuaded. Literally, I've been persuaded. This is a very powerful word.
It means I've been won over. I've been brought to a change
of mind. I agree. I've been assured of
this. I have confidence in this. This
is my friend. what I trust, this is who I yield
to. Paul used the word in 2 Timothy
1.12 like this, I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded, I'm
convinced that he is able to keep that which I've committed
to him against that day. Now what is it you feel so persuaded
about, Paul? That nothing shall separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now, I've said in just about
every one of these six messages on this passage of scripture,
the us represents the elect. It's not a generic us. It is
all of God's people, all for whom Christ died, all those he
foreknew, all those he predestinated, all those he called, all those
he justified, all those he glorified, all those he's for. If God be
for us, who can be against us? Now, this is the us Paul is speaking
of when he says, I'm persuaded that nothing shall separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Now, there's no more important
concept in the Bible than this, in Christ. In Christ. I'd like to read a passage from
Ephesians chapter 1 that gives us some idea of the importance
of this phrase, in Christ. Listen to me. All that God has
for the sinner is in Christ. God will not speak to nor be
spoken to apart from Christ. And all of God's blessing, all
of God's mercy, all of God's favor, all of God's grace, all
of God's salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why
the Lord said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man
comes to the Father but by me. When Christ comes to the Father,
if I'm in Christ, I come too. And that's exactly what he meant
when he said, no man cometh to the Father, but by me. When I
come to the Father, those in me come to the Father. Now in
Ephesians chapter one, beginning in verse three, we read, blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. In Christ, I have every spiritual
blessing. Notice he says in verse 4, according
as he hath chosen us in him. Now election's true, but election's
not some arbitrary choice of God. God has always seen the
elect in Christ. According as he has chosen us
in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him. Now in Christ, I'm holy. Holy as Christ himself is, because
he is my holiness. In Christ, I'm without blame.
I'm justified. God doesn't have anything to
blame me for, because I've not done anything. I'm justified
in Christ. In love, having predestinated us, God's love is in Christ Jesus,
our Lord. His predestinating purpose is
in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Having predestinated us under
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. My acceptance is in the Beloved,
in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of His grace." Now, all God has
for the sinner is in the Lord Jesus Christ. God's love is in
Christ. He doesn't love anyone apart
from Christ. All of God's love is in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, let me say these things
that the Bible says about the love of God that's in Christ
Jesus, our Lord. First, it's in Christ. God doesn't
love anybody unconditionally. He loves that person as they
are viewed in, as they are united to the Lord Jesus Christ. Both he that sanctifieth and
they who are sanctified are all of one, one with Christ. God loves His Son. God loves
those in His Son. His justice and wrath is for
those outside of His Son. All of God's love is in His Son,
like the one place of safety was in the ark. There wasn't
any safety anywhere outside of the ark. All of God's love is
in his son. Now, God's love is personal. We read, Jacob have I loved,
but Esau have I hated. Those are God's words. His love
is personal. He loves individuals. He doesn't love the world in
a generic sense. He loves individuals. His love is personal. And God's
love is eternal. Jeremiah 31.3, God said, behold,
I've loved you with an everlasting love. That melts my heart to
think that God has always loved me. There's never been a time
when he didn't love me. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee." God's love is immutable. He can't love me
any more than he does. That would imply a change. He
can't love me any less than he does. That would imply a change. I've heard people say regarding
his hatred for Esau when he said, Esau hath hated, they say, well,
that means love less. Can God love less? No, God can't
love less. His love is giving. 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? God so loved the world that he
gave. And his love is saving love. Everybody he loves, he saves. There will not be anybody in
hell that God loved. Listen to this scripture. But
God, Ephesians 2 and 4 and 5, but God, who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. Now,
Paul, why are you persuaded about this? He said, I'm persuaded
that nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Paul, why are you so persuaded? Well, first of all, because God's
persuaded me of this. You know, when God persuades
somebody, they're persuaded. When God's your teacher, you're
taught. When God gives you faith, you believe. Paul literally says,
I've been persuaded. God has persuaded me of this.
He's convinced me of this, that nothing shall separate us from
His glorious love, the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. Now, you're persuaded because
He persuades you, and you're persuaded when you see that this
is what the Scripture actually teaches. Now, there's one thing
I ask you to do when you listen to me preach. See if what I'm
saying is according to the Word of God. If it's not according
to the Word of God, reject it. But if I am teaching and preaching
what the Word of God actually says, receive it, rejoice in
it, bow before it. Nothing can separate us from
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That's what the
Bible declares. Now, I'm persuaded of this. because
of the nature of God. Scripture says God is love. God is immutable. He said, I'm
the Lord, I change not, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.
He can't change any and put that together with his love. God is
love. It's against his nature to stop
loving. It's against his nature to cease
to love someone he's once loved. God can't cease to love any more
than he can cease to exist. Having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them to the end. Surely nothing shall
separate us from the love of God because it's God's love. I'm persuaded that nothing shall
separate us from the love of God because of the nature of
salvation. This is why God can't stop loving me, because salvation
is by grace. You see, if it's by grace, that
means there's nothing I can do to earn it, and there's nothing
I can do to demerit it or lose it or cause God to cease loving
me. If there's something I could
do that would cause God to cease loving me, that would mean salvation
were not all of grace. my own personal goodness or works
or righteousness or something that I could do to make him love
me. But that's not the way God's love works. His love is a gracious
love. Salvation is a free gift. You cannot earn it by good works. You can't forfeit it by your
sinfulness. God's salvation is by grace. And if we could be
separated, that would mean it wouldn't really be by grace.
But salvation really is by grace. You know, every aspect of the
believer salvation flows from union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, nothing can separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord, because
if I'm a believer, I'm in Christ Jesus, my Lord. I'm in him. I'm not just close to him. I'm
in him. I'm one with him. Both he that sanctifyeth and
they who are sanctified are all of one, not merely close, but
united to him. And every blessing of salvation,
including the love of God, comes from union with the Lord Jesus
Christ. We can't be separated from the
love of God if we're in Christ any more than Christ can, because
we're united to him. Oh, this close union. Remember when Paul speaks of
marriage, he says, the two shall be one flesh. I speak great mystery. I speak concerning Christ and
the church. The two become one. God cannot cease to love his
son, and he cannot cease to love all who are united to his son
and in his son. Now, Paul was persuaded because
this was his experience. God never stopped loving him.
I'm sure there are reasons he could think, well, I bet God
stopped loving me for that. But in his experience, God never
stopped loving him. He said, I will never leave thee
nor forsake thee. And you know what? He hadn't.
I love that hymn, How Firm a Foundation. I love that last verse. The soul
that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will not
desert to his foes. That soul, though all hail, should
endeavor to shake. I'll never, no never, no never
forsake. You see, the very glory of God
is tied up in the salvation of those that he loves, his people. Now, if God ceased loving me,
if I was separated from the love of God, And there's a lot of
preachers who preach this way. Well, God loves you, but he'll
stop loving you when he casts you into hell. There's no love
of God in hell, and that's true. But the very thought of that,
God loving me and then casting me into hell, you take away my
only hope then, because my only hope is that God loves me freely
for Christ's sake and Christ died for my sins. But here's
what I'm trying to say. If God stopped loving me, If
through my sinfulness, through my wandering, through whatever
the reason, if God stopped loving me, if I was separated from the
love of God, I'd lose a lot. Oh my, the loss, who could describe
it? But he would lose more. because His glory is tied up
in the salvation of everybody He died for. And if God stopped
loving me, if I was separated from His love and thrown into
hell, He would lose his honor as the savior of sinners. If
he ever stopped loving me, he'd lose his honor as the immutable
God who always loves and never stops loving. You see, the glory
of God is tied up in the salvation of the sinner. And that's why
Paul said, I'm persuaded. that nothing shall separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Now,
let's spend a few moments considering the things that Paul says cannot
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. Paul says in verse 38, "'For I am persuaded that
neither death Death's not gonna separate me from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. As a matter of fact,
death is gonna bring me into his very presence. O death, where
is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin. The strength of sin is the law,
but thanks be unto God which giveth us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, for me to live is
Christ and to die is gain. Romans 14, 13 says, blessed are
the dead that die in the Lord. What a blessing. We read in the
book of Psalms, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death
of his saints. Now death seems like a separation.
Oh, we've lost loved ones and what a separation it is. But
death would only bring the believer directly into his presence. The Lord said to that thief on
the cross, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. Death is not going to separate
us from the love of Christ. And then Paul mentions, nor life. Nothing that life brings my way,
whatever it may be, will separate me from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Now you think of the trials of
life, the troubles, the heartache, The broken heart. Oh, man that's
born of woman is born to trouble, Job said, as the sparks fly upward. And there are good things in
life. Prosperity. Blessing. And you know, I've
seen people seem to forget God through prosperity. They needed
him when they were in trouble, but now that the trouble's over,
they don't seem to need him anymore. But not a true believer. Anything
this life brings will never separate him from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus, our Lord, that saving, glorious love. And then Paul says in verse 38,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers. I don't have any
question that he's talking about the demonic world at that time.
Satan and all his legions of demons, the fallen angels, and
powerful they are, powerful they are, but none of them is able
to separate even the weakest sheep from the love of Christ,
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. You see,
the sheep are in his mighty hand, and no one can pluck them out
of his hand. And then Paul says, nor things
present, Whatever's going on right now in your life, name
it, doesn't matter what it is, it can't separate you from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. If you're in
the love of God, you have everything. All that Christ has, you have. However secure Christ is, you
are. Things present will never separate
you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And then he says in verse 38, nor things to come, Now, things
are coming. I'm glad I don't know the future.
I would want to know the future. But I know this. I've got more
trials, more troubles coming. I've got sickness ahead of me.
I've got heartache ahead of me. These preachers that talk about
it's not God's will for you to be sick or it's not God's will
for you to have troubles and so on, those fellas don't know
God. Paul had continual troubles. And the Lord said, in the world
you shall have tribulation. It'd be a good cheer. I've overcome
the world. But whatever is in the future
that's going to come my way, it's not going to be able to
separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
the Lord. And then he says in verse 39,
nor hieth, no mountain of opposition. No person who pretends to be
so big and high will be able to separate me from the love
of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, nor depth. Do you know you can't fall so
low that he'll stop loving you? You cannot run yourself out of
the reach of his love. God commended his love toward
us in the while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. You can't, if you're one of his
loved ones, you can't fall so deep that his love won't save
you. What an encouragement that is.
And then Paul says in verse 39, just in case I've left out anything,
nor any other creature. Creature is everything but God.
That means there's absolutely nothing that can separate the
believer from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our
Lord. Now, Paul was persuaded. Are
you? I want to quote a verse of scripture
that I quoted at the very beginning of this message. Paul said in
2 Timothy 1, verse 12, I am persuaded, I'm persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I've committed to him against that day. I know
whom I have believed. I love the way Paul said that.
He didn't say, I know what I believe. He said, I know whom I believe.
What we believe is determined by who we believe. He knew who
Christ was. He's God. He can't fail. He's
the perfect man. His righteousness is enough.
I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is
able. I've been persuaded. I've been
convinced. This is where my confidence is.
This is what I yield to. I am persuaded that He is able
to keep that which I've committed to Him. Now, what have you committed
to Him, Paul? I've committed to Him the entire
salvation of my soul. I put all my eggs in this one
basket. If he didn't do it all, then
I will not be saved. Now you failed to commit if you
believe in works in any way. If you try to hold out for some
work, something that you do, you failed to commit 100% to
him. Now, every believer is persuaded
that he is able to keep that which they have committed to
him against that day, that day of judgment. I'm persuaded that
nothing will separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus, our Lord. And I am persuaded that he is
able to keep that which I've committed to him against that
judgment day. Now, what a precious passage
of scripture. It begins with, and we know,
and Paul is speaking as the spokesman of every believer, and we know,
and it ends with this glorious statement, we're persuaded. More than no, we're persuaded
that nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Now, we have this message on
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