In Romans chapter 8, I'll be
honest with you, I began to think about this last night as I was
meditating and thinking upon the Lord's Word. And I wanted
to share this with you. Hopefully I won't keep you very
long this afternoon. But I wanted to give you four truths out of Romans chapter
8 that proves, four proofs, that the saint of God is secure. Let's lay aside for just a moment
whether or not you're a saint or not. Let me lay aside where
I'm a saint or not. That has to be proved, that should
be proved by each of us, if I'm a saint, if you're a But let's
just lay that aside for a minute and look objectively at the Scriptures. Whether or not we're saints,
there's one thing for sure the Scripture teaches, that the saints
are secure. They're safe. Now, I didn't say
they were safe from trouble. I didn't say they were safe from
the Father's chastening rod. I didn't say they were safe from
fears and doubts. But if they're a saint, they
are secured in their salvation for all eternity. My dad used
to make fun of that. He was a free-will Baptist preacher,
you know. Me and him used to talk about
that. He'd make fun of that, little
jokes about it. He'd say, you're like those old
cows, once in grass, always in grass. He used to talk like that
anyway. I'm saying this morning that
the Scripture teaches us that when God saves a man, He saves
him forever. That's what I want to show you,
and I want to give you four proofs of that here in Romans chapter
8. And I trust if you're here tonight
and you're a saint, you've been called to be a saint, you're
in Christ, then this may help you to live in the assurance. I don't tell anybody this. to
let them think or believe they have a liberty to live in sin.
It just doesn't teach that. But it does teach that the saints
are secure. The first reason, and every reason
I give you this evening from the Scripture, is not what we
do. I'm not speaking we're secure
because we'll never quit believing. I'm not going there. We could
go there, but I want to give you four proofs, and it's proofs
from the triune God. Because it's His work and His
purpose, okay? And here they are. The first
one is found here in Romans. Look in chapter 8 and verse 13. Let's look at it this way. If
you live after the flesh, you shall die. Boy, that's so it. That's so. A man lives after
the flesh, he's going to die. If a man's still in his nature,
And He hasn't been born again. He lives after the flesh. He'll
die. He'll die for all eternity. He
may be a religious flesh. He may be open and profane flesh.
But if He lives after the flesh, He's going to die. He's going
to die. But He says here, look here right
quickly, back in verse 9, But you are not in the flesh, but
in the Spirit. You've been born of the Spirit,
the Spirit's in you, and you're in the Spirit. Back in verse
13, But if you through the Spirit do mortify, you put to death
the sinful deeds of the flesh, you shall live, as many as are
led by the Spirit of God. What does the Spirit of God lead
us? What does He lead us? He leads us into truth, doesn't
He? When He is come, He will guide you into truth. Truth about what? About yourself. I'm telling you, when the Spirit
tells you that you're a sinner, when the Spirit shows you that
you're lost, when He shows you that you're hopeless, that you
don't have the righteousness that God requires, boy, you learn
then, don't you? He leads us in truth about God.
Who is God? What's He like in His nature?
He's holy, He's just, He's sovereign, He's God. We're in His hands. He's the creator, the sustainer.
He's good, He's kind, and God is love. He guides us into the
truth of God. He guides us into the truth of
Jesus Christ. He glorifies Christ. He opens
our hearts to see the beauty of the Redeemer. He reveals Him
to our minds. that He is an all-sufficient
Savior. Everything that a sinner knows
and believes truly in his heart about the Son of God, the Spirit
leads him into that truth. He leads us to love one another,
to be kind one to another, to forgive one another. You husbands,
He leads you to love your wives. You wives, He leads you to be
reverent to your husband. He leads us to be patient in
our families. He leads us. You won't find anybody
that should be a better citizen of a country than a believer.
Why? Because the Spirit leads him.
If you be led of the Spirit. As many as are led by the Spirit.
Now look at verse 15. Here's the verse. For you have
not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear. But you have received
the Spirit of adoption, whereby you cry, Father, Father." When
does this crying begin? When does a man begin to cry
in his heart, Father, Father? As soon as God sends the Spirit
of His Son into his heart. And when does he do that? When you believed, what did Paul
say? You were sealed with that Holy
Spirit of promise. He comes into the heart and immediately
we begin to cry, Father, Father, Father. We're freed from the
bondage of guilt and fear and torment. When we look out into
eternity, look out into judgment, we don't have to be overwhelmed
with despair anymore. Why? We've not received the spirit
of bondage again. Again. There was a time when
you were afraid. There was a time when you were
guilty before God, and you knew you couldn't stand before Him.
You were afraid. But when the spirit of adoption
comes in, revealing the Lord Jesus Christ, the guilt is gone. The torment and fear is gone.
The condemnation is gone. And then what do you say? Now,
what if the Spirit leaves us and the spirit of bondage comes
back again and we're lost? What if that happens? Could that
ever happen? What did our text say? You have
not received the spirit of bondage again. How could Paul be sure
of that? Because when the spirit of adoption
comes into our heart, he seals us. And how long does He seal
us for? Until the day of redemption.
And He'll never leave us. He may hide Himself. He may hide Himself. Because
of our slothfulness, because of our neglect, because of our
sin, He may hide Himself. But you know something? He'll
never leave. He'll never leave. I will give you another Comforter,
and He shall abide with you for how long? Forever. Forever. I have a dear friend
of mine, he's my first cousin, and he pastors the Free Will
Baptist Church. And I told him one time, I said,
you know what the Lord Jesus said about the spirit of adoption?
That he would abide with us forever? And I said, now listen, cousin,
you're going to have to have a big pair of rubber lips to
twist that to mean anything but what he said. That's how I talk
to people when we fuss sometimes. We love each other. He's just
dead wrong. He's just wrong. If the Spirit of Christ has come
into your heart and you cry, Father, Father,
He'll never leave you. Now, if He does, if He does,
you're gone. And you'll never be saved again
if that happens. But here, that's the Spirit's
work. And you know something? He is
sovereign in that work. He is faithful in that work.
And let me ask you this. I had a dear friend of mine one
time, and he told me, he said, you know, Bruce, I don't think
I want a salvation that I couldn't lose. I can't understand that. If a man sees himself to be lost
and undone, and the Lord saves him, don't you want to feel that
He secures you? That He'll never give you up?
That you'll be saved forever? You're His forever and He's yours?
I think that would make you as happy. It made me happy when
I learned about it. I never want to be lost again,
Wayne. And boy, when the Spirit of God comes in, Paul said he'll
never leave. No, he'll never receive the Spirit
of bondage again to fear. You say, Bruce, I'm afraid. Well,
you probably ought to examine to see what your That's what
fear is all about. That would be all right. Do that. But if
you're a child of God, it's one thing about it. If you fear that
you're lost again, if you've ever been His child, then that's
a wrong fear. That's a wrong fear. And if you've
fallen into doubt and fear, and you're a child of God, then come
to the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ and say, Be an advocate
for me. Be my advocate. Plead my cause. Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation. That's the first thing. That's
the first thing. The Spirit comes to abide forever.
He'll never leave. The second thing is found here
in verses 28 and verse 31. And that's the purpose of God.
This is something we don't hear hardly anything in our day about
the God of purpose, do we? Sort of like my wife says about
me all the time. It's what people thinks about
God. My wife often says something like, you just fly by the seat
of your pants. And that's the way I do. I don't plan. Every
time I plan something, I can't bring it to... So I just don't
plan. Really, that's the way I do.
That's not the way God does. He's a God of purpose, you see.
And that's what we see here in verse 28. Look at verse 28. 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. He has a purpose. He has a purpose
concerning all things. But He has a purpose concerning
a great, great multitude of people. And that's what He's going to
tell us in verse 29. Look at this. For whom He did
foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that Christ may be the firstborn among many brothers.
Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and whom
He called, them He justified, and whom He justified, them He
glorified." Now isn't this wonderful? And when you examine yourself
to find out that you've been called, God has called you and
He saved you and He's justified you, then you can look backwards
and say that He foreknew you. That you're in His purpose long
before there was a world made. He purposed to call you and justify
you. And then you can look ahead and
say, He's going to glorify me. Are these things sure, though?
They're all in past tense, aren't they? Every one of them is in
past tense. Those He foreknew, already foreknew
them. Those He called, past tense.
He justified past tense, and He glorified past tense. That's
His purpose. His purpose. His purpose. I don't know of any other doctrine
in the Scriptures, boy, that'll kick the props out of none of
you like this will. This puts free will down in the
dust. Oh, I'll get saved when I'm good
and ready. It's all up to me. I'd be careful about saying that.
God's got a purpose. I think I'd humble myself and
seek God's mercy. Seek God's included me. If we look at this for the sake
of argument, just for a minute. And here's the way most people
argue about God's foreknowledge. The scripture here teaches that
this foreknowledge is God simply foreknowing people, those whom
He foreknew, not what they would do, but who they were. And because
He foreknew these people and loved them, He predestinated
them. And He called them and He justified
them and glorified them. But for the sake of argument,
Let's look at this the way free will looks at it and say, okay
then, God looked down through time and he foresaw those who
would believe. He foresaw those who would be
justified and he foresaw everybody that would be glorified. Is that
foreknowledge then infallible? Well, they say it's not. But if you want to look at it
that way, it's got to be infallible, because God knows everything. And He said those He foreknew,
He glorified them, every one of them, every one of them. But
then, bless their hearts, they'll turn right around and say, yeah,
but after you're called, you can still be lost. But God foresaw those that He
called to be glorified, didn't He? Here it is. If you allow God's
purpose, this is God's purpose, you allow Him choosing who He's
going to save and making it sure and fixing it in His own purpose,
then you'll have to say it's sure. If you're called, if you're
justified, You shall be glorified. You may fear your way all the
way to heaven, but that isn't going to change God's purpose,
is it? Those He foreknew, He also glorified. I was reading what a fellow wrote
the other day, and I want to show you how people will strain
this because they just can't believe that God would purpose
to save like He does. Listen to what this man said.
The purpose of God is contingent upon our loving God. If we continue to love God, then
this purpose stands, but only as we continue to love God. Ain't that sad? Ain't that God
dishonoring? Why did He call us? Was it because
we loved Him? We didn't even love Him before
He called us, did we? Were you born loving God? Have
you ever been lost? Have you ever had a mind that's
been enmity against God? Huh? When did you begin to love
Him? After He called you. And not
before. So that's not the reason He called
you, is it? He didn't call you because you
loved Him. He called you to put His love
in your heart for Him. So His purpose is not contingent
upon anything of us. His purpose is according to His
own will and good pleasure. Those He foreknew, He glorified. How wonderful! Does that give
you any kind of security? Thirdly, look at this, in verse
32 and verse 34. He that spurred 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 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 makes intercessions for
us. Now, here is something that secures
the saint. It secures the saint. And what
is it? Two things. The death of Christ. Who is he that condemns? Why is there no condemnation
to them in Christ? Christ died. He died. He suffered the condemnation
for them. But there is something else here,
too. And this is a blessed thing, too. It's not just the death
of Christ. But did you notice something
else? Yea, rather. Who is alive, He lives and makes
intercessions for them. Who does Christ make intercessions
for? For those He died for. For those He died for. You see
these two things in so many places in the Scripture. Turn your whole
chapter 8, because I've got one more point on this. Look over
here in Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 12. This is very important. This will be a blessing. If you've
never seen this before, this is such a blessing. Isaiah 53,
and look here in verse 12. You see these two things, and
they go together so many places in the Scripture. The death of
Christ, and the intercession of Christ. The sufferings of
Christ, and Him living again, and pleading for those for whom
He died. Look here what He said in verse
12. Isaiah 53, and look in verse 12. Therefore, look in verse
11. Let's start in verse 11. He shall
see, the father shall see, of the travail of the soul of his
son, and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many." How is he going to justify them? He
shall bear their iniquities. Now look in verse 12. Therefore
will I divide him a portion with the great, he shall divide the
small with the strong, because he has poured out his soul unto
death. He was numbered with the transgressors. He bared the sins of many. And look at this. And He made
intercessions for the transgressors. See how those two go together?
Baring the sins and making intercessions for those for whose sins He bore. Look at another place with me.
Look at Hebrews chapter 9. Look in Romans chapter 5 on our
way to Hebrews chapter 9. Look right quickly to Romans
chapter 5 and look in verse 10. Romans 5 and verse 10. Look at
this. For if, when we were enemies,
enemies of God, enemies to our own salvation, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God. How? By the death of His Son. much more being reconciled, we
shall be saved by His life." What does he mean there? Christ
died for our offenses. But what is He doing today? He
is living to make intercessions for those for whom He died. Now
look at another place. Look in Hebrews chapter 9 and
verse 14. Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 14. You see it here. Look in verse
14, Hebrews chapter 9. How much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without
spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the
living God? He offered Himself upon Calvary
Street. He offered Himself to God for
our sins. Now look in verse 24. For Christ
is not entered into the holy place made with hands, which
are a figure of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear
in the presence of God for us." See what he says? These two things
are put together. He offered himself to God upon
Calvary, and now he's in the presence of God pleading for
us. And what does he plead, you wonder? Wonder what he pleads? Do you
know what he pleads? He pleads himself. He pleads
his death. What else could he plead to bring
a poor sinner off from condemnation? He pleads himself. Let me quote this unto you because
this is very familiar. 1 John 2, verses 1 and 2, My
little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin
not, But if any man sin, we have an advocate with a father, we
have a priest with a father, a lawyer in the Father's presence,
and listen to this, and he is the propitiation, the atoning
victim for our sin. Now, here's what I'm saying.
If I had only one place to go to prove the death of Jesus Christ,
was particular, was for his people, his elect. I'd go to this scripture. If Jesus Christ died for everybody
without exception, if he made atonement for everybody without
exception, then why doesn't he plead for everybody without exception? Do you ever think of that? You
say, Bruce, I thought he was. No, he's not. Father, I pray
for them. I pray for them that You've given
me. I pray not for the world. Ain't that what He said? But
I pray for them that You have given me. You see, here's the
point, brothers and sisters. If the Son of God did just as
much for Judas as He did Peter, If the Son of God did just as
much for Pharaoh as He did Moses, then Pharaoh should live with
just as much assurance as Moses. Judas could live with just as
much assurance as Peter. But neither one of them would
have any hope because Judas was lost, wasn't
he? Judas was perished, wasn't he? Why was Peter saved? I pray
for you. Peter, I pray for you. Satan
has desired to sift you this week, but I pray for you. Why
didn't he pray for Judas? I don't know. You'll have to
ask him. But I know those for whom he died, he makes intercession. Because that's what the Bible
says. That's what the Bible says. Listen to this. Father, I will
that those whom Baal has given me Be with me where I am. Now, you think the Father heard
that prayer? Man, ain't that wonderful? You're sure the Father heard
Him, though? Do we have any evidence that the Father heard Him? Well,
listen to John 11, verse 42. Father, I know that You hear
me always. Always. Listen to Psalm 21 and verse
1 and 2. Listen to this. Thou will give
to him the desires of his heart, and will not withhold from him
the request of his lips. Now, what does the death of Christ
have to do with your eternal salvation? What does the intercession
of Jesus Christ have to do with your eternal salvation? Is that
what saves you? Is that what keeps you? He refuses
to let you go. He pleads in the presence of
His Father for you. Why? Because He's obtained redemption
for you. He's borne your sin. And if those
people who don't believe that won't have it, then they won't
have it. But this is what the Scripture says, you see. I want
assurance, don't you? I tell you, we're facing eternity,
brothers and sisters. I've got to have assurance. And
I don't want it from what my daddy believed or because my
aunt believed it. I'm facing God. I'm facing eternity. I'm going to die. I'm going to
leave this world. And I want something from God
to give me some assurance that it's well with my soul. And this
is where I find it. If Jesus Christ has borne my
sin, Then he didn't stop there. He's interceding at God's right
hand for me. And God hears him. And the father
sees the nails in his hands, the prints in his hands, and
the hole in his side. And when he says, Father, that
one is mine. That one is mine. Receive him
and be a father to him. And the father says, I'll give
you the desires of your heart. I will never withhold from you
the request of your lips. Lastly is this. Verse 35 through verse 39 of
Romans chapter 8. Here is something else that proves
that the true saint is secure. And it has to do with the love
of God in Christ. Let me read it to you in verse
35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation,
distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword? As it
is written, for your sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the
slaughter. Nay, in all these things We are
more than conquerors. How? 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, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature shall be able to separate us, look
at this, from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus the
Lord. You know, you look at this and
you can't help but see This is a different kind of love, ain't
it? You know, if somebody wants to
plead the general love of God, there is a sense that I have
no problem with that. The mercy of God is over all His works.
But I tell you one thing, when it comes to peculiar love, when
it comes to that everlasting love, that's to His elect people
only. He didn't say God loves everybody
the same. God loves everybody so much that
nobody is going to be separated from His love. The Apostle is
proven here that there is a particular love that God has for His people. I heard a preacher pleading the
other day, pleading for universal love, the universal love of God.
And he says, The love of God is not for a select few. God loves everybody the same,
and the love of God is not for some select few. That's what
he said. I wonder if he believed it was
for a select many. Why is it the saint will never
be lost? Why is it that he will face hell? He will face the gates of death
in this lifetime. Persecutions, tribulations, and
all of these things. And he'll never be lost again.
Why is that? Love. Love. I know of a dear lady right now,
and her husband is ready to leave her and the kids. She's heartbroken. Her kids are heartbroken. And
there's not a thing she can do about it. The kids can cry and
plead with dad, please don't leave, but he's ready to leave
anyway. It's all but settled. What if that wife, what if that
mother had the power to work in her husband's heart, to change
his thoughts, and to keep him from the purpose that right now
he's trying to bring You think she'd do that? She can't do it. But I tell you this much. He
is going to be separated from her love because she's just a
mere person. But you know something? God is
not just a mere person. His love is not just a general
love. Oh, He's wishing and hoping.
His hands are tied. He's got free will. And I've
saved you and I care for you. I've done all I can do. And now
I'm going to lose you. I just know I'm going to lose
you. These trials, these troubles, they're going to separate you
from Me. I wish there was something I could do. He's not like that. He's not like that. Oh, that's
close to blasphemy. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? And the obvious answer is this,
nothing. Nothing. And you know why He's
going to expose you to a lot of this stuff? To prove it to
you. He knows it. He's going to make
us know it. And someday on the Day of Judgment
we were talking about this morning, He's going to make the world
to know it. He says, I'm going to make them come and worship
before your feet. And I'm going to make them know
that I loved you. Ain't that what he said? They
tried to separate you from my love. The devil tried to do it. I put you on display. I subjected
you to these trials and heartaches and afflictions for this purpose. To prove to you and this world.
that nothing can separate you from my love. Everything that he did for his
people, for his elect people, at the bottom of it is love. You want the cause of it? Are
you one of his chosen people? Deuteronomy chapter 7 says, I
have not chosen you because you were more in number than any
people. But I chose you because I loved you. That's it. Go back yonder to the council
halls of eternity, as we call it. When the triune God stood
alone and made up the covenant of grace, and God said, Here
are my people, and He gives them to the sons to save them. Why
did He do that? I love them. I love them. You won't find the cause of His
love in them, It's in His heart. I loved you because I loved you. And that's it. And if He's ever
loved you with this love, He'll never cease to love you. Oh, a husband stops loving the
wife. Children stop loving the parents. Wife stops loving her
husband. And how sad and heartbreaking.
It'll never be so with our God. Why did He call you? I have loved
you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness,
have I drawn you." I thought, sure, he's calling me to damn
me. I was scared to death when he called me. He just stripped
me, and I was naked. My soul was naked, and I thought,
oh, man, I'm gone now. I had no idea love was behind
it all. I called you, Bruce, because
I loved you. I sought you out upon the mountains
where you were ready to fall and crush your soul because I
loved you. I loved you. Why did I give myself
for you? Because I loved you. Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends. I loved you. I loved you. Why does he refuse to let anything
separate us? Because he loved us. He loved
us. He loved us. May God bless this
dear heart. May you leave here today with
a degree of assurance that you never had before. Not what you're
doing. Not because of what you're doing.
Get your eyes away from your poor self. But because of who
He is. And what He is. And what He's
doing. And then when your circumstances
change, you can look up and say, yes, but he never changed. When
you've been so unfaithful and the tears flow and the heart
aches, you say, yes, but he's faithful. When you've made purposes
even to do for his glory and they fall and burn at your feet,
you can say, yes, but his purpose never lived. When your love is
so cold and you're wavering in your affections for him and for
the church, You say yes, but he never will. It's him. It's him. God bless his Word. Let's pray.