Six Vital Questions

Q: What does the Bible say about predestination?

The Bible teaches that predestination is God's sovereign choice of certain individuals for salvation, as seen in Romans 8:29-30. The Bible presents predestination as the sovereign act of God whereby He chooses certain individuals for salvation. This doctrine is explicitly detailed in Romans 8:29-30, which states that God foreknew those whom He predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. This means that before the foundation of the world, God made a choice based on His foreknowledge, designating individuals to be a peculiar people unto Himself. Thus, predestination is foundational to the understanding of how God's grace works in the lives of the elect, affirming that salvation is of the Lord and fundamentally not based on human merit or decision.

Q: How do we know that justification is by faith?

Justification by faith is affirmed in the Bible, primarily in Romans 3:24, which states we are justified freely by His grace through Jesus Christ. The doctrine of justification by faith is central to Reformed theology and is supported by various scriptural references, notably in Romans 3:24 which declares that we are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Justification means to be declared righteous before God, and it is entirely a work of grace wherein God imputes the righteousness of Christ to the believer. The assurance of our justification does not depend on human works but solely on faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice. This doctrine underscores the centrality of Christ's work and grace in the salvation experience, affirming that it is not by works but by faith that we stand justified before God.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to understand their election?

Understanding election reassures Christians of their security in Christ and highlights God's sovereign grace in salvation. The doctrine of election is crucial for Christians as it embodies the truth that salvation is entirely a work of God's sovereign grace. Knowing that one is chosen by God instills a profound sense of security and assurance, demonstrating that the believer's standing before God is not based on personal merit but on divine purpose and love. Romans 8:30 illustrates this process: those whom God predestinated, He also called, justified, and glorified. This understanding encourages believers to live in gratitude and confidence, knowing they are part of God's redemptive plan and that nothing can separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Grasping this foundational truth leads to deeper worship and commitment to God, who is the author and finisher of their faith.

Q: What does it mean that God is for us?

It means that God's eternal love and grace are directed toward His elect, assuring them of His protection and support. When the Scriptures declare that 'God is for us' (Romans 8:31), it signifies a profound truth about God's relationship with His chosen people. This phrase encapsulates God's commitment and love for those whom He has foreknown and predestinated. It assures believers that despite challenges and adversities, God's eternal purpose stands. If God is for us, no one can successfully oppose or bring any charges against us because our righteousness is secured in Christ, who intercedes on our behalf. This affirmation empowers Christians to navigate life's difficulties with confidence, knowing they are encompassed by God's love and providence.

Q: Can anyone condemn the elect?

No, because it is God who justifies, and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The question of condemnation is addressed powerfully in Romans 8, where it is declared that no one can condemn the elect of God. While all believers are guilty of sin, they are justified freely by God's grace through Jesus Christ. It is Christ who, having died for our sins and risen for our justification, intercedes for us before the Father. Therefore, any accusations against the elect are rendered void because Jesus has paid the penalty for sin. As Romans 8:1 asserts, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, emphasizing that the believer's status is secured in the redemptive work of Christ rather than their own righteousness.

Q: What separates us from the love of Christ?

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, as Romans 8:35-39 assures believers of this unbreakable bond. The Scriptures affirm that absolutely nothing can sever the relationship between Christ and His elect. In Romans 8:35-39, the Apostle Paul enumerates various adversities—tribulation, persecution, famine, danger—yet insists that none of these can separate believers from the love of Christ. This unconditional love is foundational for our assurance and security, reinforcing the truth that God's commitment to His people transcends all earthly challenges and threats. Such knowledge equips believers to withstand trials with confidence, rooted in the unshakeable love of God, which is manifested in the person of Jesus Christ.

Today I would like you to turn
in your Bible to the book of Romans. Let's turn together to
the book of Romans and let's read in Romans chapter 8 verse
28 and following. Now let's read these verses together.
I'd encourage you to get your Bible and let's follow along
together now. Romans 8 verse 28, And we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
called who are thee called according to His purpose. 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. 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. Now, what shall we say to these
things? Now, here are six vital questions. What shall we say
to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, 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 justifieth. Who is He that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us, who shall separate us from the love of Christ. There are
many foolish and absurd and ridiculous questions that are asked by a
lot of religious people. The Pharisees peppered the Lord
Jesus Christ with many foolish and fleshly questions. The Apostle
Paul gave both Timothy and Titus some very good inspired advice
about needless questions. Foolish, this is what he said,
foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender
strife. In our text today, We have six
very important questions, six vital and powerful questions
that I want you to consider this morning. I hope we can prayerfully
and carefully consider them and ask God for wisdom to understand
them. That's obvious to every thinking
person that these questions that are contained here in Romans
chapter 8 are very vital to our salvation, very vital to understanding
the gospel. And yet we see that mainstream
religion, in our day, completely discounts them and avoids them
at all cost and counts them non-essential. I say, my friend, there's nothing
that's found in the Word of God that's non-essential. Everything
in the Scripture, my friend, is very vital, very essential. Now, let's look at these six
questions. Here's the first one, found in Romans chapter 8, verse
31. What shall we say to these things? What do you say about these things?
Now that refers back to what's said in verse 30. What do you
say to these things? Let's read verse 30 again. 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 then the question. What shall
we say to these things? Now what do you say about these
things? I've found over the years that many people who call themselves
believers, have had some very hard and unpleasant things to
say about these precious truths that are found in the Word of
God. What do you say about these four things that are mentioned
in verse 30? Whom He did predestinate. What
does the Word of God say about these things? Well, the Scriptures
teach that these things are all of God. Let's look at those four
things. Predestination. Most religious
people hate this word. They think it's an ugly word.
But my friend, it's the blessed truth of God, and God's people
love this precious truth. It's a word that God has chosen.
It's a word that God has placed in the Scriptures four times,
and it is a truth that's taught throughout the Bible. Now, verse
29 explains who these predestinated people are. Let's read Romans
8, 29. It says, "...for whom He did
foreknow, He also did predestinate." to be conformed to the image
of a Son that He might be the firstborn among many brethren,
for whom He did foreknow." God from all eternity has sovereignly
chosen out of people unto Himself according to His foreknowledge.
That's what the word foreknow means. God's foreknowledge, His
foreordination, His decrees. God foreappointed, foreordained
these chosen elect people to be a peculiar people unto Himself.
Those whom God has foreknown. loved before in eternity are
those whom God has chosen in Christ and predestinated those
people to be just like Jesus Christ. That's what predestination
is all about. God has foreordained and God
has chosen a people and predestinated those people to be just like
Jesus Christ. This foreknowledge of God is
the basis and foundation of election and predestination. God works
all things according to His own purpose. What did He say to these
things? God predestinated a people to
be just like Christ. Here's the second thing He said,
those whom He did predestinate, them He also called. This calling
is a work of God. This epistle is written to those
who are called in Christ. Now it's obvious that men, all
men everywhere, don't love God. In chapter 8 verse 7 of the same
book of Romans, it said, The carnal mind is enmity against
God, deep-seated hatred against God. All men everywhere do not
love God and will not come to the Lord Jesus Christ, because
by nature they love darkness rather than the light. If a man
ever embraces, savingly, the Lord Jesus Christ as everything
in salvation, it is only because God has effectually called that
person by the gospel, called out of darkness into light, called
out of death into life, called out of unbelief to Christ in
faith. Paul put it this way, God who
saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to His own purpose and grace. God calls
His people, my friend, with the gospel. Those whom He predestinated,
He calls. Look what it says next. Those
whom He called, He justified. This justification is a work
of God. What does it mean to be justified?
My friend, this is the theme of the whole book of Romans.
Justification. How God can be just and justify
the ungodly. To justify means to declare one
to be righteous. To be made righteous and holy,
unblameable before God in Christ. And this justification we read
in Romans 3.24 is all of grace. being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption as in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's only through Christ, His blood, His merit, that a sinner
is justified. God predestinated. God called. God justified. And then fourthly,
it said He glorified those. This glorification is a work
of God. Glorification is the end, the consummation. of our
salvation. This eternal glory is only realized
in Christ. When the Lord Jesus Christ purged
our sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, seated in
the heavenlies. And my friend, when He went to
glory, He went to glory as a representative man. When He sat down, He sat
down as a representative man, and His people are glorified
already in Christ. Now, did you notice those things
that are found in verse 30? In the past tense, those whom
He did predestinate, He called, He justified, He glorified. In the mind and the purpose of
God, salvation is done. Salvation is of the Lord. Known
unto God are all His works from the beginning. Now, what shall
we say to these things? What do you say to these things?
Well, I say, thank God. Thank God, not unto us, O Lord,
but unto Thy name do we give glory. Now, here's the second
question. If God before us, who can be
against us? Found in verse 31. If God before
those whom He foreknew, whom He predestinated, who can be
against us? Who can be against His elect,
His chosen people? If God before us in eternal love,
and He's loved His people eternally, if God before us in eternal grace,
in eternal election, in free justification, in effectual calling,
in eternal glorification. Who can be against His sheep?
Well, not the law. Not the law of God. The law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from
the law of sin and death. The law has been honored. Not
divine justice. The Lord Jesus Christ satisfied
God's justice. Not Satan. He's been defeated
and judged. Not death. Christ conquered it.
Who can be against us? Well, my friend, There is no
one who can be against God's elect. Now here is the third
question found in verse 32. 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 has declared that he will
show mercy, that he will redeem and glorify people, that He will
have a people just like the Lord Jesus Christ. And here's the
greatest evidence and proof of all that He promised He will
fulfill, He spared not His own Son. God so loved that He gave
Jesus Christ. And the Lord Jesus Christ so
loved that He took humanity in union with His deity, suffered
the shame and reproach of the cross, bare our sin in His own
body, died a horrible death to put away our sin, We shall have
all that Christ purchased at Calvary. He freely gives these
elect all things. My friend, did Christ die in
vain? Absolutely not. He freely gives
all that He requires. Faith. Without faith it's impossible
to please God. We know it's a gift of God to
His elect. Righteousness. He gives us righteousness. He is the Lord, our righteousness.
Blessed is the man to whom God would impute righteousness without
works. He freely gives us all things
because He spared not His own Son. He freely gives us all things,
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. That according
as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. How shall he not with Him also
freely give us all things? Now in verse 33 we read, Who
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Who can lay anything
to their charge? God's chosen, God's redeemed,
God's elect. Let me ask you this, are these
people not chargeable? Yes. Yes, they are. They're guilty,
guilty with Adam's sin and Adam's guilt that's been imputed and
charged to them. And they're guilty with their
own sin, their own transgression, their own iniquity. Satan has
also accused the brethren. But listen, all these charges
avail nothing because Jesus Christ answered to every charge. Jesus
Christ took our sin to Himself. He bare our sin in His own body. He took the penalty. He took
the wrath. He paid our debt. Therefore,
God is justified. It's God who justifieth. He is both now just and the justifier. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? None. There's no condemnation
in Christ. It's God who justifieth. Now
here's the fifth question. Who is He that condemneth? It
is Christ. that died, yea rather, is risen
again." Who can condemn the elect of God? Who can charge them?
Who can condemn them? Condemnation is impossible for
those who are in Christ. Romans 8, verse 1 says, there
is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in the Lord
Jesus Christ. In verse 34, it gives four valid
arguments why none can condemn God's chosen people. Who is He
that condemneth? Here's the first one. It's Christ
who died. He died to put away our sin. The second argument is this.
Yea, rather, He is risen, delivered for our offenses, raised again
for our justification. He is risen, not only that, but
He is at the right hand of God, a place of acceptance, power,
and love." And here's the fourth argument, "...who also maketh
intercession for us." See what he's saying there? Who is he
that condemneth? Christ died. Yea, he rather is
risen again. He is at the right hand of God.
And he ever lives to intercede for his people. There's one God
and one mediator between God and men. Who is that? That is
the man, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why he's able to save
to the uttermost. All that come to God by Him,
saying He ever liveth to make intercession for us. Now here's
the sixth question. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Who? Who can? Who can condemn? Who can charge? Who can separate
us from the love of Christ? Who can separate us from Christ?
No one and nothing. Paul and all believers are fully
persuaded that nothing in the whole universe, no matter what,
good or bad, can sever, can dissolve this union, this love affair
that the elect of God have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now listen
to what he says in these following verses. In closing, Romans 8,
35. Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Now listen to this category,
this list. Shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword,
as it is written, In Psalm 44, for thy sake we are killed all
the day long. We are counted as sheep for the
slaughter. Nay, in all things we are more than conquerors through
Him that loved us. He said, I am persuaded that
neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor power,
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 the Lord Jesus Christ. Where is the love
of God found? My friend, the love of God is
found and realized only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now my friend,
those are six very vital questions. And I would encourage you to
get your Bible and to study those questions and ask God to give
you an understanding. What shall we say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? If you would like
a copy of today's message, you write to me and I'll send it
to you at absolutely no charge. My address is Zebulun Baptist
Church. 6088 Zebulon Highway, Pikeville, Kentucky.

Six Vital Questions

What does the Bible say about predestination?

How do we know that justification is by faith?

Why is it important for Christians to understand their election?

What does it mean that God is for us?

Can anyone condemn the elect?

What separates us from the love of Christ?

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