Open your Bibles first with me
to 1 Peter chapter 5. My message tonight has a definite
direction, something I want to deal with in depth. It's a message for
all of God's sheep, young and old, but especially as far as
us older people. And when I say older people,
I'm talking about after you pass 50, because you're getting older
then. And the reason I'm preaching
this message is because some of my friends in other places,
not here, but in other places, have surprised me lately by entertaining
some doubts about God's faithfulness to his covenant, and some expressing
fears about standing before God in the judgment. And that troubles
me, because it says here in 1 Peter
5, verse 10, the God of all grace who has called us unto his eternal
glory by Christ Jesus, after we've suffered a while, we've
got some age on us, we've got some experience behind us. We're
a tree planted by God. I preached on this last Wednesday
night, a tree planted by God, by the rivers of living water.
And if it's been planted by God, by Christ, the living water,
it deepens. The roots ought to be deeper.
The trunk ought to be stronger. And the branches ought to be
wider, and giving shade to the weary pilgrim, and encouragement. A place where children can hang
a swing and swing on it, and the fruit productive. That's
what he says here. After you've suffered a while,
he'll make you mature. That word perfect is mature.
Establish you. That old oak tree's been there
30, 40, 50 years. It ought to be established by
now. You don't keep moving a tree around. It grows right where
you plant it. Establish you, strengthen you,
settle you. To Him be the glory and dominion
forever and ever. At this age, a believer should
be It should be for him a time of reflection on the mercies and grace of God
throughout his whole life. I ought to be spending much of
my time reflecting on the mercy of God, the goodness of God to
me through all my years, how he's faithfully met every need. I know whom I have believed and
am persuaded, Paul said, he's able to keep that which I've
committed to him. once and for all against that
day. And I know that the Apostle Paul
said over here in 2 Corinthians 4, he describes our experiences. In 2 Corinthians 4, verse 6,
he said, For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
has shined in our hearts. to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. And we have
this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power
may be of God, not of us. We're trouble on every side,
but we're not distressed. We're not distressed, we're troubled.
In this world, he said, you'll have trouble. But be of good
cheer, I've overcome the world. We're not distressed. We're perplexed,
puzzled. We can't answer why, but we're
not in despair. We're not throwing up our hands.
We're persecuted, but we're not forsaken. He said, I'll never
leave you. I'll never forsake you. We're cast down, but we're
not destroyed. No, sir. Through many dangers. Toils and
snares, I have already come. It's his grace that has brought
me safe this far, and his grace will take me home. Isn't that
right? One hundred percent right. Not
a doubt about it. And so we need to spend time
reflecting on the mercy and grace and goodness of God to us. For them it should be a time
of rejoicing, rejoicing in the covenant mercies of our God,
the sure mercies of David. David was my age exactly, 75,
when he died, and these were his last words. Rejoicing. Although my house
be not so with God. Yet he hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things and sure. And this is all my
salvation and all my desire." The hymn writer wrote, Even down
to old age all my people shall prove my sovereign, eternal,
unchangeable love. And when holy hairs shall their
temples adorn like lambs, they shall still in my bosom be born. And that soul that on Jesus hath
leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes. That soul though all hell should
endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, Don't ever forsake. That's as true now as it was
yesterday. It will be true tomorrow. No
change. And I want to show you something
that Moses said to Joshua over in Deuteronomy. Moses was going to die very soon. He knew
that. God was going to take him home.
He told him that he wouldn't lead the people anymore, that
Joshua would lead them, take them into the promised land.
And he told Joshua in Deuteronomy 31. Now here is Moses talking
to the young man who is going to take his place. Deuteronomy
31, verse 6. Now be strong and of good courage,
fear not, nor be afraid of them, for the Lord thy God, he it is
that doth go with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Moses called unto Joshua, and
said unto him, In the sight of all Israel, be strong, be of
good courage, for thou must go with this people unto the land
which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them, and
thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, he it is that
doth go before you. He will be with you. He'll not
fail you. He'll not forsake you. Fear not.
Don't be dismayed. That's the way we ought to be
talking to our young folks. Just exactly. We're not moaning
and groaning over our doubts and fears. We're telling them,
trust the Lord. He'll never fail me yet. He'll
never fail you. And thirdly, old age, my age,
ought to be a time of assurance, not doubt. It ought to be a time
of assurance in Christ. It ought to be a time of peace
in the heart. It ought to be a time of joyful
expectation and anticipation of the glory that awaits us. David said, as for me, I shall
behold thy face in righteousness and I shall be satisfied when
I awake with thy likeness. Turn to 1 John, chapter 5. This
is our assurance. It's not in our profession of
faith, it's not in our works, it's not in our duties, it's
not in our holding out, it's not in our feeling. Here is our
assurance. 1 John, chapter 5. It's his Word. It's his Word. 1 John 5, verse
7. Now, there are three that bear
record in heaven. the Father, the Word, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost. These three are one. And there
are three that bear witness in the earth, the Spirit of God,
the water or the Word of God, which we're reading right now,
and the blood. And these three agree in one.
Now, if we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is
greater. For this is the witness of God.
Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Spirit, Word, and Blood. This is the
witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that
believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth
not the record that God hath given of his Son. And this is
the record that God hath given to us freely, given to us without
works, given to us Eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God. I'm talking
to people right now in this congregation who believe on the name of the
Son of God almost unanimously. that you may have eternal life
and that you may keep on believing on the name of the Son of God.
That's right. Verse 20 says, We know that the
Son of God hath come, and given us an understanding, that we
may know him that is true, that we are in him, that is true,
even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God. And my
friends, this is eternal life, just to believe on Christ, to
trust him. Rest in him. Look to no one and
nothing else but Christ. Turn to Colossians chapter 1.
Colossians 1, verse 20 through 22. Listen to this scripture.
Colossians 1, verse 20. Verse 19. Colossians 1, 19. It
pleased the Father that in Christ should all fullness dwell, and
having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to
reckon all things unto himself. By him, I say, whether they be
things in earth or things in heaven. And you, all of us, were
one time alienated, enemies in our mind by wicked works, yet
now hath he reconciled us, how? In the body of his flesh through
death, to present you holy, unblamable unreprovable in his sight. Now I'll turn to Romans 8. That's
where I want to get to for my text tonight, Romans chapter
8. And there's a good possibility that when Paul wrote these verses,
which Brother John read to us a few moments ago, a good possibility
he had in mind, he had in mind those of us who need Comfort,
words of comfort, words of assurance, reassurance of the faithfulness
of our God. And I want to look at these in
just a few moments, but you just sit there and listen to me. Let
me turn quickly to several scriptures now. The word of God is our assurance. The word of God is truth. Now
listen to this scripture. First from the book of Numbers,
God is not a man that he should lie. Neither the Son of Man that
he should repent or change. Hath he said, shall he not do
it? The faithfulness of God. Hath
he said, shall he not do it? Hath he spoken, shall he not
make it good? You can rest in that. All right,
over here, let me turn to another. He says over here in the book
of Malachi, chapter 3. I'm the Lord. I change not. You do, I do. We go through all
kinds of changes, changes, changes. But he said, I'm the Lord, I
change not. And therefore, and that's the reason, you sons of
Jacob are not consumed. I'm the reason. I change not. Therefore, you're not consumed.
All right, listen to this. Romans 3, this was the basis
of Abraham's faith. that God would do what he said,
Romans 4, verse 20. Abraham staggered not at the
word of God, the promise of God, through unbelief. He was strong
in faith, giving glory to God, fully persuaded that what God
said, God was able to perform. What God said, God will do. Have I not spoken, shall I not
do it? God's not a man that he should lie. All right, Romans
11, listen to this, verse 29. What is salvation? It's the gift
of God. We read that over in 1 John, it said the gift of God
is eternal life. Christ is the unspeakable gift
of God. All right, listen to this, Romans
11, 29. The gifts and the callings. What is salvation? It's a calling.
He said, Beloved, make your calling and election sure. Before you
see your calling, brethren, not many wise, not many mighty have
called. Whom he predestinated, he called. The gifts and calling of God
are without change. Have you been called? It's without
change. Has he given you a love for Christ,
faith in Christ, a knowledge of Christ? Has it? It will not
change. and calling of God are without
change. Listen to where we're in Titus,
and this is emphasized through the whole word of God, the faithfulness
of God. And one scripture said, he's
faithful though we're not. That's right. We may deny him,
he'll never deny us. That says that in the word of
God, he'll never deny his people. Peter denied him, he never denied
Peter. Titus 1, it says, Paul, a servant
of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's
elect, acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness, in
hope of eternal life. That's what I have, a hope of
eternal life. You do too. Everybody here. Based on what? This. Which God, who cannot lie,
promised before the world began. That's what it's based on. Not
a trip down this aisle. Not a time in the baptism, not
a lifetime of preaching, the hope of eternal life is based
on the Word of God who cannot lie. That's it. In hope of eternal life,
which was, that cannot lie, promised. And Abraham said what he promised,
he's able to do. And James 1, listen to this,
James chapter 1, that's our foundation. And these preachers can come
along and pad their own pockets and feather
their own nest and covetous and trying to get followers after
themselves. And they get some older people
to stumble and question the things they've heard all their lives,
foundations they've built on. And it bothers me greatly, but
God promised it and God will fulfill his promise. You look
to him, don't listen to these voices. In James 1, 17 and 18,
every good gift and every perfect gift, that's what salvation is,
the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Wages of sin is death, gift of
God is eternal life. Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above. It cometh down from the Father
of lights, with whom is no change, no variableness, no fickleness,
neither shadow of turning, not even a shudder of a turn. Not
a shudder. Of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth, that we should be and we will be firstfruits
of his creatures. Let's look at Romans 8, another
verse of a hymn I found today. Life's pleasures have wings and
fly away. Healthy rosy cheeks grow papal. Vigor and strength must soon
be cast. Our worldly wisdom failed. But
God, our God, is still the same, proclaiming from above, true
and faithful is our Lord, and in his Son is love. Rest time. Let's look at Romans 8, a familiar
scripture, but let's look at it again. Here is where our assurance,
here is the source of it. Verse 28, and we know, this is
not a matter of opinion, not a subject for debate or uncertainty,
we know this, we know this just as surely as we know that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God, God made the heaven and the earth.
And we know, listen, that all things, what are all things? God the Father, God the Son,
God the Holy Spirit. All things, all good angels.
rulers, ministers, all evil spirits, beings, all good events, such
as peace, prosperity, health, happiness, all bad events, such
as sorrow, disappointment, sickness and death, all things, past,
present and future, are working together, are working together
for good. All of these things, not only
are present and operate in us and on us and toward us, but
these things, by the hand of God, are coordinated under God's direction and control
to fulfill his purpose of love and eternal glory for us and
those who follow us. All things. are working together, coordinated
and directed by our Heavenly Father, controlled by his wisdom,
to fulfill his purpose of love and grace and eternal glory,
to bring us to Christ and to bring us into his glorious kingdom. But this is not a blanket promise
to the whole world. It says it's to them. Look at
it. It is to them who are the cause. to them who are called according
to his purpose. This promise is not a blanket
promise to all creatures, it's to those who love the Lord Jesus
Christ. It's to them who love God who
are the called according to his purpose, who love Christ, who
believe on Christ, who have been called by the gospel to faith
in Christ. Everything is working together
for their eternal good, eternal glory. For, and that's because, because
salvation's of the Lord. Because salvation's a gift of
God. Because salvation's of the Lord
in its planning. It's of the Lord in its execution.
It pleased him to bruise his son. God so loved he gave his
only son. It's of the Lord in its application. God, who separated me from my
mother's womb, was pleased to call me by his grace and reveal
his Son. It's of the Lord in its sustaining
power, kept by the power of God. He that hath begun a good work
in you shall complete it on the day of Christ Jesus. And it's
of the Lord in its fulfillment. Salvation is the gift of God.
It's of the Lord, listen, by whom he did foreknow. from all
eternity. He said to Jeremiah, before I
formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you. Before you came forth
from your mother's womb, I set you apart. My members were written
in his books before there was any of them. That's what David
said. Before they were even in existence, my name was written.
Whom he foreknew, he did predestinate, purpose beforehand. that they
would be conformed to the image of his Son, that Jesus Christ
might be the firstborn among many multitudes out of every
tribe, kindred, nation, tongue unto heaven, innumerable company
of saints, many brethren, both of whom he did predestinate.
Then he called. He called by his He called by
his gospel, in whom you trusted after you heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation, after which you were sealed with
that Holy Spirit of promise. He called them. He justified
them. He justified them. He justified
his elect by the blood of his Son. What an awesome price God
paid for our redemption. We're not justified by works
in the sight of God. No man is justified by works
in the sight of God. We're justified by the blood
of Christ. And whom he justified, listen,
them he also glorified. Whom he justified, them he also
glorified. Now, question. What shall we
then say to these things? What things? All these things.
We know that all things work together under the control, the
direction of our purpose of Almighty God for our good. Whom God did
foreordain, he predestinated to be like Christ. Whom he predestinated
to be like Christ, he called. Whom he called, he justified.
Whom he justified, he glorified. What shall we say to these things?
Can we add anything to them? Can we say anything against them?
Anybody got any objections to God doing what he will? Well,
what can we infer from these things? We can't add anything
to them, we can't say anything against them, but we can deduct
something from them. And you know what the Apostle
concludes from this statement? That if God be Father, who can
be against man? Can anybody in heaven, earth,
under the earth? If God be for me in eternal love
before I was born, if God be for me in eternal covenant mercy
in Christ, if God be for me in a divine call, whom he foreknew he called, Matthew,
follow me, Zacchaeus, come down. Lydia of old Jihad. If God be for me in divine calling,
if God be for me in justification in that transaction between God
the Father and God the Son on Mount Calvary, in which the justice
of God was satisfied through the death of his Son, if he is
for me in that transaction, it's done, the great transaction is
done. I am my Lord's and he is mine. If he accepted me, I read that
a while ago, he hath accepted us in the beloved. We didn't accept him, he accepted
us. Christ brought us to him, washed
in his blood, robed in his righteousness, and the Father accepted us in
Christ. And if I'm already glorified,
seated with Christ in the heavenlies, who can be against me? Who can
be against me? That's my conclusion. When you
say these things, I say, God be with you, Father, who can
be against me? Who can change any of this? In verse 32, he presents another
thing for us to think about. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, all of those whom he foreknew
and predestinated and called and justified and glorified,
Christ died for all of He delivered Christ up for us, in our stead. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was laid on him. He delivered us up to the judgment
of God for us. Well, now, let me ask you this.
Shall Christ die in vain? How shall he not, with Christ,
freely give us what Christ bought for us? Did Christ purchase a people?
Did he redeem a people? And he finally will not have
them? And he's going to be frustrated
in this glorious accomplishment? Oh, no. Turn to Isaiah 53. Let me give you a glimpse of
the Redeemer going through his agony of the cross. It says here
in Isaiah 53, I want you to look at this with me, Isaiah 53, verse 10. Yet it pleased the
Lord to bruise him. The Father hath put him to grief,
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. Whose sin? He shall see his seed, he shall
prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall..." What's
that word? Prosper in his hands. Prosper. Shall he not with him
freely give us all things? He will. He'll prosper. Read
the next verse. "...he shall see of the travail
of his soul be satisfied." Sounds like that he has what he bought,
doesn't he? He prospers, he's satisfied. Read on. And by his
knowledge, by his knowledge of the Father, by his knowledge
of us, by our knowledge of him, shall my righteous servant justify
many, for he shall bear their iniquities. And therefore will
I divide with him a portion with the great, and he shall divide
the spoil of the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto
death, numbered with the transgressors, By the sin of many made an accession
for the transgressor. Let it be plainly declared that
what our Lord bought, our Lord received. Whom our Lord redeemed,
they are redeemed. Verse 33, Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God who justifies. Is it possible that the Eternal
Father, and here's what Paul's asking, if it's going through
your mind, any question about it. If God be for me, who can
be against me? Who is it that can be against
me if God's for me? If the Son purchased me, shall I not have
what he purchased? Shall he not have what he bought?
And here, if God justified us, Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? It's God that justifies us. Is
it possible that the Eternal Father, the living God of heaven
and earth, shall actually justify his elect? Justify! Now, that means just as if I've
never sinned. That means without guilt. That's
not just pardoning. You can be pardoned and still
be guilty. You can be paroled and still be guilty. You can
be forgiven and still be guilty. But if you're justified, you're
not guilty. In him there's no sin. He justified
us. He justified us. Now is it possible
that God himself, the highest court, God himself justified
us and still somewhere, here's what they tell me, somewhere,
someone, some way, some day, he's going to bring something
against me. Something I said or did or thought or should have
done, didn't do at all, he's going to find it out and bring
it. Come on now, who's going to do that? Where is he who can
bring any charge against God today? God justified them. Isn't that right? People ask
me, do you believe a man is eternally secure? It's according to who
saved him. If God saved him, he is. If God justified, then
he is eternally justified. Listen to these scriptures. He
hath made Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. He was manifested
to take away our sins, and in him there is no sin. Now you
talk about believers going to be at the judgment, for what? What are they going to be charged
with? If there is no sin, there is no judgment. He was manifested
to take away our sins, did he? Well, in him there is no sin.
You don't have any. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, cleanses us from most of our sins. Well, the right smart
bit up them, all of them. You turn to Hebrews, let's make
this strong and clear. Here's our assurance, here's
our confidence, here's our hope. Hebrews 10, verse 10, "...by
the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all." Every priest standeth daily ministering,
oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sin.
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever,
sat down on the right hand of God, and we are seated in him. From henceforth expect until
his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sacrificed. Wherefore the Holy Ghost also
is a witness to us. For after that he said before,
this is the covenant, this is the covenant I will make with
them after those days, saith the Lord. I will put my law into
their hearts, in their minds will I write them, and their
sins and iniquities will I remember no more." What do you mean there's
a judgment that he's going to bring them up again? I'll remember
them no more. they're in the depths of the
sea, they're behind the back of God, they're separated most
of as far as the east is from the west, they're blotted out,
they're not remembered. No more. No more. Look at verse 34. Now here's where we, what, if God
be for us, put me against you, he despaired not his own son,
shall he not give him what he God justified us. Who can condemn
us? Who can lay anything to our charge?
And now, four times in the scripture, it says, Christ ever liveth to
make intercession for us. Ever liveth. Now watch this first.
Who is he that condemneth? Christ died, yea rather, risen
again, who is even at the right hand of God. who makes intercession
for us. Now, who is going to condemn
me if the high priest, that great high priest with his own precious
blood in the very presence of God, makes intercession for us? Who can condemn us? Name any adversary, name any
situation, name any condition that will deny Christ what he
asks of the Father. Father, I will that those whom
you gave me be with me where I am. The last point, verse 35. Who? Who can be against me? Who can charge me? He justifies
me. Who can be against me? God justifies me. Who can charge
me? God justifies me. Who can condemn me? Christ intercedes
for me. Who can separate me from the
love of Christ? Now, notice, this is not my love
for him, it's his love for me. And this separation in question
is not Christ being taken away from me, it's me being taken
away from him. Who's going to take me out of
his hand? Who's going to separate us from his love? That's what
he's asking. Who can separate us from his love? Out of his
hand, under his wing, who's going to get me out? This is what he
said in John 10. Look over here and see if this
is not what he's saying. Now remember, who can separate
me from the love of Christ? This is not who can separate
him from me. I'm not holding on to him, he's
holding on to me. He's not in me, I'm in him. Justify. Christ didn't use the hope of
glory. We're in him. Now watch this, John 10, 27.
My sheep, hear my voice, I know them, they follow me. I give
them eternal life, they'll never perish, and neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand. My Father gave them to me, and
he's greater than all, and nobody can pluck them out of his hand.
Who can separate me from the hand of Christ and the hand of
the Father? Who can separate me from the
love of Christ? Who can separate me from the
vine, which is Christ Jesus? Who can separate me from the
Herod, when I'm in his body? Who can do that? And then he follows with this. Listen. Shall tribulation, trouble, distress,
persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword, ah, it's written,
but our 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 through him that loved us." He loved
us. Herein is love, not that we loved him. We do, because
he first loved us. He called, and I called. He loved,
and we loved. I'm persuaded, and this is where
This is where we all want to be. Abraham was persuaded of what
God had promised he could do. I'm persuaded. Paul said, I know
whom I have believed. I'm persuaded. He's able to keep
that which I've committed to him. And here he says, I'm persuaded
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heart,
nor death, and if I've left anybody out, any other creature. can
separate me and you, us, from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord. You believe on him, you love
him, because he first loved you. You believe on him because he
called you and gave you faith. And you are as secure in his
hand as he is in the Father. It was with an everlasting love
that God his own elect embraced before he made the heavens above
or earth on her huge columns placed. He, for the sins of all
his elect, hath a complete atonement made, and justice can never expect
that the same debt should twice be paid. Nor tribulation, nor
nakedness, nor famine, peril, or sword, nor persecution, nor
distress can separate us from our Lord. Nor life, nor death,
nor height, nor depth, nor powers below, nor powers above, nor
present things, nor things to come can change his great purpose
of love. Here your comfort stands. From
first to last, salvation is free. And God's everlasting love demands
everlasting praise from me." Don't doubt him. Don't doubt
him. Don't let anybody put a question mark on his love
and grace. and Christ Jesus.