to the ministry, they read some
books and feel like they know about everything there is to
know, and it's so difficult to, in answer to a question asked
by someone just to answer, I just don't know, I don't know. But the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians
13 said this, don't turn to it, you're familiar with it, he said,
we know We know in part, just in part, and a small part of
that. And we preach, we prophesy in
part. There's so many, many, many things
that we do not know. God has not been pleased to reveal
to us. And the Scripture says that the
secret things belong to God, and the revealed things to to
the people to whom he reveals them. But there's some things
we most certainly know. There's some things that I know.
And I don't hesitate to use the same words that the apostles
used. John said this in 1 John 5, 20. He said, We know. We know that the Son of God has
come. and has given us an understanding
that we may know Him that is true. This is the true God. This is eternal life. That we
may know Him that is true, and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent.
And this is the true God. And I know that. I know Christ
has come to give us an understanding, to reveal to us the Father. I know that. I can be certain. Another thing I know is this,
without hesitation, I know that I'm not redeemed with corruptible
things as silver and gold from my vain conversation received
by tradition from my fathers, but with the precious blood of
Christ. I know that. I'm positive, aren't
you? I know that we're redeemed. with the precious blood of Christ
as of a lamb without spot or blemish. That I know. And then
thirdly, I know this. I can say with Paul, who declared
in 2 Timothy 1.12, I know whom I have believed. I know whom
I have believed. I know him whom I believe. And I'm persuaded confident beyond
a shadow of a doubt that he is able to keep what I've committed
to him against that day. He's a sufficient and capable
Savior. He's able. And I know this, and
I say with the Apostle Paul who declared this in 2 Corinthians
5, I know that when this earthly tabernacle of this tent be dissolved,
when life is over, when my course is run, and my day is finished,
and this earthly house be folded up and laid aside. I have a building
of God, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. I know
that. And then the fifth thing I know
is our text, Romans 8 verse 28, and we know. We know this, too. And wouldn't it be wise if we
just spoke of those things which we know, instead of speculating,
instead of trying to answer the unanswerable and deal with things that are secret,
not clear in the Word? I know this. I know that all
things work together for good. To them that love God. To them
who are be called. Notice that doesn't say to them
who are called, though that be true, but it's be called according
to his purpose. What is this saying? All things. And we know that all things. What's included in all things?
All things. God the Father. the Son and the
Holy Spirit. Angels in heaven, rulers on earth. Ministries, both good and evil. All events, those which are pleasant,
those which are unpleasant. All things, past, present, and
future. All of these things, beginning
with God. and reaching to the most minute
happening in a person's life. All of these things are working
together under the control and the direction of Almighty God
for our good. That's what it says. I know this,
that all things and everything that I encounter from cradle
to grave, They're working together under
the control and direction of Almighty God, not for my temporal
good. We're not talking here about
our present comfort. It seems like that that's what
the preachers of today are dealing with more than eternal good. It's not my present comfort. and ease and joy for which all
of these things are working together. But the ultimate goal of every
believer is to be with Christ, to be like Christ, and to enjoy
his glory forever. Isn't that right? Well, these
things are working together to accomplish that goal. And when I see him as he is,
and I'm like him, then I can say, Everything and everyone
and every creature and every person and every event, and God
the Father, Son, Holy Spirit brought this together for my
eternal good. Now then, look at the next slide,
it says, and we know that all things work together for good,
the eternal good, not to everyone. This is not a blanket promise
to all people on the earth. It designates the people of whom
God is speaking here. He says, all these things work
together for good to them who love God, who love Christ, who
are born again, who are redeemed by His blood. In other words,
who are God's elect. There's no good promise to any
man outside of Christ. I hear preachers say, God has
a wonderful plan for your life. Well, He has a wonderful plan
for His elect. He has a wonderful plan for those
who love Him and those who are called according to His purpose.
They're going to be like Christ. We're going to read about that
plan in a moment. It's a purpose. It's a covenant. But this is
not written to everyone. All the promises of God are in
Christ Jesus. We were reading a while ago in
the study, I do want you to turn to this, Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1, it says,
we know that everything, everything works together under the control
and direction of the Heavenly Father for the eternal good.
To those who love God, to those who are called, be called according
to His purpose now. Here in Ephesians 1 verse 9,
having made known unto us the mystery of his will according
to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself, it's his
purpose in regard to us, which he purposed in himself. Verse
10, and here it is, that in the dispensation of the fullness
of time, when it's all over, God's fullness of time. He might
gather together in one all things in Christ. If you're not in Christ,
you're not going to be in that gathering. If a person's not
in Christ, he's not going to be in that kingdom and that body
and that bride. He's going to gather together
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, those who are
already there, and which are on earth, even in him. Now what's
this next verse? In whom? In Christ. We have obtained
an inheritance. Being predestinated according
to the purpose, called according to his purpose, the purpose of
him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
And did you men notice when we're reading verse 18, of that same
chapter, chapter 1, verse 18, the eyes of your understanding
being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His
calling. It's His calling. And what is
the riches of the glory of? It's His inheritance. It's His. And verse 19, what is the exceeding
greatness of His power to us who believe? And it's according
to the working of His power, His calling, His inheritance,
His purpose, His power, His grace, His glory. I know that all things work together
for good, eternal good. The fullness of time will be
gathered together in His presence for them who love Christ. and who would be called according
to his purpose. Another verse in 2 Timothy 1,
turn there just a moment, 2 Timothy 1, Paul is talking to the young
preacher Timothy, and he says in verse 8 of 2 Timothy 1, Be
not thou therefore ashamed of the gospel of our Lord, the witness
of our Lord, the testimony, nor of me his prisoner. But be thou
a partaker of the affliction of the gospel, afflictions of
the gospel according to the power of God, who hath saved us, and
he called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose." There it is again, his purpose.
And his grace, which was given to us when? Well, where first
in Christ Jesus? When? Before the world began.
And then we come back to Romans 8. Now, listen to these next
two verses. And we need to take these words
one at a time and think on them. Verse 29. Romans 8, 29. Are you there?
He called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow. Now, this is not saying that
God looked down through time and saw what certain people would
do, and then he let them do it. Now this word, foreknow, is the
word foreordained, before, ordained before. As many as were ordained
to eternal life believed. They were foreordained. They
were foreappointed. appointed before. That's what
that word means. Before He loved us. He loved us. We didn't love Him.
He loved us. Before ordained, before appointed,
and before loved. He said, I know my sheep. These
Pharisees said, if you be the Christ, tell us plainly. He said,
I told you and you didn't believe me. You didn't believe me because
you're not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. And I
know them. I know them. And I give them
eternal life. I know my sheep, and am known
of my sheep. The Lord knew us. He's always
known us. Those people in Matthew chapter
7 that argued with the Lord at the judgment, you know, they
said, He said, many shall say unto
me in that day, Lord, we preached in your name, we cast out devils,
we did many wonderful works, but I'll say to them, I never
knew you. These people I've always known.
Those people I never knew. Never knew them, never foreknew
them. Whom he foreknew. The second Thessalonians said,
I give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. Whom
he foreknew, now read on, he also, those whom he knew, foreordained
and foreappointed and foreloved, he also did predestinate. That word means He. Their destination
was predetermined. Predetermined. Their destination. Their destination is to be with
Him, to be like Him, to enjoy His glory. The glory which Thou
hast given me, I have given them. And that's just like pre-loved
and pre-appointed and pre-ordained, predestinated. Their destination
was predetermined. We're going to determine to be
what? Conformed to the image of His
Son. All these things are working
together. I know that all things in my
life, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, elect angels, rulers, principalities,
powers, ministers, events, pleasant, unpleasant, are working together
for my eternal good. Someday to bring me to that place
where I'm like Christ. Not only in soul, but now you
watch this. You don't need to turn to it.
I'll turn and read it to you from Philippians. You listen
to this. In Philippians chapter 3, verse 21, listen. Verse 20
says, Our conversation is in heaven, our citizenship. From whence also we look for
the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change who shall change
our vile bodies, that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious
body." God has predestinated that we're going to be conformed
to the image of Christ. Even our vile bodies are going
to be like his glorious body. As we have borne the image of
the earthy, Adam's image We shall bear the likeness and image of
the heavenly. That's the goal. And that's the
reason he says that, that I reckon that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory, verse 18 there,
which shall be revealed in us. When I stand, my bowel body is
just like His glorified body, and my spirit and soul is just
like Christ to the image of Christ. What difference does it make
on earth if I'm short or tall, fat or slim, wrinkled or gray,
or weak or strong, or what, beautiful or ugly? For these brief years
that I live here, what difference does it make if God Almighty
constrained me through affliction? To look to Him and someday be
made like Him is worth it. Worth it. And we'll look back
on this time and we're going to say it, He did right. He did right. Whatever it took,
whatever He predestinated, whatever He predetermined and ordered
to bring into my life, in order to bring me Wean me from this
world and turn my eyes to him so that I might be like him.
It's worth it. Listen to that next line. That
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Everybody in glory
is going to love what he loves, enjoy what he enjoys, rejoice
in what he rejoices, think as he thinks. That's right. He's
the firstborn of all creatures. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He's the firstborn
of all God's sons. He's the only begotten. He's
the firstborn of the covenant we've chosen in Him. God called
Him mine elect. He's the firstborn from the dead
to die no more. That's right. First one. Well, you say, Lazarus
was raised. Yeah, but he died again. Everybody. widow's son, all of them. He's
the first one to rise from the grave to die no more. And he's
the first glorified man to enter heaven. The forerunner. First, that he might be the firstborn
among us. And everybody is going to be
just like him. God's predestinated it. Look at the next verse, 30. Whom
he did predestinate to be like Christ, then he called. Now this is no bare invitation
because it's certain people. Whom he foreknew, he called. Whom he predestinated to be like
Christ, he called. This is no bare invitation. This
is no bare warning or slight entreaty. This is a definite. effectual, life-giving call. Abraham, get thee out of thy
father's house. Zacchaeus, come down. Matthew, follow me. James, John, put those nets down. I'll make you fishers of men.
He called. He called according to his purpose. And he calls us by the word.
Now listen to me. Turn with me a moment, old Second
Thessalonians. Now this is very important, what
I'm about to say, Second Thessalonians 2. The word is so essential to this
call. I'll tell you why. He calls, the word tells you
where, too. We were down in Luke, you don't
mind me telling this on you, do you? Too late now. We were
down in Mexico, Bob, Becky, Darcy, and I carrying Luke. Luke was
about six or seven years old. He's always been an obedient
young man. A lot of times I call him Duke. Some of you folks remember the
Duke of Paducah, don't you? Long years. I called Luke Duke,
you know. Walter Groover's got an old dog
named Duke. an old blue tick hound, great
old, you met an old hound dog named Duke. Well, we were sitting
on the porch that day, and Luke, my Luke was over here playing
somewhere, and Walter's sitting here, and I was sitting here,
and Bob over there, and that dog was messing around in the
neighbor's yard over there, and Walter looked at that dog and
said, Duke, get over here! Boy, Luke jumped up from where
he was and ran over to Walter and said, what do you want me
to do? That's the kind of call God gives.
He gives direction. The Spirit calls and the Word
gives direction. Luke didn't know, he just heard
his name, but he didn't know where to go. What do you want
me to do? He didn't know where to go, what to do, bring something,
or take it off, or leave, or... You've got to have direction. Or you'd be running around like
a chicken with your head cut off. So you listen to 2 Thessalonians
2, verse 13. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you
by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The Holy Spirit says, look! The
Word says, to Christ. The Holy Spirit says, believe.
The Word of God says, on the Son of God, who thought it not
robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation.
I know whom I have believed. I don't just, I'm not just saved
because I believe something. I'm saved because I believe Him.
Him. It's not keep the faith, it's
believe on the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit says, the Holy
Spirit calls. And the Holy Spirit says, call.
And the Word of God says, call on the name. His name, Jehovah
Jireh, Jehovah Sidkenu, Jehovah Raper, the Lord will provide.
I just don't call on an unknown. Somebody up there likes me. No,
I won't get it, the Lord. So he called. It's not a bare
invitation, my dear friend, it's a call. And read on, I've got
to move on. Listen, whom he predestinated
to be called and whom he called, he justified. He justified. That's more than pardoned to.
A fella can be pardoned and he's still guilty. He can get out
on good behavior and he's still guilty. But when he's justified,
he's not guilty. So we're not guilty. God, all
our sins were taken from us and laid on Christ. And we're justified,
just as if we'd never sinned. And that's past tense. We are
justified. He bore our sins. He took our sins, who knew no
sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
And whom he justified, he glorified. Now then, I believe the next
six questions, I'm just going to give them to you briefly,
I believe the next six questions arise out of what he just said.
And the first question is this, look
at verse 31, what shall we say to these, what shall we then
say to these things? What things? What he just said. All things. by the direction
and control of God, are working together for the eternal glory,
to make us like Christ. Of those who love God, who are
be called according to His purpose, for whom He predestinated to that end,
and whom He predestinated to be like Christ. One day He called
them by His Spirit, by His Word. He called them to Himself. And
He justified them by His righteousness in blood. He justified them so
that they're perfect without sin. And He glorified them already. What are we going to say to these
things? Well, some folks have said some awful ugly things about
these things. Folks don't love that message. They don't love God's sovereignty.
They don't love God's effectual grace. They don't love God's
eternal purpose, they don't want God to be gone. What do you say? It says here, what then shall
we say? I'm not talking about what they're
saying. What do you say? Well, I say
what my Lord said in Matthew 11. You know what He said? He said, He lifted his eyes to
heaven. He said, Father, I thank Thee. I thank Thee that Thou hast hid
these things from the wise and the prudent, and You've revealed
them to babes. Even so, Father, it seemed good
in Thy sight. That's what I say. I thank God.
What can you say against them? What can you say in addition
to them? What can you add to it? It's complete. Who he foreknew,
he glorified. But what can you say that you've
learned from these things? The next question. Here's what
I've learned. If God be for us, who can be
against us? That's what I learned. What do
I say to all these things that I've just read and commented
on? I say, I thank you, Father. And
then I learned this, if God's for me, who can be against me? If God's for me in eternal love,
He foreknew us, who can be against us? If God's for us in His eternal
purpose to make us like Christ, who can stay His hand? Who can
stop Him? Who can resist Him? Who can prevent
it? If God's for me in divine calling, if He called me, if God's for me in substitution,
who can be against me? If I'm already seated in Christ,
who can remove me? Who in heaven, earth, or hell
can possibly be against us if God be for us? Well, the law
can't be against us because it's honored. God's satisfied. Justice
can't be against us because Christ, when He died, said it's finished.
The debt's paid. The Spirit of God won't be against
us. He's our comforter. Satan can't be against us. He's
defeated. The Father's not against us because
He's the one that purposed it all in plain. Who can be against
us? And then that brings me to the
third question. Now what's this? Here's the greatest evidence
of God's grace to sinners, of God's purpose to save sinners,
of God's full salvation in Christ. Listen. He that spared not his
own son. He spared not his own son. God
didn't send an angel to redeem us or a man to redeem us. He sent his son. He delivered him up for every
one of his elect, all these people he's talking about, us, all of
us. There's none of you left out. If you love God, you're
called according to his purpose. If God spared not his own son,
my God, why have you forsaken me? Out of love for his people. But delivered him up, delivered
him into the hands of wicked men. Delivered by the foreknowledge
of God. They took him and crucified him.
Delivered him up for us all. And here's the question. Now
watch it. How shall he not with Christ
also freely give us all things that Christ purchased? Now listen
to me. Listen. I thought this thing
out a little bit here. The great miracle and mystery
of the cross is not that God should give sinners salvation
and forgiveness and mercy and grace, which Christ purchased
freely, without charge. The great mystery and miracle
of the cross is that God should, in love and grace, give His Son
to die that way for us. That's the mystery. And that's the reason He says
here, if He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up to
an ignominious, hateful, wretched, cursed death, how shall He not
with Him freely give us what He bought? If you go into a store and buy
me a suit, and you have to work hard and labor and sacrifice
and do without yourself, and you go to buy me a suit, there's
no skin off his back to give me that suit. You paid for it. It's mine. The man behind the counter can't
refuse to give me what you bought. The real sacrifice was the one
you made in buying it, you see. For God to give sinners what
Christ bought, that's no sweat. For God to give His elect freely
what the Lord Jesus purchased for them, that's just right.
That's just just. But for God to empty heaven,
of its sunshine and its glory and its beauty and send His Son
down here to this cursed, wretched, filthy, vile world to be made
in the likeness of sinful flesh and then forsake Him and send
Him to a cross and let Him be crucified and spat upon, there
is the real thing you need and I need to look at. No problem
with giving me what he bought, that's just right. Isn't that
right? That's just just. How can God save a sinner like
me? Christ died for me. That's how
he can save me. What are you doing with such
a nice suit? My friend bought it. That's what I'm doing with
it. That's right. I didn't give anything for it
at all. He bought it for me. The righteousness with which
I'm clothed didn't cost me nothing. It cost God something. And the
fact that He gave it to me, there's no problem there. How shall He
not? That's the question. If He spared
not His own Son but delivered Him up for every one of us, how
shall He not also freely? He can't charge Christ and then
charge me. That wouldn't be right, would it? Give us all thanks. It's paid for. And then the fourth question,
he says here, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
God's elect are those whom He foreknew. God's elect are those
whom He predestinated to be like Christ. God's elect are those
whom He called. God's elect are those whom He
justified. God's elect are those whom He
glorified. Who's going to lay anything to
their charge? God justified them. Question comes, are they chargeable?
Yes. They're charged with Adam's sin,
they're charged with their own sin. Does anyone charge them? Yes. They charge themselves. Oh, wretched man that I am. Satan,
he's the accuser of the brethren. He'll charge you. He came before
the Lord sitting in judgment on Job. The law, every time you
look at it, it charges you, doesn't it? But here's the problem. These charges avail nothing.
Nobody can make his charge stick, because they're all answered
in Christ. Who can lay anything effectually
to the charge? Who can bring a charge against
God's elect? Nobody, because God justified
them. That's right. And that brings
you to that next question. Here's the great foundation of
our confidence and assurance, and Paul says, who can condemn
me? Who can condemn me? Why can't
I be condemned? Because I'm better than someone
else? No. Because of my faithfulness? No. I'll tell you why I can't
be condemned. It's Christ that died. There's
the key. It's Christ that died. The death
he died is of great importance, but of greater importance is
who died the death. The price he paid is of great
importance, but the greater importance is who paid it. How could one
man suffer for so many because of who he is? Because of who he is. Infinite
God. And no one can condemn a person
for whom Christ died. And secondly, He's not only died,
but He's risen again. And His resurrection, God said
in Acts 17, His resurrection is proof that His work was accepted
of the Father. He's borne witness to all men
in that He raised Him from the dead. See, when that old high
priest took the blood offering back in the Old Testament under
the veil into the Holy of Holies and put it on the mercy seat,
They all stood out and waited for one thing. What? For Him
to come out. And when He came out, they sighed
with relief. God accepted it. And I tell you,
when Christ died on that cross under the judgment of our sins,
laid on Him, and they took Him down from that cross dead and
put Him in a tomb, if He's still there, you're still in sin. God
didn't accept it. See, that's what distinguishes
Christ from all other so-called messiahs. You can go to the grave
of Mohammed. You can go to the grave of Confucius. You can go to the grave of Buddha.
You can go to the grave of any other of the so-called world
religious leaders, but you can't find his tomb because it's empty.
Christ arose. He arose. That's the reason Paul
said, who can condemn me? He died, but he arose. And not only that, listen, and
he's ascended to the right hand of God. There's just one at the
right hand of God, that's Christ. But now what's he doing there?
Making intercession for us. If any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father. What is this intercession? Does
he plead with the Father not to send us to hell? No. He doesn't
have to say a word. His presence there is sufficient. We're in Him. His appearance
there. His sacrifice, the wounds in
His hand. His priestly work. He makes our
prayers and gifts and worship and praise to be accepted. Our
high priest. He represents us in things pertaining
to God. And then the last question, I'll
let you go, verse 35. Well, who can separate us from
the love of Christ? Who can alter this relationship?
Whom he foreknew, he predestinated to be like Christ. Whom he predestinated
to be like Christ, he called and justified and glorified.
Who's going to change that? Nothing and no one. Listen, not
tribulation, trials or sorrows, not distress, of body or soul,
not persecution from the world, not famine, want of necessities,
not nakedness, peril or sword, as it is written, for thy sake
we are killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the
slaughter. That is a quotation from Psalm 44, and this is what
it means. For the sake of the gospel and
true worship, God's people have been exposed to persecution and
death all the day, all the time, down through the ages. Not just
today or yesterday, all day long. They're worthless. The world
looks on them as sheep for the slaughtered, nothing but animals
to be used and slaughtered. But listen, verse 37, in all
these things, in all these trials and troubles, we're not defeated. We're more than conquerors through
Him that loved us. These trials, actually, We're
made better by them. They're for our good. David said,
it's good for me that I've been afflicted, that I may learn thy
statutes. It's good that I've been afflicted. You see, in all these things,
these trials, we're not defeated, we're conquerors. Through him
who 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... Paul seems
to say, if I've left anybody out, any other creature shall
be able to separate us from the... My love for God? No. From the
love of God is love for me. That's what it is. No one can
change this relationship because it's His purpose. And it's in
Christ Jesus, our Lord. That's where it is. And there's
no plan or purpose outside of Christ or promise outside of
Christ for anyone. All the promises of God in Christ
are yes and amen.