This is our text today, Romans
8.32, and this is our topic, He spared not his own son. Now let's read the text from
Romans 8.32. 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. Now the eighth chapter of Romans
is a treasure house of riches for all believers. The child
of God can spend, I started to say weeks and months, but he
can spend years in this great hall of mercy just feasting on
the blessings of God. Those blessings that were purposed
by his grace and promised in his word and purchased by his
dear son. For example, let's go to verse
1. Take your Bible there and open it with me to Romans the
8th chapter. Let's go to verse 1 and talk
about some of these mercies and some of these riches of his grace
First of all in verse 1 it says this there is therefore now right
now No condemnation and my friend that word is judgment. There
is no judgment Now you can hear preachers all over this land
talking about the two judgments and three judgments and four
judgments and five judgments And a half a dozen judgments,
but let me tell you something God's word says, there is therefore
now no judgment, no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.
Read on further in the book of Romans, chapter 8, and you'll
find the apostles saying this, if God be for us, who can be
against us? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? Who's going to bring a charge
against God's elect? Somebody in heaven? Somebody
on earth? Somebody in hell? It's God that
justifies. We've already been justified
by the highest court. You know, when a fellow commits
a crime here on the earth, and they try him in the local county
courthouse, and he's found guilty, he'll appeal. He'll appeal to
the state court of appeals, and they'll try him there, and he'll
fail, and he'll appeal to the Supreme Court. Now, when the
Supreme Court hands down its verdict, that's the farthest
he can go. There's no more appealing. Well,
let me tell you something. We've been justified by the highest
court of the universe. It's God that justifies. Who
can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? God has justified
us. We've been cleared, declared
not guilty, justified without sin in the highest court of the
universe through the blood of Jesus Christ by the righteousness
of the Son of God. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus. We may be a witness at the judgment.
We may be those that are standing by at the judgment. But the Lord
Jesus stood for his people, his elect. He was a surety of an
everlasting covenant. He stood for them in eternity.
He stood for them in the present. He stands for them in the future.
He stands for them at the judgment. Listen to Romans 8, verse 34.
Who is he that condemneth? Christ has died. Yea, rather,
is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who intercedes
for us. Christ is my intercessor. He's
my mediator. There's no one that can challenge
him or what he purchased or what he bought for me on Calvary's
cross. I have no sin. In Christ there
is no sin. Near, so near to God, nearer
I cannot be. In the person of his Son, I'm
as near as he. Clothed in his righteousness,
we're as holy as God's Son. He presents us holy, spotless. without blame, without blemish,
in his presence. There's no judgment. Do what
you want to with that. That's what the scripture says.
There is no condemnation. There is no judgment. And I know
fellows use this today. They talk about the judgment
seat of Christ where they're going to hand out rewards and
hand out one mansion a little bigger than the other one and
things like this to get people to support their programs and
support their Television efforts and support this that not trying
to scare people into doing things. Let me tell you something Whatever
you do whether it's praying witnessing working giving or anything else
if it's motivated out of fear of hail and Fear of losing a
reward and fear of living in a dingy ghetto in glory If it's
out of fear, you better just forget it anyway Paul the Apostle
said, the love of Christ constrained me. We obey God's word because
we love God. We give because we love God.
We witness because we love Christ. We treat other people right because
we love Christ. That's our motive. That's our
constraining force, is the love of Jesus Christ. And anything
else is not worth having. We're not working for anything.
We are serving God because we love him. And that's what the
scripture says, the love of Christ constrains me. Now watch the
verse 4. Here's another blessed treasure in this 8th chapter
of Romans. The righteousness of the law
is fulfilled. The righteousness of the law
is fulfilled. In Christ, we're not only pardoned, we're not
only forgiven, but we have a perfect holiness before God. 1 Corinthians
1.30 says, of him are you in Christ Jesus. We're in Christ,
who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. Somebody wrote a song from that
verse, Jesus Christ is made to me. All I need. All I need. He alone is all my plea. He's
all I need. He's my wisdom, my righteousness,
my sanctification and redemption. Listen to this. We are complete
in Him. That's what the Scripture says,
complete in Christ. We lack nothing. Isn't that something? The righteousness of the law,
the righteousness of God's holy, immaculate, immutable law is
fulfilled in us. You read it there in verse 4.
Then turn to verse 15. We have received the spirit of
adoption. Whereby we cry, Father, Father. Do you know what believers are?
They're sons of God. Now you think about that. They're
children of God. They've been adopted on purpose
by God into his family. Children of God. Beloved, now
are we the sons of God. Not going to be, not hope to
be, right now. Are we the sons of God? That's
1 John 3 verse 1. It does not yet appear what we
shall be, but we know this. When he shall appear, we shall
be like him. We're sons of God. Not only sons
of God, read verse 15, 16, 17, but we're heirs of God and joint
heirs with Jesus Christ. Every believer is an heir of
God, an heir of all that God has and all that God gives. of God's universe and a joint
heir with Jesus Christ. God's given everything to the
Son, and it's mine with him and in him. Isn't that something?
Then look at verse 23. He says in verse 23, we wait
for the redemption of our bodies. We've been redeemed, and Christ
on the cross not only redeemed our souls, but he redeemed our
bodies. Now these bodies are getting
older. And they're filled with disease. And they'll one day
die, and we'll put them in the ground, and they'll go back to
the dust from whence they came. The soul to God who gave it.
But he says we're waiting for the redemption of that body,
when God's going to bring that body out of the grave. When the
Lord Jesus Christ comes again, every believer is going to be
raised from the grave. You say, what kind of bodies
are we going to have? When the dead come forth, how
are the dead raised? They're going to be raised in
His likeness. They're going to have a body
like His glorified body that knows no sin and sorrow and trial
and sadness and tears or anything like that. We're going to be
raised without tears. I heard a preacher not long ago
talking about the tears at the judgment. My friend, when God
raises my new body, it's going to be just like the Son of God.
I'm going to be like Him. And I just don't believe that
that new body, that new glorified body, is going to know anything
about sorrow or tears. It's going to be like Christ.
Then verse 26, Likewise the Holy Spirit helpeth our infirmities. He's given us a comforter. He's
given us a helper. He's given us a teacher. And
the Holy Spirit maketh intercession for us. You say, do all believers
have the Holy Spirit? If any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he's none of his. As many as are led by the Spirit
of God, they are the sons of God. You couldn't be quickened
from the dead without the Holy Spirit. You couldn't be born
again without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells everybody
who's saved. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit
of God. And if we don't have the Holy Spirit, we're none of
His. The Lord God has given us. He
has not left us alone. He's given us His Holy Spirit
to reveal Christ to us. Our Lord said, when He, the Spirit
of truth, has come, He'll take the things of mine and show them
to you. He'll not speak of Himself. He's going to glorify me. The
Holy Spirit reveals Christ to the heart. He's our teacher.
He'll guide you into all truth. He's our comforter. He intercedes
for us and reveals unto us the will of God then look at verse
28 We're marching through Romans the eighth chapter and we're
stopping We're just pausing for a moment or two because we don't
have long but we're just stopping and looking at some of these
blessings just Glancing over them you read them later and
feast upon them, but here in verse 28 listen to this all things
Work together for good to them who love God to those who are
called according to his purpose Now, in this life, the believer,
like anybody else, he's still in the flesh, he has a family,
home, job, automobile, friends, he lives a life like anyone else,
and in this The believer has joys and he has sorrows. He has
successes and he has failures. He has happiness and he has doubts
and fears. And he has some trials and he
has some sicknesses and he has diseases and disappointments
and just like anybody else. But our God gave us a promise.
Right here in Romans 8, 28, and he says, all things, all things,
not some things, not the major things, not the good things,
not the better things, all things. And I know that all things, great
and small, good and bad, past, present, and future, flesh and
spirit, all things, work together, are working together in God's
eternal purpose and God's eternal plan for good, for good. We're not talking about temporal
good or present good or temporary good. We're talking about eternal
good. You see, Abraham dwelt in tents.
He never did possess the land himself or build a home or a
ranch on the land God promised to him. He dwelt in tents. He
was a sojourner. He didn't have any stakes driven
here or any roots planted here at all. He looked for a city.
Eternal good. That's what we're talking about.
Eternal good. The Apostle Paul was a man who
suffered, but all of his suffering was for his eternal good and
for the eternal glory of Jesus Christ. So these things work
together. in God's purpose and plan for
our eternal good. That's what it's all about. This
life is nothing. This life is nothing compared
to eternity. It's just a vestibule that ushers
us into eternity. It's like one snowflake compared
to a blizzard, or one drop of water compared to an ocean. This
60 or 70 years here is nothing. What difference does it make
what I possess here, what I own here, the health I enjoy here?
I'm going to die and live forever somewhere. And these things that
God brings to pass in my life, trials or tribulations or sorrows
or successes or failures or disappointments or whatever, are all working
together to make me what God would have me to be eternally,
to make me like his son. And all things work together
for good to them who love God. Not everybody, but to them who
love God, to them who are called according to his eternal purpose.
All right, verse 39, now watch this, and nothing Neither height,
nor depth, nor width, nor breadth, nor angels, nor principalities,
powers, nor any other creature," Paul said, in this case, I've
left somebody out, can separate us from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. That soul, that own Jesus, hath
leaned for repose. I will not, I will not desert
to expose that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, never, never, never forsake. My friend, he'll never
cast us out. He'll never forget us. He'll
never disown us. He said, lo, I'm with you always,
even to the end of the world. Christ loves his own. He's always
loved them. He loves them with an infinite
love. He loves them with an unchangeable love. He loves them with an everlasting
love. He loves them with a love that
sent him to Calvary to redeem their souls. You think of these
blessings. Read that chapter again. Walk
through the eighth chapter of Romans and pause and listen to
God speak. What he purposed, what he promised,
and what Christ purchased. And there's no way that we can
number these mercies. There's no way that we can evaluate
these blessings. David wrote in Psalm 103, bless
the Lord. O my soul, and all that is within
me, bless his holy name. Forget not all his benefits,
who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases,
who satisfies thy mouth with good things. Blessed is the man,
blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of them gods,
nor sitteth in the seat of scorners, nor standeth in the way of sinners.
in the law of the Lord and in that law doth he meditate day
and night and blessed is that man. He'll be like a tree planted
by the rivers of living water that brings forth his fruit in
his season, in God's season. And then Romans 4, 7 and 8 says,
blessed is the man to whom God will not charge sin. Philippians
4, 19 says, my God shall supply all your needs. And Abraham said
to Isaac, going up the mountainside, God will provide. God will provide. Now those are mercies, aren't
they? Oh, you say, Preacher, if I could just lay hold on those
things, if I could just appropriate those things for myself, if I
could just believe that those belong to me. Preacher, what
proof do you have? What is the major proof of these
blessings? What is the major proof of these
mercies? How can I know that these promises
are sure? Bring forth for me one word.
that will beyond a doubt give assurance and confidence to me
that all of these blessings are the believers in Christ Jesus.
All right, I will. I'll give you a proof that cannot
be denied. I'll give you a word that cannot
be disproved. I'll give you a word that will
convince any man in his right mind that what God purposed and
what God promised, God Almighty will give to every believer.
I know one proof is this, God is love, and that's true, that's
certain. His love, like I said, is everlasting,
infinite, beyond measure. Somebody wrote this, could we
with ink the ocean's hill, and were the skies of parchment made,
and every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade
to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry. Nor
could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from
sky to sky. I wouldn't say one word that
would belittle the holy love of God. But listen to me. While
God is love, God is holy and just and righteous. And so when
we say God loves you, that doesn't say you're redeemed. That doesn't
say you're redeemed. Sin has to be punished. The law
has to be honored. So the love of, just to say God
is love, that won't give you enough proof that these mercies
will be yours. No sir, it won't. And then somebody
else says, well, God has promised to redeem. Yes, he did. He certainly
did. That's as sure as heaven. That's
as sure as heaven. He said, I will be merciful.
I will be gracious. I'll be merciful to whom I will
be merciful. I'll be gracious to whom I will be gracious. That's
as sure as heaven. God Almighty is going to be merciful
to somebody. He's going to be. But still,
to say He's going to be merciful doesn't appropriate to mercy.
He's going to be merciful to somebody. But wait a minute.
I want that now. I want to know now that I have
that mercy. All right, somebody else says,
well, he's been merciful to others. Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Now, these are all strong arguments.
I know that. God is love and God's purpose
to save and God's shown mercy to others. But wait a minute.
There is one yet greater, stronger, more certain proof. that God
will give these blessings and mercy. And you know what it is?
I say God will show mercy, God will forgive sin, God will redeem
his elect, God will not cast us away, God will freely give
us all things because he spared not his own son. That's why I believe that God
will fulfill all that God promised, because he spared not his own
son. You know, when God told Abraham
to take Isaac, Abraham had one son by his wife, Sarah, one heir,
and he was about 14 or 15 years of age. And God came to this
great man of faith, and he said, Abraham, take your son, your
only son, whom you love. Mount Moriah and sacrificed him
as a sin offering to me And that old man over a hundred years
old of age hundred years of age now took that boy and started
for that mountain And when he got to the mountain, he left
the servants and the donkeys down to the foot of the mountain
He and the boy started up the mountain And the boy said to
his daddy, and they'd been on a three-day journey. The old
man had time to think about it and consider it and weigh it.
But his faith hadn't wavered a bit. He started up the mountain.
He had the fire and he had the wood. But he didn't have a lamb. And the boy said to him, Father,
he said, here's the wood and here's the fire, but where's
the lamb? Where's the lamb? This boy knew that God could
not be worshipped without a sin offering, a sacrifice. I wish
everybody believed that and knew that. This boy knew that there
was no way to approach God without the shedding of blood, to put
away sin, to cleanse sin, to make an atonement. I wish every
preacher knew that. This boy knew that there must
be a sacrifice, a sin offering, an atonement. So where's the
lamb? And his daddy said, my son, God will provide. God will
provide himself a lamb. And they got up on top of that
mountain and he took Isaac and bound him and put him on the
altar. And then he raised the knife to prepare to slay his
son. And God spoke. And God said,
Abraham, Abraham, touch not the lamb. Now I know, now I know
that thou lovest me. See, thou hast not withheld. Thy son, thine only son, from
me. Now I know you love me." And
my friend, I can say that. I can take the Word of God and
read about His great mercies and read about His promises and
read about His purposes. And I can read about His grace
to others. But when I go to Calvary, and I see hanging there between
heaven and earth, bearing my sins, and bearing my guilt and
my shame, God Almighty, well-beloved, only begotten, Son of His love,
I tell you, that's all the proof I need. That's all the confidence
I need. That's all the assurance I need.
If God be for me, to the extent that He spared not His Son, if
God Almighty be for me, in this way, who can be against Him?
Who can lay anything to my charge? Who can condemn me? For if he
spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with Christ freely give us all things?" And, my friends,
he spared not his son any trial. He spared not His Son any temptation,
any agony of the flesh. He was tempted, tried, tested
in all points, as we are, yet without sin. You see, when Christ
undertook our cause as our surety, when Christ appeared on earth
in our nature, when Christ Jesus was numbered with the transgressors,
When Christ Jesus was made a woman and made under the law as our
representative, when he came, the Son of God, into this world,
he was not fast, beginning from the day he was born. Look at
him there. There he lies in a stall, in
a manger, a lowly burrow. No room for him in the inn. A
tender plant, a root out of dry ground. He's identified with
the lowest birth of the lowest man. He couldn't have been born
in meaner circumstances. He spared not his son. He meant
his birth. He spared him not the discomfort
and the shame. No room for him anywhere, so
he's born in a cow stable. See him in the carpenter shop.
God said, Adam, when you see him, you're going to die. And
you'll be cast out of the garden, and by the sweat of your brow,
you'll earn your living. Your hands will have calluses
and bruises, and you'll hurt and you'll bleed. And look at
that. Look at him in the carpenter shop. Our Lord, our representative. See him as he labors in the carpenter
shop for a long time, and the sweat pours down his brow, and
the calluses cover his hands. Well, they said, we know who
he is. He's the carpenter. We know his mother and his brothers
and sisters. He's nobody. He's a nobody. Well, he doesn't live in the
satin and silk of the throne. He doesn't live in the purple
and red and crimson of the clergy. He's a carpenter, a nobody. That's right. He spared not his
son. See him in the world, rejected,
despised, hated, a man of sorrows, acquainted with greed. having
not a place to lay his head. See him in the wilderness tempted
of Satan. He spared not his son. He even
allowed him to be tempted of that arch enemy of God, Satan
himself. He had a personal encounter with
Satan. See him in the synagogue among the religious crowds. They
kicked him out. They ridiculed him. They took
him over to a hill and were going to murder him. They didn't want
him in the synagogue. See him in the garden. Our sins
fell on him, and he sweat great drops of blood in his agony,
in his soul agony. He spared not his son. See him
in the soldier's hall. They strip his clothes off of
him and slap his face and say prophesy. Who slapped you? They
bowed the knee when they put a crown of thorns on his head
and a purple robe on his back and a reed in his hand. They
bowed the knee and mocked him and ridiculed him as the king.
Do people mock you? He spared not his son. See him
on the cross. at first. See him deserted of
the Father. My God, why has thou forsaken
me? See him in the tomb, lying in
a tomb, dead. He spared not his son. I tell you, my friend, that's
the proof of God's purpose. That's the proof of God's promise.
That's the proof of God's love. That's the proof of God's grace.
And that's all you need. He spared not his son. I don't
need a feeling. I don't need some vision. I don't
need a dream. I just need this word right here.
Five words. He spared not his son. That's my hope. And he goes on
and says, If he spared not his son, but delivered him up for
us, all of us, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? Shall he not? Did Christ die
in vain? Will he not have what he purchased?
How can the Father not honor his promise? How can the Father
not honor his word? You mean Jesus Christ died for
me and I may yet go to hell? He paid my debt and I still bear
it? No, my friend. Jesus Christ the Lord paid it
all. All the debt I owed. Sin left
the crimson stain. He washed it white as snow. God
spared not his son. This message is on cassette tape.
Two messages. On one side lies our refuge,
and on the other side is Spadina's son. If you want it, you send
three dollars and we'll mail it to you. So next week, God
bless you, everyone. You have just heard a sermon
by Henry Mahan, pastor of the 13th Street Baptist Church of
Ashland, Kentucky. Address all correspondents to
Henry Mahan, Box 1700, Ashland, Kentucky.