Law and Grace - The Love of Christ

I'll do kind of a review of the passage in Romans. This will be our last Sunday going through Romans 5 through 8. And so we've seen so far that by God's doing we stand in His grace. It's His accomplishment. And grace is the reigning principle. That's what God intends us to operate by. It's our operating system.

We were identified with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection, so we're dead to the sin nature and alive to God. This is a summary of Romans chapter 6. And we have died to the law in order to be joined to Christ in Romans 7, 1 through 6. We see here that the law doesn't help anyone to be righteous. In fact, it's a yoke and a burden.

And we've also seen that trying to live by a law principle, this is Romans 7, 7-25, with even one law, that's all it takes, trying to follow one law, but any sort of law principle, stirs up the sin nature, and the message that's also carried out in Galatians 5.17, that we can't simply will righteous living on our own power.

Now, we've also seen here in dealing with the flesh, and the flesh is defined this way. The flesh is the sin nature as it works in and through the human body. That's what the flesh is. The flesh and the sin nature are not synonyms directly. The flesh is the sin nature as it works through the body.

And living alive to God is not a task that we take on alone, but we live by the multiple ministries of the Holy Spirit. The believer is not only in Christ, and Christ is in the believer, but the believer is also in the Spirit, and the Spirit is in the believer.

God does not want us to think of the Christian life as something He has delegated to us. You are in Christ, and you are in the Spirit. You have Christ indwelling you, and the Spirit indwelling you, not so that God just delegates living the Christian life to you. He says, I want you to walk by the life of Christ living in and through you, and that'll get accomplished by the multiple ministries of the Holy Spirit. It's His job to do the living, not ours. The Holy Spirit puts into our life the works of Christ, our position in Christ, the life and the image of Christ. The Holy Spirit has multiple ministries, as we've had in the back page of the handout the last few weeks. You may have heard of this chorus, Only One Life, and it goes, Only one life will soon be passed, only what's done for Christ will last.

That's actually bad teaching. Here's the problem. Only what's done for Christ will last? That's not right. What it should be is only what's done by Christ in and through you will last. That's the only thing that will last. Don't do something for Christ. Don't do something for Christ. He doesn't want you to. He wants to have Him be the one doing it in and through you. That's what He intends. The Christian life has not been delegated to you. You were crucified in order that His life, crucified with Christ so that His life might be the life that lives in and through you. Don't give to Jesus all your days. They're already His.

Now, we saw in last week's passage the spiritual perspective. Paul addressed the past, the present, and the future of this creation and our place in it with a focus upon hope. He gave us a perspective for our suffering and for the creation's suffering. Finally, Paul provided an insight into the nature of our prayer and the Holy Spirit's part in our prayers. And one of the things we pointed out is both the Spirit and Christ intercede for us. The Spirit and Christ both intercede. You know, you think about it.

This living the Christian life isn't something we do on our own. Not at all. God made absolutely certain that we would not carry it out on our own by putting us in Christ and in the Spirit and putting Christ and the Spirit in us. Both of those are true. So there's no way He intended for us to do it on our own and then report back to Him as to how we did. He didn't delegate the Christian life to us.

This passage today, Romans 8, 28-39, is all about what God does or did. It's all about what God does or did. There isn't a whole lot in here for you to do anything with, but to believe it. It's also about the most awesome certainty of the love of God. So it's things God did and the certainty of God's love and of the love of Christ, His Son. There are lots of passages we could point to that talk about the certainty of our salvation. That's there. But this passage is about the certainty of God's love for us.

It's somewhat the same, but a different message. God most certainly loves you. That's the message of this passage. Romans 5-8 has been about being spiritually joined and separated. But this passage is about telling us it's impossible for us to be separated from the infinite love of God.

We've had this diagram here showing what was true of us when we were in Adam before faith in Christ. They were separated from Christ, joined to the sin nature, joined to the principle of law, and joined to the world. In faith in Christ, the first thing that happens is we're co-crucified, crucified together with Christ, and joined to Christ, separated from the sin nature, law, and the world. Those joinings and separations take place, once we believe, by God's doing.

It's God's accomplishment. Well, one of the things we see in this passage is sovereignty. The sovereignty of God is a big issue. Over the centuries of time, people have understood God's sovereignty in different ways. Among Christians, a group called the Calvinists, and I'm not sure Calvin was a Calvinist by the way, have been the only ones who have had this strong sovereignty teaching. But they have been several points in error.

What we'll see in this passage is God's sovereignty is not about dictating this happens and this happens and this happens and you're not really making any choices and that sort of thing, but rather about His immense and awesome love for us. So when we think of God's sovereignty, it's not about turning the world into this big machine, spiritual machine, it is instead an expression of God's love. God is sovereign to express love to you. That's what sovereignty is about.

Not about some human logical system. God is not only the first cause of the universe, but he continues to cause, this passage tells us, to cause all things to work together for good. So God is not only the first cause that created everything, but he continues to cause all things to work for good. And we'll talk about what that good is here shortly. For those who love God in response to what? His love for us. We love because He first loved us. Our love for Him is responsive to His love for us. And we can't be separated from that love that He has for us. It's absolutely certain. It's for real.

Now that does not mean that everything that happens is good. We are free to say that was not good or that was actually evil. It does not mean that we have to go around pretending like everything's good. There are some things that are just plain not good. What this talks about is not that everything that happens is good. What it means is there is a good outcome to everything that happens, even if what happened was evil. Some things are just really, really bad. It's not a Christian virtue to go around pretending or saying that everything is good. But to say that everything works for good That is a good thing to say.

Okay, this called for new predestined elect, these are words that are in this passage and that's kind of the source of Calvinism, all these things, and they develop a logical system. We, however, are going to take these words for what they say in context and we're going to recognize that God's ways are higher than our ways. It's not our job to go around figuring some big logical system that human beings can understand, okay? We're not called to reduce God's ways to something that humans can understand. We simply take God at His word and say, He understands it, He's the one who designed it, He's the one who does it and carries it out. We're not called to go and reduce this thing down to something that we can comprehend and logic our way through.

God's calling is by grace. So when we are called, that calling is by grace, and it is into fellowship with Christ. Those things are clear from Scripture. Galatians 1.6 and 1 Corinthians 1.9. It's by grace, and of course we've heard that grace word before, right? From a time perspective, God knew in advance those who would choose to believe in Christ.

Now, one thing we've got to make clear God doesn't see things in the same time perspective we do. We look and we say, okay, we see our past, we see the future, and now we're living in the present, which is constantly moving into the future. That's our time perspective. God doesn't look at time that way. God sees all times as now. God sees all times as now. So, when you say, for new, God didn't know into the future, From his perspective, that's from our perspective, because God sees all times as now.

As Jesus himself put it, before Abraham was born, not I was, but I am. Before Abraham was born, I am. God knew in advance who would choose to believe in Christ and what did he do with that knowledge. Knowing in advance that we would believe God predestined each one of us who believes to be conformed to the image of his son Jesus Christ. In that he is sovereign and he does it because he loves us.

We've been predestined. It's not like your life is just this machine and you're just carrying out what God's predestined. No, that's not the point. It's not that every breath that you take, every move that you make is predestined. What is predestined is is that you will ultimately be conformed to the image of Christ. That's predestined. That will happen. Now, the good that this verse 28 is talking about is that we are being and will be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ by God's working all things together to that end.

So all the things that happened, you think about, you know, why is this happening? Why is that happening? Why did this happen to me? You'll have people ask, well, why me? That's why. That's exactly why. Everything is being worked out to the end that you're conformed to the image of Christ. Everything. The things that you go, wow, that's great. And the things that you go, wow, that's awful. They are all designed to conform you to the image of His Son. They have that end, and God is predestined that you will ultimately be conformed to the image of His Son. Do we understand everything that God does?

No, we don't. Guarantee it. We don't. Do we know all of what will happen in life? No, we don't. We don't know what's going to happen by the end of today. Could be some surprises. Do we know where all this is going? Yes, we do! It is all going to the end that you and I will be conformed to the image of Christ. That we know. And it's predestined and it's certain. God says it will take place because He is sovereign. He works all things together for good. No matter what someone else chooses to do or not do, the things that happen still are designed to conform you and me to the image of Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 3.18 there's another process also directed to the end that we're made into the image of Christ.

But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror, that's the Word of God, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, are being transformed into that same image, the image of Christ, the image of the Lord. From glory to glory, that is growing, justice from the Lord the Spirit is a work of the Spirit. to do the transforming. So conforming is circumstances coming in from the outside. Transformed is a work of the Spirit through the Word of God as you behold Christ on the inside. Those two processes are both aimed towards your being like Christ.

And that's what 1 John 3.2 says, that will be consummated, completed in this way. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him. The conforming and the transforming process will have been completed. On that day, you will be like Him, conformed to His image.

This passage also says that Christ is the firstborn among many brethren. Do you know that Christ is your brother? Christ is your brother. It's a teaching not only from this passage but from Hebrews 2.11 which we have there on the handout on page 2. It reads this way, for both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one father for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren. If you're a believer here today, you are Christ's brother. We are Christ's brethren. He is the firstborn among us both in preeminence and in sequence. We are brothers, we are in Christ and Christ is in us.

But it started with Him. We will ultimately be fully conformed to Christ's image. Hey look, there's a Christ-like one. We will ultimately be conformed completely to Christ's image. This sequence that comes out in verse 30, predestined, called, justified, glorified. God predestined that we would be conformed to the image of His Son. That's what predestination is about biblically. You have been predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. God called us to relationship and to fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ.

And those are not the same thing. Let me explain. Relationship is what is there constantly and continuously because it's what God accomplished. You have a relationship with Christ and that doesn't change. The relationship doesn't change. The fellowship is from one moment to the next. We were called into fellowship to fellowship with Christ from one moment to the next. The relationship is never going to change. The fellowship depends upon our walking in the Spirit, beholding Christ, abiding in Christ.

God justified us, which included the forgiveness of sins, declaring us righteous. Declaring us righteous. That's what justified means. Doesn't mean you make a lot of excuses, right? It is justified being declared righteous, having been forgiven of all your sins because Christ paid for every single one.

He has shared His glory with us already. We are already seated with Him right now. We're not waiting to be seated with Him. We are seated with Him now. That will be fulfilled one day when we go to be with the Lord. A day will come, I hope it's today, when this will be fully realized. Now we have on page 2 a slide where we take verses 31 and 35 and put them on opposite sides because the way Paul puts it is this. God does something and then he asks a question. If God is for us, who is against us?

And you notice he doesn't answer the question. That's because there's nobody there to answer it, right? There's nobody there to say, ah, but this guy, this one, this guy will do it. No. There is no answer. So the no answer means nobody, right? He who did not spare his own son but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? This is something we've actually addressed previously in Hebrews 1-2 we pointed out. God after he spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets in many portions and in many ways in these last days has spoken to us in his son whom he appointed heir of all things. So who is the heir of all things? That is Christ.

And the message comes through in Romans 8.17. We are fellow heirs with Christ. So we are fellow heirs with Christ who has inherited all things. We're joint heirs with Christ who has inherited all things. So what Paul just wrote here made lots of sense. To give us all things.

God is the one who justifies, who declares righteous and forgives sins. Who will bring a charge against God's elect? Who is the one who condemns? Who's going to challenge God? You know, it's kind of amazing. The beginning of this chapter started off with, there's therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So it's very interesting how Christian leaders will come in with a lot of condemnation and shaking the finger and, you know, are you obeying the law and all that stuff. No condemnation. Who is the one who condemns? Are you defying God? God said, righteous! Who has any right to say anything different?

Nobody. Nobody. That's why Paul doesn't answer the question here. Christ Jesus is he who died, yes rather, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? And there is no answer. Nobody. Nobody.

The who and how questions here are big. God himself is the one who has done all of the things we saw on the left hand side there to benefit and express his immense love for us. I could say infinite love for us. God accomplished all these things. He did it, He did it, He did it to say I love you in a very big way.

There is no person, no power, no entity, no event that will be able to undo or challenge what God has done in expressing His love for us. Nothing, no one, ever. You notice that Paul's questions do not have answers. Essentially answering the who with nobody, no one, never.

Romans 8.35 says, Who will separate us from the love of Christ?

Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? When we encounter difficulties in this life, even extreme ones, because he just listed some very extreme ones, that doesn't mean that Christ doesn't love us. Something difficult, bad will happen to a Christian and they'll wonder about, does God love me?

What's God doing? And I'm mad at God and have all sorts of expectations. Paul doesn't make that connection at all. He says, all these things, which are all bad things, right? All these things can happen. It doesn't say anything negative about the love of Christ and it doesn't separate us from the love of Christ. If something bad happens, it doesn't mean we've been separated from the love of Christ. And Paul knew that. None of these events, even if they become life-threatening or life-ending, separate us from or diminish the deep and abiding love of Christ. Christ loves you no matter what, even if the stuff that happens is horrible.

Even if the stuff that happens is horrible. That's very important to remember. Some of us have been through some pretty horrific things. And guess what? May still go through some pretty horrific things. That does not separate you from nor diminish the love of Christ in any way. Now here's an amazing one. We overwhelmingly conquer? Wow.

So here's Paul, who's been through incredible trials and persecution. As a matter of fact, last week we had this slide here on the first page. And Paul lists all his different trials, and this is before he had the shipwreck that's recorded at the end of Acts.

He says, I've been in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, apparently a lost count. He lost how many times? I don't know. I've just been beaten so many times, I just lost count. Often in danger of death, five times received from the Jews, 39 lashes. Actually, they were allowed by the law to go 40, but in case they miscounted, they only did 39. And then three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. I was in Galatia. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I've been spent in the deep.

So he's been through all sorts of things. He says, that doesn't even come close to separating me from the love of Christ. Bad circumstances do not mean that you've been separated from the love of Christ. Christ loves you absolutely through anything that happens. Anything.

So what does he mean that we can overwhelmingly conquer? The conquering is in the spiritual realm and ultimately fulfilled in the heavenlies and in future events that are spelled out in scripture including Christ's second coming. It all is to be done by Christ. We are conquerors. Why? Because Christ is the one who is the victor and we're in him and he's in us.

And here's something very interesting. In the previous verse there he talked about where is slaughtered sheep. So here's slaughtered sheep who overwhelmingly conquer. Now isn't that a word picture? That's an amazing and astounding word picture that he paints for us there. Slaughtered sheep that overwhelmingly conquer.

God is the one, this passage ends up, Romans 5 through 8 ends up, who has accomplished and created everything. God is the one who accomplished all these things that we saw. Making grace the reigning principle. Identifying you with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Separating you from the sin nature and the law. Putting you in, not just Christ, but the Spirit. Putting Christ and the Spirit in you.

All those things are things that He has accomplished. These expressions of love that we've seen in this chapter It's all by God's doing. He did it all. He's the one who's created everything that is in the physical and the spiritual realm. None of those things came of their own. Everything physical and spiritual in the entire universe was made by Him. God is the one who's accomplished and created everything. He works all things together for good. How can anything that is created counter Him or challenge Him? It cannot. It cannot. God has made us to stand in pure and total grace as the reigning principle. We have been made to be in Christ and Christ in us.

We are in the Spirit and the Spirit in us. And by the way, those sound the same, but they're for different purposes. Christ and the Holy Spirit intercede both. Christ and the Holy Spirit intercede for us with the Father. All three persons of the Trinity are involved in prayer on your behalf. All three persons of the Trinity are involved in your prayer for the Father. Each of us who believes is enabled, empowered, and energized by the Holy Spirit to live by Christ's death and life. Our living the Christian life has not been delegated to us. It's not ours to carry out. It's His to carry out. It's His to carry out. Nancy and I do a fair amount of pre-marriage and marriage counseling. And one of the things that we'll come across that's real interesting is we'll talk to these people and we'll say, you know, you're indwelt by Christ and the Holy Spirit, and so are you. So we're talking to two Christians here.

But you two are having trouble with each other. Do you think it's Christ in you and Christ in you that's having the trouble? No. It's not Christ in you and Christ in you that's having the trouble between one another. Christ's life doesn't do that. So guess where the problem is?

You don't need primarily or initially marriage counseling. You need spiritual counseling as to what life is getting lived out here. That's the issue. And whether you're married or single, the behaviors aren't because you just need some counseling to get anger management or something like that taken care of. Can you imagine assigning to the sin nature to manage its own anger? Oh, good luck with that!

Right? It is the very life of Christ that is to be lived in and through us. And by the multiple ministries of the Holy Spirit working that out in our lives day by day, moment by moment, That's what God wants. He does not want us to live for Christ. Forget that stuff. It's His life. And that's a wonderful thing. God thinks so too. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you as we have gone through this passage, Romans 5-8. What you have written here is amazing. It is rich. It's frankly often rarely understood by Christians too. But what wonderful insights we have.

It's not our job to live this life. You've already made absolutely certain that it is yours. That's what you want. We are used to view channels. through whom Christ's very life is to be expressed as a work of the Holy Spirit moment by moment. We thank you, Lord, for these marvelous and wonderful truths, and we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.