Our Father in heaven, we do praise you and thank you again for gathering us together this morning.
And we thank you that you speak to us day by day and week by week in your word.
We confess that we need your help, that we are finite and faltering people.
We're plagued by our own sin, our own imperfections, and we need your help.
We ask that you'd send your Holy Spirit in a special way.
That you'd be at work speaking clearly to us in your word.
You'd help us to understand it, to believe it.
Most of all, that you'd set our eyes on Jesus Christ.
You'd grow our love and our affection and our obedience to him.
And we ask all of these things in his mighty name. Amen.
I heard a story years ago about a seminary professor who told his students,
when you become a pastor, when you graduate, and you're in a church,
and you're preaching your sermon on a Sunday morning,
and you look out to the back of the church, I want you to imagine that I am standing there.
And as you get near the end of your sermon, my arms are crossed,
and you hear me say,
so what?
So what?
Why does any of this matter?
You've said all these things, pastor, and why should we care?
Paul, the apostle, the preacher, the pastor,
at the very end of chapter 8 is asking that exact thing.
So what?
That's the meaning of the first half of verse 31.
What then shall we say to these things?
What are we supposed to do?
What's our conclusion?
What is the point of all of this?
What's the takeaway?
What's the bottom line of chapter 8?
What's the bottom line of verse 1,
that there's no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ?
What are we supposed to make of verse 6,
that if we set our minds on the things of the Spirit,
we'll have life and peace?
What are we supposed to do with verses 9 through 11,
that every Christian has the Holy Spirit
that gives new heart and new power?
So what about verse 23?
That you're going to receive a new body full of disease and pain.
Or verse 28 from last week,
that God works everything for good in the lives of his people.
How do we put all of those things together?
How do we summarize them?
How do we keep them from being all these different facts
that just float around in our mind?
How do we respond to the great salvation
that we have in Jesus Christ?
Another way to put it is this.
Why does any of this matter
on Tuesday morning at King Soopers?
So what?
Thankfully, Paul doesn't leave us hanging.
He tells us right away.
That's the second half of verse 31.
If God is for us,
who can be against us?
That's it.
It's one sentence.
It's a question,
although it's not really a question, right?
It's a rhetorical question.
Paul's actually making a point.
He's not looking for us to answer.
And the point is this.
No matter what happens in this life,
if God is for us,
and by the way, he is,
in the end,
we can't not win.
No matter what we face or endure or suffer in this life,
if God is for us,
and by the way, he is,
we know that the end of our story
is glory with him.
No matter what,
no matter what,
you can't not win.
That will be the last word on your life.
Now, Paul is not saying,
when he says,
who can be against us,
he's not saying,
we'll never have opposition.
Of course, there's all sorts of things
that can come against us.
What he is saying is,
none of those things will be successful.
So when he says,
who can be against us,
he's really saying,
who can successfully oppose you?
Who can conquer you?
Is there any force that can come up against you?
No.
Any force that opposes you is laughable.
God is so big,
he's so great,
that there is no threat
that can enter into your life
that is actually a credible threat.
No, when compared to God and his power,
it fades away.
And it's not just that God is so big,
although he is,
but Paul's point here is that
this big God is for us.
That's the main point, by the way, of chapter eight.
Paul's telling us the summary,
summing it all up in one sentence.
And as we've looked through chapter eight,
the point is not that God is so great,
although yes, we know that he is.
The point is that God is for his people.
You already saw one way last week,
verse 28.
He's for us,
and so he's weaving together
all the events of our lives
so that no matter what happens,
ultimately it's for our good.
Not just 28, though.
It's what the whole chapter's about.
Verses 26 and 27.
God is for us because he's for us.
The Holy Spirit is crying out.
He's praying on our behalf
with groans too deep for words.
Same reason we have the promise of verse 18.
We have a glorious future
that allows us to persevere
with everything that happens in the present.
Why do we have that glorious future?
Why does God show it to us,
remind us of it?
Because he is for us.
So the point is this.
Whatever you face in this life,
the world, the flesh, the devil,
sickness, disease, slander, pain,
poverty, destruction, or war,
none of those things get the last word.
If God is for us,
who can be against us?
It doesn't mean you won't suffer in this life.
It does mean whatever you face
fully, finally, ultimately,
will not, cannot win
if you are in Christ.
God is for us.
Who can be against us?
This week and the next two weeks,
we're going to finish chapter 8
and we are going to see
three different ways
over these three weeks
that God is for us.
three reasons
that we can't not win
in the end.
This week, we're just going to look
at the first of those three reasons,
which is the second half
of verse 32.
He who did not spare his own son,
but gave him up for us all,
how will he not also with him
graciously give us all things?
Now, one pastor illustrates
verse 32 this way,
and I've told you guys this
a couple times.
Imagine that there's a young man,
he's madly in love
with a young woman,
he decides it's time for them
to move forward,
and so he goes to the jewelry store
and he buys her the best diamond
he can afford.
And then he gives it to her.
She says yes.
If he gives her that ring,
will he not also give her
the box it came in?
If he gave her something so great,
why would he hesitate
to give her something small?
That's what Paul's saying here.
God gave you his only son.
Is there anything
he would hold back from you?
Another pastor illustrates
it a different way.
He gives us a scenario.
He says,
imagine you win
a free Rolls Royce.
Kids,
a Rolls Royce
is a very expensive car, okay?
Imagine you win
a free Rolls Royce,
and you go to pick it up,
and you're so excited,
you get the car,
but they refuse
to give you the key.
They wouldn't do that, right?
That's absurd.
Of course,
that would never happen.
You would never gift someone
a car and say,
you know what?
We're so glad
you can have the car.
We're going to keep the key.
No, the car includes
the key.
In the same way,
it would never happen
that God would give you
his beloved son
and then hold back
anything else
that you need
to follow after him.
God isn't trying
to cut a deal.
God is not looking
to save 10%
on your salvation
by buying in bulk.
God is not going
to Costco
to get your redemption.
Okay,
he's not trying
to cut corners.
He did not give you
his son
so that he could
then leave you
to figure out
the rest
on your own.
No,
if he gave you
his son,
he will give you
all things.
now in context,
I have to clarify
what all things
means.
God is not promising
to give you
a Rolls Royce.
Paul is talking
here,
remember what we
just saw last week,
he's talking about
your salvation,
that what God
has determined
to start,
he will absolutely
finish.
So God is going
to give you
all things
necessary
for your life
as a Christian.
God is going
to give you
everything you need
to make it
to the end.
He's not going
to hold back
what you require
to make it
to glory.
The Apostle Peter
in 2 Peter chapter 1
says it a different way
which helps us
understand what Paul
means by all things.
He says,
his divine power
has granted
to us all things
that pertain
to life
and godliness.
Do you need
something
for life
and godliness?
God has promised
to give that
to you.
Do you need
something
to make it
to the end
still trusting
Jesus and following
him?
God has promised
to give
that
to you.
whatever you need.
If he gives her
the box
or the ring
will he not
also give her
the box?
If you get
given a Rolls Royce
of course
you're going
to receive
the key.
He who did not
spare his own son
but gave him
up for us all
how will he not
also with him
graciously
give us
all things.
Years ago
I read
about
this concept
from the history
of the church
called
arguing
in prayer
which is that
when we pray
to God
there's a couple
things that we do.
We remind him
of his promises
the things that he said
he's going to do
and we remind him
of what he says
that he loves.
And so when we bring
our prayers before
and we filter them
through that
and we say
okay am I praying
for something
that God has said
he's going to do
for me?
Am I praying
for something
that God says
that he desires
he delights in?
And then we tell him
hey I'm praying
for this
I'm not praying
that you know
I would just have
a comfortable life
no I'm aligning
myself with the
Lord's prayer
that your kingdom
would come on earth
as it is in heaven.
And you've said
you love this
so do it.
And so after I read
this you know
every time
that I preach now
throughout a number
of years
I ask that God
would send his spirit
to be with us
as we're here together
on Sunday morning
in a special way.
I ask him
that he'd be at work
to show us Christ
that God would
make him more beautiful
than he was before.
I pray that God
would be at work
changing our hearts
and our minds
and our lives
that he would honor
his promise
in Isaiah 55
that his word
will not return
to his void.
And then I tell him
I remind him
that he's made a promise
in Romans chapter 8.
He gave us his son.
Will he not also
give us all things?
God you promised this.
You said it goes along
with our salvation.
We need it.
So do it.
We need it for life
and godliness.
You can do the same thing.
Lord we need wisdom.
We're trying to raise
our kids to love
and follow you
and you said
you would give us
all things.
Honor the promise.
Do what you said
you would do.
We're not asking
for a sports car.
We're not asking
for a fancy vacation.
We're asking for life
and godliness.
Lord we need your help.
We have this impasse.
We're both Christians
and we cannot figure out
how to get along.
We need the wisdom
and the humility
and the repentance
that we don't have
within ourselves.
And you said
if you gave us your son
you would give us
all things.
Honor the promise.
We need it
for life
and godliness.
Lord we want to grow.
We need more
of the fruit of the spirit.
We need more
love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness,
and self-control.
And you know what?
All of those things
pertain to life
and godliness.
And you made a promise.
You said
that because you gave us
your son
you will give us
all things.
So do it.
Honor the promise.
You gave us the ring.
Give us the box.
You gave us the Rolls Royce.
Of course you're going
to give us the key.
You gave us your son.
Will you not also
graciously with him
give us all things?
That's God's promise to you.
He said it clearly
and explicitly
here in his word.
So what?
Why does it all matter?
It matters because
if God is for us
then nothing
can be
against us.
It raises another question though.
Why are we so confident
that God is for us?
What's the proof?
I focused
on
the last half
of verse 32
that he would
give us all things.
Of course there's also
the first half.
He who did not
spare his own son
but gave him up
for us all.
When it says
did not spare
it is saying
that God
did not go
easy on Jesus
when he hung
on the cross.
God did not say
you know
I'm going to
put the weight
of sin on you
but we're going
to make it
a little easy.
You know
we're going to
tilt the scales
a little bit.
No.
When Jesus
hung on the cross
he bore the full
the entire
weight
of our sin
our rebellion
against God.
And he gave
him up for us all.
That all is speaking
about the audience
of the letter.
Remember Paul's
writing this
to the churches
in the city
of Rome.
By extension
he's writing it
to the entire
church
throughout history.
God gave
Jesus up
for us all
that is Christians
throughout all
time
and space.
And he gave up
what was
most
valuable.
It says
it doesn't say
he who did not
spare a random
person.
No.
He who did
not spare
his own
son.
If you're a
parent
is there
anything
in this world
that you love
more than
your children?
he who did
not spare
his own
son.
The most
intimate
relationship
that is the
relationship
enjoyed by the
persons in the
Trinity
suffered
the most
intense
separation.
The most
intimate
relationship
suffered
the most
intense
separation.
If God
was willing
to do that
and he was
and if God
did that
and he did
he will
do
everything
else.
And he'll
do it
because of
Christ.
he who
did not
spare
his own
son
but gave
him up
for us
all.
How will
he not
also
with him
graciously
give us
all
things?
Let's
pray.
Our
Father in
heaven we do
praise you
and thank you
for your
love.
Love
beyond what
we can
fully
comprehend
or understand
or imagine.
We ask that
you would
remind us
of that
this morning.
That it
would give
us the
deep
security
confidence
joy that
Paul talks
about here.
That we
would live
life knowing
that because
you are
for us
nothing
can be
against us.
We ask
all of these
things in the
mighty name
of Jesus
Christ.
Amen.