And we're at chapter eight this evening, Letter
to the Romans, and we're at the eighth
chapter, and I think that the young believers
have got this letter of Paul to the
Romans, and they're drafted.
Now so far you remember the sections, don't
you?
In chapter one and two, and the first
twenty verses of chapter three, you remember that
Paul brought the whole world in guilty before
God.
Brought in the Gentiles guilty, brought in the
religious Jew guilty, brought in the self-righteous
soul guilty, and he really endeavored until every
mouth was shut, and the whole world was
guilty before God.
And we just scribbled over that section these
words, condemnation, the condemnation of sinners.
And then starting at verse twenty-one of
chapter three, we went right through that chapter,
and right through chapter four and chapter five,
and we found Paul pulling out all the
stops to teach the great doctrine of justification
for believers.
And when condemned sinners put their trust in
the redemptive work and in the propitiation that
was made by Christ the Calvary, then we
were justified by faith alone.
You remember he concluded in one of those
chapters that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the Lord.
Justified by faith alone, and that's justification for
believers.
And then commencing at chapter six, and right
through chapter seven, and as we shall see
right through chapter eight, he's dealing with the
doctrine of sanctification of faith, and it's practical
sanctification here, practical sanctification.
Telling these believers who step by faith out
of the condemnation into justification, teaching them how
to live for God.
And I scribbled over this, God's gateways to
godly living.
And we found so many gateways, we've found
six up to now, and we'll find another
one in this chapter, but not tonight, because
the portion that I'm dealing with tonight is
really a portion where Paul is really comforting
the Christians.
I think we must write over this portion
this evening, Christian consolations.
You see, I'm taking the first verse of
this chapter, verse one, and then I'm going
on to verse twenty-eight, and I'm going
through to the end, twenty-eight to thirty
-nine plus verse one.
And the reason that I'm doing that is
because that, in that portion, Paul is really
bringing consolation and comfort to the Christians.
And from verse two to the end of
twenty-seven, it is what the scholars call
a pan-emphatical portion.
And there, of course, lies the gateway that
we shall get to next week.
But I'm dealing with the comfort first, and
we'll take the consolation first.
I'm writing a book just now, and there
is one part of it already in the
printers and on the press, I trust, and
maybe halfway through, and it's entitled, Comfort for
Christians.
I'm wanting to put out a book that
will be a comfort to old believers, and
to depressed and downcast and dismayed and discouraged
believers, and I'll be putting a part of
this, of course, in the book that we're
going through this evening, and just see if
it works out.
Now, you know what we're doing.
We're doing verse one and then going to
verse twenty-eight, because from verse two to
twenty-seven is the pan-emphatical portion, and
we shall leave the pan-emphatical portion until
next week, if the Lord will.
Now, verse one of chapter eight, there is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are
in Christ Jesus, and in many of the
great translations there is a full stop at
the word Jesus, because that doesn't need to
be qualified by what comes behind.
In fact, a great many of the manuscripts
rule out this last phrase altogether in the
first verse, and say that it comes in
rightly at the end of verse four, where
we have it repeated again.
So we first hold up the righteousness that
the law might be fulfilled enough, who walk
not after the flesh but after the Spirit.
But the same wording is at the end
of verse one, and that many scholars believe
should not be this, so that we're just
dealing with the first phrase of the first
verse, actually.
Now, Paul has brought us through a great
many doctrines, and many very wonderful gems of
truth have been sparkling before our eyes as
we've come through chapter five and six and
seven, and now he comes to this great,
wonderful touch.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus.
Supposing we just look at the words, no
condemnation, my, what a blessedness that is.
Supposing we look at the words, to them,
my, this is believers, and this is a
blessedness for believers.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus.
You see, believers are viewed by God in
the Beloved One, so that this is a
blessedness for believers in the Beloved.
Ah yes, that's quite simple, I know.
But that's not exactly what Paul wanted to
say.
I know that up there, that this is
a blessedness for believers in the Beloved One,
but what he really stresses is this.
There is therefore now.
Now that's what he stressed.
There is therefore now.
That's what he stressed.
Oh, the blessedness for believers in the Beloved
One is there all right.
You see, when he says, there is therefore,
the therefore is taking us back right through
chapter seven, which proves it was saints that
he was talking to and dealing with in
the last chapter, and it takes us right
through chapter six and through chapter five, and
you remember some of the great things that
he brought in in these chapters.
Let's just go back and see this.
Let's go back to chapter three for a
moment, because this is where this wonderful section
really began.
In verse twenty-one, you remember that in
chapter one and chapter two, in the first
twenty verses of chapter three, he was bringing
the world in guilty.
And then out came this wonderful phrase, but,
but now.
Do you remember how we dealt with the
now when we were there?
My, this is the dispensation of grace.
Do you remember how I put verse twenty
-four behind these two words?
But now, then read verse twenty-four, but
now being justified freely by his grace.
Ah, this is the dispensation of grace, this
now.
But watch this, but now being justified freely
by his grace through the redemption that's in
Christ Jesus, and watch this, that whom God
has set forth to be a proof of
creation through faith in his blood.
You see, the present dispensation offers us justification
and reconciliation on the grounds of redemption and
propitiation through appropriation.
My, that's what he's trying to say, he's
saying, therefore now.
Now that we're in the dispensation of grace,
now that we have been justified through faith
in his blood, through the propitiation that was
made the Calvary, through the redemption that's in
Christ Jesus, and the man that is justified
and reconciled through faith in Christ, yes, my,
for that man there is no, no condemnation.
There is therefore now no condemnation.
It's based in what has gone before.
Look, my dear children this evening, we shall
learn before we're through the chapter of this
evening that it's God that justifies, and when
you come and place the arms of your
faith round the Christ who died and rose
again, Romans chapter 5, read like this, therefore
being justified by faith we have peace with
God.
We have peace, it's just reconciliation, isn't it?
And so being justified and reconciled through faith
in Christ, who made that satisfying sacrifice at
Calvary, and shed the blood that is the
price of redemption.
My, just now there is therefore the cause
of all that.
There is therefore now, in this dispensation for
believers, there is now no condemnation.
We thought we want to settle up this
evening, this is a comforting note.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them
that are in Christ Jesus.
You see this is the first note of
comfort here, no condemnation from God to say
that he can't justify, and then condemn, can
he?
And he can't at payment twice demand, first
at my bleeding shortest hand, and then again
at mine.
So he's just bringing a word of comfort
to these believers he's been teaching right through
these chapters.
And then we go past the parenthetical portion
and we're going to verse 28 now.
And you notice that it follows on all
right, read verse, or the first phrase of
the first verse again, it is therefore now
no condemnation for them which are in Christ
Jesus.
And we know, verse 28, we believers know,
this is the knowledge of faith.
Don't make any mistakes about that.
The people who have exercised faith in the
Christ who died and rose again, this is
the knowledge of faith.
And we believers know, and we know that
all things, and I could never emphasize the
all enough you know, because I think that
some believers allow the devil to keep them
here, and they think that just some things
work together for good.
Or maybe they think that some of the
terrible things might be overruled by God.
But we'd better keep it the way it
is.
We know that all things work together for
good to them that love God.
This is another translation, I think, a far
clearer one.
We know that God worketh all things together
for good to them that love him.
You see, it's God that's doing the working
here.
Now, this is what I would call a
powerful performance.
Just think of God working all things together
for good.
You know, some of us can hardly take
it in.
Let me use an illustration from the Bible.
I think that everybody here knows something, at
least, about the story of Joseph.
Remember this story?
Well, he appears on the page of Scripture
when he's seventeen years of age.
Do you remember that when he was seventeen,
that his father, well, he made him a
coat of many colors, just because he loved
him?
And, you know, his brethren, his own brethren,
his own flesh and bones, yes, you know,
they got bitter about it.
Didn't like it.
And, you know, they got so bitter about
it that they took Joseph, and they beat
him one day, and then they threw him
down in a drop, while they were on
the very verge of taking his life in
jail at the end.
This is a horrible experience for the young
people, and I can assure some of you
younger brethren, ancestors, coming up in the assembly,
that if God gives you gifts above some
of your elder brethren, you'll only get them
aroused against, because it does seem that so
many old saints whom God has blessed, they
get an orish when God gives gifts to
young people.
My, I would never have hoped to be
there at all.
I'd love to think that everything I have
would be put at the disposal of young,
younger brethren to help them, never to handle.
My, if they pass me by, and so
pass me as far as gifts are concerned,
it's only God that's doing it, and I
shall praise his name.
Far too much jealousy goes on in assemblies
when God lays his hand on some, and
selects them, and by-passes you and me.
Let's praise the Lord.
If you younger brethren can be perfectly sure
of this, you'll experience the bitterness of brethren.
Sometimes you experience it very, very cruelly too,
it's in a cruel fashion.
And so they threw them into the pit,
and then, of course, they took them out
of the pit, and they threw them down
into Egypt.
Do you remember this?
This young fellow came down in Egypt, and
you remember that Potiphar's wife set her eye
upon him, and he wasn't having anything to
do with her.
And then she told lies upon him.
And this is a horrible experience for believers,
when the world tells lies on you.
A horrible thing.
And that's what you call the wickedness of
the world.
This young fellow experienced the bitterness of brethren,
and then the wickedness of the world.
And then you know that he was put
down into the prison for this.
His life, you'll notice, is all downwards.
Down into the pit, down into Egypt, down
into the prison.
It's going down the whole way.
And you remember in the prison that he
met the butler and the baker, and got
friendly with them, and you remember he interpreted
their dreams for them, and then one of
them eventually was restored to his former position,
and when he got back into circulation in
the king's palace, he forgot all about Joseph.
And that's what you call the forgetfulness of
friends.
And it's a horrible thing, you know.
I couldn't tell you which one is the
worst.
The bitterness of brethren is really horrible, and
the wickedness of the world is really horrible,
and the forgetfulness of friends is really horrible.
I know where there's a little brethren meeting
tonight.
And I led about 60 of them to
the Lord.
I'm no father in the Lord, whether I
like it or not, but if I took
my norms in Sunday morning, they wouldn't let
me in.
Oh, they're just as tight as all that.
Saints, I want you to get the hold
of this.
You young fellows are going to experience this,
you know, as you go along life's way.
The bitterness of brethren, and the wickedness of
the world, and the forgetfulness of friends.
But I'll tell you this, that all the
time God was working all things together for
good, for Joseph.
That's really wonderful, isn't it?
That's really wonderful.
You'd wonder how God can do that.
Oh, well, he can do it all right.
You know, this pathway did go down, didn't
it?
Into the pits, and into Egypt, and into
the prison.
Ah, but it was through suffering that led
to supremacy.
You know, that's the way the Master went,
isn't it?
He became more than angel.
Then he was made of a woman.
Then he was made sin, and it's all
done until he's into the depths where there's
no standing.
And then he was made higher than the
heavens, hallelujah.
And you know, God really said so suddenly,
and all the time that he was going
down, my God was working all things together
because he was heading for the throne the
whole time.
And you know, the wonderful thing about it
is this, that when Joseph came to the
throne, and became the Prime Minister of Egypt,
and was the sole governor next to the
king, Pharaoh, when his brethren came to stand
before him, you know what he said?
He said, it was not you that sent,
but God.
He believed God was working, you know.
He said, he actually said this, he said,
you meant it for evil, for God.
All that we could see, all that we
really believed in, all that we believed with
all our heart and souls this evening, that
God is working up this split second, all
things together for good to them that love
him.
Whether we're in northern Ireland, you don't need
to tell me that God has lost hold
of the helm in the Congo, do you?
I wouldn't like to think that.
My God will be glorified out there.
And every move the devil ever made in
this book, every move, the whole way through,
man, he'll bite the dust in the Congo.
Oh, God is on the throne this evening.
Now, this is a powerful performance, that God
can take all the wee details of life
and all the big ones, that God can
really work all things together for good to
them that love him.
Now, watch this, this is the bit I
want you to get.
This phrase, we know that all things work
together for good, is what I call a
powerful performance.
But do remember that it's a powerful performance
for a particular people, or a peculiar people,
if you like, that's being worked for them
that love God.
Do you love one of these peculiar people?
Do you really love the Lord?
All right, he's working overtime for you.
So, this is a powerful performance for a
peculiar people.
But this is the bit that's really important,
remember, watch this, for, and we know that
all things work together for good to them
that love God, for them who are the
called according to his purpose.
Now, I want you to notice the word
purpose.
You see, this is a powerful performance for
a peculiar people, because of a particular purpose.
You know, God has a purpose, hasn't he?
And you know the purpose of God is
tremendous, see?
You would like to come down and argue
with me after this meeting's over that God
should purpose to do something, and that somebody
could upset it, would you?
Because the somebody that would upset the purpose
of God would be better than God.
Because you wouldn't be as silly as to
do that, surely you wouldn't.
You would like to tell me that God
purposed something and somebody kept them back.
I wouldn't like to think you were as
dense as that.
I wouldn't like to start the teaching with
you sometimes.
Now, watch this.
This is the purpose of God.
Now, here is the whole purpose being outlined
for you now in verse 29 and 30.
For whom God did foreknow.
You see, the foreknowledge of God is a
tremendous subject.
Well, he just foreknew everything, didn't he?
Well, if God doesn't know the end from
the beginning, then he's not the God I
think he is.
No limitations in knowledge in God.
He just knows everything that's ever going to
be.
And he foreknew all about us.
Now, watch.
For whom he did foreknow is the thinking
about these particular people here.
He also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of a son.
And that's the purpose of him now.
You know, God foreknew all about a trump
like me.
He knew where to find me when I
had no shoes too.
And that was the time when he pushed
long away any...
That's what you boys would talk about being
lost again.
You want to blush with shame, you know.
That's what you want to do.
Blush with shame.
I'm telling you, I'm predestined, that is, I'm
predestined me to be conformed to the image
of a son.
All the daughters that are born won't stop
it.
All that are bigger than God.
And sin won't stop it.
And self won't stop it.
All the rights are bigger than God.
You're not coming around to argue with me
that God has a purpose in front of
me, are you?
I hope you're getting this because it's God's
truth.
We do talk nonsense at times, don't we?
Now watch this.
I want you to watch this.
For whom he did foreknow, this is the
purpose of God.
He also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his son.
You know, that's the wonderful thing.
The word image is a tremendous word, isn't
it?
You know, one day I shall be perfectly
like his son.
What a day that will be, when I'm
perfectly like his son.
When by his grace I shall look on
his face, that will be glory for me.
I will be changed into the same image
day and night.
You know, that's what God has in his
mind.
That's what he said in the spirit of
conformed to the image of his son.
That's a very high peak, isn't it?
But it's not the highest peak in the
purpose of God, you know.
It's not the highest one.
I know that some preachers think it is,
but it's not.
No, the highest peak in the purpose of
God is the next one.
Watch this.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of
his son, that he might be, ah, this
was in the purpose of God, that the
Lord Jesus might be the firstborn among many
brethren.
You know, when all that innumerable crowd stand
around him in the glory land, and they're
all conformed now to his image, and they
all reflect the likeness of the Son of
God, when their body is changed even like
unto his glorious body, and the glory of
God is upon them, neither Lord Jesus will
stand out.
Head and shoulders among them, my very will
be exalted.
You see, God's purpose is the glorification of
those who trust in Christ, that Christ might
be exalted for all eternity.
What a wonderful day that will be.
And then God lets you see how he
works this thing out.
Now, what's the purpose of God here?
Moreover, whom he did predestinate.
And he did predestinate the crowd, didn't he?
The crowd that he foreknew, crowd that he
knew all about before the world began.
He did predestinate them.
Now, the foreknowledge and the predestination were all
in eternity past.
God was standing in eternity past, looking down
the ages before the ages even were.
He foreknew all about them, and predestined the
crowd there and then, before they were ever
born at all, or before others.
He predestined them.
Well, that was in eternity before the world
began.
We shouldn't say eternity past, because eternity is
eternity, but for our language we have to
say past and future.
But it's eternity before the world began.
And then, of course, time began, didn't it?
And watch what happened.
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also
called.
Oh, the call came in time, you know.
Yes, I can remember when God called me.
I'm one of the ones that he called
out of darkness into marvelous light, called me.
And watch this.
Whom he did predestinate, them he also called.
And whom he called, them he also justified.
Now, you know, I know that sometimes when
we get on election and predestination, and the
eternal choice of God, that we run this
line of sovereignty so long, and so far,
and so wonderfully straight, that we forget about
the responsibility of men altogether.
Because, remember, you're just in Christ.
And don't you forget it either.
You know, God just doesn't step out of
the heavens and pat you on the head
and say, all right, God, hey, you're justified.
That's ridiculous.
Oh, no, God works along a plan.
He brings the glory of gospel in the
power of the Holy Ghost.
And convicts you of your deep, dire, desperate
needs, and reveals a wonderful Savior who can
save you.
And when you're brought in your need to
put your arms around the only Savior, the
moment that you trust him, you're justified.
Now, but remember, you're responsible for trusting Christ.
Oh, it's enough to say.
Oh, I know that God does a lot
of working up to him.
But remember, you're there when you believe, aren't
you?
Now, what's this?
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also
called, and whom he called, them he also
justified.
And whom he justified.
Are you claiming justification this evening?
Are you one of the ones who were
licking your lips when we were in factified,
when we were talking about being justified by
faith alone?
Well, you know, if you can take your
stand and say I'm justified by faith in
Christ, then you can go back up the
line that way if you like.
Yes, this is the purpose of God.
And God is working to them who are
called according to his purpose.
And his purpose is that the predestined ones
will be like his son.
The word is glorified.
Them he called, he also justified.
And whom he justified, them he glorified.
You see, God can call those things which
are not as though they were.
We're always tied to time, aren't we?
But God's not.
God's the eternal God.
And this is what some of the scholars
call the prophetic present.
I don't know anything about it.
I just know it's real.
I just know God will work it out.
I just know that the justified ones will
be glorified.
My, they'll be like Christ.
That's the purpose of God.
Now, I want you to get that into
your heart because that's the second note.
Of consolation here.
You see, the first one was no condemnation
from God to fear.
Of course, there's no condemnation to fear.
Christ bore the penalty.
And then there is no alteration of purpose
to threaten.
God won't change his purpose.
God is the God that changes not, and
there's nobody who will defeat the purpose either.
So, there's no alteration of purpose to threaten.
And then we go on with these consoling
words.
Verse 31.
This is how Paul concludes things.
He says, what shall we then say to
these things?
If God be for us, who can be
against us?
Well, that's how Paul sees it, and that's
exactly how I see it.
You see, if God be for us, let's
put it like this.
If God be for us in predestination.
Those don't throw a spanner in the works.
If God be for us in justification.
If the great eternal God sitting on the
floor.
Those don't get up and rebuke him.
How many of you lost again, Paul?
Well, I would like to see you.
Friend, I think it's horrible.
It's God that justifies.
Do you know what it means?
Well, it means that you stand before God
just as if you'd never sinned at all.
It's tremendous.
So, if God be for us in predestination,
who's going to throw a spanner in the
works?
If God be for us in justification.
If God be for us in glorification, who's
going to stop him?
My, Paul's talking right here, isn't he?
And so, friends, this is the third little
touch.
My, there is no humiliation from the enemy
to dredge.
He can't do this.
Let's put it another way.
If God be for us yesterday of the
Savior, and God was in Christ in us.
If God be for us today of the
shepherds, if God be for us tomorrow
of the suppliants.
And the Lord is supplicating and he will
tomorrow.
Who's going to accept the plan?
If God be for us with his eternal
purpose, with his eternal power, with his eternal
preservation, who's going to accept it?
My dear friends, this is very good reasoning.
This is scriptural, it's solid, it's spiritual, this
is Paul's at best.
We can see the whole thing, the plan
of God.
My, he said, if God be for us,
there will be no humiliation from the enemy
to dredge.
And then he goes a bit further, doesn't
he?
Because he's a great reasoner.
Verse 32, he said, he that spared not
his own son, but delivered him up for
us all, how shall he not with them
also freely give us all things?
You know, God spared not his own son.
You remember I took you along a line
here not so very long ago in the
gospel, can you remember it?
We went away back into eternity past and
we found the lamb chosen.
So I say the son selected, God selected
his son to be the lamb.
And then when the fullness of the time
was come, God who selected his son, God
sent his son.
God sent him.
We were just reading in Romans 3, God
sent him forth to me.
God selected him, God sent him, God sent
him forth.
Listen to this.
God spared him not.
Listen to this.
God, most of all, he was stricken with
the love of God.
I'll reflect on this.
It plays Jehovah's abrusion.
Now this is the argument.
If God spared him not, if God gave
the very darling of illusion, how shall he
not with us freely give us all things?
You know, friends, if we really knew, he
has given us all things in Christ.
You know, we're actually blessed with all spiritual
blessings in Christ.
Don't tell me that you get Christ and
then get something better afterwards.
I just don't believe.
He couldn't drum that into me as he
tarred me in gold.
My dear friends, this is the better gift.
And when he gives the better, he will
give the lesser and the better.
He's put a lot.
Supposing we who have come and trusted Christ,
we want great to live for him.
Well, his grace is sufficient, the Lord's grace,
which the Lord Jesus that answers call into
my grace is sufficient, the grace that makes
me stand in my soul when I want.
Supposing you want wisdom.
Oh, how I've leaned on this donkey.
God knows I know that I have.
Supposing you need power.
Well, all power, you don't get it.
The best is in him.
Ah, yes.
And if he gave Christ, my, he'd give
everything in Christ.
All the blessings are in him.
My, we only need to let the Lord
really reign it all.
And the whole inheritance that belongs to him
is ours.
My, we're joint heirs.
So this is the comfort, isn't it?
You see, in the first place, there's no
condemnation from God to fear, and there's no
alteration of purpose to threaten, and there's no
humiliation from the enemy to dredge, and there's
no hesitation of giving to dismay.
My, he'll give everything.
And then we come to a very important
part of this, the consoling section, verse thirty
-three.
Who shall lay anything to the charge of
God's elect?
The people that God chose, the people that
God predestined, who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect?
You see, he just answers it before anybody
can speak.
It is God that justifies.
My, that closes every mouth, doesn't it?
You see, if I come and I rest
from the atoning work of Christ, and by
faith I stand on that propitiation and that
great redemption, then God, looking from the throne,
pronounces me justified.
And if the eternal God, the holy, holy,
holy God, says that I'm justified, do I
have to go on challenging the nation?
You're a fool to do that.
You'd only be displaying your ignorance.
Now, watch this.
I want to leave that to the side
for a moment, because the same question is
in verse thirty-four.
Who is he that condemneth?
We're about to this, you see.
Now, he gives a three-fold answer, and
you watch it.
First part of the answer, who is he
that condemneth?
It is Christ that died.
Christ died for me, you know.
And then he puts a bit to it.
Yea, rather, he says, that is risen again.
Very wonderful.
He didn't only die for me, but he
rose again.
He's my living savior.
And then he goes a bit further.
Who is even at the right hand of
God, who also make us into flesh and
fodder?
Now, I think this is very wonderful.
I think I'll have to take you through
this very closely.
I think you remember the tabernacle and the
wilderness, don't you?
Don't you remember that right round the outside
of the tabernacle, and there was the linen,
and sheets, and masks off, and coat proper,
and inside was the court.
Now, just coming from the east there was
the gate.
And the moment you stepped into the gate,
you came to the altar of burnt sacrifice.
And that's where the lamb was laid.
That's the first thing, that someone coming from
the sounds of time, stepping by faith into
the door.
Christ is the door, Scott.
We're face to face with this, burnt.
And do you know, it's Christ that died.
Now, let's get back to it in our
lives.
Then if you want to get nearer to
God, you know, you move a little bit
along, then you come to the navel.
On one leg, it was standing up.
It was full of water.
And it would speak to us of the
risen Christ, who applies his word.
For he loved the church, and gave himself
for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse
it by the washing of water, by the
word.
It's the risen Christ.
And so, he's not only the burnt sacrifice,
but I want you to get this.
He is really the living saviour.
And then, you know, if you want to
get nearer to God, you come on past
the burnt sacrifice, on past the labour.
And right before you die.
And this is Christ, who has begun to
suffer.
You know, the Christ who died, he died
for me.
And the Christ who died, and the Christ
who intercedes.
Would you like to come around and condemn?
Because you have a real task on your
hands.
My dear friend, I want you to get
this.
That the Christ who died, and the Christ
who lives, and the Christ who intercedes, so
satisfied the claims of God that the veil
was rent.
And the God who sits on the mercy
seat, says, He's justified!
So, you're condemned now.
I'm not just as sure as God could
make it.
You see, friend, there's no accusation, is there?
There's no accusation for man to terrify, is
there?
Isn't it a wonderful portion?
My, these reconsolations!
No condemnation from God to fear.
No alteration of purpose to threaten.
No humiliation from the enemy to dread.
No hesitation of giving to dismay.
And no accusation from man to terrify.
I think that's wonderful.
And then he comes to the last bit.
And, of course, he keeps the best one
to the last, doesn't he?
Verse thirty-five.
He seems to shout this.
Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ?
Tremendous bit, isn't it?
Then he begins to ask questions.
Shall, shall tribulation?
I think you know that he's sort of
intimating to us that the Lord will be
no condemnation.
And the Lord that there'll be no alteration
of purpose is intimating that we'll not get
through this week's holy wilderness without trouble, you
know.
You may go through tribulation.
There's no talk about you having a bed
of roses or diamonds.
This, this faith that we have exercised might
well be examined in tribulation and in distress
or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril
or cause.
Oh yes, I think they're facing that at
the congress tonight, aren't they?
But you know, if they have been well
taught from this book they'll be able to
understand that even in the hour of tribulation
or persecution or distress distress is just agony
of mind and I can't understand a human
mother seeing her little baby battered to death
by a sick, by some brute from the
forest not having agony of mind.
Of course she'll be mistressed.
Yes.
But if they understand properly as we are
to understand that even in the tribulation and
distress and persecution and maybe famine or peril
or even war that when all this darkness
deepens around us and the storm howls and
the boat is filled with water if we
understand this properly Christ hasn't ceased to love
us in that second.
I would want to get this clear, you
know.
You know dear, if ever darkness comes to
your wee home and some catastrophe falls upon
your little family I hope you'll be able
to say this that in that hour the
Lord is lovingly just to say Would
you know friends I'm thrilled when I see
it like this.
I can remember 30 years ago standing as
a tramp with not a friend in the
world and not any I remember standing before
the cross and I can see this tonight
so plain the revelation of the gospel came
to my heart and I can see it
the Son of God He loved me just
the way He liked me and He gave
Himself for me oh what love it was
love so amazing it was so divine but
I want to tell you it will never
change I want to say this that it's
just the same love now and when I
stumble and fall and do something foolish it
never changes oh you never impeach Him again
you change, you fail, you fall but He
loves you that's to say He
loves people oh
we may be tested He may allow us
to be tested He may have a plan
even in the testing for the glory of
His name like Stephen but His love won't
change now here's a verse that we should
learn heart by heart I'll read 35 again
who shall separate us from the love of
Christ till tribulation or distress or persecution or
famine or nakedness or peril or sword as
it is written he's going back to the
Old Testament to one of the Psalms as
it is written for thy sake we are
killed all the day long we are our
counted our sheep for the slaughter and what
does this mean you know I think the
sooner you learn this the better you know
the old devil is a liar from the
beginning you know that bit oh but he's
more than that you know he's a murderer
and as a roaring lion he goes about
every day seeking whom he may desire and
just because we're connected to Christ for His
sake you know we are counted our sheep
for the slaughter every day you know
I'm perfectly sure that the devil is behind
the men in the Congo who's murdering at
this very moment my this is his work
he would love to kill all the sheep
you know we have a man who's the
boss of the slaughterhouse here the abattoir in
the meeting tonight these fellows don't think anything
about killing sheep you know and they take
them in there by hundreds turn them on
their back shoot them rip them open and
throw them to the next pillar you can
see them doing it if you walk in
they don't think anything about it that's just
what the devil thinks about you and me
he will also do you and you know
we would need to be very sure that
we don't give him a hand at any
time because you know some poor saints my
because of the wickedness of that biting and
slander and this evil tongue my their character
has been torn and shed and some of
them have been put to an early grave
don't give the devil a hand you know
you know I know where there's a minister
tonight just where he is at night and
about 30 years ago a lady made a
charge against him said he visited her house
and put his arms around her much more
wet and chafed the assembly with this slanderous
accusation and they threw him out and he
died with a broken heart he's in heaven
tonight that's where he is but when she
was dying I know the man that was
at her bedside and she reached out her
hand and held it tight and said it's
gone I've told a liar he
did the devil's work she fell don't
be caught up in it don't be caught
up don't help him he has given you
to the devil don't you help him don't
do it he has to kill you now
my we're accounted a sheep for the slaughter
as far as Satan is concerned every day
we live every day we live now Paul
goes on with this he says who shall
separate us tribulation, distress, so on and he
answers in verse 37 nay that lovely nay
nay in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him that loved us my
we want to get hold of this you
know I think this is a thing that
every saint needs to get into the house
and that's why I'm taking time a bit
you know dear you'll have to settle it
a way down deep in your soul like
no matter what happens no matter what somebody
says no matter what negative and
they can drop you like he blesses me
oh if you can get this dear if
you can get this settled in your soul
I tell you about meeting with Joe Quinn
he's 95 and as we met together you
know I tell me what just
like a flash he said no matter what's
happening I have learned never to doubt you
well if you only learn that from me
never mind what's happening dear never mind who
curses you never mind who kisses you never
mind who talks about you never mind who
kisses you never mind who hurts you never
mind what's happening if you can get this
settled you really love me you'll be more
than conquerors you'll swim you'll swim to the
end you'll never stop can you settle it
who's Ralph Paul settled it watch this one
of the greatest statements in the book verse
38 for I am persuaded and so am
I you know 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 any other creature
shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord you know friend go very quickly
with me neither death my death's a horrible
thing isn't it oh it's so mysterious in
many ways it's an enemy it's so cold
it robs ah but death cannot separate us
from the love of the Lord and even
when it comes to me personally if he
comes and I'm going through the body of
the of the Lord you know he's about
to die you know well death cannot separate
me from the love of God man as
Billy Hutton died he started crying and he
said tell them tell them that ten thousand
demons out of hell couldn't drag Billy Hutton
from the love of God that's the way
to die that's the way to die death
can't do it but that's neither death nor
life my life got a lot of disappointments
hasn't it and life got a lot of
problems and life got a lot of storms
life got a lot of fog life got
a lot of dark days life got a
lot of deep valleys life got a lot
of high hills oh life made up of
so much life cannot separate me from the
love of God neither death nor life nor
angels well good angels wouldn't try to separate
me would they?
ah but there are fallen angels you know
oh they may try but fallen angels cannot
separate me from the love of God neither
death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor
powers aren't seen around us tonight my there's
a force that we've got to reckon with
we wrestle not you know with flesh and
blood but against principalities and powers in a
meeting like this how I hope that they
cannot separate me from the love of God
neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities
nor powers now watch this we mention nor
things present is there a backslider here?
and you've got away from God and you're
cold tonight well you're backsliding and you're sick
and you're legally pregnant but if you really
love that doesn't separate you if you love
things present nor things to come oh what's
to come?
now if pagan potpourri ever gets this island
of ours you'll know what's to come I
suppose they'll burn Paisley first and then I'll
be second well when he's frying in the
fire I hope you know that the Lord
loves them friends watch this for things present
nor things to come nor life nor death
you know I think that Paul was afraid
he'd leave anything out and he put this
ugly phrase in not any other creature he
was almost afraid that he was leaving something
out friends there's no population of love to
allow you see this consolation this Christian consoling
portion no condemnation from God to fear no
alteration of purpose to fashion no humiliation from
the enemy to dread no hesitation of giving
to dismay no acquisition from man to terrify
no separation of love to alarm what a
portion mother's meat on the joint tonight isn't
it you take it home cook it up
eat it digest it all that has been
there for a long time may the Lord
richly bless you shall we bow together gracious
loving father as we bow in thy holy
presence we don't know how to thank thee
for this great salvation Lord we thank thee
and please assigning us thank thee for calling
us giving us the very faith whereby to
receive the Christ thank thee Lord that thou
hast given us every blessing in heaven we
need to go in and possess our possession
Lord we bless thee that there's no condemnation
and there can be no accusation and there
shall be no separation oh God we just
want to wait quietly and say it reverently
thank you Lord for saving my soul thank
you Lord for making me whole thank you
Lord for giving to me thy great salvation
so rich and yet so free Lord
help us to leave this meeting to go
back to our homes and if thou wilt
tomorrow to our businesses to live for him
who died part of in thy feet which
I bless for thy name's sake