God Secures His Own
Romans 8:32-34 (ESV)
February 26, 2017
Dr. Ritch Boerckel
Let’s open up our Bible’s together now and prepare to listen to God’s Word. We’re going to look
at Romans chapter 8 beginning in verse 28 and then carrying on down to verse 34. The message
is going to specifically lock in to verses 32-34.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are
called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified,
and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God
is for us, who can be against us? 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? 33 Who shall bring any charge
against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who
died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is
interceding for us.
At Bethany, we have people who are on various stages of a journey regarding God. I want us to
imagine two different people who are on different stages of their journey, who might come to
Bethany on Sunday mornings as we read and study Romans 8 together. The first person I will
name Wally Worldly. Wally has not been made new by the blood of Jesus. He has not
discovered God to be Someone so wonderful, so true, so good, so holy as to be the purpose of all
of life and the source of all joy.
So Wally continues to seek for his joy outside of God. He doesn’t see any real reason to commit
his whole life to Christ, at least not yet. He can’t fathom why people would believe everything in
God’s Word. He doesn’t want God out of his life, but he also wants to keep God at a safe
distance. He listens to the prayers spoken in church, but he doesn’t take joy daily in
fellowshipping with God and having these vibrant conversations with Him. He finds seriousminded Christians rather odd and even off-putting. He continues to attend church services, at
least on occasion. Maybe it’s a habit from his childhood. Perhaps a friend has urged him to
come. Maybe he has some fears of death that plague him that he hopes to be resolved. Perhaps he
has some emotional scars or hurts that need relief. Wally, when he was younger, even prayed a
prayer to have Jesus come into his heart. But overall, Wally Worldly’s life is rooted in this
world. He loves being in control of his own life. He loves following after his own heart. He lives
for the career he’s building or for the friends that make him laugh or for the family that is
growing or for the high of pleasures of this world or for the power of influencing others. God,
again is not completely absent, but He is at the far edges of his life. And for the most part, Wally
has kept to his own path.
I think about Wally because I know that many “Wally’s” have come to Bethany over the years
that I’ve been here. Wally is religious in part, but he is not regenerate. He does not know the life
of God in his soul. And I imagine Wally listening to these messages from Romans 8:31-39 and
being comforted by them. As Wally listens to these verses that teach us about the love of God, he
may be thinking, “O good. I have nothing to worry about regarding my future with God because
God loves me. I can remain in my self-will and in my unbelief and in my pride and in my
indifference to God, and I’ll still be safe from God’s judgment.”
Friends, I urge you not to misunderstand these precious truths that God has given to His own
children. No one should feel safe in his or her unbelief or in his or her indifference toward Jesus!
The Bible is clear. God is not merciful to those who do not love Him or who do not confess His
Son, Jesus as Lord. The offer is made to everyone freely, mercifully, graciously. But mercy is
not granted until it is requested from His Son, Jesus.
Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he
also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one
who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
If one sows to his own flesh—he goes his own way in life—from the flesh he’s going to reap
corruption. But if one sows to the Spirit—this life that is inside us now is what is fed and that’s
what is focused upon—then from the Spirit he will reap eternal life.
The second person I have in mind this morning as we walk through Romans 8:32-34, I’ll call
Darlene Doubtful. Darlene has been born again through the Spirit. She is a child of God through
faith in Jesus. She desires to know God more in her life. She has come to experience that God
truly is the fount of every blessing. She leans into God daily for grace. She often converses with
Him throughout her day. Tears well up in her eyes when she sings about the death of Jesus and
about the forgiveness that He has purchased for her. She comes to church and she truly loves her
brothers and sisters in Christ and she prays for them often. She lives very differently from the
people of the world. And yet, Darlene is very, very, very concerned for her own soul. She knows
her sin so very intimately and she wonders if God will really receive her into heaven when she
dies. She feels shame and guilt often over her own pride, over her own disobedience. She finds
herself often quietly praying, “Lord, am I really saved? How could you be faithful to me when I
am not faithful to you?”
To the “Darlene’s” of this world, God gives great comfort and assurance over and over in this
blessed chapter, so that Darlene would not continue on in her life in fear and anxiety. God does
not want any of His children to wonder whether they will be tossed into the street because of
some disobedience or bad behavior. When we sin, our God will discipline us as a father
disciplines his own children. But if we are in Christ, He will never condemn us, nor will He stop
loving us. He secures us to Himself now and for all time.
We ask the question: What is the practical application of these doctrines that God unloads at our
feet in Romans 8:31-39? The application to be won is simply that we who are God’s children
through faith in Jesus, rightly enjoy full security in Christ. We are right to pursue that kind of
peace, that kind of confidence, that kind of joy. We freely and committedly cast all fears of
condemnation from God aside. And we pursue with passion, joy and peace in Him. We know
that it is not presumptuous for us to have confidence in God’s love for us now and in God’s love
for us in eternity. No! Such confidence glorifies God as we live free of slavish fear. God would
have all of His children live free of slavish fears.
Our fears of future condemnation diminish God’s glory and weaken our ability to grow in
Christlikeness. So we actively fight against those fears. We actively pursue confidence in God’s
love. And we do so through the truth that God has revealed about Himself. While we do fear
God, we do not fear that He will take away our salvation. It is a salvation that He has given to us
as a free gift through Jesus. We do not wrestle for God’s favor. We do not try to earn His
continuing love. We do not gain continued life in Christ for ourselves through our own efforts.
We do not merit an eternal home in heaven. God does all of this for us. To Him be the glory! To
Him alone be the glory, great things He has done!
So now, after declaring five saving actions that God takes in the lives of His children in verses
28-30, God now sets in front of us five securing questions to help us hold on to our confidence in
God’s love for us. These questions secure us. They glue us in peace regarding our own salvation.
So last week, we looked at the first of these questions.
Question #1: Who could possibly keep us from unending future joy?
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
The answer of course is, No one! I love a story of an early Christian by the name of Chrysostom
who stood before the Roman emperor Arcadius. Arcadius wanted to threaten Chrysostom as a
result of Chrysostom’s faith. And so he threatened him with banishment. And this is the way the
conversation has been reported. Chrysostom responded to the Roman emperor:
'You cannot not banish me, for the world is my Father's house.'
`Then I will slay you,' exclaimed the Emperor wrathfully.
No, but you cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God.'
`Your treasures will be confiscated,' was the grim reply.
`Sire, that cannot be. My treasures are in heaven, as my heart is there.'
`But I will drive you from men and you will have no friends left.'
`That you cannot do either, sire, for I have a Friend in heaven who has said, "I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee".'
You see, what Chrysostom understood is, if God is for us who can be against us? And his answer
is, not the emperor. Not the most powerful person on the earth. He can’t do anything to take
away what is most precious from me. God is for me!
Question #2: Is it possible that God would not be savingly generous to His own children in
the future?
We’re going to spend most of our time together considering this question. Someone looks at
Question #1 (If God is for us, who can be against us?) and they might say, “Well, God might be
for us now, but what if God changes His mind? What if God tires of us when we sin against
Him? Will He then turn away from us as we fail Him?” Verse 32 is God’s answer to that
concern.
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?
I love that God roots the evidence of His love for us not in an emotional appeal, not in an
emotional argument, but in the historical fact of the sending of His Son to die upon the cross in
our place. People often use emotional statements to convince others of their love for them. This
week, I began to look at the 100 most selling love songs over the last 40 or 50 years. In every
one of them, I didn’t find one that was not an emotional argument. “Believe me that I love you
because…” and they make some emotional statement. Let me just give you two examples.
From This Moment by Shania Twain
From this moment as long as I live
I will love you I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn’t give
From this moment on
You’re the reason I believe in love
And you’re the answer to my prayers from up above
All we need is just the two of us
My dreams came true because of you
So in other words, believe that I love you. Why should I believe? Because I’m telling you with
great emotion that I love you.
Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross
And love, oh love
I'll be a fool, for you I'm sure
You know I don't mind (Oh)
You know I don't mind
'Cause you,
You mean the world to me (Oh)
I know I know
I've found, I've found in you
My endless love
Believe me that I love you. Why? Because I told you that you’re my endless love in very poetic
fashion and with a great melody behind it.
Beloved, God does not prove His love to us by making impassioned, emotional declarations.
God proves His love for us by yielding over to death and condemnation the One whom He
treasures the most.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrated His love for us in this, while we were yet sinners Christ died
for us.
Anyone can make an emotional declaration of enduring love. Many can sing a love song to us.
And I don’t doubt that often when others sing of their love for an individual they are very, very
sincere. They mean it. But their sincerity and their emotion does not secure us in their love.
Many, many people have made impassioned, emotional, sincere declarations of love only to
glide later into a complete rejection of the one who was the object of their affection.
Just as an aside, young ladies who are single, don’t believe some young man loves you simply
because he emotionally declares that he loves you. It’s a nice thing to have a young man who has
a lot of qualities state emotional declarations. But those declarations prove nothing. This is the
reason why the conversation with a young lady’s dad before engagement is often quite a bit
different than the conversation between the young man and the young lady. What a young lady’s
dad wants to know is, “I want to know whether you’re going to love my daughter from this day
forward until the last breath you take on earth.” The young man says, “Oh, you have to believe
me. Let me tell you some flowery emotional reasons why.” The dad says, “I really don’t want to
know that. I understand all that. It’s great and fine. I want more proof, and your emotional
declaration doesn’t prove anything to me.” Dad’s understand that emotions can change with a
passing wind, with just the next little gust that comes along. So give me something more solid.
God does more than make emotional declarations of love for us. And I love that God does give
emotional declarations, but God doesn’t root the proof of His love for us in those. God provides
for us an objective and historical fact to look back upon to see the evidence of His great love for
His own children, so that we would be secure. We will never find confidence in our salvation if
we only engage with God emotionally. It’s my belief and my observation that most evangelical
Christians primarily engage with God emotionally. And that’s the reason why I believe there’s
much lack of health among evangelicals. We will find confidence in God’s saving love for us
when we engage with God theologically, doctrinally and historically. These are the foundation.
These are the proofs of what we believe. Ultimately, we ground our thoughts of God’s love for
us in the cross of Jesus. It is in Him and His cross that we find our security.
I want us to observe two important facts that God uses to ensure us of His lasting, saving love as
a result of Christ.
Fact #1: The Father did not spare His own Son when He worked to save us.
32 He who did not spare his own Son….
Many Bible commentators explain that this passage that uses the word “spared” is the same word
that is used earlier in the Greek translation of the Old Testament in the story of Genesis 22.
Genesis 22 is this amazing story about Abraham and about God’s call for Abraham to take his
son, his only son Isaac, the son whom he loves, and take him up Mount Moriah and to offer him
as a burnt offering, a sacrifice to God upon that mountain.
Genesis 22:1-2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land
of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell
you.”
The next verse in that story tells us that early the next morning Abraham got up to take Isaac up
the mountain. If there was ever a day that I would sleep in, it’d be the day the day after God
asked me to take my son, my only son, the son whom I loved, up on a mountain to sacrifice him.
But not Abraham. In faith he said, “Okay. Let’s get started on the day.” Early the next day, he
and Isaac start walking up this mountain together.
And they get all the way to this point where Abraham has actually bound his son and placed him
on the altar. Abraham has the knife in his hand and has raised the knife and is about to plunge it
down upon his son in obedience to God, in faith to God. Hebrews tells us that Abraham knew
that if he killed his son there, that God must raise his son from the dead because God promised
that generations would come from Isaac. (Hebrews 11:19) So that’s what he’s thinking. “Okay,
God. I’m going to obey You and I’m going obeying You in faith. If You have me kill my son,
You’re going to have to raise him up because You promised me that through Isaac, all these
nations would come.” And he’s about ready to plunge the knife down upon Isaac when God
stops him!
Genesis 22:12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know
that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld [spared] your son, your only son, from me.”
In Genesis 22, God spared Abraham’s only son, Isaac. But at Calvary, God did not spare His
own Son. Why? Why would God take pity upon Abraham so that Abraham wouldn’t suffer such
grief, and yet not take pity upon Himself? Why would God not spare His own Son? And the
answer is: By not sparing His own Son, He first secured glory for His Son, but He also secured
life for all of those who are His children through faith in Christ.
Abraham named that place, “Jehovah Jireh.” Jehovah Jireh simply means, “The LORD will
provide.” After Isaac is unbound they find this ram that was locked up in this thicket. God
provided a sacrifice. It was a sacrifice that was necessary in order for them to connect to God,
and in order for them to have their sins forgiven, and in order for them to know God. And God
provided the sacrifice. And so Abraham named that very place where that altar rested, “Jehovah
Jireh,” the Lord will provide. God provided for his salvation as He spared Abraham’s son and
gave him a sacrifice. But in order to provide us with our salvation, the Lord must provide by not
sparing His own Son.
Think of this! Consider how precious God’s eternal Son is to the eternal Father. As you think of
the Father’s love for His eternal Son, know that His eternal Son always obeyed Him, always
pleased Him, always existed in this vibrant, healthy, fun, loving, happy relationship with the
Father. There was never any conflict, never any arguments that disrupted their peace or their
relationship. This was a Son whom the Father loved with the utmost love. And yet the Father
proved Himself willing to not spare Him in order to give us hope and a future.
Fact #2: The Father delivered up Jesus for us.
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all…
He who did not spare His own Son is sort of a passive action. But He also gave Him. He
delivered Him up for us all. That’s the active action of God.
So we ask the question: Who delivered Jesus to be crucified upon a Roman cross? The Bible
actually answers that in a number of ways. The Bible says Judas delivered Jesus (Mark 3:19).
The Bible says that Pilate delivered Him over (Mark 15:15). The Bible says that Herod and the
Jewish people and the Gentiles delivered Him over (Acts 4:27–28). In fact, the Bible says all
believers in another sense, delivered Jesus over (1 Corinthians 15:3; Galatians 1:4; 1 Peter 2:24).
With all these delivering Jesus over, who delivered Jesus over to death? The answer is, the
ultimate answer, the first chief deliverance was made by the Father. Octavius Winslow, a Puritan
pastor writes, “Who delivered up Jesus to die? Not Judas for money; not Pilate for fear; not the
Jews for envy—but the Father for love!”
God not only did not spare His Son, but He actively delivered Him up as a sacrifice to bear our
punishment in His body. Jesus was not merely given over to the pain of physical death. That
would have been hard enough for a father to do in reference to his son. But the pain of the cross
is not primarily physical. The pain of the cross was primarily spiritual, or we might even say,
emotional. The Father, who is in constant, happy, joyful, loving fellowship with His Son took
that Son and laid the sins that we committed against His Son, and then He set His righteous
judgment against His Son. He poured out His wrath upon His own Son, who endured such pain
that He cried out to God at that moment on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken
Me?” (Matthew 27:46) Can you imagine how the heart of the Father must have broken as He
didn’t spare Him. But He delivered His Son, His only Son Jesus, whom He loves.
Do you remember at Jesus’ baptism, what God said? It enters into this Father/Son picture and
how special this relationship is. I think any of us who’ve had the joy of having this kind of
father/son relationship where we really take great joy, enter into a little piece of this. But not
completely, because every human father/son relationship, regardless of how sweet it is, has had
some conflict. If that’s not true of your life, I’d really want to talk to you. But I think that’s true.
And yet that never happened with this Father and Son. And what the Father declared on the day
that Jesus was baptized, He said, “This is my beloved Son. I want you to know how much I love
this One. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. There is nothing this Son could
have removed that would have made Me more pleased. There’s nothing this Son could have done
actively that would have made Me more pleased. This is my beloved Son in whom I am wellpleased.” Yet, He did not spare this beloved Son, but He delivered Him up for us. What greater
proof could we have that we are secure in Christ?
Isaiah tells this about us:
Isaiah 53:6, 10 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone—to his own
way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all…Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush
him; he has put him to grief;
We have turned everyone to his own way. That’s really the problem of the human heart. It’s not
that we’ve engaged in certain, specific kinds of sin. It’s that we’ve all turned to our own way as
opposed to submitting our lives to the Lord and looking to the Lord for the source of all
goodness and joy. So, what did the Lord do to rescue us. He laid on Him, His Son, the sin of us
all.
Acts 2:23 says that Jesus was delivered to death “according to the definite plan and
foreknowledge of God.” That is to say that God ordained Jesus’ death in eternity past.
Do you catch the logic of this question in verse 32? The logic is, if God did the most infinitely
costly thing to rescue us from our sin, won’t He also do the much less costly to keep us rescued?
Am I secure after having been purchased by the blood of Jesus, after I’ve been adopted into the
family of God? If God did the most costly thing in order to make that happen, won’t He also do
the much less costly to keep us in the family? Let me use a human illustration.
Imagine a father whose son is kidnapped and is hidden in another state. A ransom note is given.
The father has to pay $1 million to ransom his son. He’s a wealthy man. He gets that money up.
He delivers it and sure enough, those who kidnapped him actually do set the son free. But they
set him free in some foreign city. The son doesn’t even know where he is. He’s able to borrow a
cell phone. He says, “Dad, I’m free!” “Oh, son! Great!” He says, “Dad, I’m in this strange city. I
don’t even know where I am. I know it’s going to cost some money to get over to our home. But
I don’t have any money. They just left me here just with the clothes on my back. Could you wire
me some money so I could get back home? Or would you be willing to drive to wherever I am so
you could take me home?” And at that point, the father says, “No. I’ve already paid a million
dollars. I’m not going to do that. You’re on your own. If I see you, I’ll see you.”
Does that sound crazy to you? Absolutely! That wouldn’t happen. If a father spent a million
dollars to ransom his son, he’s going to spend a few hundred dollars to fly him home. He’s not
going to just carelessly say, “Now that you’re free, whatever.” If the Father did not spare his own
Son but He delivered him up over to this kind of suffering and this kind of death so that we could
enter into God’s family, how will He not also with Jesus Christ freely give us everything we
need to remain in the family? That’s the argument.
Will God not give us everything we need to make it safely home? Will He not make a way of
escape for every temptation that would destroy our soul? Will He not strengthen us for every
battle that would rob us of faith? If God spared not His Son, will He not stay by our side when
we walk through dark valleys and when we are under the assault of the evil one. Will He not
fight to keep us? If God spared not His own Son, will He not give us wise counsel when we’re
confused and need direction? Will He not make our paths straight? If God spared not His Son,
will He not bring sufficient comfort to help us in the losses of our life? Won’t He console you in
the death of loved ones? Won’t He strengthen you in the midst of fears that pound our door?
Won’t He protect us when we are tempted and feel like giving up either over to despair or over
to some sin. Won’t God act to rescue us? The answer is, of course!
John Flavel, a Puritan pastor said, “How is it imaginable that God should withhold, after this,
spirituals or temporals from his people? Surely if he would not spare his own Son one stroke, one
tear, one groan, one sigh, one circumstance of misery, it can never be imagined that ever he
should, after this, deny or withhold from his people, for whose sakes all this was suffered, any
mercies, any comforts, any privilege, spiritual or temporal, which is good for them.”
He laid it all upon His Son. Everything necessary to rescue us was laid upon His Son. Christian,
think about the love that God has already demonstrated for you! Know that He will certainly give
you everything you need to endure all the way to the end, to the completion of your salvation.
Is God for me? Beloved, I would say look at the way He treasures His Son. Look at His
predetermined plan to rescue you by slaying His Son. Look at the severity of the punishment that
was placed upon Jesus. Look at the wrath that we deserved being satisfied by Him. Look at the
offer of salvation made as a free gift to you and me through His Son. And then we ask: Is God
for me? And we say: He must be! He has proved it over and over.
Question #3: Is it possible that those whom God justified could be charged with sin?
After being declared righteous, are we now then ever going to be accused?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?
If that question were to stand alone, we would wither under it because there would be many who
volunteer to bring charges against us. But it doesn’t stand alone.
It is God who justifies.
There are many accusers that would come and shake fingers of guilt and condemnation our way.
Satan delights to accuse us. He is called the Accuser. Our consciences condemn us. Plenty of
people point long, bony fingers at us in judgment. And the bothersome thing is that our accusers
are not entirely wrong. If we listen to Satan, he says some things that are actually true about the
wickedness and sinfulness of our soul. If we listen to our consciences, we’d say there are some
things that are accurate in regard to my heart. If we listen to some people who are accusing us
and condemning us, we would realize that actually, they’re not all wrong in what they say. Some
of the mud thrown at us sticks. We do still have affections in our hearts for idols and we do still
fail to love God purely. Self-will and pride of our flesh is still very active in our soul. God who is
the Judge of all the earth would be right to listen to all these accusations and affirm them. But He
does not. Why? Because God has already justified us.
Remember what the word “justified” means. It means that God has already legally declared
sinful people to be completely righteous. It’s a legal declaration. God does not declare us
righteous because we are righteous. God declares us righteous on the basis of His Son, Jesus’
work. So, Jesus provides an atoning sacrifice to remove the stains of our own wickedness and
sins and to clothe us with His righteousness when we place our faith in Him. I want to look back
at a couple of verses and the way Paul has already used this word “justified,” just to help us
understand the argument here. Is it possible for anyone to bring a charge against God’s elect?
The elect are those who come to faith in Christ, who are granted grace so that they see the
wonder of Jesus and embrace Him by faith. Can a charge be made against these people? God is
the one who justifies. What does that mean? Look back at Romans chapter 3.
Romans 3:23-25 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his
grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a
propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
We miss the mark. None of us would be justified on our own account. But we are justified by
His grace as a gift. It comes freely to us. How? The cost was paid by Christ. He was a
propitiation, one who suffered the punishment that we deserved to suffer. God has justified us by
His grace as a gift.
Romans 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
In other words, if I’m ever going to be declared righteous, it’s not going to be on the basis of
what I’ve done to be declared righteous. It’s going to be on the basis of faith. One whom I
believe in.
Romans 4:5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly,
his faith is counted as righteousness,
Please know that there is no one whom God justifies, no person, no human being whom God
justifies, who He looks at and says, “I declare that you are righteous,” who at one time was not
ungodly, who at one time was not declared guilty, who at one time was not condemned as a
result of their sin. God justifies the ungodly. He declares the ungodly to be righteous. He doesn’t
declare the godly to be righteous because there are no godly. He justifies the ungodly. And to
such a one, his faith is counted as righteousness. So, here’s the divine logic. If God has already
declared us innocent of all charges of sin or disobedience—that’s what it means to be justified—
how could He possibly go back on this declaration and say, “I charge you with wrongdoing?”
God would have to admit that He made a mistake. God doesn’t make any mistakes, so He never
admits that. He’s already declared this people who are ungodly in their practice, to be righteous
on the basis of Jesus. Will He allow any charge to be laid against them anymore? And the answer
is, No!
There’s a great story in the book of Zechariah that I want us to think about for a moment. I’ll put
it on the screen for you because I know it would take us a while to turn to Zechariah. Here’s the
story.
Zechariah 3:1-4 (NLT-SE) Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before
the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making
accusations against Jeshua. And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations,
Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick
that has been snatched from the fire.” Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the
angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to
Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new
clothes.”
Satan is making accusations against Jeshua. He’s saying, “God, look at Jeshua’s life here. Look
at his attitude. Look at his heart. Look at his actions. Look at his relationships.” Why did God
reject Satan’s accusations? It was not because Jeshua was innocent, but because God had
snatched him from the fire of judgment. He rescued him. And God doesn’t allow anybody to be
accused, whom He has saved.
What do Jeshua’s filthy garments represent? It represents sin, sins of the heart as well as sins of
the hands. Jeshua’s clothing was filthy! In other words, some of the accusations were
undoubtedly accurate and true. But the angel told the others standing there to take off his filthy
clothes. It’s a work of God. The blood of Jesus washes us and cleanses us so that we’re clean and
pure and forgiven. He acknowledged his sins and the truthfulness of Satan’s accusations, but he
doesn’t let Satan lay a charge against him because He has taken away the sins and now is giving
him fine, new clothes. And the new clothes are the righteousness of God. Jesus offers us the
ability to have our filthy garments of our own sins taken off and to be replaced with the new
robes, that are clean and white, of His righteousness. This is why Isaiah 61 records:
Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed
me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
Everyone who understands that we stand accused and we would stand condemned and guilty
were it not for God snatching us from the fire of judgment, taking our dirty clothes off of us, and
putting on robes of righteousness that are fit to be in God’s presence. Jeshua was a high priest.
He needed white clothes. And Isaiah is saying, “I’m just going to rejoice in the Lord. The more I
think about God’s salvation, my soul exults in God!” Every person who has been born again,
when they sing songs about this, their heart just wells up with happiness. It says, “I just can’t get
over what God has done for me!”
33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
Christian, Satan will attempt to bring charges against you. He never stops bringing accusations
against you to God and to your conscience. Revelation 12:10 gives us a picture of what the
Accuser is presently doing. It speaks of a future day.
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our
brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.”
Satan is still doing what he was trying to do with Jeshua. He actually thinks that at some point
he’s going to have a charge stick against God’s elect. He hates to see the redemption of God’s
people. And so he continues to say, “God, you have to make this accusation stick. You have to
receive it.” And God says, “No, I do not!” But that doesn’t keep him from bringing accusation
after accusation after accusation against us.
And he’s right at this point. Our sins would be worthy of condemnation. Our sins are not wispy,
light things. Our sins are grave, serious assaults upon God’s glory. God would be just to
condemn us if we were outside of Christ. And here’s a principle I think is so very important for
us. No one finds confidence in God’s love by reducing God’s righteousness. And what I mean by
that is no one finds confidence in God’s love by thinking less of their sins and thinking “God is
going to forgive me because He doesn’t consider these wrongdoings as being very serious.” No
one will ever find greater security by reducing God’s righteousness. We find confidence in
God’s love by rejoicing in the cross of Jesus, where all the justice of God met all of our sins
completely and we now are at peace with Him.
We must not think, “God will save me because I have very little in my life that merits His
judgment.” We must not say, “God will keep me to Himself because He’s not really that
concerned about my sin.” Our security is never rooted in our righteousness nor in God’s
unrighteousness. Our security is rooted in God’s expression of His wrath upon His Son whom He
loved for all of eternity—His Son, His only Son Jesus, who only pleased Him, who never
disobeyed Him, who endured His wrath on our behalf.
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?
Shall God receive any charge against His elect? He is the One who sent His Son so that He could
justify us and yet still be just. What should we do when we sin? Should we shrug it off as
nothing? No! We take it to Jesus who died in our place so that we could be justified.
1 John 1:8-9 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
He is faithful. That means He’ll do it every time. And He is just because the punishment has
been met in Christ. He is faithful to cleanse us and to forgive us. That’s God’s promise to His
children.
The fourth question we’re going to look at more next time. I just want to mention it by way of
introduction to next week’s message. It’s so sweet. It’s very similar to the third question, but it’s
different. The first was: Who can bring a charge against God’s elect? It’s God who justifies.
Question #4: Is it possible that those who died with Christ could be condemned?
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who
is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
The only thing I want you to think about as you chew on that verse this week is that up to this
point, God has rooted our security in the actions of the Father. God spared not His own Son. God
delivered Him up for us. God Himself justifies us. But now, He brings in the second Person of
the Trinity to understand even more our security. It’s not just the Father acting in the work to
secure us, but it’s the Son also. Who is able to condemn us? All judgment is given into the hands
of Jesus. And what has Jesus done? He’s died for us. And more than that, He rose again. And
more than that, He’s at the right hand of God continually interceding for us. Would such a Savior
allow us to be condemned? Jesus would have to say, “My atoning work on the cross was not
sufficient for you, so I must condemn you” in order for us to be condemned. But Jesus would
never do that. Why? Because Jesus said, “It is finished! It is paid in full. There is no more
condemnation to lay against My own people.” So, who can condemn us if Jesus Himself who is
the Judge died for us. More than that, He rose again. And more than that, He is seated at the right
hand of the Father ever living to make intercession for us.
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden [my sins] gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
When I think of that, then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee I sing, How Great Thou Art!