Tonight, we're turning in our Bibles to Romans chapter 8, Romans chapter 8, and we will read verses 28 to the end of the chapter, which is a conclusion to everything that we have been building on in Romans 8. And tonight, this is a beautiful section of summary and encouragement for the Christian as he anticipates the future glory, but for the present has to go through many trials and sufferings. And I don't know if it's me, Dave, but I feel like I'm straining a little. I don't usually feel like that, so. Okay, Romans 8, beginning at verse 28, and we will read 28 to the end of the chapter. And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For 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. And those whom he predestined, he also called. And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 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? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies, 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. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine or nakedness or danger or sword, as it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. May the Lord bless tonight the hearing of his word. The Apostle Paul addressed a certain dilemma about the Christian life, something he himself had to wrestle through and think a lot about when he suffered and faced an ongoing affliction even in his own body. And he didn't always understand why it had to be that way. In 2 Corinthians 11, he describes that something had happened to him. And before he describes what we all know as this thorn in the flesh, he describes being caught up in the paradise and he saw things that were inexpressible with words. It was a real moment. He saw the glory, the glimpse of the future glory. and then he says ultimately that it wouldn't be helpful for you if I went around telling you about that unless I even am exalted above measure by the abundance of getting a revelation like that and people start thinking of me as some kind of super apostle he then goes on to describe immediately after this glory being given a thorn in the flesh he calls it a messenger of satan to torment him i've always been moved by that why him why that i really don't know what it is neither do you and it's probably good that we don't because the larger point here is that the apostle Paul himself, having been given so much from glory to suffering, is being set forth as an example because he himself had to cry out to the Lord three times in prayer. I got on my knees and I prayed to him and I cried out, take it away. The burden is just too great. And the Lord did not do it. And the Lord said to him, my grace is sufficient for you, Paul. My power is made perfect. and your weakness. Whatever glory that he had seen, whatever he had seen in being caught up into this third heaven, everything had become clouded in this thorn in the flesh. And I believe this is to be an example for us. But to ultimately remind struggling Christians that the glory is to come. That the glory is not yet. And what we find is that the Lord, even for the great apostle, didn't take it away, so that we would have a look at this and think about what the Lord is training us, how the Lord is training us, what he is doing in the interim, and to have us think about why this life is often so hard for us. We don't really get that. It doesn't matter how many times I read over Romans 8, you need this all the time because of the clouding that happens, because of the hardship that happens. And really what Romans 8 is doing for us tonight is it's challenging how we view things. It's challenging how we think through things. It's challenging what we think about the path to glory, how we are to view it, how we are to view, to add to that sorrow, how we are to view suffering and trial and affliction and hardship. And in all of that, what does that even say about God? What does that say about us? And what does it say about the relationship between the two? does it leave things in question the biggest burden is do things that happen in the interim do the hardships the failures the trials the afflictions the awful things that happen along the way do those things at all affect the outcome that's a big question calvin says that when we look at things from our own judgment when we're going through hardship it often seems that god doesn't hear our prayers the circumstance never changes it goes on and it goes on and it goes on the sorrow seems to continue when does this end when does this get over and if that's the case i've posed from this pulpit before that often confuses christians so that they become disillusioned about the Christian life. And they think through this all, well, maybe this is evidence of God's absence. I hope it turns out well in the end. Is that it? And what we have before us tonight is God answering this dilemma. We have before us the Lord showing us how we are to think through this. And so it's not always easy to hear when you're going through it, but it sure is a great message to prepare you for what is to come. And the God is answering for us the great dilemma of how we are to think, how we are to view the hard path that is in front of us. And I believe that the issue in Romans 8 at the very end of this is, can anything along the way change God's eternal plan for us, for His people, for His elect? I want you to think for a minute of what Romans 8 has presented to us as a summary here about the whole picture. And this has been a glorious passage, chapter to show us the whole picture of things. I mean, think of Romans 8.1. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And we said that could only be so if the doctrine of justification were so, Because God is telling us the reason that there is no more wrath for us is because the penalty has already been paid. And those who have come to Christ and believed in Him, the Lord has told us it's already been dealt with. He's already suffered. He's already died. He is risen again, and His promises are yes and amen. There's no wrath. It's done. And then He goes on in Romans 8, and He says, And you're free. You're not under the law. Romans 6 said that. You're under grace. You're set free from the law of sin and death. And in that definitive moment of your justification, you then, too, were given a gift. Think about this. The Holy Spirit obviously regenerating our hearts so that we're able to believe, but the whole picture being here, you've been given this gift along the way that is never taken from you. The Spirit dwells in you. You're not left alone to complete the work. He is bringing about, remember what he said, mortification of sin in your life. If by the Spirit you do this, you'll live. He's present for that. And he is ever working to bear witness with our spirit that we are sons. He's ever working to assure our hearts. He's ever working to strengthen us in our faith and in his gospel promises. And that secures for us the absolute assurance that one day we are going to glory. We are going to share in that glory. That glory that is coming is so wonderful. Verse 18, he said, nothing you go through in the present can compare with it. Nothing. The glory revealed will blaze forth. You shall be like Christ. You will have a brand new resurrected body. There will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more sickness, no more suffering. The former things will be done. Now, remember when you first grasped it. Remember when you first understood the Christian gospel. It's overwhelming. You're on cloud nine. This is a wonderful thing. When the gospel gets a hold of someone, it is the most exciting thing. Your joy is overwhelming. You understand it. You understand the gospel of free forgiveness. But what happens over time? You don't seem to feel that joy too much anymore, do you? And the twists and turns are hard. And in fact, you often say, I didn't know how hard this was going to be. I just didn't realize how hard this was really going to be. You ever felt that? If not, you will. Sometimes you can't even see out of the trench. And the glory that we have now in all of these gospel promises that encourage our hearts is all clouded. Is all clouded by what is often a very discouraging and painful pathway that is set before us. And then we don't get the Christian life. then the Christian life makes no sense to us. And it's even worse when you're in the dumps and you want to be spiritually renewed and you turn on TBN. Don't do that, by the way. But if you do turn on TBN, you're going to hear a bunch of guys tell you that something is wrong with you because you're not living the glory right now. And you don't have it all right now. And that something is wrong with you. And Paul is describing tonight something totally different. Paul is overturning that thinking. And he says three things to encourage us so that we don't lose heart. And the first thing that he's saying is the beautiful truth. God chose you for this. God chose you for this. Look at verse 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. So if you are blessed to love God, which we all know, no one ever first loved God. John tells us God first love us and shows us so that we've responded to that love. Everything in this life, receiving that blessing then, can be viewed as working for good. Now, I'm not saying tonight everything that happens is good. And I'm not saying we ever see this in the middle of it. We always will. But the truth that's being communicated here is that he just told us that every single circumstance, every turning of every event, even those things that seem to be, as Calvin says, evil to us, he is working to bring about the accomplished goal. And I believe that Paul here has on his mind a lot of what happened throughout the history of God's people when you had the cries from the psalmists. And we hear in fulfillment how those cries are often answered. But when the cries of the psalmists were, how long, O Lord, or why, O Lord, and we see this all over the Psalms, these things were put there and inspired by the Lord In whatever kind of affliction, we come to this now after the cross, and we hear the Lord telling us through his servant, all of it's working for good. All of it. And that is essentially what he's unpacking for the rest of this chapter. I want you to notice verse 29. Here's the first. 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. Think of how meaningful that is. God just said he set his love upon you. He had an intimate knowledge of you. He chose you in sovereign grace. He chose you with a purpose, Ephesians 1. But he chose you with a purpose of a certain kind of life that you would not just attain to the glory, but there's even a goal in the present. He chose you in the present for a life that would be conformed to the image of His Son. And what He's saying here, and that's why notice how election, predestination, all of this is rooted in this teaching. He's saying here, suffering and hardship is not something that just happens. It's not something that arbitrarily God is doing. It's not something that we just sit back and look at and think happened by chance. Since we're adopted sons, the suffering's appointed. And this was all over the New Testament. Think of Paul in writing to the church in Philippi. And I love this verse. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe. So your faith was a gift. Your faith was appointed. it was granted not only that you believe, but also that you suffer for his namesake. Same sentence, faith and suffering. Timothy struggled with that. Timothy struggled with regard to the ministry because it was so hard. And you don't realize this about ministry going in. You don't realize. You think everyone's just going to love everything you say. Not true. And Paul had to tell Timothy. therefore don't be ashamed of the testimony of our lord nor of me as prisoner but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of god notice what he connects with this who has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us when in christ jesus before time began and that so drove the apostle that he would go on and say that the whole life I now live I don't I no longer live it's Christ who lives in me and this life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me that has a huge bearing on life doesn't it now what is the great struggle that we have as we go forward I don't know what's coming tomorrow. You don't know what's coming tomorrow. Remember, I mentioned Martin Lloyd-Jones called this the tyranny of the circumstance. And I love that description. That's absolutely right. The tyranny of our circumstances. The hardest thing about it is we know our own weakness. We know our unfrailty. Paul had just got done telling us in Romans 7 that the things that we don't even want to do, we keep on doing. Our hearts often condemn us. We fear, and the greatest fear being, I may not make it. You've had it. In the end, when it's all said and done, will I really be there? Earthly speaking, we often feel I've given up. You can't read the Old Testament prophets without seeing them as an example. Jeremiah stands out to me. Jeremiah was called with this great calling, him. And it's fascinating in chapter 20 that he looks at the Lord in a private prayer closet. I'll preach on this one day. And he says, you deceived me. And that's the word. And I'm amazed the Lord inspired it. You deceived me about what the ministry would be. And you know what? I'm done. I'm walking away from it. I'm not speaking in your name anymore. And then in the next verse, he's saying, but you prevailed and I'm going to speak. Notice the burden. Notice the hardship. When Asaph said in Psalm 73, my feet had almost slipped, he wasn't saying. What he was saying was, I about walked away from this whole thing. And that's how hard and how real the discouragements can be. And we look back and we think, I didn't have that at one time. I used to go with a joyful feast to the house of the Lord. I used to have a real joy and contentment in the gospel. And I don't know where it is. The present darkness has blinded me. And then you have these verses of Jesus saying, there is the reality in the kingdom that some have no root in themselves. And because of tribulation and persecution because of the word, they only endure a little while and they're out of here. And you think, how in the world, if that's the case, can I be certain? Will I really make it? Well, I want you to see tonight how the apostle answers that. Look at verse 30. Moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called. Whom he called, these he also justified. and whom he justified, these he also glorified. Let me give you an equivalent to that. He who began the good work in you will see it to completion. Notice what he said. God predestined. God decided beforehand those whom he would bless with this life that would be conformed to the image of his son. And that's the way to look at predestination. That's the proper way to look at election. I always hear on the radio, and be careful of those radio guys, by the way. But I always hear on the radio, and I just heard it last week, some guys stand up and say, the classic line, God looked down the corridor of time to see who would choose Him, and based on that sovereign choice, God chose Him. and I say you're a nut, nobody would choose the kind of life that's being described here. Nobody would choose a life of suffering because notice he's rooting the doctrine of election and predestination right in this. He predestined us to conformity to his son. And that changes how we look at everything with the doctrine of election. Why do I say that? When Jesus was giving calls to people to take up their cross and to follow, and I hear pastors beat people over the head with this, hard, that they're not living radically enough, and they beat people over the head with this, using Jesus, take up your cross and follow. And what we see all over the Gospels is, if we're noticing and looking at it carefully is, No one had the ability in and of themselves to do it. It was complete radical commitment to Him in complete denial of oneself. And everyone made excuses. Well, I have to first go bury my father and I got to first settle accounts. You know what Romans 8 just told you? God is absolutely committed because He chose beforehand. He is committed to bring about the denial of yourself, which is really hard because we hold on to the self. He's committed to bring about the denial of the self through suffering. And it has to be because pulling us away from us, killing us, killing the old sinful nature is painful. And you would never choose it. You would never want it. All the false teachers are offering you something else. and they're saying you don't have to have that we're all practical joe olstenians no one laughed think about this not only that but we also glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation romans 5 produces perseverance and perseverance character and character hope. Now, hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Think of the chain. He predestined us. He chose us for this life. And then at some point, He called you. He called you right out of the darkness. And He effectually, by His Spirit, pulled you out. And then, when you came, by sovereign grace, right then and there, and you believed, he justified you. He acquitted you forever before the throne. He forgave your sins. He told you there's no wrath. Now, having been justified by faith, you have peace with God. And from there, where does Paul go? To those whom he justified, he glorified. Now, if you're a good systematic theologian, and you were talking with Paul, you would say, you just messed up the order of salvation. You skipped a vital part of the order of salvation. You missed sanctification. How could you just miss sanctification in the order of salvation? What are you doing? You just leaped right over from justification. you skipped it all, and you jumped to glorification. Why would you do that? And here's the most exciting answer to that. Because the Lord himself wants you to know he's already said he's absolutely committed to conform you to the image of his son, but he doesn't want you to think that any of your failures along the way, any of the sufferings along the way, any of the hardships along the way, In other words, when you were given the Holy Spirit, you were sealed for the day of redemption. Justified forever, wrath being done, you have peace so that the future glory is absolutely secure. And if you don't believe that, you can go back and talk to someone who knows the Greek and ask them. They're all aoristenses here. What that means is, every single one of these, including glorification, is spoken of as a completed action of the past. And what God is doing is telling you, it's as good as done. And Jesus did that in John 17, when he was praying to his father, saying, I finished the work that you had given me to do, aorist tense, before he even went. And what an encouragement. Paul wants you to know, by the inspiration of the Spirit, that when he predestined you and he called you, your glorification is as certain as when he began the project. He doesn't renege on a project. From start to finish. Now, how do you think that should affect you? It should do something. In every way, that should affect you tonight. And that's what he does. Having believed, what Paul does now is there's no situation then that you should ever view that God is against you and not for you. And that's exactly what he says in verse 31. What do we say to these things? What do we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He argues from the greater to the lesser. If God be for us, who can be against us? But don't move too quickly away from the greater. God is for us. What's the first thing we do when something goes wrong in life? Look at Israel. Did you bring us out here, Moses, into the wilderness to die? We were sitting by pots of meat. We become disillusioned. Especially if we think blessing is witnessed in the well-to-do American life. Everyone doing great. Everyone making a good living. Nobody ever struggling. We've heard never should live paycheck to paycheck. Easy not to trust, right? The picture perfect life we've all tried to create. Hey, I want that. I want to have a nice life. I want my children all to do well. I told you about when I mow a lawn, I get really agitated when the lines are crooked. Everything has to be perfect. And we think that that's all evidence that we're blessed by God. And I am not about to undermine the wonderful material blessings the Lord has given you. Thank Him. He showered upon you gifts. We heard it from Psalm 103. But the minute anything goes wrong and we suffer loss or prolonged sorrow because we've been so used to goodness, we then impute to Him ill motives as if God no longer loves us or God is angry with us or God is against us. And the psalmist constantly struggled with this, so don't feel bad. You're not alone in that struggle. Why are you so far from the words of my groaning? And the Lord is telling us here tonight, I'm not against you. I'm not against you. You want to know how great the love of the Father is? You know, in John 16, I've always been moved that when Jesus was talking about his Father, and he said, there's this day coming, I'm going to tell plainly about the Father. And they said, well, finally, you're speaking to us plainly. There's this day coming where I'm going to tell you plainly about the Father. What are you going to learn about the Father? That the Father loves you. I don't know if you've ever stopped and froze right there. Do you know what Paul does here? And I believe this is the answer of the Spirit telling you that, to making clear the things of Christ. He says it in verse 32, he who did not spare his own son, he didn't hold back giving you His own beloved Son in whom was all His delight. The Father loves us that much that He gave Him up for us all. He was willing to do that to pour out His justice and collect His judgment from the substitute. That righteous substitute, collect everything needed for you, the payment. Why do you think He would ever come back and say, I want more from you? I'm going to now collect from you. God doesn't angrily fly off the handle at his children. He went to the depths of his storehouse to give us the best so that when the son cried out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? You would never have to say that. And verse 32 is saying, if that's the case, guess what? How will he not then graciously give you everything? That's what Paul said to Corinth. You guys have everything. It's all yours. it's all yours, because it's Christ's. And guess what? No one can challenge that. No one can bring a charge against God's elect. He chose you for this. He is the one who justifies and think of the consequence of this. Christ died. He's also risen. He's been given all dominion and authority. He's seated at the right hand. He's committed now to intercede for you. And not only then is he committed to bring about suffering to conform you, you have the Spirit so that you're not alone. And He'll help you even in your prayers. That you would have a peace that surpasses all understanding. Now, if that's the case, it changes everything about life, doesn't it? It's going to affect how I act. It's going to affect my involvement in the life of the church. It's going to affect me wanting to be here to hear sermons. It's going to affect when I'm offended by a brother, how I forgive if I'm really changed. God's testing me. It's going to affect how I serve. It's going to affect how I'm filled with thanksgiving. It's not about me and my rights anymore. You know, that's how our country's always worried about me and my rights. It's not about that. You're a servant conformed to the image of one who became the servant of all. Because the conclusion of Romans 8 tonight, notice what it says. To encourage you on these last words, there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ. Notice that in verse 35. Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword, any kind of trouble. I think Paul's being a little bit exaggerative here, though Christians have suffered these things, but it's not the norm. If they take your bodies and kill you, if they strip you of your clothing, if you live a life of sword, meaning continuous conflict with family and whatever, conflict, conflict, if I'm wronged by everyone, None of it can separate me from the love of Christ. And then he states it positively in verse 37. Actually, in every circumstance, I can view that I'm more than a conqueror through him. And he gets carried away here. For I am persuaded, I'm absolutely sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Greatest fear? Death. Maybe not in terms of assurance, but I'm not looking too forward to the process of it. Not even that. Powers of angels, not even that. Things present nor things to come. I love that one. Whatever's happening now or whatever is going to happen, not even that. Height nor depth, I've always been afraid when I'm in a plane. And I know this is weird, but I always get sucked right up on in space. Not even that, if that happened. Or if I fell to the bottom of the ocean, not even that. Nothing created can pull me away from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Paul was concerned tonight that the saints would get this. I don't see a lot of saints getting this. And that's why he prayed for the church in Ephesus that they would understand and have the strength to comprehend in the mind with all the saints what is the what? Breath and length and height and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. I've been in the ministry long enough to see people who are very bitter and angry at their circumstances. Angry at God. They shake the fist at God. These were people at one time that were very joyful. And pastoral, I've had to go to them and say, you know, you can put your dukes down. You can stop fighting. He's told you that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. And whatever He has for you in the present, it's with the goal of conforming you to the image of His Son that you would make and be in glory with Him. And Calvin says, you get this, the mind is purged. It becomes calm and it quietly rests. And I ask tonight, where do you stand? Come to Him. Anyone who hasn't come, what fool would stay away from him and suffer eternal separation from God? When he's telling you when you come, nothing can separate you. And then you stand back and see it's all been a work of your grace, predestined, called, justified, glorified. And so I end saying, cast your cares upon the Lord, for he cares for you. Let's pray together. Oh Lord our God, we thank you and praise you that you care that we live in assurance of faith and that we would know and understand that the depths of your love is so deep. Having given your son to suffer on the cross that we might live, the glory is absolutely certain and so that along the way whatever you give us it's right and that you will work for good because you are conforming us to the image of your beloved son and how satisfied you are in your son and so i pray lord here for every one of these saints that they would view life this way that their sorrow would be turned to joy and that you would comfort them all along the way strengthening them giving them your peace that they may know that they are yours be with us this week and whatever comes may we live for your praise and glory In Jesus' name we pray these things. Amen.