Romans 8, 33 and 34. We concluded our reading in the book of Acts this morning. It's interesting to note that in Acts every sermon is based upon the truth of the resurrection. Each and every time the resurrection is an essential part of the preaching and the caring fourth of the gospel in the book of Acts. If we were to read backwards in the scripture from the epistles, the epistles would carry little weight to a secular ear. It's the resurrection that causes the instruction in the epistles to be valid. It validates the teaching. For without the resurrection, the gospel ends with the death of the one who was preaching, Jesus Christ. It ends with the death of one who claimed to be the Messiah. And so what weight do the epistles have except to be moral teachings? It's because of the resurrection that all of the gospel and all its fullness is before us. Romans 8, 33 and 34. 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. May the Lord add His blessing to the reading and the hearing of His Word. And these verses and in the verses that surround them, Paul is answering concerns related to the Christians assurance of salvation. The Christian oftentimes ask him or herself, how can I know that my salvation is real? How can I be sure that I am right enough to be accepted by God? And answering these concerns, Paul poses questions because even among those who confess Christ there may arise a question of whether or not we can ultimately or finally be rejected by God in the end. One of the great weaknesses of the Islamic faith even in describing it is that in the end they are really not certain whether or not they will be accepted or rejected. No matter how faithfully and devoutly they live their faith, they cannot say for sure that God will or will not receive them in the end. The Christian faith, however, has a certain seal, a certain guarantee that is based upon legal language in the scriptures that assures us of our salvation. Too many Christians are unaware of this language, unaware of this teaching. We have a tendency to approach our faith very devotionally but not very studiously and devotional reading can sustain us in times when we are not challenged. But when we are challenged in our faith, no amount of devotional reading will answer the questions. Though the devotions may warm our hearts, they don't satisfy the questions that are before us. And so Paul very consistently lays forth an argument a rational argument for the faith. What we want to know is whether there is for sure no possibility that anything will result in our condemnation. Not a bad day, not a season of backsliding, not a word that was spoken by mistake, we want to know that if we have accepted Christ, that we will not lose our salvation. That's what we want to know. Is that true or is it not true? Can we be lost once we were saved or is salvation secure forever? If it is, then we have to move beyond platitudes and we have to say why? Why is our salvation secure forever without question, without doubt? Paul proposes two questions in these verses. First of all, is there a possibility of any charge that can be brought against us? Can anyone come before the tribunal of God, point a finger of accusation at us and level a charge against us that would disqualify us from heaven? Second question is, is there any possibility that someone would be able to prove that we are condemned rather than saved? Is there any evidence that can be brought forward to say this person is disqualified and here is the reason why? Let's first make an important observation by looking at these verses, 33 and 34. Take your finger and trace down to those verses. Look at the end of verse 33 and the beginning of verse 34. Some will want to take these verses and associate the end of verse 33 where it says it is God who justifies with the beginning of verse 34 which says, who is to condemn? But that turns the following statement about Christ's resurrection into a pericopy or a statement that's just injected like a devotional thought. It takes the resurrection, it takes Christ's burial and resurrection out of the argument and it places all of it upon God who is sovereign. Well, God is sovereign. God is in control. It is God who justifies but does the resurrection have any bearing? Does the death and the resurrection of Christ have any bearing upon our assurance of salvation or is assurance all to be found in the mind of God and in his will alone? It is God who justifies. We will not digress by carving out the death and the resurrection of Christ from Paul's argument. Look at verse 35 and you see another question. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ and then Paul begins to answer all the way down through verse 39, concluding not height or depth or anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. If we were to take time and examine the whole chapter, we would see that this follows a simple pattern which Paul has established. He asks a question and he answers and he doesn't ramble. Ramble is not a technical term. Ramble means he doesn't add stuff because it sounds good. He asks a question. He answers the question. He asks a question. He answers a question all the way down until 35 where he says, can anything separate us from the love of Christ and then he goes through an entire list of all the things that could never separate you from the love of Christ ending in 39 by stating very affirmatively absolutely nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. So if we look back at the verses today which are a little smaller in number and treatment, we will simply ask again, is there any who can bring a charge against God's elect and the answer Paul gives it is God who justifies that's the answer to the question it's God who justifies remember we have two questions we're we're going to look at the first one now who can bring a charge against God's elect the answer it is God who justifies well first of all the way the Bible describes us it doesn't say can anyone bring a charge against those who have faith it doesn't say can anyone bring a charge against God's church does it there are a lot of ways it could have described the people Paul is talking about he chooses a word here he calls us the elect eclecton is the word that he places there and has a very specific meaning we who belong to God should think of ourselves in the same terms that God considers us we shouldn't substitute a synonym or another word we shouldn't shy away or back off because in our modern democratic thinking we struggle with the whole idea of God calling us elect it's what God called us why would we inject or substitute forcing ourselves to think of ourselves in a way which God does not think of us why do we train ourselves to think in ways that God doesn't simply because it pleases the unbelieving ear which is offended at God's love and God's grace we think that it's softens but rather than softening the gospel it injects doubt and a lack of assurance in people's mind what justification do we have to consider ourselves in any other way except how God refers to us in this verse eclecton is a summary of the apostles argument all the way back in verse 28 and verse 28 and those verses Paul was describing God's care and the purpose for those he for new if you go back to verse 28 it reads 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 for new he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that idea of foreknowledge that idea of God knowing beforehand this language in the balance of scripture if we were to do a word study on foreknow throughout scripture we would see that it's not referring to God's omniscience that is his all knowing but of his positive choosing beforehand we know that Paul that God knows but God only knows those things which are absolutely sure otherwise it would be random and why would we deposit authority for the future into the hands of either chance or randomization or even worse fallen man much better in the hands of a sovereign all knowing all wise and all loving God the point is that Paul is making a case based on a strong statement of God's sovereign will and of God's sovereign right over his own creation that's why he says what he does in our verse that we looked at today who is it to condemn who will bring a charge against God's elect it's God who justifies it's God's people who's going to point a finger of condemnation at the ones that God has sovereignly put his hand upon the certainty of the salvation and the perseverance of the saints is rooted in God's sovereign choice in other words and to speak very plainly my salvation is sure because of God's grip on me not my grip on God God's grip upon me is what makes my salvation sure not my grip upon God my grip upon God could slip and it's frail and I could choose to let go but when God puts his hand upon me his choice is neither fickle his choice is permanent and so my assurance is based upon the fact that God has his grip upon me not my grip upon him I wish we could take the time to pause and just let you roll that over in your mind for a few moments that it is God's hand that holds me not my hands that hold God and so my assurance is built upon God's sovereign powerful hand one of my favorite ministers as I read through commentaries and different different treatments of texts is DeMartin Lloyd Jones or refer to him frequently he asked this question do you habitually think of yourself as one of God's elect one of God's chosen people or if you prefer the language of the apostle Peter one of God's peculiar people one of those whom God has chosen to be a peculiar possession for himself he continues many of our troubles arise from the fact that we do not think of ourselves in this way and that we think of the Christian as one who has decided for Christ the emphasis should be the other way around the Christian is the one who's been elected chosen of God and precious for that reason God's peculiar possession he has purchased possession what makes us special is that God has purchased us for his own possession in light of the strongly worded statement which Paul has given us who can bring a charge against God's elect it's God who justifies in light of that strongly worded statement now we would ask who can bring any charge against God's elect and reminded of the challenge that is issued at the beginning of wedding ceremony when the minister stands up and he says if there's anyone here who knows the reason why this couple cannot be married as a wedded as a man in wife let him stand now or make it known or forever hold his peace I usually allow plenty of time for reflection but no one yet has stood except at a rehearsal in the same way Paul is standing up and he's saying is there anyone who can bring a charge any reason while God's sovereign choice of this individual is flawed and there is none in just the same way the apostle is issuing that same challenge if there's any that'll bring a charge against God's elect who bring an accusation against God's own possession of those that will bring a charge of unworthiness or disqualification there is one who is the chief accuser of all that chief accuser is Satan revelation 1210 and I heard a loud voice in heaven saying now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our 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 the accuser that accuses the brethren day and night before God has been thrown down when was he thrown down is he thrown down yet Paul's language would seem to indicate that there is no one that's going to bring accusation now we know from our study already on the kingdom as we're journeying through the gospel of John that Jesus talks about the kingdom and we understand that with his resurrection there was an inauguration of the kingdom and when he cast out Satan the kingdom of Satan was defeated now there are still remnants and there is still activity in the kingdom of Satan but the kingdom of Satan has been defeated what does an accusation against God's people look like the same I imagine as it did in the book of Job when we are told Satan is walking among the heavenly bodies and he is asking about Job accusing Job of having a thin or a weak faith or an inauthentic faith that he was only a man of faith because God blessed him by keeping anything bad from happening but that if testing would come he would see that Job would fail Job would not hold up he claimed Job was unworthy and disqualified to receive God's blessing if we were to look for assurance based on our works of righteousness or the depth and quality of our faith there would be an opportunity for accusation I believe catch me at any given time and you will find a man with a fractured faith you'll find a man who is stumbling you'll find a man who is slipping who is not consistent as he ought to be in his devotional life or his care for his family or even his love for those who love him you would find a man who has many faults could there be an accusation brought against such a sinner as I of course of course there could if you measure me according to my own righteousness and my own works but when God has called me his own precious possession then can an accusation be brought not with the kingdom of Satan being cast down this is why Paul uses the term eclecton when he refers to us as God's own possession it makes the question observe absurd it's the same as in verse 31 if God is for us who can be against us and a legal basis on which we stand immune from accusation is that it is God who justifies in other words God is pronounced an acquittal and a sentence a verdict of not guilty but God goes further he not only declares us not guilty but he also declares us holy just as if we had never sinned at all clothed with his righteousness and imputed righteousness not our own we like seed that are so imperishable or raised imperishable sewn in dishonor we are raised in glory so natural we are raised spiritual listen to these words it's as if we had never sinned at all God puts sin out of his sight behind his back as far as east is from the west those who he calls his own that he purchases with the blood of Christ in his eyes because our sin is imputed to Christ and his righteousness is imputed to us it's as if we had not sinned at all in legal terms in the trial the tribunal of God it's as if we had not sin at all it's not held against us how wonderful life would be if we could like God truly forgive and forget we learned to forgive we forgive all the time we forgive and we move on but how hard it is to completely erase a memory from our mind to forget what has happened even if we no longer take offense at the event even if we no longer really care that the person did this or that to us or or we were offended by it we still can't erase it from our mind but God puts it away and it no longer exists in his mind with God not only is our sinless community but our record is expunged and in place of our crimes of high treason against God we are given a record of perfect righteousness and perfect service stated formally again we would say our sin has been imputed to Christ and his righteousness has been imputed to us we are in union with Christ when the Lord looks he sees Christ rather than us here's why no charge can be drawn against me because I am God's because I am forgiven and because I am counted as righteous this is the proclamation of the resurrection in Romans 4.25 Jesus who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification He was raised for our justification so that we would be declared just now is the second verse 34 pulpits the question in a slightly different form who is to condemn little difference from the first question except that Paul is covering every angle he's being very thorough he's already proved that our justification is it based on our own selves but on God now he will supply evidence to help us to have assurance Paul breaks it down into four great truths all only cover two a summary of the Christ of Christ's mediatorial work is basically what Paul is presenting it is Christ who died for us it is Christ who is risen for us it is Christ who is at God's right hand for us and it is Christ who makes intercession for us Paul is reminding us that God showed that he loved the world in this way that he sent his only begotten son that whoever would believe might have the gift of eternal life would he then turn around and condemn those very same ones whom he died for that's really what the question is posing the question is saying who would condemn Christ who is going to be sitting on the throne of judgment would Christ turn around to God's elect and the very ones whom his blood purchased and then condemn them how ludicrous it is to even pose such a question the resurrected Lord will come again in judgment he says will Christ be the one to condemn us it's a ridiculous proposition even to hear well the one by whose stripes we are healed be the one that condemns the very ones he suffered to save this reply alone should be enough to give us full assurance but Paul graciously gives us more in the next phrase who will be the one to condemn us will Christ who is risen from the graves in the words of a summary of 1 Corinthians 15 particularly 1 Corinthians 15 9 if in this life only we have hoped in Christ we are of all people most to be pitted both both in 1 Corinthians 15 and in Romans 8 Paul saying that our assurance depends on the reality of the literal physical resurrection of the Lord why is that so important first of all it's God who raised him from the dead this is the greatness of God's power toward us because Christ is the first fruits of the resurrection and Acts 1329 Luke reports that men took Christ from the cross and laid him in the grave and in verse 30 he says but God raised him from the dead the power of God toward us is the same as the power of God to Christ that raised him from the dead secondly the resurrection shows that God is satisfied with Christ why the resurrection because in Romans 425 we are taught that while Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses he was raised for our justification the crucifixion of Christ satisfied God and so he raised him from the dead the resurrection is the declaration of the truth of our justification because we will not be abandoned in the grave it's evidence that God has relinquished or banquished rather the power of the grave and death and if God is so pleased with Christ then Paul assures us in Romans 65 that we share that same hope it reads for if we have been united with him in a death like his we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his because it happened to him it will happen to us he is our head and we are his body and arisen together with him we who were once dead and trespasses and sin are made alive to God so Paul is able to say in Romans 8 1 there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus his dying for us makes our condemnation impossible his rising again is the proclamation that God has justified and accepted his own how wonderfully a summed up in that him Christ the Lord has risen today Wesley's him captures the wonder of the resurrection as it inspires us to live confidently with an assurance of our salvation listen to this the last verse so are we now where Christ has led alleluia following our exalted head alleluia made like him like him we rise ours the cross the grave the skies on what do you take your assurance of salvation the strength of your faith or the strength of God's will on what do you base the quality of your profession of faith own your warm words and own your religious activity or upon the assurance of God's faithfulness to his own people