Romans 8 Part 3 - Assurance in God’s Sovereign Love [Transcript]

Watch the Full Message Here:

Link to Sermon on Romans 8:28-39

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In this message from Romans 8, Elder Jonathan Moseley zooms out to show us the big picture of God’s eternal purpose. From before the foundation of the world to the glory that awaits His children, this passage reminds us of the unshakable truth: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”

Elder Jonathan walks through the golden chain of salvation—foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification—helping us see how God’s sovereign love secures His people forever. Nothing in life, death, or eternity can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you’ve ever struggled with doubt, fear, or the weight of suffering, Romans 8 lifts our eyes to God’s eternal plan and assures us that He is for us—and nothing can be against us.

📖 Scripture Focus: Romans 8:28–39

🎙️ Speaker: Elder Jonathan Moseley

🏛️ Church: Fair Haven Primitive Baptist Church

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Transcript

Alright, I hope you have your Bible. Go ahead and open up to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. This is our third message. It's a big chapter. I'm gonna try to tackle the rest of the chapter in one go.

Full disclosure, I could probably spend the rest of the year on just this chapter. So I will not try to chase every rabbit or go as deep as I could on everything, because I want you to see the big picture. And that's really the beauty of this last section in Romans chapter eight, where this chapter has started with this great truth, this great assurance that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who walk after the Spirit.

Alright, we know that those who have the Spirit, they are children of God. We know that He has given them new life, and so that Spirit — we get this whole first chunk of chapter 8 that is showing what is the Spirit doing? How is it assuring you that there is no condemnation? How is it witnessing to you, along with your new spirit, that there is no condemnation? Also witnessing that you are a child of God and not just a child — you're adopted into his family, you are an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ — so these are wonderful wonderful things that the Spirit is doing within you in connection with this concept that there is no condemnation, there is no sentence of death hanging over your head for the sins that you and I have committed.

So this is pinnacle of wonderful truth, and when you just can't think it gets any better, then you learn that the Spirit, when you're praying — because you don't know how to pray, and I don't know how to pray as we ought to — the Spirit is helping us in our prayers, praying perfectly, interceding in a way for God's will to be done, and God the Father understands Him perfectly.

So you've got the Holy Spirit that dwells within you pleading with God the Father on your behalf with a perfect will, and you've got Jesus on the right hand of the Father interceding on your behalf. And so even in your prayers, you're not alone. Prayers can feel lonely sometimes. You can feel like they don't get above the ceiling, but that's your perspective. This is telling you this is the reality.

And then you've got this additional statement. So, likewise, we know the Spirit helpeth our infirmities. This is in verse 26. And then in verse 28, it says, and we know.

So we've talked about the Spirit, talked about what it's done and what its role and things that we know because of it — that we're children and heirs and joint heirs, and oh yeah, that we're groaning to be clothed with immortality, as in having glorified bodies. And in fact, we've learned that all of creation is waiting for that moment, the manifestation, the revealing of the sons of God, right? Because you can't see who is a child of God by physical features today, but when we have glorified bodies, it will be abundantly clear. And all of the universe that's corrupt and sin-cursed, it will be made perfect, so it's not going to be bound by a curse any longer.

Verse 28 picks up. And we know. So these are things we already know. This is additional things, but again, it's along the same pattern of answering this no condemnation. Here's how we know. These are big, big picture assurances.

And hopefully I'll be able to keep it in the big picture and not go too far into any particular weed. I'll be praying — be praying for me that we wouldn't go too far to where we lose the big picture. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called, according to His purpose.

Alright, so we've been looking at a specific aspect of the Spirit and how it's done and how it moves in your life. Now we're going to zoom way out to the big picture. Now all things — the Greek word there is just pas. All. The whole. And it's going to describe this big picture, which is bigger than your life. Bigger than my life. Bigger than your grandparents' life. This is going to span a cord of love that goes from before God said, let there be light. That was the first thing. We created the heavens and the earth and let there be light. That was in the beginning. What we're going to look at goes before then. And the impact of that is going to go all the way to eternity. There is no end. This is the all. This is the scope.

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Now, if you love God, we know something from 1 John. If you love God, what's already happened first? He first loved you. So that's what we're going to be talking about. When did that love for the Father happen to you? Is it because you did something special in this life in order to earn His love? No, there's nothing we could do to earn his love. And in fact, the scope here, this big picture, is just going to be given to you way before let there be light.

All things work together for good to them that love God — them that we're going to be describing — them who are called. So there's going to be a calling of all those that love God. They've been called by God. Why? According to his purpose. God has a purpose. He has a plan. He has his sovereign right to do things. And he chose to call the people, and those people love him. The big answer is why would he do that? It's according to his purpose. He's the sovereign God.

Remember the definition of sovereign? You've got like a monarch in a government that's structured with a king. The king is called the sovereign. He's the top boss of that nation. The idea is that God is the all sovereign. There is no one that outranks God. He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise God who has all authority. He doesn't have to ask anyone for His permission. So it was just according to His purpose, and we get to trust Him for that.

As we're looking at this, it's going to be really good for us. So let's learn of what He has revealed to them who are called according to His purpose. I'm going to read the rest of the chapter, and then we're going to talk about it. I think that's the best way to hang on to it. So let's listen. Listen as close as you can. Follow along. Every word matters.

So, how does it work for good? For — here's your reason. For whom he — who's the he? God. Whom he did foreknow. We'll talk about what that means. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. He foreknew; he also did predestinate. Predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. So predestinate to be something in particular, conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Who's the He there? We're talking about the firstborn. We're talking about Jesus Christ. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also justified — made just, made holy. And whom he justified, them he also glorified — gave a glory.

What shall we then say to these things? Look at the big picture there. What are we going to complain about? What are we going to find fault in? Where are we going to find the weakness to where we think that we can have condemnation on us? What can we say to these things? If God be for us — now you just saw that list of things — If God be for us, who can be against us?

We're not talking about a small scale; we're talking big picture. If God's doing all these things for us — if God be for us, who can be against us? Who is stronger than God? Nobody. Sometimes we put Satan up on a pedestal. I mean, he's got power. He's got more wisdom than you and I have. He is a threat, but is he more powerful or smarter than God? No, nowhere close.

He that spared not his own son — he wasn't willing to hold back Jesus from being offered. He didn't spare him and say no, but delivered him up for us. And we've got all the previous content in Romans about what that meant and why it had to be done in order to have his righteousness be put upon us — him take our sin, and he puts his righteousness upon us. He delivered him up for us.

If he's done that, if God has not withheld the best, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? God, as the Spirit witnessed that you're a child, you're an heir, you're a joint heir with Christ. There is an inheritance reserved for you by God. Is he going to not give that to you if he's already given you the best, which was his son by this sacrifice? OK, what can you say against this big picture?

Who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifieth. To lay a charge — that's like the D.A. — you bring charges against that. We are accusing them of this crime. Who has the right to accuse one that God has made holy of a crime? No one. It's God that justifieth.

If God be for us, who can be against us? Who is he that condemneth? Who can sit as a judge? The judge sits and renders sentence against somebody and condemns them. Who could possibly operate in that role against someone that God has justified? It's Christ that died. Jesus, who was given the role of judge of all things — but he died; rather is risen again; he who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. The one who had the right to judge volunteered himself to take the sin, and he's risen again, and now he's actively interceding on your behalf. Who can judge? Who can condemn you? No one.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Who has that ability? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written — he's quoting Psalm 44 here — As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long. We're accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For 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.

Is there any condemnation now? No. Can that change? No. This is your big picture, and it's even bigger than you really think. So when we go unpack 29 and 30, you're gonna see, whoa! This is not an isolated, one-time thing. This is a theme. These are beautiful truths.

Short story is Jesus gets what he pays for — every single one. He loses nothing.

Alright, let's get into the weeds some of them. Go back to verse 29. How do we know? How do we know this all big picture, working together for our good, that we will be with Him in glory, that that inheritance that's reserved for us, that's uncorruptible, that fadeth not away — how do you know it's there and won't be taken away? Here's your big picture.

Verse 29: For whom He did foreknow. Alright, again, who's the He? God. Who's the whom? His people — these are the ones that love God. Again, that love didn't earn them God's love. He loved them first. Order of operations. They are called according to his purpose.

To whom he did foreknow. Foreknow — compound Greek word. It means fore or front and know. To know in advance. This is synonymous with the concept of election, God's selecting a people. If you go to 1 Peter 1 and then verse 2 — Peter's writing to this group of strangers spread throughout modern-day northern Turkey, and he describes them, elect, the chosen, the selected, according — how were they chosen? According to the foreknowledge of God the Father. He knew them. He chose them.

Now, you say, no, well, God knows everything. Does God know everything? Absolutely. But this is not talking about I generally know you as in I know all things. This is a special knowing. When God brought Eve to Adam, she became his wife and Adam knew her and a baby was produced. This, in Hebrew, the concept of knowing is a euphemism for marital relations. There is a special connection between these two. To the exclusion of all others, Eve was Adam's wife. And that pattern continued.

We recognize God knows all things and He knows all people in a general sense, but this is a special knowing: I knew you, I chose you, and I chose to put my love upon you the same way that Adam was loving Eve. So you will understand Matthew 7:23 if you get this concept, because there are gonna be people there who at the last day, they're gonna be talking to the Lord and say, but Lord, we did a lot of things in your name, and he'll say, depart from me, for I never knew you. These are folks who are taking the name of Christ just as a cloak for their maliciousness. This is not one whom God knew.

Verses John chapter 10 and in 27 — John chapter 10 and verse 27 — this is going to be Jesus speaking. Some Pharisees asked Him, if you're the Christ, tell us plainly. And Jesus answered, I told you, and you believe not. The works I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. Verse 26, But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. These are those that will hear, depart from me, I never knew you. What's the difference? Verse 27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my Father's hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. I know them.

This people — this is the actor here, or the acting party, described as God the Father. God the Father put his love upon a people. He knew them, he selected them to be his — we call that election. We weren't there because this happened before let there be light.

How do we know that? Go to Ephesians chapter one. We'll start in verse 3. Ephesians 1 — bless be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Verse 4: According as He hath chosen us in Him. Who's the He? God the Father. God the Father chose us, his people, in him — when? Before the foundation of the world. He put his love upon you before let there be light. He selected you; he loved you.

When did God start loving you? If you go to Jeremiah 31:3, it says it's from everlasting. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. So that's got both the long scale of his love and that idea of calling — he's drawn thee.

How about 2 Thessalonians 2? 2 Thessalonians 2:13: we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. So you've got this idea of God the Father knew you, chose you, put his love upon you from before the foundation of the world.

That's comforting to me. I love to hear that my Lord loves me and that he's basically always loved me. Will he ever stop loving me? No, because he gave his son to deliver me from the consequences of my sin, from the wrath that he lawfully could have poured out upon me for my sins. And instead, he poured out upon Jesus instead.

Do I have to stand here in fear that He's going to take away that love down the road and somehow cast me off? Jesus says, No, I know my sheep, and I give unto them eternal life. And no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hands. My Father is greater than all. The Sovereign — all-powerful.

How about 2 Timothy? 2 Timothy 1:9 — talking about the power of God, who hath 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 us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Unearned love. Him taking knowledge of you, loving you — this is talking about the entire family of God, Jew and Gentile, out of every kindred, nation, and tongue.

We're not talking about one denomination. We're talking about the entire family of God. It's described in Revelation as a myriad, an untold number that Jesus has redeemed, successfully paid for, and that will be with Him in glory. Is there any, therefore, condemnation resting upon your head? No. His love started way before, and He knew what you were. Remember Romans 3 — Is there any righteous? Not even one.

He knew what we were, and he still decided to put his love upon us. This is the measure of love. Greater love hath no man to lay down the life for his friends. He made us his friends, but we were his enemies first. Our carnal mind is an enmity, hatred for God. And yet he took these enemies, paid for their sins, and then at some point in our life lets us know what he's done and allows us to know we're not enemies. He's already made the peace, but we get to experience it.

Let's go back. We've covered one clause: 29, for whom he did foreknow. When did foreknowledge occur? When did he advance to put that special knowing — this is not just generally know like all things, this is a special knowing, putting his love upon you, selecting you and all of his family of God — for the world began.

But it wasn't just that. It wasn't just, okay, I've checked the box. He determined in advance something was going to happen with these people. You've got this pool of people, Adam to whenever the last one's born — this whole expanse. Not only did He select them, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son.

What does predestinate mean? Compound Greek word. First means for, or advance, and the other means to mark out or a boundary. The word horizon is where we get the word horizon. He marked out something in advance. God set something out in advance. This will occur.

What we learn here is that it includes that these people he selected would be conformed to the image of his Son, that he, Jesus, might be the firstborn among many brethren. You have the concept of a family of God. Jesus was going to be the elder brother, but he was going to have a big old family, and they would be transformed jointly to be like his image.

Adam was made in the image of God, but that image was very quickly marred. When Adam sinned against God, that image was distorted. It wasn't a true picture anymore, and he was made flesh. But this second Adam, which Adam was a type for Jesus — this perfect Adam — is going to take all of his people, and his image is what they'll bear.

Remember back in Ephesians 1-4, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. What does the image of Christ look like? To be holy and without blame before God the Father and loved. Apart from Christ's work, could you stand before the Almighty God and know that I am accepted and welcome and that this is where I belong? No. But for His work to change the corruption that was within, pay the wrath for our sins, we wouldn't have any right to be in His family.

Knowing where we were before he even created the world — God, His plans and purposes are bigger than your plans. He knew Adam would fall. He knew that redemption was required. He made a covenant with the Son to come into this world and to redeem these people so that they would be holy and without blame, and that there would be this family of God adopted to Himself.

Ephesians 1 — according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

He is predestinated. That was going to happen.

If you look up the Greek word behind predestinate, it only occurs six times in Scripture. Four of them are in the context of the people and being predestinated to be conformed to the image of a son, to be holy and without blame — that adoption. In Ephesians 1:11, in whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will.

So this picture for this people that He chose — the foreknowledge that He had before the world began — He also determined they are going to be in the image of My Son, they're going to be adopted into My family, and they're going to have an inheritance. What's the inheritance? All the riches of the glory that He has reserved for His people — the better thing, the presence of God where the Lamb is the light.

He had set that out that it will happen before he said, let there be light. Not just chose the people, but he chose them under a particular purpose that they would end up with all of this: in the image of a Son, in his presence, holy and without blame, adopted into his family and with an inheritance.

Is there any condemnation? Let's look at the big picture. Are all things working for your good? This is what we're talking about.

Now, was this plain and revealed throughout the Old Testament? No. In fact, this was described as being a mystery. It was like a rose — it's been planted, it's slowly growing up, you got some greenery, you got some flowers, you got a bud, it's blooming, it's slowly opening up. When Jesus comes, when it's really revealed to Paul that this is broader than the Jews — this is all the Gentiles, this whole family of God — you're like, whoa! This thing was 4,000 years in the works, and we're now 2,000 years down the road experiencing and continuing just to have our minds blown by what God has done.

We haven't gotten to let there be light yet. Let's go back to Romans 8: For whom he did foreknow, he did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. These things are completed, accomplished — he foreknew; that foreknowledge happened. He's not taking it away. That predestination — predetermined that they'll be in the image of his son, holy without blame, adopted into the family, having this inheritance — those things are completely accomplished.

Now there's some other things that are continuing to be accomplished as his children come into this world and at some point in their life he gives them spiritual life. These other things are going to kick in, but we're looking at the big picture of all things and all people.

So, whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. Who did the calling? God did the calling. When we talk about the calling, this is described many ways in scriptures. Jesus would say to Nicodemus, you must be born again. Other verses describe it as a quickening — to make alive. Described as us being dead in trespasses and sins; God makes us alive. Same power that it took to raise Jesus from the grave — that's the same power that it takes to take a dead, cold, hard-hearted sinner and make him a new creature with new spiritual life. That's the calling of God.

Can you just go to God on your own? Absolutely not. As much as we like to give our pride and ego the trip that says, yeah, I did it. Go look back to John chapter 6 verse 44. John 6:44: No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. Who does the drawing? The Father. The general rule is no man can come to Christ except God draws them. Who's He gonna draw? The ones that He foreknew, the ones that He predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. At some point in their life, He draws them to Him.

Before He does that, you look, act, and sound like the rest of the world — chasing sin. You don't desire God; in fact, you hate Him. You may say, well, I didn't actively hate Him. Yeah, that's what the Bible says. Your perception of I wasn't hostile — you just didn't have anything to do with Him, didn't want His to be an authority over me. Well, that's hatred, because He is your authority.

But when you can see, oh my, this God of the universe, I want to serve Him, I want to love him, I want to please him — that doesn't just happen on its own. That happens because the God of this universe came to you, plucked out a heart of stone, and gave you a heart of flesh, wrote his law within your heart. You know what's right and wrong by nature. We learned that in Romans 1. But a desire to do what's right — that's not found within you.

Now, are you going to continue to have to battle and struggle against that old nature? You better believe it. Go read Romans 7 again. Paul — he's a little farther along in his spiritual walk than you are — and he was yet still grappling with I know what I want to do, and yet I can't consistently do the right thing. That's one of the glories of the resurrection: you'll be free from this body that's so encumbered with sin that even your best efforts are still tainted and corrupted.

So general rule: John 6:44 — No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. Go back up to verse 37: All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. Who are we talking about? Those that the Father gave. Who did He give to the Son? Those that He foreknew, that He selected, that He predestinated to be in the image of His Son — those are the ones He gave to Christ. And how many are going to come to Christ? All of them. On their own? No, because the Father is going to draw them.

Do you see the big picture about what God is doing and revealing Himself in your life? It's Him. You're a beneficiary. It's good, but it's not you.

Let's go to John 10:3 — illustration of a shepherd going into a sheepfold. There's a porter letting the lawful shepherd come in. John 10:3: the sheep hear his voice. Jesus said his sheep would hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name. This is not just an hey y'all — this is you. He knows you. He knows you by name. How long has he known you? Since before he created you, before he created man.

This is the big picture. He knew you, chose you, predestinated you to be like his son, to be with him in glory, to be in his family. And then at some point in your life, God has promised that he will call those people to him. So if you have any desire to serve God this morning, any desire to know more about Him, any desire to serve Him — to follow Him in baptism and join the church and just live and to serve — the reason you have that desire is because He's already called you. And before He does, you're gonna look at me and think, I'm an idiot, just preaching like a wacko. You go read some of the YouTube comments on our stuff. I've been called a lot worse. There's nothing about what we teach that is desirable or rational to a carnal mind. In order for this to make sense, it has to make sense at a spiritual level, and you have to be spiritually alive to discern it. How does one become alive? God made you alive. He called you.

Let's go back to Romans. Time is fleeing. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. So at some point in life, he calls them — the Father calls them to himself. That's the new birth. The Holy Spirit comes in, dwells within his children, remains there for the rest of their life. This is not like in the Old Testament where there are folks who were chosen for a particular purpose and as long as they were obedient, the Holy Spirit stayed with them. Samson — he was allowed to have these special abilities and strength as long as he obeyed. He disobeyed, his hair was cut and that was taken away from him. This is not a conditional indwelling Holy Spirit. It was absolute. It's going to stay with you. You're going to stay alive. This is the comforter that came in the role after Jesus ascended. He will stay with you.

Then he called them he also justified. We've spent most of this book looking at the concept of justification. What actually makes any of those people that God knew and predestinated and calls in their life just and holy? The only thing that could possibly make them holy is the blood of Jesus Christ. He took your sins — took them all. None left. He paid all of it. But then all of his righteousness was put on you as well — that imputed righteousness. You have the righteousness of Jesus to your account. He has made you holy and without blame. That's why you can go to God in prayer and don't have to fear being squished like a bug. There's no condemnation.

Now, how do you know that he's made you holy? He also gives you in that new birth a gift called faith. When you have faith, that does not make you holy, but it reveals that you have been made holy. It is a revealer that you are just. I can't see children of God with my natural eyes; I don't know who God chose just yet, particularly before they're born again. So I'm preaching broadly. But you, individually, internally, hidden, you can know what God has done within you, and the assurances that come with that, by that faith. We've spent several weeks on that, so I'm not going to rehash justification. The idea is that justification by faith is so that you know you have these assurances. This is all of Romans 5. You want to see the assurances that come with that faith — He only gives that to His. And if you're His, He's made you righteous.

So those same group that he foreknew, that he predestinated, that he calls, them he also justified. Both at the cross — when were you actually saved? I was saved 2,000 years ago. That's when I was made safe. When did I discover that I was safe? When he gives me new life. That's the earliest point that I could realize this applies to me.

Them he justified, them he also glorified. Is that population changing at any point in any of these statements? We're referring to the same group. Not one's going to be lost, not one's going to be added to. This is the perfect God who put his love upon a people, and they are his people, and they will always be his people, and he is doing all of these things so that he will accomplish what he set out in advance would be accomplished. They would be conformed to the image of his Son, because by nature we're sinners. We are not in Jesus's image, and he makes us holy and without blame, adopts us into his family, and gives us this inheritance.

Now, do you have the full inheritance now? No, you're waiting for it. Have you been given a certain measure of glory from God already? Yes — the fact that you are a new creature, the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells within you. There is a glory that's already been given to you from the time of your new birth. But it's going to get better. There's a better glory. If Christ doesn't return at your death, body goes to the grave, spirit goes to be with the Lord — what a glory! You're there in the presence of heaven. But it gets even better. At some point Jesus has promised he's gonna come back and at that final day when the trumpet sounds the graves — you'll have a glorified body, and your soul and your spirit and body — all that makes you — will be glorified. We got a little bit of glory — this little bit of earnest, right? Earnest is your down payment. You've got a little bit of inheritance you already possess: the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, this new creature. When you die and Christ doesn't come back, you've got a better glory. And then when Christ returns and it's all wrapped up and you've got a glorified body in the resurrection, that's the best glory.

Those are the same ones he knew — he determined this was going to happen to. He calls them. He's justified them to himself through Christ and lets you know it as well by faith. You can get into James — justified by works so that people around you know it. And then he will glorify you. Is there any doubt that one of those things is going to be missed for these people? None — because who's doing the work? God. If it was up to you, you'd mess it up. The Son agreed to it. It is going to happen.

Again, the concept of all this is talking about there is now no condemnation. How do you know? Look at what God has done. Look at what He's currently doing. What can you argue against it? Most of this letter Paul's been, here's what the other side's going to say; here's the counter argument. It gets to the question: what can you say? God is for us, and he has been, and he will be, and he never won't be. Who could possibly have any hope of undoing or hindering or saying unto him, whoa, Bubba, you can't do that? Folks could say it, but is it gonna have any effect? No.

He that spared not his own son — is he for you? Yes, because he gave you the absolute best already. He didn't spare his own son. He didn't spare Jesus Christ and say, no, these folks ain't worth it. He chose them, put his love upon them, determined that they would be holy without blame, and he didn't hold back his son at the time. Even Jesus in the garden said, Father, not my will but thine. If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. He knew all that he was going to have to go through and the pain, the physical pain, and the pain of bearing all the sins of all of his people for all time at once. And then to have to cry out, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? To not have that perfect unity with the Father that it always had, except for that moment. He knew what He was going to have to go through, and yet He didn't hold Himself back, and the Father didn't hold Himself back. If He's given you the best, He's delivered up for us all, how shall He not with him, with Christ, freely give us all things?

Now, does that mean I'm going to use God as a genie and say, I'd like my Camaro? No. We're talking about the big picture of the good things: that glorified body, to be holy without blame, to be in his family — the things he promised. He's not going to take those away because he's already given the most important part. Now it's getting to enjoying what he's already accomplished.

Who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? At the judgment day, if Satan pops up and says, no, he's not holy and without blame, who made them just? God did. He's both the just and the justifier. He made them just because Jesus bore that. Who is he that condemneth? Who can sit there as a judge and say guilty? There is no condemnation. It's Christ that died, the one who is the lawful judge of all things. The judge died for you. He is not going to condemn you. He's actually sitting on the right hand of God, making intercession for us, entreating on your behalf now, pleading His case, His righteousness for your benefit now.

Because that's true, do you have to fear? The next few verses describe anything you can possibly think of — a laundry list with a catch-all — nothing is going to be able to undo this work that God the Father has been working since before the world began. This is the pinnacle of assurance that what God has done, He will continue to do and He will accomplish it.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? How long has Christ been loving you? It's the same amount of love that the Father has for the Son and the Father has for you. They've been loving you since way back when, before the world began. You can see that in John 17.

Can any of these things separate you from the love of Christ? The short answer is no, but we're gonna go through it. Can tribulation — tribulation is pressure, burden, anxiety — can that separate you? No. Is any man stronger than God the Father and able to pluck you out of his hand? No. How about distress — a narrow place, stuck between a rock and a hard place? No. Persecution — fleeing because someone is pursuing you — no. Famine — lack of food — no. Nakedness — want of clothing — no. Peril — danger — no. The sword — warfare, execution — no.

Verse 36 — again, an allusion to Psalm 44: For thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Scripture anticipated that we would have trials and afflictions and tribulations and even death for God's sake. Has that been the general norm for Christians over the last 2,000 years? Yes. We're kind of in an exception period where things have been really mild, so it's not a surprise if these things happen for Christ's sake. It's like you're just a sheep that's been sent to the butcher. What chance is that sheep gonna have against the butcher? None. It's just a matter to die. But does that separate you from the love of Christ? No.

Verse 35 — the answer is nay. In all these things we are more than conquerors. That expression is one Greek word — a compound — it basically means super conqueror. Not only do you have a victory over these things, it's a super victory. To be absent from your body is to be present with the Lord. To live is Christ. To die is gain. So no matter what happens, you still win. It still is better to be with the Lord and in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

How? Not by our own strength or intellect — through him that loved us. We know that all things work for the good of them that love the Lord, who are called according to His purpose. This is what He's doing — calling and justifying and glorifying — letting you know what He's done and continues to do.

You've got this woven cable — one long strand with five different strands together — continuing on, and it goes as far as you can go. It's so strong it can't be broken. Yet we look at the winds and the waves, like Peter walking on the water, and he panics. Oh ye of little faith, why did you doubt? The Lord was there standing beside him. Save me, Lord. He's like, I have. You're okay.

Verse 38: For I am persuaded, that means I'm convinced — that neither death nor life... nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is wild. This is such big picture. This is the good news. This is the gospel. Romans 1 started with the gospel telling the righteousness of God, and here you're getting to see the scope of His righteousness and how long this has been in play — choosing and loving people before the world began.

Predestination here only refers to that people and that scenario — being holy and without blame, conformed to His image, having that inheritance. The other context is Christ's work Himself: it was foreordained that He would come in and accomplish His work, that He would by wicked hands be taken. That was determined according to the will of God.

The ditch some folks go into is to ignore predestination altogether. The other ditch is to say He predestinates all things. No. I only have two contexts, and they're linked. Could we be conformed to the image of Christ if Christ hadn't come and suffered and died exactly the way the Father wanted Him to? No. To fulfill that, the work that He was going to do was also set out in advance. That's the comfort. That's the assurance of the gospel. That is the good news.

This is why I'm not saving anybody in this room. But I am telling you how Christ has saved you. And now what do we do in response to that? Because that's the kicker — one thing to learn what he's done, and now, how do I live in a way that brings him glory and honor? This is the good news of Jesus Christ.

Thank you all for your good attention. I know that was a little long, but we got lunch. Y'all stick around. Let's have a song to close.

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This transcript was automatically generated by SermonAudio and has been edited using AI software to adjust only the formatting for readability and add hyperlinks. If there is any difference between the words spoken by the speaker and text, it is inadvertent and the video should be relied upon.

Elder Jonathan Moseley is the Pastor of Fair Haven Primitive Baptist Church located in Tifton, GA.