Bristol Road Baptist Church

31st July 2005 AM

ALSO

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who
love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the
likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also
justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? 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, along with him, graciously give us all things?
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is
God who justifies.
34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who
was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for
us.

Romans 8 28-34

There is a special poignancy to this Sunday’s ministry. I come to the end of

a fairly protracted involvement here at Bristol Road. I want to conclude my
pulpit ministry here with two sermons on the great chapter eight of
Romans.

This morning I want to look at verses 28 to 34 which are the first part of
the paragraph titled “More than conquerors” in the NIV. This passage
begins with the ever popular reference Romans eight twenty-eight. It sets
out the basis for our confidence in the work of God’s grace.

This evening I hope to look at the remaining verses 35-39 in which the
statement about our confidence in Christ comes to it’s glorious conclusion
– NO SEPARATION.

ROMANS 8 28 is often quoted as if it meant “everything works out ok in the

end” – but the textual problems in the verse and the context in which it is
placed require us to do a little digging to establish its true force.

The AV:
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love
God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
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31st July 2005 AM

gives the force of the text with which we are most familiar. But who is at
work here is of greater importance than the “all things”.
This is not a fatalistic statement about everything working out in the end –
it is a statement about God’s sovereign plan for us and for all of His
people.

For that reason I want you to focus this morning on the repeated word
which appears in the NIV – also – for it draws us along until we appreciate
what a wonderful purpose God has, how full of promise it is; and that it is
guaranteed by the work of Christ in interceding for us.

Too often we contemplate the supreme plan of our Sovereign Lord in terms
of our own comfort and relief. We do not see beyond the present difficulties
and we hardly ever have any real regard for the Great Scheme of Things as
God has described it.

We see Romans eight twenty eight almost like a talisman – some kind of
often repeated refrain to offset the trials and tribulations of our mortality.
So we are deeply troubled if God does not answer our specific prayer –
finding that we have to make excuses for God, seeing as how He has not
given us what we asked for! To say that such a view is mistaken is a gross
travesty. What we have here in these wonderful verses is a statement of
our undeserved involvement in a plan so great and so marvellous that the
angels who stand in His presence would give anything to know what it is.
But we see it “through a glass darkly”. We focus on the material “all
things” and not on the “good” – and we are so blinkered by the influence
of a godless society that we think that the plan is only about the here and
the now.

If your life and mine does not seem to be “working for good” just now are
we to assume that there is a mistake? Are we to search for alternative
hopes and more accessible expectations? No! There is no plan so great
as God’s plan – no process so wonderful in its completeness, no promise so
full of hope, and no ministry like that of our interceding Lord Jesus!

So let us try to catch a glimpse this morning of the wonder of what Paul is
saying. Let us try to stand beside him as he peers expectantly into the
vision framed by these verses. Let us try to capture a better understanding
of what it means to have God on our side! The ALSO's of the passage
draw us inexorably to the Central Figure of our Faith – the One who
intercedes for us.

This is GOD’S MASTER PLAN

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31st July 2005 AM

• The Process 29,30 “the likeness of His Son”

• The Provision 32 “not sparing His Son”
• The Personal Saviour 34 “Christ who died..risen..is
interceding”

God’s master plan is set out in the familiar wording of v28

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who
love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

It is expanded:-

The Process vv 29 & 30

29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the

likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also
justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Four “also”s emphasise the process:

Foreknew
Predestined
Called
Justified
Glorified

The work of God centres in the Son – the overruling purpose is for us to be
LIKE HIM so that His family will grow.

ALL of these processes, some of them arousing curiosity and controversy

reinforce God’s intent to mould us – like the Potter we were considering
earlier – make us again – make us TO BE CONFORMED TO THE LIKENESS
OF HIS SON.

At last we see what God intends – and the “good” of which verse 28 spoke.

It presents a balanced and rounded combination of God’s actions in

eternity and today and in the future.
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31st July 2005 AM

Foreknew In the mind of God

Predestined In the will of God
Called In the Gospel of God
Justified In the work of Christ’s death
Glorified In the work of Christ’s final triumph.

We are too easily made short-sighted by the patterns of thought in our

world. We too easily interpret the wonder of the Gospel in terms of how we
experience it and how it changes us locally – we need to see the LARGER
PICTURE of a Great Plan being worked out from eternity.

We too easily see the work of Salvation as something which we experience

– when the Lord would have us see it is at the heart of the Great Design of
the universe and the world of mankind and everything.

His grand design gives us comfort in a world of shifting views, of changing

circumstances and of constant threats.

As Paul says elsewhere – what He has begun in us he will complete!

It has to do with us being made LIKE CHRIST! Nothing less.

The Provision vv 31,32 “not sparing His Son”

31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? 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, along with him, graciously give us all things?

The fifth also brings us to the foot of the cross.

The wonder of God’s purpose being worked out in us provokes the

question:

“How shall we respond?”

For such a plan is unstoppable and this introduces the second great strand
here:

32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—
how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
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Paul loves to state things in the negative so that the emphasis is clear:

If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our
condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is
there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?
THE MESSAGE

There is absolutely nothing meagre or half-hearted about this provision for

us.

1. It is breathtaking in its scope

31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us,

who can be against us?

If you place the reality of Christ’s work and God’s amazing grace against
any background whatsoever you are left with the incredible conclusion :

With God on our side – invincible!

If God did that – then there is nothing He cannot provide for us.

2. It is amazingly costly

32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all

Did God withhold anything?

Did God give Him in part only?

Did the Lord Jesus enter into human experience partially?

Did He suffer only a little?

If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition
and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else
he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?

Everything on the line for us….

3. It is altogether sufficient
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along with him, graciously give us all things?

This is a favourite phrase of Paul ALL THINGS

NO half measures

NO limit

A Personal Intercessor 33,34 “Christ who

died”

33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has
chosen? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than
that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also
interceding for us.

The final also homes in on Jesus Himself.

Paul, having paused at the foot of the cross moves on to place our
confidence in CHRIST HIMSELF

He returns to one of his other favourite words JUSTIFY – to the one used in
v30
And declares the restatement of the opening verse of the chapter in this
verse 33

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in

Christ Jesus,
33
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
It is God who justifies

It is God who justifies

There is no charge to be faced

There is no condemnation to dread

How can this be?

It is all in JESUS
 Bristol Road Baptist Church
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Paul steps into the COURTROOM

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It
is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who
died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand
of God and is also interceding for us.

God’s Great Plan is to make us like His Son – to declare us publicly where
all can see the evidence.
Who is the accuser that can stand against us?

What charge can be brought when God has Himself made righteous?

Who could possibly accuse – when Christ has DONE IT ALL?

Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is
at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

What a glorious conclusion to the paragraph before us – we are the subject

of Gods Great Plan – and the object of the Lord Jesus’ intercession

Christ – who died

More than that who was raised to life
Is at the right hand of God
IS ALSO INTERCEDING FOR US

It is not a static plan – but a gracious dynamic in which my Lord Jesus

constantly
Speaks on my behalf.

This is the GREAT PLAN

And it focuses throughout upon the Person of Christ

To be in His LIKENESS

To be provided out of the UNSPARING GENEROSITY of God who spared not

His Son

To be represented by the One who DIED, LIVES and IS INTERCEDING.

 Bristol Road Baptist Church
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31st July 2005 AM

Do I need anything else?

we know that in all things God works for the good of those who
love him, who have been called according to his purpose.