Our Father in heaven, we thank you that in Christ, indeed, we are more than conquerors. But Father in heaven, we thank you that indeed, tonight, as your word is read and preached, that Lord God, you have sent to do us your spirit, who enables us to understand and illumines the truth that you put before us on the page. We ask, O Father, that you will indeed give us eyes to hear, or eyes to see. Give us light tonight, Father, in heaven, that the things, the great mysteries that have been, O Lord, may not continue to be concealed. Lord, that we may know the great joy and life that is found in our Lord Jesus Christ, and that our hearts may resound with great joy. In Him alone we pray, in Christ's name, amen. Tonight our passage is from Romans chapter eight. We'll be looking at verses 33 through 34. We continue in the second to the last series or study that we have in this series of the winter of our assurance. Winter's obviously over, so I think we can get to the end of this. But nevertheless, found on page 944 of your ESVP Bible, probably 945, we're on the other page now in my Bible at least. I remind you to keep your Bibles open. There will be a couple of things that we will be looking to. They are underlined in your order of worship in the outline, but nevertheless, let us hear this, for it is the word of God. It is inerrant and infallible. Let us hear it with great reverence. Lay this truth upon our hearts. We seek to practice in our lives with exceeding joy. Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who shall condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died. More than that, who was raised, who's at the right hand of God, who is interceding for us. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God endures forever. You may be seated. Questions are an excellent way for us to begin to get at the heart of what we know and believe. In fact, that's one of the things that my Hebrew professor used to teach us when we were going through a class called Hebrew Exegesis. Basically, we would sit down with the text, having translated it, and as we're making our way through, we would ask questions about what is in the passage. In fact, my family They've often noted in books that I used to read back in seminaries, I didn't just save that for Exit Jesus class. I actually would put questions in the margin and interact and sometimes even argue with the person who was writing. But nevertheless, Paul obviously has picked up the same ideas. He is a very good teacher himself. But the reason for it is, is because this is especially helpful in allowing us to take to heart the several, the assurances that we have been given over the past two months. For instance, last week, as we began with a series of questions in verse 31 and 32, we were first asked if God is for us, who could be against us? And that's because if God did not spare His Son, but gave Him up for us all, it would lead us to ask, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? I want you to see that because this assurance comes as we think through what God the Father has graciously done for sinners. And so as we near the end of Romans chapter eight, Paul continues to ask questions to help sharpen our focus. And the reason for that is, there have been a couple times we've compared our study here of mountain climbers who were going up a very steep grade, and as they continually, or they continue in joyful anticipation of the summit, that they nevertheless need to keep in the back of their minds that their surroundings are not always the most safe place. And yes, we may have a good understanding of the grounds of assurance, but one of the things that the Christian needs to always understand is that we are those who are always prone to fall. And one of the causes that I think tends to come more than anything else, one of the things that really kind of overcomes us often, is the guilt because of sin. Now granted, believers, particularly I would say within our church, do know the way to deal with sin. And simply, it is to come before the Lord humbly and repent. to turn by faith from sin to the Lord and to receive His forgiveness. But the question often arises when we come to that very simple answer, well, what about when I continue to be plagued by past sin for which I have already repented? I want you to note that that is the reason for the questions that we're going to be hearing tonight in part. Because Paul will ask us, who will bring a charge against God's elect? Who's going to make an accusation against you when you are already forgiven? Or worse, who is there to condemn you? And I want you to notice that because both of those questions are going to deliberately and precisely point to the conscience. And we tend to think of what is a conscience? A good definition that I have for it is basically that it is an internal moral alarm that makes us aware of wrongdoing. Sometimes it's what we hear of God laying the law on our hearts. And it kind of reminds me of actually what was my first real day in ministry ever. I remember I had picked up a key for this bottom room for this low-income apartment complex down near Atlanta. I was going to go in and teach the first Bible study I'd ever taught. Goodness, that was probably a long time ago. What I found as I went down there on that morning, I was getting there at eight o'clock, because if you know me, I get everywhere about 20 minutes early at least. And I go down there, unlock the door, and as I open the door, I could hear the alarm. And it wasn't incredibly loud, but I knew that if it wasn't incredibly loud, it most likely was down at the police station. So, closed the door back, climbed up the stairs, went back there and stood on the curb and waited until the police, who came very quickly, to come. And honestly, one of the things that I had forgotten to do is to ask if there was an alarm, or to mention if there was, because honestly, it was a place that seemed well, that would really need that. But I want you to notice that much like my experience with this and probably some other alarms as well, that when tripped, they can result in overwhelming feelings of guilt because of what we are either doing at the time, or in most cases, what we have done in the past. And yes, it's the Holy Spirit who often sounds that alarm to make us aware of our sin so that we will turn from it and die to it. In fact, that's what we've already seen before in this chapter when we looked at verse 13, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if you live according to the Spirit, you will put to death the deeds of the body and you will live. And it's the Spirit of God in verse 14 who leads us into doing this. But I want us to see, brothers and sisters, just kind of as a brief aside, it means that if we still feel guilt for our sin that has been repented over, on the one hand, it means that we either do not trust that God has forgiven us, which is why we do need a conscience that is informed by Scripture so that we'll understand that for those who repent of their sin, with sincerity, even if it is not in utter perfection, that God nevertheless, as He has promised, will cast our sin as far as east as from west and remember it no more. In fact, R.C. Sproul used to go so far as to say that if we are still concerned whether or not God has forgiven sin for which we have repented, then we need to go to Him again and repent for our lack of trust in Him to forgive us. But on the other hand, I'd like for us to note that if we still feel guilt for the sin that has been repented, then we need to understand that there might actually be another factor involved. And I want us to see it because our passage discusses this factor. And I want you to know that because if you see what Paul is asking in these questions tonight, it is not what accuses, not what condemns, but rather who accuses and who condemns. In fact, that's something we've already touched on before last week. In verse 31, who can be against us? Or as we will hear in two weeks in verse 35, who can separate us from the love of God? So what we're finding here is that Paul's not talking about a what, he's talking about a who, an individual. And I want you to note that because as he makes this contrast, what he's doing here is he's making a contrast between the triune God who has saved us and continues to work in us so that we will be assured of our salvation and the activity of Satan. The word Satan is basically the word for adversary, but more literally, it is the word that means one who throws things at you. Now, we might be wondering, well, what is it that he's going to be throwing at us? Very simply, it's slanderous accusations. In fact, in Revelation 12, we're told that the devil is the accuser of the brothers. In fact, that's something we actually do see in Job 1, as Satan comes before God as the sons of God, or the angels and the demons both appear before God. And here, Satan begins accusing Job, who God held up as a great and righteous man. But notice that the angle that Satan works from here is that he only fears you because of the possessions that he has, because of the life you've given him. You take those things away and he will curse you to your face. Brothers and sisters, understand that since the all-knowing God cannot be deceived, notice that Satan himself finds his greatest opportunity against us in making personal accusations. and being well aware of who we are, that Satan does know how and when best to hit us. Of course, we hear in Zechariah chapter three of Joshua the high priest, that as he stands before God, that Satan is there too, making much of the filthy garments that he is wearing. That they speak to some of his moral character in a sense that what we're finding here, in the sense that he's asking him, what kind of servant are you? How can you be a servant of God, particularly one who is a high priest, if you are such a mess? In fact, that sometimes comes into our own lives today as we hear him make accusations. How in the world, after what you just said or thought or done, how can you call yourself a Christian? Or for pastors, particularly, what right do you have to preach? What right do you have for people to call you, of all things, reverend? But let us understand here that while the assault can be direct, and for things that are very apparent, things that we ourselves know, remember that the deceiver has other schemes that are a lot more subtle. In fact, borrowing from a passage from John Bunyan's book, Pilgrim's Progress, here Christian, who is the main character of the story, a believer in this allegory, that it is said of him that I took notice that now poor Christian was so confounded that he did not know his own voice. And thus I perceived it. Just when he was over the mouth of the burning pit, one of the wicked ones got behind him, stepped up softly and whisperingly, suggesting many grievous blasphemies to him, which he verily thought had proceeded from his own mind. This put Christian more to it than anything else that he had met before, even to think that he should now blaspheme him that he loved so much before, yet if he could have helped it, he would not have done it. He had neither discretion either to stop his ears or to know from whence the blasphemy came. And I say that because, honestly, this is something, I don't know about you, but I know of myself, this is something that is experienced by the believer. But so is what Bunyan goes on to say of Christian, that he traveled for a considerable time in sorrow. That when we begin to see this and think, how am I capable of this? It has a way of knocking our legs out from under us. But let us note that Satan understands our deceitful hearts and that things like this can reside within the deep depths of all of them. But at times when things come out of nowhere against us, much like what we hear in the wording of our Westminster Confession of Faith in regards to the suggestions of Satan, that these often have a way of luring us to wonder, why in the world did I think that? But I want you to note that it's so that later that the enemy may come and accuse us of hating God and making us think, well, it's probably because you're not really saved. And that's an important thing for us to understand, because the Holy Spirit does convict the believer of sin. That is part of what He does. He has done it with us before. He continues to do it now. But what I want us to see is how very different that is from what we see of the devil. That the devil who disguises himself, as we hear in 2 Corinthians 11, as an angel of light, that he comes to us as if he were our friend and condemns us. But what do we find within Romans 8? What have we found throughout all of Scripture is that the Holy Spirit doesn't. That's what we hear in verse 33, that who can bring any charge against God's elect? Notice that the key word in this passage is the word elect. Those who are partakers intimately of the plan of God at his initiation. And I want you to hear that because this is where we need to be asking ourselves if we are those who have loved or have been those who have loved God, if we know that we are those who are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, Why would God ever bring an accusation against us? Why would He ever do that? And the reason for that is, is that He answers, it is God who justifies. And I want you to think about that for a minute, because thinking is really key to what we're looking at in these very short passages this morning, or this evening. Notice that there here is an amazing reality, but one that we often tend to forget. that we have been declared to be as righteous as Christ, and now God the Father sees us as he sees Christ himself and all of his perfections because of Jesus' sacrifice for us, which has been applied by the Holy Spirit, that he has made us to be perfectly acceptable in him forever. But what we find with Christians often Though we have been declared not guilty is that we will experience guilt over sin that we commit against our God. And the reason for that is, is just because we are justified does not mean that our sin becomes something that is a lower level of sin, or a hollow sin, or a phantom sin. It really is sin. And because we do sin, and because we are susceptible to the suggestions of Satan and accusations that at times just chip away at our resolve and weigh heavily upon us, that we need to understand why Satan does this. Why does Satan do this? Well, very simply, even as we see with Eve in the garden, as the serpent came to her, it's to try to force us to prove him wrong, to try to have an argument with someone who is far older and wiser and has far more knowledge and insight than we do ourselves. But notice that the only way that we're able to get around these accusations, well, you're not really a Christian because of X, Y, and Z, is to begin to list all of the things that we have done. to, in a sense, resort back to what we see in Luke chapter 11 with the Pharisee who goes to list off to God all the virtues of his resume. And I want us to hear that tonight because while it may seem like the best thing we can do, well, uh-uh, I've done this and this and this. Let us understand the more and more we begin listing our resumes, the more and more indefensible our position becomes. Because all that the enemy has to do is point out the truth that is obviously before each and every one of us, is that we sin daily. And with thought, word, and deed, he's able to make a strong case that we are still under condemnation. What change has really come to you? Why do you still sin if you are a believer? And I think that's very interesting, because before Satan led us to believe that sin, in our former lives before Christ, Satan often led us to believe that our sin was nothing. But now he is always going to go to the point of actually showing us that sin is everything. And the reason is, is because sin is everything. It is worthy of eternal condemnation, but for the Christian, our best defense is simply to retreat back to Christ, to claim Him and to rest in Him who has done everything that is necessary to remove sin from our account, everything, whether it be past, present, or future, that the God who justifies tells us that you are as saved as you will ever be and sealed in this. And I want you to note that because Satan seldom leads us to think that God has just all of a sudden stopped loving us, but that we have so deeply disappointed him and that we need to do something right now to try to repair this relationship, which usually involves doing more, trying harder to clean up our act or keep ourselves in the kingdom, which is a fine definition of legalism. And because it is easy to get into our head that, well, if I don't do this, or if I don't pay God back, that He will pay me back. Brothers and sisters, we get into this awful, vicious cycle of trying to please God through our own works instead of coming through His own Son. In fact, there was a good friend of mine who, inadvertently quoting Bunyan at one point in time, told me that if you really think that you need to pay back God before he pays you back, then you've just believed a lie from the pit. But difference, that's why the Christian must be careful with the conscience. our own and with the consciences of others because it's an alarm that at times can be overly sensitive and lead us to blow things out of proportion. Meaning that we can experience guilt over things that are not sin. And again, That's why it's important for us to note that the basis for our assurance is always Scripture, so that when we hear the Holy Spirit convict us of sin, that we won't, on the one hand, sear our consciences by quenching the Spirit, by going contrary to what He calls us to do and what God has called us in His Word and He is working in us to will and to do. Or on the other hand, by responding with works to try to make it up to God. Dear friends, I think the best thing for us to understand is that with the enemy, with the evil one, Satan, we need to understand that he works in guilt like a master painter works in oils or watercolors. But the Christian knowing how God deals with our sin, is to simply cling by faith to Christ and trust the Word, particularly that what we hear in 1 John 1, 9, that if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. How often do we think of when we come confessing our sins and we think, well, maybe there's something left out there, do we not believe that our God is faithful? And what makes us believe that He is faithful? That what He has done to bring about forgiveness of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness is to take upon Himself the justice of God. That is faithfulness. And it shows us in every single way and every time when we begin to think that there's something of me that needs to be in this to make God pass or to pacify God. We need to remember that that passage and what we are looking at tonight shows us that every bit of this is God's work. And I ask us tonight, what is our response when the world and the devil suggest to us that we are hypocrites because we sin and they're not wrong? Is our response the same as when the Holy Spirit convicts us of blatant sin? Meaning, do we present God with a list of our own good deeds and things that we think were kind of good and helpful to get us through, or simply do we turn our focus away from ourselves and fix our eyes secondly on the God who justifies? I want you to think about that for a minute, because God is the only sovereign judge, meaning that he is the only one who is able to condemn And I think that's important because usually the one who emphasizes condemnation more heavily is Satan himself, and it's not something that he is able to do, that he is with those who are condemned, that he is one who will continue to sway those who are condemned. And I want you to hear that because the way that things are, that this is why. that we're able to say, as we have said since the first time we started this back at the end of last year, this is why we're able to say that there's now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This is the reason why we're able to say that, because being justified, Satan has no basis for any accusation against us. And that's what Paul makes clear as he asks four questions in our passage. There's not four questions in here, but understand that this is what we want to work through here this evening. Because these four questions point us to Jesus Christ and what He has done to justify us so that when Satan levels charges against us, that we don't get flustered and go into a tailspin. And I want you to hear that because the first question that Paul again asks us is simply, who died for your sins? And simply the answer here that he gives is Christ Jesus, who is the only mediator between God and man because He Himself is the only one who is God and man. And being that perfect substitute whose death has atoned for our sin, note that by faith that the condemnation, the eternal punishment is removed from our account because it has been placed or accounted to Christ. But notice that in addition to Jesus's crucifixion, more than that, we secondly are told who was raised. And again, the answer is Christ Jesus. And why is that? Because if Christ only died for our sin and has not been raised, as we hear in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul tells us that your faith is futile and you're still in your sin. But because the resurrection of Jesus is a public testimony, that God has required, pardon me, it's a public testimony that declares that all that God required of the mediator has been accomplished. In a sense, it is proof of His righteousness and that His death is something that has been accepted, and now He proves Himself to be as we heard back in Romans chapter 325, that He is both just and justifier of the one who has faith in Christ. And because we hear in chapter 425 of Romans that He has been raised for our justification. He proves His atonement has sufficiently paid the price for our sin, and this Christ has been vindicated from all accusations, so we as believers know, or have strong assurance in the fact, that being united to Christ, that we will be raised also. But thirdly, let us also take to heart The question that asks, who sits at the right hand of God? Now mind you, the interesting thing about these questions is this is like kindergarten Sunday school lesson kind of answers that we have here. And notice that Paul, a highly intelligent individual, is doing this on purpose. That he's saying, who sits at the right hand of God? Simply put, it's Christ Jesus who is ascended. And here again, he is confirming that all authority in heaven and on earth has been indeed given to him and that he reigns over all things and all things for that reason work for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. And that's the reason why we are told in Hebrews chapter 10 that the work is now finished. And I love the way that the writer of Hebrews expresses this. In fact, if you'll turn with me briefly to Hebrews 10, 11 through 14, that here in discussion of the sacrifice that Christ has made, contrasting that with what they see in the Old Testament sacrificial system, in Hebrews 10, verse 11, the writer of Hebrews tells us that every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, day in and day out, morning and evening, with every person who comes through, which can never take away sins. It's meant to be monotonous on purpose to emphasize the truth of what the sacrificial system in the Old Testament is to a certain extent we're going to be hearing when we get to Leviticus in a few weeks, that this is what it brought. But the contrast here that he makes is that when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sin, He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies should be made His footstool for His feet. One of the most beautiful things, and I picked this up when I preached this, goodness, a long time ago, about 20 years ago, that the commentators said the most interesting thing about this passage to him is that Jesus sat down. Now, we don't think much about that, particularly the fact that he's ascended and sitting at the right hand of God, but the priests never did sit down. We're gonna find that they are on the move all day. This is hard, laborious, nasty work that they have to engage in and never, While they're on duty, do they ever get a break? They're constantly up, walking, hauling, doing what the priest are called to do, but they never sit down. There's no place to sit down on any of the furnishings of the temple. But here we're told that Jesus makes one offering for all time, himself. And because it was acceptable to God that he sat down at the right hand of God, and that he is only waiting until his enemy should be made a footstool for his feet until God gives him everything. It's the name above all names. And that's why in verse 14, he sums this up by saying, for by a single offering, he is perfected for all time, those who are being sanctified. Dear friends, what he's telling us here through Jesus' ascension is that it is finished. Again, and that Christ rules over all. But finally, the last question that we'll hear this evening is, who is interceding for us? And again, the beautiful refrain that comes up for the fourth time is Christ Jesus. And yes, he is the advocate that we have for the Father, meaning that he is always immediately before the throne of grace as the physical representation of our pardon and the reason our prayers are heard. That he takes to the Father as his own our prayers, as if he is saying himself and saying that I have done everything for this one. Listen to them as you have listened to me. But understand that because, yes, Christ does serve as our advocate, but the thing we need to see here is that because Christ loves us, that he himself loves us and he himself prays for us. And I want you to hear that because the example that we're given here Or a couple of examples that we see of that, of Jesus praying for us, yes, is what we hear in Luke 23, when He cries out on the cross, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they're doing. But for me, probably the more startling and frightening situation in which these prayers are coming is something that we're completely unaware of what's taking place in Luke 22, 31, where Jesus, after Peter is saying again and again, I'm going to be with you to death, I'm never going to deny you. He turns to Peter and says, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to have you He has accused you, He has condemned you for the Father, so that He may sift you like wheat, to shake you loose till there's nothing left. And for me, this is probably one of the most horrifying things you hear in all of Scripture, to know that this is something that is really taking place. But the great comfort that comes as a result of that is Jesus saying, I have prayed for you. that your faith may not fail, and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." And I want us to note that because the Lord of glory has done all that is required for our salvation, and He prays for you. so that when we are hard-pressed under the assault of the evil one, that we can be assured, even as Joshua the high priest, as we see in Zechariah 3, verse four, that when Christ covers his sin and rebukes Satan and the silence that Satan, and silences Satan. And the reason for that is, is because this is how our conscience is silenced. is when Satan is silenced, when Satan is rebuked. And that silence, mind you, is a terribly important thing for us. because in a sense, that's precisely what we hear in Isaiah chapter 50, verses eight and nine. This is one of the servant songs. If you have your Bibles, this is the last thing we're turning to tonight, but Isaiah 50, verses eight, actually through 10. Servant songs are four different parts of Isaiah where what we see is that he is giving to us a glimpse of who Christ is and a picture of what he endured when he was accused and condemned for us. And so what we begin to hear in verse eight and nine, and honestly, you're going to see exactly how biblical Paul is because these questions that are being asked here are almost exactly the same as what Paul has been asking us tonight. He says, he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God helps me. Who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment, like the moth will eat them up. And I want us to hear that tonight, because understand that in times, as we hear in verse 10, as we walk in darkness, and the world, and particularly the devil, accuses us and condemns us in a way that sticks, and it seems as if we have no light. Notice what we find in verse 10, as this speaks to us of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is He who is here asking these questions. who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant. Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. Because Christ has shown us this first, that we who are trusting in him are able to do this in him and in his strength. And I ask us tonight, is that something that we have dealt with lately? Because yes, we may attribute many difficulties to enemies, foreign, domestic, physical, spiritual, but let us understand that there is indeed a greater adversary who works in a very personal way against us. And so let us consider that while the assault may be great, and guilt of our sin that personally weighs on us may be discouraging and disturbing, that because Christ has worked in a very personal way and we are in Him, these attacks can do absolutely nothing. Yes, they are harsh. They are burdensome. They are frightening. They are painful. They are nerve-wracking. And that's because they are meant to turn us in on ourselves. But we need to understand tonight that they ultimately are futile. For as John himself, the disciple whom Jesus loved, tells us in his first epistle, chapter three, that whenever our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything. Dear friends, we are to put all these things in His hands, not just anyone's, but the one who has justified us, because He is Christ Jesus our Lord. Let's go to Him now in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, You are a God who indeed is our protector and our defender. We thank you, Heavenly Father, that Christ, being our King, that his great desire is to keep and to bless his people. We ask tonight, Father in Heaven, that you will let us know always that Christ is for us and that no one could be against us, and that we who are his, O Lord, though we are beaten down, that, Lord, you continue to lift the head of your humble people and those who desire to serve you and bring honor to you. Help us, Heavenly Father, not to relent, not in our own works merely, but in works that are in Christ and with joy of delighting in Him. Father, help us tonight as we go through the week that is ahead, as we feel as if we may be marked by the evil one, certainly, as we see the harshness of this world in our own flesh. condemning us, O Lord, let us remember that God is greater than our hearts and that He knows everything, including us, and that He has sent Christ to die for our sin. Let us look to Him and trust in Christ, we ask. Amen.