The following is a recording of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. For more information, visit gpts.edu. In your Bibles, I'll read Acts 8, 28 through 39. Our text will be the last two-thirds of verse 34. We know that God causes all things to work together for good, those who love God, those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom He predestined, He also called. And these whom He called, He also justified. And these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is he who died. Yes, rather was raised. He was at the right hand of God and who also intercedes for us. who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, just as it is written, for your sake, we're being put to death all day long. We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us, For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thus for God's holy word, our text, the last part of Romans 8, 34. Christ Jesus is he who died for us, yes, rather, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Well, we indeed are living in extraordinary times, times that have not been experienced in our country since World War II, and so that most of us who are living today don't really remember those days. times of a worldwide epidemic that not only has killed tens of thousands of people, but it's basically for the time being shut down the world economy, shut down our own economy. In times like this, indeed, many are filled with not just questions, but with great anxieties, anxieties with respect to your personal health, anxieties with respect to your family, anxieties with respect to your financial situation, your employment, paying your bills, what's going to happen to our economy? Do we go from a pandemic to a Great Depression, similar to that which our country experienced in the 1930s? As a church, what does the future hold for a church in a new age that seems to be coming? When will we be able to be back together? Will the church survive this? And what about the matter of the support for the church with the economy so severely curtailed that more than likely is going to curtail the tithes and offerings of God's people? So what lies in the near future for us? What lies in the far future for us? Well, we know that God is in control. And the surest foundation of that is the fact that He has perfectly accomplished our eternal salvation. We can rest there. We can rest on that foundation, that we belong to God, that we've been purchased by, the Lord Jesus Christ. So in the series in Romans, we pick up this morning here in verse 34, but let me remind you of what Paul is doing, the development of his argument here in this chapter. He has begun with the great declaration with which he now is concluding, therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. By Christ's perfect work, we've been delivered from the condemnation, the guilt of our sin, by the regenerating operation of the Holy Spirit, not only brought into union with Christ, but also to walk in newness of life in the power of the Spirit. So what Paul begins to do here is to discuss what it means first to walk according to the flesh, to the sinful nature. and that we've been delivered from that. And so then he discusses that we're walking in the Spirit. And he discusses the work of the Spirit in our lives in a number of ways. He's the one that makes us spiritual. He's the one that is going to keep us in the separation of body and soul at death and guarantee our resurrection. He's the one working in us to put sin to death. And He is the one who comes to us as the signifier and seal of our adoption. As Paul talks about adoption, he talks about the inheritance that belongs to us in Christ Jesus. And he then kind of takes a funny twist, and he says that with this eternal inheritance that belongs to us in Christ Jesus also comes affliction. In verse 17, if children heirs also, heirs of God, fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, so that we may also be glorified with him. That's strange. at least at first look, that part of our inheritance is this suffering with Christ, enduring to the end. But we've used the analogy of a man who owns a great business, and he has been educating and training his son to take over that business one day. The son finishes his training at university, he comes now, expecting perhaps to get that corner office on the 10th story, and he's assigned to the mailroom. or the janitorial staff, and he slowly must work his way up because his father is training him for his inheritance. That's what the Spirit of God is doing in our lives. He's training us through our trials and afflictions for the glorious inheritance that we are enjoying now, but ultimately should be ours in eternity. And so there's a longing that's stirred up within us, expressed in the creation, expressed in our own hearts, that we are looking for something better and more wonderful than all that we have known here. He tells us that the Holy Spirit Himself, who indwells us as the seal of our adoption and inheritance, is also interceding for us, praying for us, helping us to pray, turning our afflictions by His own prayer to our sanctification. And then he comes to this great statement, this beginning conclusion then of what this is, where our confidence lies. And that is in verse 28, where we began reading today that God works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. So in all of your trials, all the difficulties, and afflictions of your life, spiritually, physically, temporally, the things that you're undergoing right now, all these things are part of the sovereign, loving, and wise purpose of God. And notice the relationship. We love God because He first loved us, but He's working in us according to an eternal purpose. There's not second thoughts here. God has this grand, glorious plan that He's working out. So in verses 29 through 30, he shows us the overview of this plan, that which Spurgeon called the golden chain of salvation, that in eternity God chose us in Christ and in time He redeemed us. He then called us and gave us faith and repentance. He justified us. He adopted us. And He is going to glorify us. And that would include our sanctification as well. Well, with that statement of eternal purpose, Paul then brings us to the climax, the conclusion of this argument of this whole section of the chapter. Verse 31, what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who's against us? He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how will ye not also with him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? a grand and glorious climax, the conclusion of this whole argument with respect to the Spirit's work in us, God's purposes in our life, all to our glory, sanctification, His glory, and honor. So with that challenge that he's laid down with these questions in verses 31 to 34, particularly a taunt, who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies, who is the one who condemns? Well, our text answers that question by showing us the basis, the foundation that we have so that we know that we are freed from condemnation. Thus, in Christ, God is doing all things for us. So in this two-thirds of verse 34, what I want to show you is that the believer's confidence of salvation rest in the perfect work of the Savior, Jesus Christ, in the death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of Jesus Christ, who is the official mediator of the church, so that the believer's confidence rests in the death, resurrection, ascension session, intercession of Jesus the Christ. And I want to show you three things from verse 34. In the first place, that the believer's confidence rests in the official person, Jesus Christ. Second, the believer's confidence rests in the work of the official person, while in his state of humiliation on earth. And third, the confidence of the believer rests in the ascended work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who brings condemnation? Christ Jesus is He who died. You notice in this verse, as we consider the person, that Christ Jesus is highlighted, showing us here that our confidence rests in the official person, Jesus the Christ. So often when you and I read the Bible, We come to the names of God, the names of the Savior, the names of the Spirit, with which we're so familiar, and we do what I call spiritual hopscotch. We jump over those names. We ignore them. They're kind of just a coloring in the background. But that is such a mistake. There's no wasted word, as you would confess in the Bible. every name, every title, every attribute of the triune God used in any passage of scripture is there for a purpose to shed light on what is being said in that passage and to reveal further something of the depth, the profundity of God as He's revealed in those names and titles. Now the name, the title, Jesus the Christ rolls off our lips as easily as the name of our spouse or a child or a parent. But slow down. Why does Paul put this at the beginning of the fourfold work of the Savior that he lays out for us? Well, let's examine the names and let's reverse them. The name Jesus, as you perhaps know, is the personal name of our Savior. So when the angel appeared to Joseph to explain to him what was going on, this child, the Son of the Most High God, was to be named Jesus, which means Jehovah saves. And it was further explained that he is the promised Emmanuel who is God with us. So by the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is teaching us that our Savior personally is God incarnate. The one God and one man, the two natures in one person. And thus, Jesus is the one who is the suitable savior, for he does have our nature, and it's our nature that's under God's wrath and condemnation through the broken covenant of works. And so he's a fit substitute, and that's why he must have this human nature, that he then might substitute himself not for angels, as the writer of the Hebrews says, but for men, for the seed of Abraham. But he is Jehovah who saves, and the God-man is, in fact, completely God as well. And this shows us that he is the sufficient Savior. If we just stop and think about it, a human being could not offer an eternal sacrifice for even one other human being. He could take his place if he were perfect. He could go to hell in his place, but he would remain in hell forever. So how is this mediator going to offer a sacrifice that is with infinite and eternal worth so that the millions of people for whom he died shall be saved for eternity? It's because he is the God-man. And thus, the one person as the God-man, all that he did in that person has divine, infinite, eternal efficacy. Oh, the name Jesus. What a sweet name. What a glorious name. I was thinking this morning about that very familiar hymn, Fairest Lord Jesus. that exalts this name of the Savior. Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature, Son of God and Son of man, thee will I cherish, thee will I honor, thou my soul's glory, joy, and crown. Fair are the meadows, fair are the woodlands, robed in the blooming garb of spring. Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, who makes the woeful heart to sing. Bears the sunshine, bears the moonlight, and all the twinkling starry host, Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer than all the angels heaven can boast. Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations, Son of God and Son of Man, glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be Thine. You see, dear friends, in a very brief description of what it means that our Savior's name is Jesus. We have this unveiling of his beautiful and glorious person and nature on our behalf. That's the name of Jesus. How does it affect you? You hear the name of your husband or wife, the name of a child or a grandchild or a close friend, and it brings a smile to your heart. There's a joy even in the recollection of the name. And what greater joy should be ours? Just to let our minds wander in the wide meadow of the name Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There is no sweeter name. Is it precious to you today? Does it lead you to this place of praise and adoration and wonder and awe? Oh, our Savior is Jesus, the Jehovah who saves, the glorious, wonderful God-man. But we're told here that this Jesus is the Christ. Now Christ is an official name. It is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah. So it's simply saying that he is the Messiah. But that means that he has an official function. He has an office to exercise, and at his baptism, he was anointed for that office, and the Father actually commissioned him as he spoke from heaven. Now the office is absolutely necessary for the salvation of his people. He is prophet, priest, and king. And this takes us back to the garden of Eden before Adam fell. Adam, who in God's image had perfect knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with task in the garden of a priest, and of prophet, and of king. And those tasks were related to the knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. when Adam fell, he for himself and all of us who descend from him by ordinary generation lost this knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. But this was all part of this wise and perfect plan of redemption. For one day, through Jesus, God would restore to us knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, and bring us as His redeemed sons and daughters back into then the exercise in our own spheres of prophet, priest, and king, through the one great prophet, priest, and king. To prepare for that, we then have the development of these three officers in the Old Testament. And they're never in isolation. They always had to do with the furtherance of the redemption, the well-being of the church, and moving inexorably toward the incarnate Savior, Jesus, who will save us from our sins. And so he was the long-expected Jesus, the long-expected Messiah. And thus, it was at his baptism, when he has water poured on his head or sprinkled for the anointing, that the Spirit of God comes upon him in a symbolic form, testifying that now as the anointed office-bearer of God, he has the fullness of Spirit beyond what any other person ever has or will have. This well-beloved Son of God then begins to exercise His ministry as a prophet, a priest, and a king. And when you read of Him in the Scripture being prophet, priest, and king, you need to remember then this anointing, this name Christ. Just a quick review in our Shorter Catechism, 24 through 26, how does Christ execute the office of a prophet? Christ executed the office of a prophet revealing to us by His Word and Spirit the will of God for our salvation. How does Christ execute the office of a priest? Christ executed the office of a priest in his once offering up himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God and in making continual intercession for us. And how does Christ execute the office of a king? Christ executed the office of a king in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us and restraining and conquering all His and our enemies." When you read the title Christ in Scripture, dear friends, these three offices should come to mind. You should meditate on them in the fullness then of the work of our Savior. For what we see now in the title Jesus the Christ is that the incarnate Son of God is perfectly equipped and anointed to do everything necessary in his office of prophet, priest, and king to redeem forever the sons of God, the children of God, so that we who are called will be justified and will be glorified. For example, when it says, reveal to us the will of God for our salvation, that's not talking about our initial conversion, our justification. No, it's talking about all of the Christian life, our dying to sin, being brought into conformity to the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, being kept and taken to heaven forevermore. So you see what a sure foundation, on which such a sure foundation our confidence rests. It's on the official person, Jesus, the Christ. Praise God for his wisdom, for this great and glorious plan of redemption. But now in the last part of this verse, Paul sets before us in two pairs the work of Christ as prophet, priest, and king. The first pair teaches us not only then does our confidence rest in the official person, our confidence rests in his work during his earthly ministry. And so you see the pair, that Jesus the Christ or Christ Jesus is he who died, yes, rather, who was raised. Now, in these two terms, died and raised, the entirety of our Savior's earthly ministry are summed up. And the Spirit would have us never to think about death divorced from the resurrection. It's often a theme with Paul. In Romans 6, or when he later says, earlier, actually, in Romans 4, that He was delivered up for our transgressions and raised for our justification. The two terms together encompass all that Christ did. His death in the first place reminds us of his perfect obedience, for the sacrifice had to be pure and blameless and spotless. And thus he obeyed the law of God perfectly in our place, not only that he might be the perfect sacrifice, but he also might accomplish a perfect righteousness that should be given to us when we are converted. And in his death, as Paul has just said in the previous verses, he was delivered up for us all. Delivered by God the Father to his own wrath. to the ravages of hell itself. So here we have the perfect atoning work of the Savior, who in his death satisfied perfectly the justice of God, but his resurrection, you see, that was his vindication. He'd been put to death as a blasphemer, as a common criminal, as the worst of criminals, but raised from the dead. Christ, then, is exonerated. And in His exoneration is ours. He has been found not guilty. His payment has been accepted. And that's why Paul can say that He was delivered up for our transgressions, but He was raised for our justification. In Him, we are justified. Our sins are pardoned. and we are constituted legally righteous in the sight of God. And in his resurrection then, as we read earlier in Romans 8, the spirit of Christ dwells in us and assures us of our own resurrection as well. And so this great work of Christ in his earthly ministry, that which the catechism refers to in the state of humiliation, this great work of Christ is the foundation of all gospel hope. Is it your foundation, my friend, this morning? On what do you base your acceptance with God? Is it on Christ plus? Yes, I know, I believe in Christ, but do you feel compelled to earn God's acceptance? to get His favor, to stay in His good graces. Well, if you do, you don't understand the reality of what Paul says here. That Christ died for us and has been raised for us. There's nothing that we have to bring. Accept Him as our sin offering. Him as the object of our faith and hope and love. You rest in Christ and Christ alone for your acceptance. Does that make us immune or casual then about obeying God? No. But you don't obey God in order to get his acceptance. You obey God because you now walk in the Spirit, not according to the flesh. The Spirit who regenerated you, brought you into union with Christ, gave you faith and repentance, is the seal of your adoption, who is praying for you, is the one who now is working in you to hunger and thirst for righteousness. Without a gratitude, we obey. That's why Paul says, everyone to whom this confidence belongs, do not walk according to the flesh, but walk according to the Spirit. So I would ask you, are you resting in Christ alone for acceptance? Are you depending upon Christ alone then to be able to offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving for all of his goodness to you? Both things are part of the Christian life, your acceptance, in Christ alone, but your endurance and entrance into heaven is based on that work of the Spirit of Christ in you, which has been guaranteed because you have been chosen in Christ, called in Christ, justified in Christ, glorified in Christ. And so we've seen that our confidence rests in the official person, our confidence rests in his work on earth, But now we see in the second pair, our confidence rest in his work for us in heaven. So Paul then says that he is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. In the first phrase, at the right hand of God, the apostle is summarizing the two great acts of his glorification, his ascension and accession. So 40 days after his resurrection, which was the beginning of his glorification, Christ ascended into heaven, visibly in the sight of the apostles, perhaps even other witnesses. And as he did so, it was the conqueror's triumphal parade. He was taking captivity captive. He had the spoils of his victory accomplished in his death and resurrection. He ascends up to heaven to the applause of the glorious angelic host, to the praise of the souls of the just who are already in heaven. And he enters there in full potentate power and have received now all gifts in order to do everything that his church needs. And he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Now that's a metaphor, it's a figure of speech. And yet what the Holy Spirit wants us to understand is that in our nature as the God-man, he is exalted to the highest possible place of heavenly honor and glory. And there now, as the exalted king, he is exercising his office of prophet and priest, as well as king, and dispensing everything that's necessary through his word and preachers by the Spirit. by His own priestly intercession and application of the Word, and as King, those three glorious things, bringing us to Himself, ruling and defending us, and restraining and conquering His and our enemies. It's from there, the seed on high, that He's poured out His Holy Spirit. He who had the Spirit without measure, has now poured out His Spirit upon His church, which means upon each one of us, as we're born again, we are engrafted into Christ by the Spirit of Christ indwelling us. And if you're a Christian this morning, you can have no more of the Holy Spirit through any other thing than you have immediately upon your conversion. You can grieve the Spirit, you can quench the Spirit, but you can have no more of the Spirit. And then Paul focuses on this last heavenly work. He's interceding for us. What a glorious thing. The king priest now, who is sitting at the right hand of God. It's a lot of the Hebrew says he has entered into the holy of holies with the perfect sacrifice of his own blood through the veil of his own flesh. And he has sat down. sat down with the completed sacrifice, sat down in this place of preeminence, that he now might be the kingly, priestly intercessor. His intercession includes at least three things. It's judicial. As such, he is praying for the application of his work to all of his elect and its efficacy in our lives against all accusations of Satan brought to God against us or brought to our own consciences. As the hymn writer Charles Wesley would write in Arise My Soul Arise, five bleeding wounds he bears. He received on Calvary. They pour out effectual prayers. They strongly plead for me. Forgive him, oh, forgive they cry. Forgive him, oh, forgive they cry. Oh, let that ransomed sinner die. You see, friends, when your conscience plagues you, when Satan would accuse you, you can turn to this great mediator and know that his work is completely effective for you. You are shielded. This, in fact, is the shield of your salvation. It turns away the fiery darts of the evil one, not just temptation, but attacks on conscience, a stealing away of assurance. And so it is judicial intercession. It's also a consecratory intercession. It's for our sanctification. As he prays for his church in John 17, he prays that the Father will sanctify us in truth. And this is a great thought. As Christ is making this continual intercession on our behalf, he's praying for each one of us, for our sanctification. You see, he knows your struggles. your temptations, your weaknesses, your failures. And he has this template of what he is working in you to accomplish. And in no way are you left on your own. And so the Spirit who indwells you, who is interceding for you, who's directing even your trials toward your sanctification, is by the Savior now, in the Savior's prayers, joined with the Spirit's prayers, working in you for sanctification. You get tired, don't you, of your struggle against sin? Time and again, falling into the same temptations. You want to despair. But you see, it's not you. It's Christ who's praying for you. And His prayers will always be effectual. And then it's a mediatorial intercession. And by that, I mean that He is perfuming our prayers. in making them acceptable. We read in Revelation 8 that another angel, verse 3, came and stood at the altar holding a golden censer, and much incense was given to him so he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints went up before God out of the angel's hand. The angel took the censer and filled it with fire on the altar and threw it to the earth. And there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. In the old temple and tabernacle, that altar of incense was right there at the veil of the Holy of Holies. And that was the prayers going before God. And what we see here is Christ's prayers make our prayers acceptable. That's why he said, we pray in his name, that God will do all things for us according to his will. So our confidence you see rest in this perfect work as well. in the work of our Savior in his accession, ascension, and intercession. So the believer's hope clearly rests on Christ Jesus. Believer's hope, his confidence, is based on the death, resurrection, ascension session and intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see this in his person. He is the Christ, the God-man, who is prophet, priest, and king. And the exercise of that office on your behalf, if you're in Christ today, in his death and resurrection, and the application of that work now in the gathering and perfecting of his saints. So go back to that question. If he did this, will he not do all things for us? What would God withhold from you, who has purchased you and brought you into this secure and perfect relationship? Now, foundationally is, dear friend, God has revealed to you that he wants you to have assurance of your salvation. And here's the place you come. Here is where you begin. Here is where you build your life of faith on the perfect work of the perfect Savior. But then you see, with that confidence, that what Paul expresses in verse 28, that all things work together for good to those that love God and are called according to His purpose. We see the eternal purpose of God is our glorification. We see here now the means of that glorification. So nothing then, as we'll see next week, can separate you from this love of God. No pandemic. No financial collapse, no illness, not even death itself, Paul will say, can separate you from the love of God. Nor can the church of the Lord Jesus Christ be destroyed. The gates of hell will not prevail against her. My wife and I are about to wrap up reading numbers in our family worship. And it's interesting, I noted this week that The census is taken at the end of the 38 years in the wilderness. The number of the men 20 years and up is almost exactly the same as the first census. And one of the things I think the Spirit is showing us there is that through trial and tribulation, through many attempts by Satan to destroy the church, that God preserved the church. Yes, a rebellious and stiff-necked church, but God preserved that church in the wilderness. God's gonna preserve his church today. whether it's in China or an Islamic country or North Korea under persecution, or whether it's forbidden right now to gather for public worship except a handful of people. We're built on this perfect rock of Christ, and He shall not fail. Let us pray. We bless your name, holy and triune God, for this great plan of redemption, decreed in eternity, accomplished in time, and applied now to us by the wonderful, precious Holy Spirit. May we find great comfort and challenge in this reality, for Christ's sake. Amen. Thank you for tuning in to this production of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. For more information, please visit gpts.edu.