Romans

[0:00] speaking of the Lord's help I'd like to your attention the words resting on my mind which you will find in the chapter we read the 8th chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans reading verses 33 and 34 verses 33 and 34 who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect it is God that justifies who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died that is written again for even at the right hand of God who also may give intercession for us the apostle in his ministry often used this method of teaching of question and answer our mind goes to his question that lovely question oh dear where is thy sting oh grave where is thy victory and he does not immediately go into any explanation to answer his question he immediately goes to the fainting of all truth

[1:53] I thank God through Jesus Christ it is the most glorious final definite answer in other words it is unanswerable he turned in answering that question oh dear where is thy sting the one who has conquered death and we need to go no further in asking that question oh dear where is thy sting gone in Christ thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ and I was struck in preaching last night and in reading this chapter in the service last evening at Melchor by the method the dear man of God used in these blessed questions that he asks at the end of this eighth chapter he comes to the church at Rome for a series of questions and the first one very simply put what shall we say then to these things simple question that he has just expanded the most glorious truth of the gospel with absolute simplicity praise in these previous verses as whom he did for know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the first born among many brethren moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified then he said what do we say to these things what do we say regarding these sacred truths what do we say in our hearts do we say inwardly yeah these are most glorious truths my heart is drawn toward them here

[5:01] I see the very essence and substance of salvation here I see the glorious work of God in bringing his church to heaven do we see that you know there's abroad in the land a large body of people who studied these doctrines and read volumes of books of great and learned men upon them but where do we stand regarding our knowledge of these truths what do we say to these things I believe what the apostle is saying is this have we entered into experience of he did not know these truths as he had been taught at the feet of Emmanuel he knew them in a vastly different way he knew that he goes on to explain here if God be for us my dear friends

[6:17] I've never learned in the school of intellectual theology what a volume is contained in that word of God before us to God's mercy is the water if his love has been revealed his precious blood has been known in our heart if we felt any sweet access at the throne of grace if we have known any touch of his mercy if we have had any ray of hope given to us then the marble monument of intellectual Calvinism cannot bring us to this place if God be for us when you think of the life of the dear apostle

[7:22] God before us what a truth is contained there God was no longer his enemy he was his friend he was his redeemer he was his advocate and he had entered in for knowledge of his glorious crew electing love and mercy the mighty work of the spirit in regeneration opening his ears his eyes granting him by faith to hear the Lord Jesus Christ divine commandment in his soul leading leading him and bringing him on the road to union with Jesus bringing him into sweet communion why it was God himself who said regarding the apostle behold he prayed what a glorious thing it is when a sinner dead in trespasses and sin is born again of the spirit of God with holy prayer not in the school of intellectual theology not in the repetitions of a prayable but out of his heart not in the language of another but in cries and groans and tears as dear so depart so blessedly said prayer is the upward glancing of an eye when none but

[9:10] God is near and you know behold he prayed there was a movement of the eternal God of whom you have sung tonight father son and holy spirit towards his child and when the apostle penned these words he penned them at one what shall we say then to these things what do you say tonight dear friends do you first of all know the difference between that which is of the flesh and that which is of the spirit to be carnally minded you need to think that is to be worldly or godless you can be religious and carnally minded and there are so many carnally minded professors about today the child of god as under the teaching of the spirit of god before us who can be against them this was the apostle's answer to his question what shall we say to these things these glorious truths he had been brought to know what it was to be called he could see lying at the root of that call sovereign elect in love and mercy there was neither reason for it god had called him as of nature's darkness and set him seeking it was a path a track never to be retraced he was now in it and going forward seeking he would never go back to a place where he was satisfied with a calm profession of the lord's name now he knew a person now he had heard a voice from heaven now he knew an authority now he had a commandment now sin had been revealed to him now it had been shown to him now he had walked through the paths of confession repentance and godly sorrow now he had preached jesus that he is the son of god he had known and understood and he had known in these paths that god was for him what a glorious truth there is contained there this word of god before us contains the atonement it is the word reconciliation god was reconciled to the apostle through the death of his dear son so he's not speaking theoretically here he is speaking experimentally practically out of a knowledge of the revelation of his god in his own soul have you got any revelation of god in your own soul how wisely it is to know jesus to know his power his voice his love his mercy and his blood he that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all

[13:11] how shall he not with him also freely give us all things mercy atoning blood how shall he it is the eternal god who delivered up his own son spared him not says the apostle how shall he not with him freely give us all things what he is saying there is this if you have a hope that god has called you in your knowledge of his dear son then he will freely give you all things so now we come to our text and these are the words that have rested upon our minds who shall lay anything to the charge of god's name you know satan says to god's dear children you're not one of his you never will be he'll never have mercy on you have you heard that where you listen to the voice that say that's his voice he says there's no hope for you give up asking he'll never answer you he says to you your sins are too grave they're sins against life and knowledge you're a double-dyed sinner there's no hope for you give up and go away satan comes to guard your legs and lays a solemn charge against he says to them yours is a hopeless case and he goes further than this and he says to them this you're not one of the elect and you never will be you haven't got a shred of evidence that you're one of

[15:35] God's land my dear friend think of this if if if they obey the son of God he treated the Lord Jesus in just the same way he is the accused of the brethren and I'm sure the apostle had the arch enemy in mind when he penned these words who shall lay anything to the charge of God the next you see there's only one person who can answer him only one who can answer him you can't answer him we wrestle not against flesh and blood his principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places and that's

[16:40] Satan who fell from heaven and he he would come and attack every part of God's work and attempt to destroy it and he never attacks more than when God is just beginning at his dear children then he knows that if he can scrape the tree as it were when it's a sapling at its very root he can destroy it and goes to work on all of God's dear children he never leaves one of them alone you see it's the hallmark and evidence of an intellectual Calvinistic professor that he has no trouble with the world and no trouble with Satan and he has no exercises that is trouble with Satan he is never condemned he rides a high horse of duty faith and he's always sure of himself and he never has to doubt his religion as if any child of

[17:49] God would if he could avoid it he'd long to live in hope and peace but the intellectual professor and they are around us today pours scorn on the child of God or he does I shall never forget when I came out of the army in 1957 I was among some evangelicals for a time it was a time of teaching a very solemn teaching some of it but I walked in great darkness in those days tremendous darkness black darkness in my soul all the temptation fearful attacks of the enemy and I always remember one duty-faced man one good intellectual

[18:49] Calvinist said to me one day when I happened to open my heart to him in a very foolish moment casting pearls before swine he said to me you don't want to look down you want to look out you don't want to look in you want to look out and it stunned me oh it grieved me I felt helpless and dark and condemned and this advice I felt powerless to follow could raise an eye up I couldn't look out always inward I couldn't leave alone the solemn realization in my heart of my inability and sin and iniquity and this was a classic example of Job's comforter he hadn't a clue for a hopeless man he could look out he could look out because no charge had ever been laid against him but you see there's something very blessing here who shall lay anything for the charge of God the left well when satan was put away by

[20:11] Christ he did it by speaking to satan with divine power out of his holy word and the principle is identical now when satan comes to charge godly land and to bring them down under his condemnation it's god who lifts them up with his justifying blood and righteousness and there is I tell you this there is in the experience now I lay this down most firmly of you tonight as one who has walked it out there is and you may not have come here yet but you will one day I know you will there is in the pathway a place where you will come one day and you will say satan have gone and quit my time when the

[21:13] Lord Jesus Christ comes near with his blood into your soul and justifies you and you feel the sweet flowing of that blood over your heart and conscience I remember one night in those years when I was in that darkness and I was told to look out and look up and couldn't that not long after that I was walking one dark night and I can remember exactly the spot in Southampton where this happened and walking in this darkness and weight of sin feeling utterly unable to come to God and suddenly the Lord spoke and never shall I forget it he spoke the words of the hymn law and terror do but harden all the while they work alone but a sense of blood bought pardon soon will melt the heart of stone and you know as those words were spoken with heavenly power and divine power in my soul blood bought pardon melted my heart

[22:32] I've experienced it in the past where on several occasions in great darkness and hardness and temptation the Lord has come here and applied his precious blood with sweet softening power all the liberty the brokenness the contrition the melting that those words brought yes law and terror do but harden all the while they work alone and you will know this whilst you're under the holy law of God you'll know its terror and you'll know its temptations but when the precious blood of crime flows freely over your heart you will enter what this chapter speaks of the glorious liberty of the children of God you'll be free like a bird that had a cave then dear friend you won't need anyone to tell you what to do it'll be done you won't need anyone to say look up or look in you will be able to do it faith will flow to the

[23:46] Lamb of God in glory and you'll worship a carnal intellectual professor knows nothing of it his feet are on this earth and they'll ever stay there unless the Lord opened his eyes and if the Lord opened his eyes he'll be exactly like the apostle Paul he'll understand who shall lay anything to a charge of God's elect it is Christ that blessed his eyes this is the blessed truth and there we come to these words who is he that condemns well I do ask you affectionately here tonight what do you know of condemnation solemn things intellectual professor knows nothing of it he's never been condemned he's condemned tonight condemned for a life that is past do you groan on this do you feel condemnation in the absence of access to your

[25:00] God do you feel that if he sent your soul to hell he'd be judged condemnation a very solemn thing God speaks condemnation into a sinner's heart and as Job said it made me to present the sins of my youth made me to present the solemn thing that is that condemnation God strips away all the facade of religion and shows the sinner his life his soul his disobedience his iniquity that empty profession that mocks God that religion with which he was perfectly satisfied he contends he now he seized his filthy rest that attendance to the house of

[26:05] God which just did and kept conscience quiet but now will not suffice he wants something so much more he longs to be Christ's workmanship he longs to be brought out of this condemnation and you know condemnation is like a man standing on sinking sand when God speaks condemnation to the soul and his holy wrath weighs you down you'll feel he was sinking under and you will be aware that the solemn facile futile talk of duty faith and doing something to save yourself is as hopeless as it is to a man who is sinking in seeking sand and there's no one within a mile of him and he will know just as it is in that case that there's no one can get anywhere near him without sinking in those sands themselves and he needs somebody from above to lift him out who is he that condemned him my dear friends here is one and the apostle as he does in that lovely passage over there where

[27:55] I see he goes straight to the source of one who is able to lift his dear people out of the sinking sand of condemnation that awful valley but the shadow of death and here is one that is Christ that died passed this way himself and you know let us be quite clear on this not that he ever knew one fraction of condemnation for his own sins for there was none he was holy harmless spotless undefiled separate reasons no but he knew the apostle explained it simply he bore our sins in his body on the tree awake those sword against my shepherd and against the man that is my name smite the shepherd there was the rod there was the condemnation the chastisement the punishment which produced our peace was a pardon him and we hear the full wrath of almighty

[29:28] God as we hear these words he is the propitiation for our sins the one who bore the condemnation for them the wrath of God for them he knew this pastor when his dear church enters in to condemnation you you see all vital godliness begins here and all forced religion doesn't begin here that's the difference all those characters in bunion who climbed over the wall climbed over the wall into the way beyond the cross they never passed the cross they never passed through the flower of this pond did they and if they did they went back like pliable the cross was bypassed that it is a sinner knowing condemnation coming to the cross under realization that the eternal son of god was there for that reason to bear his condemnation which is what the apostle had in mind it is christ that died yea rather that it risen again here is the hope of the church of god who and is even who is even at the right hand of god who also make it intercession for my dear friends have you ever stopped for considering when he makes intercession for you he doesn't make intercession for carnal professors he makes intercession for a poor child of god feeling that he is dying in those sinking sands of condemnation thy waves and thy billows have gone over me says the psalmist it is son for whom he makes intercession he spares son they cry out god be merciful to me of sinners save or

[32:08] I perish remember me it is such sacred communion with Christ for a soul who knows reality of sin in his heart and longs for the reality of a saviour for whom Christ died and here that this chapter opens with that lovely word there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus you see the religious world is full of this grateful expression are you a believer and almost feels as though they've said have you signed the articles of faith oh then you're a believer have you been baptized then you're a believer don't doubt your salvation you're a believer my dear friends a child of God wants evidence he does indeed evidence that are not going to be burnt up in the hour and half of death will stand that solemn fire he wants evidence in his soul the mark of the redeemer in his forehead the blood of Christ upon his soul that is what he wants he wants to know this one who ever lived to make intercession because even at the right hand of God he wants to know the blessed power of that intercession in his heart to enable him to draw near to his God because he knows there's no access except through this blessed advocate glorious high priest intercessor before the throne of God on high there is a mercy seat there is an open place before the throne of God there is indeed there is a blood sprinkled mercy seat to which his children come and there they enter in to this blessed truth who is he that condemned this Christ that died that shed his precious blood that he's risen again that he's ascended to glory and that ever lived to make intercession and you know when God's dear children are brought into the precious truth in their own heart then he will show them the blessed spirit of adoption that they are his children which is what they long to know am I here or am I not am I made a real

[35:36] Christian washed in the redeemer's blood have I union to the church of living health that is very solemn what is going on today I heard of a sermon only recently preached in this vicinity in which the minister most solemnly said you should never doubt your salvation you should believe but you know it's lifeless it's dead it's useless it's dust there's nothing in it a child of God wants the precious blood wants the living Christ to be made known to him personally wants to hear the voice of God wants the sweet promises to be applied with heavenly power and life and chew and unction in his soul he dies he won't rest short and this hollow religion which is about to die he shines to him it is meaningless empty afar it is useless and less than useless it is the most solemn blinding and hindrance he wants that which contains the divine hallmark of his

[37:05] God access nearness power life peace hope in his soul and the substance to know my Jesus crucified by far excels all else the time Paul said in his letter of the church that I might know him the power of his resurrection having fellowship with him in his suffering being made conformable unto his death and death somehow it and that that he can see y'all anything about the the going and it my scholarship one figure one has you can hear some things

[38:12] I don't A