The Hymn of Security, Part 1
Romans 8:31-34
Well let's open our Bibles to Romans 8 and begin at least what will have to be a great adventure for us as we come to the conclusion of this monumental eighth chapter. And honestly, one would think that Paul had already said everything that could possibly be said about the believer's security.
If you've been with us in our series in Romans 8, you know that he's been talking about the security of the believer throughout this chapter. And especially did he climax his teaching on that in Verses 28 through 30. And our study of those verses has proven, at least in my own heart, to be the greatest experience that I've ever had in my life in understanding the security of the believer.
In fact, by the time you're finished with Verses 28 to 30, you are sure nothing more could be said. And that's when Paul drops another nine verses on us just to say he isn't quite finished yet. There is more. And he closes this chapter with really just an incredible crescendo of questions and answers to conclude his teaching on the doctrine of security.
He really wants to nail this truth down. It is as if he anticipates that this truth is going to be rejected. It's as if he anticipates that are going to be objectors who are going to bring up their objections. It's as if he knows full well under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that people are going to come along and say, "No, you're not sure in Christ. You could lose your salvation. There are those persons who could take it away from you. There are those circumstances that could cause you to abandon it."
He knows that that's going to happen. And so he reacts to that by giving us further words in Verses 31 to 39. And although it is a part of his argument, it comes off as a great crescendo, a triumphant hymn of security. But it isn't just emotion. And it isn't just praise. It's also a very important part of his presentation.
Now let me just pick up some past thought for you. The concept of the security of the believer was really introduced in Chapter 5. Because in Chapter 5, Paul was beginning to talk about the results of justification. And in the fifth chapter, he said the results of justification are these, "peace with God, standing in grace, hope of glory, assurance of love, certainty of deliverance, and joy."
And when we studied those results of justification or salvation in Chapter 5, we noted at that time that those things also speak very, very clearly to the issue of security. If we have peace with God, we're secure with Him. If we stand in grace and grace covers our sin, then we're secure. If we have the hope of the glory then we're secure.
If we have the assurance of God's undying love, we're secure. If we have the promise of His deliverance, we're secure. And if we have joy in God, it is because we are secure. So we saw him really introduce indirectly the doctrine of security in Chapter 5. But it is in Chapter 8 that he makes a direct hit on this marvelous doctrine of the security of the believer. And we've been going through this chapter and seeing how secure we are in Christ because of the plan of God, the work of the Christ, and the work particularly of the Holy Spirit.
So Chapter 8, then, is an unequalled presentation on the eternal security of everyone who embraces the Gospel of Jesus Christ in faith. Now as the case has been mounting, for me anyway, it came to a great climax in Verses 28 to 30. But he isn't done. Now comes the Coup de grace. And he ascends even beyond that through this great hymn of triumph, this great hymn of security. And it is the final element in this presentation.
Now here's what he does. Any classical presentation or argumentation of theology must anticipate its objections. For example, very often when you read a theology or you read a commentary you will find that the writer will present his view. And then he will present the opposing views, anticipate what they are, and the rebut them.
Now that's just classical technique in presenting an airtight argument. And that is exactly what Paul does in the final verses of Romans 8. He anticipates the objections that could come, and answers them all, and literally defangs and defuses the enemy. He takes the argument right out of the enemy's mouth, articulates it, and argues against it. And, therefore, silence is any possible objector.
Now the whole thing begins with the question -- look at Verse 31. And you hardly need and outline here because you're taken through this thing so very clearly by the text itself. "What shall we then say to these things?" Now that's the question. What is our response? We have just heart the unbelievable reality, unbelievable to the human mind, that all things that work together for good to them that love God, to them that who are the called according to His purpose, because God has set in motion that He has got everybody who is planned by His foreknowledge in eternity past to be glorified in eternity future.
We are secure in the fact, then, that if God predetermined that we would be glorified, everything in the middle's gonna work out for our glory and our good. That marvelous thought has been our thought over the last few weeks. And now He says, "So what do we say to that? What do we say to the teaching about eternal security or the perseverance of the saints?" That is that they, having been saved, will persevere all the way to glory. What do we say about that? What is our reaction? What is our conclusion? What is our response?
I think the phrase "these things" simply refers to the truths about our eternal security. It could go beyond that and encompass the whole doctrine of justification by faith because that doctrine includes security as well. But I think he's particularly emphasizing the fact that we are eternally secure once we're redeemed. How do we respond? Well in the back of his mind, he knows that some are going to object to that.
Some people are going to say, "No, we're not secure. We can lose our salvation. We could commit certain sins or God could to certain things or the Devil could do certain things or Christ might be upset with us because of the way we're living. Maybe demons or temptation from the world or the flesh could encroach upon us and we could chose to walk away from the things of God in disobedience. We might even change our mind about things.
We might be tempted to be drawn away. And so the objector will say, "Well, there is a possibility that we could lose, so we object to that doctrine." And so Paul wants to answer that objector. In fact, the objections that Paul deals with are obvious and very comprehensive. Basically, they could be divided into two categories. Some people object and say, "Yes, you can lose your salvation because there are certain persons who could take it away."
Secondly, there are certain circumstances that could cause it to be rejected. Or you can only have persons or circumstances. And so in that sense, his argument is rather comprehensive. Let's talk about persons. Are there any persons anywhere who could remove our salvation under any circumstances? Verse 31 to 34 deals with that. Let's pick it up again in Verse 31. "What shall we say then to these things?" What's our response? Well somebody might come along and say, "Well, God could always take it back. Or maybe the devil could take it back."
In other words, if we fall prey to Satan, he would put us in a position where we would forfeit our salvation and God would remove it because we've chosen to disobey. And so his response that anticipated objection, without ever stating the objection, he just says, "If God be for us," what? "Who can be against us?" And that's the way he deals with that objection. Well somebody might take away our salvation. And so he says, "Well, if God is for us," here it comes, "who, just who could do that?"
I mean, the who, who did that would have to overcome the God who was for us. Whoever it is that's against our salvation would have to overcome the God who's for it, right? You know any person who can overcome God? That's a tremendous statement. Is there any persona anywhere in the universe who can remove our no condemnation status? Is there anyone who's stronger than God? Is there anyone who's greater than God? Is there anyone who's purer than God? Is there anyone who has a higher standard than God, a more holy obligation than God, a greater law than God?
Is there anyone beyond God who can take away our salvation or cause it to be removed? How 'bout the Judaisers, could they do it to the Galatians when they accused them of not really being saved because they hadn't kept the Mosaic law being circumcised and obeying all the law? Did they really take away their salvation? How 'bout the Roman Catholic church when it excommunicates someone for a mortal sin?
Do they remove salvation if, in fact, that person possesses that? They have removed certain people from their church, excommunicated them, and burned them at the stake because they believed in the doctrine of justification by faith. In doing that, do they take their sin away? Can the Roman church take their salvation away? Can the Judaisers remove salvation? How 'bout us, ourselves? Can we remove our own salvation?
Let's be honest about it. There are folks who would like to get us away from Christ, right? Very often, I'm sure that there are people who have unsaved family members who would like to draw them away from Christ, who would like them to lose their salvation. Secular educators in our country and secular philosophers and hedonistic people and those who live for the flesh would like to draw us away from Christ and abandoned us to the things of lust, pride.
Legalists would like to draw us away from the purity of the Gospel. Cults, false prophets, false teachers, false religion, Satan, demons. There are plenty of persons who would like to do that. They would like to draw us away from salvation and cause it to be lost. But will God ever release us? Are those who are against us greater than the God who is, what? For us? Certainly not. and so the objection that there might be some persons who would take us away, some person strong enough to remove us, some persons who are so against us that they could pull us away.
He says, "Well, if God's for us, who could possibly successfully be against us?" And that's the idea. Who could possibly, successfully be against us? Let me give you an illustration. Turn in your Bible to Luke 22 for a moment. In Luke 22:31 our Lord Jesus is speaking to Peter. And whenever Peter acted in a less-than-obedient manner, He called him by his old name, Simon. He was acting like his old self and the Lord said, "Simon, Simon. Behold, Satan has desired you that he may sift you as wheat. Satan wants you. That's right." Now Satan is the most powerful personage in the universe outside of God and the Trinity, right? The most powerful.
He is the highest of all the fallen angels. And in the sense of being outside the sphere of that which is holy and pure and the angelic host, He's the most powerful. And Satan desires the believer, not just Peter, but all believers. But Verse 32 says, "But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not." Who'd He pray to? To the Father. "And when thou art turned around, strengthen thy brethren."
When you come out of this test, then you can strengthen others. What is the Lord assuming? This His prayer is going to be what? Answered. Why? Because he knows the heart of the Father. He knows the mind of the Father. And He knows there's no power in the universe, not even Satan himself, who could ever wrest -- W‑R‑E‑S‑T -- a believer from the arms of God. If God is for us, who can successfully be against us? The answer to the question is no one. Absolutely no one can be against us. Some people will try, as I said.
Matthew 10 gives us another illustration. "For I am cometh," it says in Verse 35, "to set a man that that variant against his father, and his daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And the man's foes shall be they of his own household." Sometimes it's the household. A lady said to me this morning, "I have just gone through a tragedy in my life and I came here to meet God. My husband doesn't believe and doesn't me to be here. But I'm here anyway because I need God." And there is that family pull very frequently.
And so the Lord says, "A man's foes will be they of his own household. But if you're willing," He says, "to lose your life and pay the price, you'll find it if you'll come to Me in spite of that. You'll be wonderfully and eternally rewarded." So we have those who are against you.
In Acts 20, there's another illustration in Verse 29. And here it occurs even in the church as Paul speaks to the Ephesians elders, he says, "I know this, that after my departing grievance wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. And their desire is," it says in Verse 30, "along with those of your own selves who rise up speaking perverse things, to draw you away."
I mean, believe me, Satan and all of his demons and all of his agents in the world, and all those who are a part of his kingdom of darkness would like to cause believers to lose their salvation. It may be directly from Satan. It may be from his demons. It may be from your family. It may be false teachers that rise up in the fellowship or that hit the fellowship from the outside. But who can be against us if God is for us? Right?
You say, "Well I'd like to know if God is for us." Have you been reading Romans with us? God is for us. That's the whole point. Paul doesn't even prove that in Romans 8. He doesn't even make a statement to affirm it. He just says, "If God before us," and by the way that's what we call a conditional particle, A) if signifying a fulfilled condition. And it should be better translated.
And you might just mark in your margins, "since God is for us." Since God is for us, who can harm us? Anybody more powerful than God? There's so many scriptures that speak to this issue. But let me just have you look with me at two Psalms. Psalm 27, Psalm 27. It starts this way, "The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I," what? "Fear." I mean if the Lord is my salvation, who is greater than the Lord? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? And what's the answer? No one.
"When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes come upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. And though any should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. The war should rise against me, in this shall I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and inquire in His temple."
In other words, he says, "When I came to the Lord I wanted to come on these terms, that all my life I would be in His presence. That all my days I would dwell in the house of the Lord. That always I would behold His beauty. And I came to Him on those terms and He took me on those terms." That's the implication. "And so I have no fear."
Verse 5, "For in the time of trouble, He'll hide me in His pavilion. In the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me. He'll set me up upon a rock." In other words, there's no way you can get to this guy. He's protected. He's insulated. He's covered. "And so now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies 'round about me. Therefore, will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy. I will sing, 'Yea,' I will sing praises unto the Lord." What a great thought.
And he closes in Verse 14 by saying, "Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage and He shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I said in the Lord." Do you have a weak heart and you feel you might turn against the Lord in times of doubt. Wait on the Lord. He'll strengthen your heart. He never lets go of His own. And no one is more powerful than He is.
Go to Psalm 46, Psalm 46. Verse 1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried to the midst of the sea. Though the waters there of roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." We're not afraid of that.
Verse 10, "Be still. Know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I'll be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge." He's for us. I want you to notice the 40th chapter of Isaiah, such comforting words, the 40th of Isaiah.
It says, "It is He who sits," in Verse 22, "It's He who sits on the circle of the earth and the inhabitants there of like grasshoppers who stretcheth out to Heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in, who brings the princes to nothing. He makes the judges of earth as vanitea. They shall not be planted. Ye, they shall not be sewn. Ye, their stock shall not take root in the earth. And He also shall blow upon them and they shall wither and the world wind shall take them away like stubble. To whom then will you liken Me? Or to whom shall I be equal?" What's the answer? No one, no one.
"So lift up your eyes on high and behold who hath created these things. Who bringeth out their host by number. He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for He is strong in power." Verse 28, "Hast thou not known? Has thou not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator, the end of the earth, faint if not neither is weary? There's no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the faint. And those who have no might, He increases strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary. Young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Strength is there for those who are weak and weary because who is like the Lord," he says. No one.
God is for us. Romans 3:21 to 8:30. All that entire section tells us God is for us. God is for us. He sent His Son to redeem us. God has so loved us that His Son came into the world to purchase our salvation. God is for us. And because God is for us, no one, no time, under any circumstance can successfully be against us. We are ultimately -- mark it somewhere, will ya? We are ultimately invincible. We are ultimately invincible.
I love what God said to Abraham in Chapter 15, I think Verse 1, "I am thy shield." Tremendous. A shield goes out in front of the soldier to deflect the blow so that they never touch the soldier. God says, "I got in front of you. I'm your shield." And God had told the children of Israel on several occasions, "When you go to battle, I go in front of you."
That's why very often when they fought, the choir went in front of the army, if you can imagine that. Because God was out front. The angel said to Gideon, "The Lord is with thee. The Lord is with thee." "All men forsook me," said Paul, "but the Lord stood by me." And God said, you remember, "Fear not, Paul, for I am with thee." Oh what a comfort.
"Fear not, for I am with thee." Do you remember the word of the Old Testament, "Fear not for they that be with us are more than they that be with them"? God is for us. God is for us. Who can be against us successfully? Absolutely no one. Absolutely no one. What a tremendous confidence. Now look at Verse 32. "He that spared not His own son but delivered Him up for us all. How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
Now somebody might come in and say, "Oh, yes. God is gonna protect you as long as he's for us. But God might stop being for you." Who's to say that God isn't gonna look at you and say, "This guy's more trouble than he's worth. If I'd a known this when he came in, I wouldn't have accepted it."
If we're going to believe that men are saved by their own act and that God's simply responding to their act, maybe God responds finally, by saying, "They're not really living the way I want. I'm just gonna put them back out again." Maybe God is the one. Maybe God is the one person who could remove our salvation. God is the one person who could just push us out.
Say, "You're not good enough to stay in. You're not good enough to say in here. You've sinned and you've been disobedient and so forth. And you really can't stay. You're gonna go out. I gave it and I'm taking it back." And so in Verse 32 He says, "Look. He that spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all. How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
I mean if He had to give us His Son to save us when we were wretched sinners, don't you think He'd do lesser things to keep us now that we're in? I mean, if He did the greatest thing to redeem us, will He do less than that to keep us? It's a very typical argument of Paul's. It's an argument from the greater to the lesser. That's its essential character. Very typical.
And he is saying, "If God loved us enough when we were wretched, vile sinners, to give His only Son on the cross to redeem us, won't He give less things than the gift of His Son to keep us? If He would do that to save us, wouldn't He do whatever it takes to keep us that's less than that?" That's Paul's argument.
Now you have to keep this in mind that the reason God gave His Son for us is very simple, one basic primary overarching motive. It is this. "God so," what? "Loved, that He gave His only begotten Son," John 3:16. God gave His Son be He loved. And He loved us when we were wretched. He loves us when we hated Him.
He loved us so much He gave the greatest thing that He could give. He gave Himself in the form of His Son on the cross. His love is so strong. His love is so far beyond our ability to conceive