Assurance When Times are Hard

- one of the questions that often comes up during a time of trial or worldwide emergency is, Is God mad at us?...

- humanly speaking, if there was ever a time men and women around our world – literally – might be open to discussing spiritual things, this might be it…

- if that’s the case, then people like you and me would want to be as prepared as possible to communicate God’s Word well…

- like so often in theology and other areas of life, the truth lies somewhere between two unhelpful and unbiblical extremes…

1. Some might respond to the question “Is God mad at us” by saying things like…

- no, God is a God of love, He is never angry with anyone, He has nothing to do with calamity or disease…

- I suppose that sounds and feels temporarily reassuring, like eating a candy bar on an empty stomach…

- but are statements like that true?...and if so, what would we do a passage like…Psalm 7:11 - God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day.

- what do we do with the book of Job, which may be the oldest book of the Bible written – which addresses this question head-on by pulling back the curtain and showing that while our adversary Satan was the originator of the calamity that occurred in Job’s life and family, our sovereign God allowed it for His eternal purposes?...

- how important is it that Job’s affirmation in the last chapter of this incredible book includes these words - Job 42:2 - I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.

- or Psalm 135:6 - Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

- or Isaiah 45:7 (ESV) - I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.

- or Ephesians 1:10-11 - …In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will…

- that’s just a small sampling of verses in Scripture that affirm the sovereignty of God…which when rightly understood can be a marvelous source of comfort and hope every day and especially when times are hard…

- so if we suggested to anyone, at any time that the God of the Bible has nothing to do with COVID-19, we would not be representing Him well…

- at the very time when a person’s heart might be open to thinking about where a personal relationship with God could and should fit into their existence because so many other sources of potential hope were proving unreliable…the last thing we would want to do is ignore clear biblical truth and important spiritual realities…

2. However, on the other hand – what’s the other extreme we would have to avoid as well?...saying that we can know for certain specifically why God may be allowing something to happen in another person’s life or even our own…

- well, you sinned in a particular way and that’s why you didn’t get the job…

- or you cheated on your taxes and that’s why your lawnmower broke down…

- the principle is – just because God is up to something and can use calamity in every person’s life…that does not mean we can know specifically why the Lord allowed anything to occur in your life or anyone else’s…

- or if something bad happens, that’s proof they are worse than someone else…

- so then where does that leave us?...

– by telling ourselves and others … use the uncertainly and pain of life to take the steps to establish a personal relationship with God through faith in Christ…or if you’re a Christian already, use times like this to move closer to God and develop greater conformity to the likeness of His Son…

- in other words, let the fire have its purifying effect…

- we see that balance played out perfectly in the way Jesus handled this exact same question…

- Do you remember in the gospel of Luke…that a group of people reported to Jesus that Pilate had killed a group of Galileans and mixed their blood with his pagan sacrifices?...

- and the assumption was – the Galileans who had been put to death were greater sinners than those who weren’t…

- therefore if I’m a Galilean who survived…I must be better than they were and God is more pleased with me than with them…

- do you remember Christ’s response?...

- Luke 13:2–3 - And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

- there’s the point – that’s the balance -- we can’t know exactly why God allowed that to happen to that particular group of Galileans…and it’s certainly not because they were worse than someone else [Jesus specifically answers that particular question with a “no”]…

- but on the other hand – don’t waste the way God could use that in your life…

- repent – turn to God while you have the breath to do so…

- let that calamity move you closer to the Lord and the kind of life that pleases and honors Him…

- then to be sure the point was clear…he raised a second example…do you remember what it was…the Tower of Siloam…

- Luke 13:4–5 - “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

- I’m hoping and praying, and you probably are too – that this time of terrible calamity will be used of the Lord to draw many people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ…

- Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- John 11:25–26 - Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

- John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

- but what about for a person who has placed his/her faith in Christ?...

- you know, times like this can really play with our minds…you know, maybe God is against me even as one of His children…maybe He’s condemning me for my failures…maybe He doesn’t even love me?...

- do you now what followers of Jesus Christ need right now?...to learn to sing a song of assurance…a song of security…and that’s exactly what we find beginning in Romans 8:31…

- with that in mind, please open your bible if you already haven’t to Romans chapter 8…

- we set out at the beginning of this year to Celebrating God’s Truth…wow, did that turn out to be providential!...

- can you imagine if we had said in January – and the reason you’ll need to do this because in 3 months you won’t have much else to celebrate…

- college sports will be shut down…in fact the colleges will be closed…

- and professional sports will be shuttered as well…

- no restaurants…many won’t be able to go to work or school or concerts or plays…

- no church services…in fact the government will order you to stay inside your house…

- so we better celebrate God’s truth because that will be one of the few things we have left…you would have looked at me like I had just arrived from Mars…

- well, here we are – our lives have been turned upside down…but you know what, we can still celebrate… 1 Peter 1:23–25 - for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you.

- now, I know what you’re thinking…and isn’t it amazing that my ability to read your mind has not in any way diminished even though we haven’t seen each other for over a month?...

- does Pastor Viars love us so much that he has prepared a quiz to help us think our way through the book of Romans?...

- and the answer is – absolutely…but this time we’re going to do it differently…we’re going to try to identify the location of key verses or key concepts from this book…

- so let’s try to match the verses on the right with the passages on the left:

1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel

1:21 Even though they knew God, they did not honor Him…(speaking of the immoral)

2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment (speaking to the moral)

2:29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit; not the letter (speaking to the religious)

3:26 So that he would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus

4:1 What shall we say then, that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?

5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

6:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus

7:19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want

8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

- I would encourage you to consider a couple of activities during this COVID-19 lockdown..

1. Why not pick a key verse from each chapter, or section, and work at committing it to memory?

2. Or make some flashcards and quiz each other about the key verses and where they are located…there may be some senses in which COVID-19 allows us to celebrate God’s truth in ways we would have never imagined…

- now, for our purposes this am – we’re talking about -

- read Romans 8:31-39

- undoubtedly you saw the 5 questions Paul posed…

v. 31 – If God is for us, who can be against us?

v. 32 - …how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

v. 33 – Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?

v. 34 – Who is he that condemns?

v. 35 – Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

- you can categorize those questions around these three powerful themes…

- worry – maybe God’s not for me…

- guilt – maybe someone can bring a charge against me…

- doubt – maybe God doesn’t love me…

- and all of that is intensified during times of suffering…and remember, that’s what chapter 8 is about…

- Romans 8:17–18 - and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

- so let’s talk about Assurance When Times are Hard…and with the time we have remaining, looks for 3 ways the gospel strengthens us during times of adversity

I. When Suffering Produces Worry – Remember God’s Sufficient Provision – 8:31-32

- in his commentary on Romans 8-16, Tim Keller says of the verses before us – The purpose of the questions is to almost beat us out of our disbelief [or more simply stated – to convince us] that we are saved totally by grace and are therefore completely safe to face life without fear. It is incredible, relentless, intense logic—it is what Lloyd Jones [that is Martyn Lloyd Jones from Great Britain] calls logic on fire! (Tim Keller, Romans 8-16, p. 55).

- so let’s think our way through what we have before us… Romans 8:31 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

- in the Bible’s original language, the word “if” could literally be translated “since”…that part isn’t in question for a genuine follower of Jesus Christ…but…

A. There are many answers to the question “who is against us?”.

- we know that the…

1. The world is against us

- John 17:14 - I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

- an opinion piece in the NY Times on March 27^th claimed that evangelical Christians were the reason the government wasn’t further ahead in its COVID-19 response…that kind of sounds like someone who’s against us…

2. Our flesh

- we’ve already seen that clearly and repeatedly in the previous chapters…

- Romans 7:24 - Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

- we are in a spiritual battle against the composite of sinful habits of our inner and outer man that still exists this side of heaven and has to be continually addressed with the truth of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit…

3. Our adversary the devil

- I’m summarizing for sake of time, but Revelation 12:10 affirms… Revelation 12:10 - Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

- that will b a happy day for sure…

- so on the one hand, there’s a lot to worry about…will I have enough strength, wisdom, and provision during a time of adversity?...

- but Paul’s point is – if you are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ – because there has been a definite time in your life where you admitted your sin and placed your faith and trust in Him…none of those things can successful defeat you – Don’t worry today, and don’t worry any day – because the God and heaven and earth is for you…which is why the logic continues in verse 32 by affirming…

B. All those potential worries melt at the foot of the cross.

- Romans 8:32 - 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?

- It is as if Paul is challenging us to place all the possible enemies we can think of on one-half of an old-fashioned balance scale, as if we were weighing peanuts. Then, when we have all the peanuts assembled on the scale, he throws an anvil onto the other side of the balance. That side comes crashing down, and the peanuts are scattered. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Who can stand against God? The answer is “nobody.“ Nothing can defeat us if the Almighty God of the universe is on our side. (James Montgomery Boice, Romans 5-8, P. 953)

- if God already gave us His very best….he didn’t even spare His own Son who died on our behalf…

C. God has promised to freely give us all things.

- in other words – worry during a time of adversity is a choice to doubt God’s willingness and ability to keep His promises.

- or stated positively – when you choose to trust God when times are hard, you’re allowing the gospel to impact and inform your heart and life in a way that puts worry in its rightful place…

- let’s think about that corporately for a minute…you probably know that lawsuits are being filed to force governmental leaders into allowing churches to begin meeting publicly again…

- without a doubt, there are some very interesting civil liberty issues playing out on many fronts right now…

- but I wonder if some churches are not demanding to have public worship services because they are worried about their financial health…or whether they will even have a church at all when all of this over…

- and we’re not going to judge anyone else – for on in individual and corporate level, can we all agree that followers of Jesus Christ ought to be leading the way in not being consumed with worry during COVID-19 because of the powerful realities of the gospel…

- and I believe when the church demands to have public worship services during a health pandemic with a highly infectious disease…they play into two of the worst stereotypes imaginable…

1. That we deny or fear or disrespect good science…

- here’s some full disclosure…I barely passed high school biology…and I haven’t gotten a medical degree in the last 4 weeks…

- and we would be utter fools not to take full advantage of the medical expertise that we have in our church, in our community, in our state, country, and world…

- and as we’ve said as soon as this pandemic erupted – please pray for those on the front lines…and we’re going to listen to and submit to them…

- this is our sixth Sunday without having a public worship service – actually our 7^th service if you count Good Friday…

- we stopped on March 15^th…out of an abundance of caution…

- on March 22^nd, a pastor in another part of the country held a public service and announced God is more powerful than the virus…which is theologically true but he used it to ignore the place of science in this discussion…

- you say, how’s he doing?...he died last week…and several others around him are fighting for their lives…

2. But there’s an even more insidious issue here – and that is that the stereotype that Christians only care about themselves…and have no concern for their neighbors…

- another pastor demanded to keep having public services by saying…Christians aren’t afraid to die…which again, in one sense is true – but what’s the problem with using that truth as a reason to keep churches open right now?...

- it’s like a person who’s driving a car you’re in going 100 miles an hour saying…I’m not afraid to die…

- good for you…but I don’t want to be in your car right now…

- and here’s what we all have to understand…we’re all in the same car…

- you say – you mean us and the Presbyterians…yep, and the Methodists?...yep…and who else…every agnostic and atheist and everyone else…

- the choices churches make right now can potentially effect the entire community…all our schools, all our employers, all our unsaved neighbors…

- and the point is – if worry about the future of our church caused us to rush the reopening of our public services…a church our size could do incredible damage to this community…

- let’s allow the gospel to guide us…let’s allow Romans 8 to strengthen us…

- when suffering produces worry, remember God’s sufficient provision…

- the church of Jesus Christ ought to be the least worried entity on earth right now – corporately or individually…

II. When Suffering Produces Guilt, Remember God’s Comprehensive Pardon – 8:33-34

- what about the person who would say – well, my concern isn’t God’s provision…but maybe this is happening to me because of my sin?...

- again, we have to find a biblical balance on that…

A. God does use adversity as a means of discipline and purification for His children.

- cf. Hebrews 12:1-17

- in fact, Scriptures teaches that’s actually a proof of sonship when our heavenly Father disciplines us…

- and it’s always wise to ask…can this pain and uncertainty reveal ways I need to grow?...

- but on the assumption that you’ve done that, or continue to do that…the verses before us warn against allowing someone to put you on a guilt trip…or even for you to do that to yourself…and the principle is…

B. No one can successfully bring a charge that adversity proves a child of God lost his/her salvation.

- if time allowed, we could develop the point much fuller about how our adversary loves to accuse us and cast doubts in our hearts…

- you may have some people around you who love to jump on the band wagon too…

- in fact, you may do it to yourself…

- this is one of the greatest reasons why anyone listening to this message who has not yet trusted Christ as Lord and Savior should do so without delay…

- it’s why Jesus said – repent or you will likewise perish…

- because what happens when a person repents and believes?...

1. Because God is the one who justifies

- Romans 8:33 - Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;

- this has been one of the central points of this entire book…

- we’re not saved by our works…because we could never be good enough…

- we’re saved when we admit our sin, and trust the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as our only means of redemption…

- and when we do that – who justifies us?...do we justify ourselves?...

- what does the key verse we saw earlier in our quiz tell us?...

- Romans 3:26 - …so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

- that’s why chapter 8 begins with the precious promise… Romans 8:1 - Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

- not any condemnation that will stand…and that’s as true during a time of adversity as it is when times are good…

2. Christ is the One who died and was raised

- Romans 8:34 - who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised…

- Jesus drank the cup of your condemnation…all of that was nailed to the cross…

- and please remember this – that cross is empty today…that is why you will never see a cross with Jesus still on it anywhere in our church…and because He was raised…where is He today and what is He doing?...right now, during COVID-19…

3. Christ Jesus is at God’s right hand interceding for us.

- Romans 8:34 - who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

- do you have anyone praying for you right now?...and I hope you would – well, my pastors are, my deacon is, my friends and loved ones are…great, and are you encouraged by that?...absolutely…

- who else is praying for you?...the crucified, risen Christ…

- and please don’t allow misplaced guilt prevent you from rejoicing in that aspect of gospel assurance even when times are hard…

III. When Suffering Produces Doubt, Remember God’s Unconditional Love – 8:35-39

- these final verses of Romans chapter 8 bring incredible comfort and encouragement to men and women who are flowers of Jesus Christ…

- but I want to be sure I’m being crystal clear about this – these are verses to be claimed by those who have been washed in the blood of the lamb…

- I had someone from the community say to me at the grocery store the other day – through a mask – but aren’t we all going to the same place?...

- this is not a time for a lack of precision in medicine…and its not a time for a lack of precision in theology…

- friend, if you don’t know that you know that you know that there has been a definite time when you repented [remember Jesus’s straightforward words about the Tower od Siloam] – I would urge you to do that right now…

- because part of the beauty of the gospel is because then, in Christ, you can claim these promises as your own…

A. Regardless of the circumstances

- you might want to pick up a commentary this week and study the meaning of each of these words – they are packed with power and meaning…

- tribulation – thlipsis – being squeezed or placed under pressure

- distress – stenochoria – compound of words meaning “narrow” and “space,” carrying the idea of strict confinement, of being helplessly hemmed in (MacArthur, Romans 1-8. P. 511)

- but even when you feel like that…what does verse 37 proclaim?...you can be

B. Fully assured of the outcome

- Romans 8:37 - But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

- hupernikao - a compound verb that literally means to hyper-conquer, to over-conquer, to conquer, as it were, with success to spare (MacArthur, Romans 1-8. P. 514)

- and please remember – this chapter started out speaking about the power of the Holy Spirt who lives in us…

- but the more certain we are about his unconditional love, the bolder we are to face adversity with confidence…

- [develop ways that is true in our church family right now…]

C. Because nothing can separate us from His love

- Romans 8:38–39 - 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.

- we began this am talking about God’s sovereignty…

- do you think it’s accident that back in November, we chose the annual theme that we did – celebrating God’s truth?...

- do you think it’s an accident that back in November, we planned that on this particular Sunday, we would study the final verses of Romans 8?...

- can we easily insert COVID-19 into this list…[repeat the passage…]