Sermon: Great Truths to Anchor Our Souls On

The Lord would like to speak to us this morning from the book of Romans. So please stand with me to Romans chapter number eight, uh, verses 31 up to 39,

Romans chapter number eight, uh, verses 31 up to 39, the word of the Lord. What then shall we say to these things if God is for us, who can be against us? He who do not spare his own son, but gave him our for our soul, how we did order so with him graciously give us all things. Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies, who is to condemn Christ. Jesus is the one who died more than that, who was raised,

who is at the right hand of God, who is indeed interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sought as it is written for your sake. We are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as ship to be slaughtered. No. In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us For I'm sure that neither death, no life,

no angels, no rurals, no things present, no things to come. No powers, no height, no death, no anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our ward, all men are like grass. They grass with us. The flowers fade. But the word of our God shall stand forever. Amen. Let us pray. Dear you heaven, any father, we do thank you for this morning. We thank you for the privilege for us together.

And Lord, we have read your words. We have prayed your words, we have sung your words. And now Lord, we pause that you may speak to us from your words. Holy Spirit, may you come and open this word before us. Grant us ears to hear, grant us eyes to see and has to receive what you have prepared for us in your word. Thank you, Lord, that you can use a weaker and a sinful verse like myself, uh, to bring this precious word to your people.

And Lord, we pray that may the meditation of our hearts and the words of my mouth be acceptable before you our God and redeem in Christ Jesus. Amen. On Monday, November 24th, 1572, as the great Scottish reformer, John Knox was dying, he asked his wife to read for him, John 17, and he said, go read where I cast my first anchor. I believe that every Christian, just like John Knox, should have some passages of scripture that act as an anchor

for their souls. Uh, for me, Romans eight verses 31 to 39, has been an anchor for my soul in the past six years as I've read the work of planting churches in our beautiful country of Malawi. In the past six years of our work in Malawi, we have experienced many joys, but also we have experienced sorrows. But the, but the great truth of this passage that we have read this morning has been of great encouragement and comfort, both in my personal life

and in ministry as well, whether it is walking alongside our ruling elder who lost his wife in a tragic road accident, whether it means navigating through church conflict, whether it means canceling a college student, battling various addictions in his life, and the least goes on and on and on. Romans eight verse three, one to three nine has been a great passage to cast my anchor on, and I believe it's the same with you,

universal Reform Church, you've, you've gone through your own trials as well, difficult times. Uh, your senior pastor, my dear friend, uh, Jason, uh, fighting cancer, you as a church going through some difficult situations, uh, you as individuals having your own burdens to carry experiencing various trials. I believe that this morning as we look together, uh, this passage, you also find it to be a place where you can cast your anchor in the middle

of whatever you are going through. So this morning, with the help of the Lord, I'd like us to reflect on our passage under the title, the Great Truth to cast our anchors on the Great Truth to cast our anchors on. And we're going to look at three points. First, the great power of God. Second, the great gift of God. And third, the great love of God. The great power of God, the great gift of God and the great love of God.

Now just a quick and brief background to our passage before we look at the three points in the last half of Romans chapter number eight, Paul is discussing the, the Christian experience, uh, in relation to suffering in this world. Uh, you notice in verse 18 of number eight, Paul writes, for, I consider that the suffering of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed. Paul is looking at the suffering

that we experience in this world, and he say, this cannot be compared to the glory that is to be revealed when Christ comes. And then again, he goes on in verse uh, uh, 22 and he says, for we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the parents of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who are the first fruits of the Spirit groan inwardly as we G wait for adoptions as sons,

the redemption of our bodies. Paul, he says, as we are going through this life, as we are experiencing various trials, we groan, the creation is already groaning because has been subjected to our sin, but even us as well, even though we have been redeemed in Christ, we've groan together with creation, longing for that day when Christ will come and take us to be with him in glory. Now, as we experience that suffering, as we, as we groan,

Paul says, here are three great truths that you can cast your uncle on in the middle of your suffering and groaning. And the first truth that Apostle Paul gives us in this passage is the great power of God, the great power of God. And we see that in verse 31. When he says, why then shall we say to these things, if God is for us, who can be against us? What shall we say to these things as we are experiencing things that make us groan,

as we experience suffering on this side of heaven, what are we to say to these things? And you notice Paul answers that question with another question, uh, in the same verse, if God is for us, who can be against us? And Paul says, well consider who God is, how great and powerful our God is if he is for us, who can be against us. And for goes on actually towards the end of this passage. And he says of this chapter number eight, he says, well,

actually this power of God that is, that working us makes us more than conquer us in Christ Jesus. So friends, this is one of the greatest truths that we can cast our anchors on as we navigate through various kinds of trials on this side of heaven, the great power of God in the midst of our suffering, in the midst of our groaning, certain will try hard to make us doubt this truth. He will work hard at making us lose our faith.

But the good news is that he cannot prevail. He cannot make us lose our faith because the powerful God is for us and is hoarding us with his mighty hands. And that's the comfort. We are not the one holding on to God. He's the one holding on to us with his powerful and mighty hands. And because of that, we know that we can stand to the end. Matthew Henry puts it well here, let's set and do his worst, his chain. Let the world do his worst. He's conquered.

Prosperities and powers are spoiled and disarmed and triumphed over in the cross of Christ, who then dares fight against us while God himself is fighting for us. If God is for us who can be against us. And because God is for us, we, we can sing that um, that contemporary hymn with confidence. Say, when I fear that my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast. When the temp would prevail, he will hold me fast. I could never keep my hold through.

Life's fearful path for my love is often called. He must hold me fast. He will hold me fast. He will hold me fast for my Savior loves me, so he will hold me fast. If God is for us, who can be against us. And that's the first truth that Paul tells us. The power of God cast your anchor on this power of God. And the second truth that he tells us is the great gift of God, the great gift of God. And we see that in verse two.

He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he know our soul with him graciously give us or things for here reminds us all the greatest gifts we have ever received from the Father, his own son, Jesus Christ. And the point that Paul is making in this verse is that if God has given us the highest, if God has given us the best, if God has given us the greatest, the most precious gift, his own son Jesus Christ, should we think

that he can spare anything else from us? And that's the question that Paul asks us. Do you think he can fail to give you the power you need to remain faithful to the end? Should I or should you think that God can withhold the grace that we need so that our faith should not fail? And the answer is no. He has given us the best. He has given us the greatest, as the Puritan used to say, in Christ, heaven has given its best

that it can give no more. There's no more to give. This is the best that we have received. So if God has given us the best, can he keep anything else from us which is good for us? And the answer is, no friends in Christ, we have a guarantee of God's goodness. Christ is our assurance that God will never spare anything good from us. He will never spell that because he has given us his own son. Now, I don't know about you,

but for me, if I'm to confess this morning, one of my greatest sin is to think less highly of Christ and to think less of what God has done for me in Christ, may the Lord forgive me for this sin because he has done the best in his own son Jesus Christ. Because if I think messai this gift of Jesus Christ, anything else will seem too small for God not to give.

So let me ask you, what is the greatest gift that you have ever received from God? Maybe you say, well, my spouse, my children, my family, the church, we praise the Lord, these are good gifts. Well, maybe you say my salvation. I thank the Lord for my salvation. We praise the Lord for our salvation. It is a great gift, but it's not the greatest gift. Jesus is the greatest gift that God has given us. And Professor John Murray puts it well.

However precious God's call when God called us into fellowship with his son. However, precious God's justification when God the Father declared us righteous. However precious God's adoption when he, he brought us into his own family as his children. However, precious God's sanctification of us transforming us to be more and more like his son. However, precious ultimate gratification, when we shall be like Christ forever,

these are not the greatest gift of God. All these, uh, favors and graces. But the in comparable gift is the giving up of his own son. If he did the greatest, if he did that which is incomparable, shall he not freely give us all things God has given us the greatest gift. And friends, when, when we are feeling like we are being crushed by the suffering and the groaning of this world, let us remember the greatest gift of his son

that God has given us as an assurance, as an assurance that he will also with him, give us everything that we need in our walk with Him. Everything that we need to remain faithful to the end. And here Paul goes on to say, well, we should remember the great power of God, the great gift of God. In last three, he says, remember the great love of God. Remember the great love of God. And we see that in verses 34 up to the end.

This is what Paul writes, who is to condemn Christ. Jesus is the one who died more than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us, who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shall tribulation or distress or persecution of feminine or nakedness or danger sword as it is written for your sake. We are being killed all the day long. We are guarded as ship to be slaughter. No.

In all these things, we are more than conquered through him who loved us from sure that neither death, no life, no angels, no rulers, no things present, no things to come. No powers, no height, no death, no anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Our wards, the amazing love of God should comfort us and encourage us in our time of groaning and suffering. Invested four poor highlights, two important aspects

of this love of God for us demonstrated to us in the work of Christ. And you notice there invested for the first thing that Paul tells us. Christ Jesus, the one who died Christ Jesus, the one who died the death of Christ was the greatest demonstration of God's love for you. Dear believer, for God demonstrates his love for us in this while we are still sinners, Christ died for us. And Jesus himself speaking to his disciples in John 15,

verse 13, this is what he says, greater love has no man than this. That someone laid down his life for his friends, he laid down his life for us, his friends. And later on, when a post support is discussing the love of husbands for their wives, he compares it to the love of Christ. And he says, husbands love your wives as Christ love the church and gave himself up for her. For her. The Lord Jesus Christ gave up his life

for us, the church. That's how much he has loved us. That's how much God the Father has loved us in his son Jesus Christ. Christ did not give up his riches. Of course he did, but he did not give up on his riches to serve us. Christ did not just give up his gro. Of course he did. He left the gro in heaven and became a man of sorrows here on earth. But Christ gave up his life for us. He went to the cross willfully and out of his own will, laid down his life for us.

He died for us friends. This is the deep, deep love of Jesus. As we have sung this morning, Christ, the sinless one Christ God himself, dying for a sin like me. I can't comprehend this great sacrifice, amazing love. How can it be that thou my God should die for me and thus the love of God for us, his people. So if the all powerful God died for us, we can be sure that he will see us through our groaning and suffering on this side of heaven.

But so the other thing that Paul says, Christ did not only die for us. You notice again in verse 34, towards the end, who is at the right hand of God, who is indeed interceding for us Christ out of his love, prays for us, intercedes for us. Again, this is a comfort of the believer Christ, the God man himself is praying for you. He's praying for me Again. If I'm to be honest, this is another truth that often escapes my mind as as I drown in my suffering

and in my groaning, probably because I can't hear Christ praying for me, probably because I can't see Christ praying for me. But that doesn't change the fact he's praying for me as another Scottish minister, Robert Murray Chen, uh, put it, well, if I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I'll not fear a million enemies yet. Distance makes no difference. He is praying for me. Friends, Christ is praying for us

because he loves us, particularly you as an individual. He knows exactly what he needs and he mentions you by name before his father. He's interceding for us. And the good news is that the Father can never say no to any of the prayers of his son. All the prayers of his son receive yes for an answer. And as Christ is praying for us at the right hand of God, we know the answer is yes from the Father. Now, what is Christ praying for us?

I believe he's praying for everything we need, everything we need. But one thing that the Bible is very clear on is that he prays for our faith nor to fail because he knows that as we groan, as we suffer on this side of heaven, he sees it to lose our faith. And he pray particularly for that, that our faith will not fail. We know this from Luke 22, this 31 to 32, uh, Jesus speaking to Peter in particular, I say Simon, Simon,

behold set and demanded to have you that he might sif you like wheat. But I've prayed for you that your faith may not fail.

But Peter like me, I say, well Lord, don't worry about me. Maybe you can worry about these other disciples. I'm I'm okay, I'm fine. And the Lord says, no, you need my prayers. And it was just a matter of hours that Peter understood, yes, I need the prayers of Christ when he denied the Lord three times. But the Lord was merciful to him. When Christ rose from the dead, he restored Peter to be an apostle again. And in acts you at the very beginning, you notice him

very fearless, very bored standing in Jerusalem, the same city that he denied the Lord Jesus and Promming to say There is no another name by which we must be saved, but the name of Christ alone, even if it means to go to prison, I'll proclaim the gospel. What happened? One moment he was afraid, scared. Another moment. So bored, promming Christ because Christ prayed for him that his faith should not fail and the faith never failed.

That's why Peter stood on that day in Jerusalem. And friends, Jesus the greatest ceer, he's praying for you the same way he prayed for Peter. He's praying for you if you are in Christ. And the oath of Hebrews tells us that, uh, he does not only pray once or two times or three times for us, uh, the oath of Hebrews in Hebrews 7 25, he tells us that he ever leaves to make intercession for us. Christ is continually, continually

before the throne of his father praying for us. So friends, yes, on this side of heaven, we groan as we wait for our redemption, the redemption of our bodies, the entering of our, of us into glory with Christ. However, God has not left us alone. He's with us and he has given us these truths that we can cast our anchors on, that they can strengthen and encourage us and give us hope in the midst of groaning and suffering.

And some, some months ago, I attended a preaching workshop organized by my friend. He's a reformed baptist preacher. And during one of the sessions, we, we sang a hymn that I believe best captures, uh, this passage very well. It was my first time to sing this hymn, uh, probably a Baptist hymn. But the first verse of this hymn says, courage, brother or you sister, courage, brother, sister. Do not stumble though thy path. Be dark as night.

There is a star to guide the humble trust in God and do the right. Let the road be rough and very, and its end far out of sight. Food it, bravery, strong or weary. Trust in God, trust in God, trust in God and do the rights. Friends, let us trust in God and cast our anchors on these truths. The great power of God, the great gift of God and the great love of God. Let us pray. Dear heavenly Father, we do thank you for this morning.

We do thank you Lord for speaking to us, reminding us of these great truths and we pray heavenly Father, that as we go through various experiences, whether it means suffering or groaning, as we see in this passage, may the truth that your all powerful God, that you have given us the best gifts and that you love us and there's nothing that can change that comfort us and encourage us, that we can remain faithful to the end may.

Please your Lord to grant that in Christ name we pray, amen.