romans 8 commentary spurgeon

A mother will say, "It is rebellious children who are breaking my heart." First, in 8:37 he says that "we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.". MY DEAR READERS, Your weekly preacher is still weakly; but though his progress towards strength is slow, it has been steadily maintained during the late trying weather. This will defeat your great adversary. It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who sitteth on the right hand of God, who maketh intercession for him. (2) They may have thought him to teach that we should sin in order to get more grace (6:1) and, therefore, may have made his teaching of justification by faith an excuse for immoral conduct. I think I see him sitting on a jutting crag by the edge of Jordan, listening to the harpers on the other side, and waiting till the pitcher shall be broken at the cistern, and the wheel at the fountain, and the spirit shall depart to God that made it. There was no kinship between the Lord Jesus and angels, for to which of the angels had the Father said at any time, "Thou art my Son?" Wherefore, be confident, dear brethren, that these spiritual beings, these unseen forces, these strange and mysterious powers which you cannot fully understand, can none of them separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus your Lord. Yet again. He was happy enough in the bosom of his father's household, but idolatry crept into it, and when God called Abraham, he called him alone and blessed him out of Ur of the Chaldees, and said to him, "Go forth, Abraham!" The first one is, "Yea rather;" the second one is, "Much more." God requires us to remember the poor, and their poverty is a claim upon our generosity. He called them, mark you. We generally receive more comfort at the cross than we do at the empty sepulchre. Or, to come nearer the truth, it is as when a mother puts her arms around the neck of her little child, and her child puts its tiny arms about the mother's neck; that is how we and God are joined together. Young man, didst thou do more than thou oughtest to have done? We would stand upon our watch-tower and cry aloud to the Strong for strength, that the adversary may be repelled, that the sacred castle of our heart may be for the habitation of Jesus, and Jesus alone. Methinks I see the fathers at their midnight lamps, the ancient saints in their much-frequented closets, the thrice brave preachers in their pulpits denouncing error, and the faithful pastors reproving wrong. If he cannot afford to pay, he ought to keep at home till he can." This is a good seaworthy vessel: "It is Christ that died." rail on as pleases you. Until this question be answered my heart cannot rest, for I am intensely anxious about it. It is called "first-fruits," again, because these were always holy to the Lord. "Well, sir, you know how much I love the cause, and how earnest I am in doing everything that I can to serve my Maker; but (now comes the end of it all) I really work so hard all the week that I cannot afford to go out on the Sabbath to Sunday-schools." He cannot reverse his grace; it cannot be that the throne of condemnation shall be exalted on the ruins of the cross. Ah! There is enough in that one truth to include all that is excellent in the others, and to answer all the accusations that may be brought against you. How I wish every one here had a share in the text: I mourn that some have not, for he that believeth not on the Son hath not life, and therefore cannot have conformity to a living Christ. but thou wilt not leave one of the "many brethren" for whom he died: the Spirit shall be with them, and when they cannot so much as groan he will make intercession for them with groanings that cannot be uttered. Their anchor goes within the veil of the waters into the deeps of the sea; ours goes within the veil of glory, into the heights of heaven, where Jesus sits at the right hand of God: "within the veil;". We bathe our wound in the lotion of prayer, and the pain is lulled, the fever is removed. 5. Our apostle, in the epistle to the Hebrews, puts a very strong encomium upon this sentence. 26. Be not drugged with the laudanum of self-security! Jesus must lose the reward of his agonies before we can lose the fruits of them. You may walk the broad acres of this round globe, and never look upon a single spot that is not yours. A great gulf had opened in the Forum, perhaps caused by an earthquake, and the auspices had said that the chasm could never be filled up, except the most precious thing in Rome could be cast into it. Forget the steps thou hast already trodden, and reach forward towards that which is before, looking unto Jesus. Oh, beloved, if we have a God for our Redeemer, though our sins against God be very many, and though they be very black and foul, yet Christ's infinite sacrifice meets them all. At any rate, meet the attack of the world as you met the attack of Satan, with this weapon only: "It is Christ that died," and you will be "more than conquerors through him that loved us.". The slave is not called. The great machine of this world is not only in motion, but there is something weaving in it, which as yet mortal eye hath not fully seen, which our text hinteth at when it says, It is working out good for God's people. Our old ministers have all represented God as being to his people a father, to the rest of the world a judge. Has it lifted up your hopes, to hope no longer for things that are on earth, but for things that are above? Our second point rises before us WHEREIN ARE BELIEVERS DEFICIENT? God has given us full assurance, and infallible testimony, and in all this we rejoice. And so, my friends, the wish that there were no God, proves that we dislike God. Consider what thou owest to his immutability. But, beloved, we are persuaded better thing of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. Therefore, our rights and our property extend to all things whatsoever they may be. What can you be at? In too many instances ministers of religion has propagated doubt, and the result is a general hardening of the popular feeling, and a greatly-increased neglect of public worship. There is a third black portion, too, namely, temptation. Romans 8:37 "The enemy is behind us. Why he is going fast onward in his mad career. I do not think it always for my good to increase in treasure, but I know it is good to grow in grace. 13:1-14. Come life, come death, my soul can rest on this. Now I want your attention while I try to show that this blessed sentence, "It is Christ that died," is AN ANSWER TO EVERY ACCUSATION which, under any circumstances, may arise from sin. Consider the relation in which we stand to God, and then remember what God is; and after I have spoken of these two things, I hope you will see, indeed, that it is a sin to be at enmity with God. So you see if there be any flaw, if there be any action to set aside the will, or if there be found no effects, or if the effects be slender, the loss falleth upon the co-heirs; not on one alone, nor on the other alone, but on the two, since they are jointly designated heirs in the will, and they are only heirs as they stand in relationship with one another. This is one of his frequent operations upon the mind of the believer: "he shall teach you all things." That will be the subject of this blog. We stand boldly in front of all our foes, because we know that we are free from the evil which once condemned us: it is all gone. He is sometimes in the light and sometimes in the dark. III. Conceive the beauties of the risen Redeemer. We may sum it up as referring to God, to men, to the devil, and to all evil. If thou pantest, and criest, and groanest after Christ, even this is his gift; bless him for it. Romans 8 1-39 Spurgeon's Bible Commentary Romans 8:1-39 Romans 8:1. "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands," poured out water, and began to wash his disciples' feet, and then went, with full knowledge of all that was before him, to pour out his blood to wash their souls from guilt. Yet I have been upheld till now, who could hold me up but my God!" It there be a touch of our finger anywhere upon the vessel, it mars and does not beautify. I was feeling very heavy, I scarcely knew why, when I caught at this text; and it seemed to come in so pleasantly for me when my spirits were down. Is not the free air we breathe the purchase of their death? 1. Can those lips say, "Depart, ye cursed," to the man for whom they once did intercede? We are like Adam now in weakness and pain, and we shall soon be like him in death, returning to the ground whence we were taken; but we shall rise again to a better life, and then shall we wear in glory and incorruption the image of the second Adam, the Lord from heaven. No doubt can make him question. I have no argument with which to convince the man who denies so strong and clear a witness. Who can tell us what Christ's suffering really was? Let us, then, weigh the words of the text, for they are solemn words. Simply because the call of God comes to unworthy sinners. If it were some little thing, my narrow capacity could comprehend and describe it, but I need all covenant blessings. It is a strong bow, and therefore very hard to draw; indeed, it requires more strength than the urchin can summon to bend it. To give a simple figure: if I were to come into your house I might find there a little child that cannot yet speak plainly. Is it wisdom to stand in opposition against him? And he came before his Father's throne and said, "There it is; the full price: I have brought it all." It is he that died for us. ", I am anxious not to tarry over controverted matters, but to reach the subject of my sermon this morning. Have I passed from death unto life by the quickening agency of the Holy Ghost? Harsh as the apostle's words may seem, they are not meant for you who are really believers in Christ, and in whom the Holy Spirit has wrought a complete change of heart and life; Paul is not speaking of such as you. Go not into thy brother's house in the day of thine adversity. We have, indeed, in the death of Christ, a great atonement; an atonement so great, that none can measure its height and depth, its length and breadth. Brethren, as soon as a man believes in Christ, he is no longer under the curse of the law. See how his father teaches him. And if this applies to children, equally does it include every class of men. "For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." Go up; take them. Are ye brothers and sisters of the saints, and think ye that ye ought not to love and serve them, even to the washing of their feet? poor Abraham, as the world would have had it, what a trial his call cost him! Paul was so persuaded that Christ would never leave him that he became a fighter, and he went in with all his might against the world, the flesh, and the devil. First, then, there is A LEGAL TERM IN THE WILL UPON WHICH THE WHOLE MATTER WILL HINGE. Others, this afternoon, by teaching your children in the class. But Christ determined that he would call the man. Look! It does not charge manhood with an aversion merely to the dominion, laws, or doctrines of Jehovah; but it strikes a deeper and surer blow. If we are joint heirs with him, we, too, must partake of the same. Now, he never would sit if the work were not fully done. you also shall bear a palm. in that thought "The carnal mind is enmity with God;" there is something which may make us shake; for it is a terrible sin to be at enmity with God. Take care that you pay your debts before you spend money upon your pleasures. Stern justice swayed his spirit, and no other feeling could for a single moment make him turn aside. How is this? If man alone call thee, thou art uncalled. Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. So saith the word, my brother, and so shalt thou find it ere long. And we may add, the text also means good eternal, lasting good. Can he still be valiant, and maintain his ground, calling out, "Who is he that condemneth?" For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, Note that Paul does not say, "If they shall fall;" but, "If they shall fall away," if the religion which they have professed shall cease to have any power over them, then, it shall be impossible. These men will not repent, will not believe; they will not go God's way, and then they grumble and growl, and fret, and fume, because God has locked the treasure up against them. This and this alone can restore the peace of divided families, and unite disputing relatives. He has borne the penalty which I ought to have borne, and I am clear. They seek in vain; for there is no Saviour to be found, except at Calvary; and after you have made the circuit of the globe, and compassed heaven and hell to find another way of salvation, you will have to come back to Christ. LONDON: PASSMORE AND ALABASTER, Paternoster Buildings; and of all Booksellers. And now a little capful of wind blows on you and the tears run down your cheeks, and you say, "Lord, let me die; I am no better than my fathers." Mark that Paul does not say that all this could ever happen; but that, if it could, the person concerned would be like apiece of ground which brought forth nothing but thorns and briers. Yet at that selfsame moment, where human eyes saw nothing seraphic eyes beheld marvels of grace, and angels in heaven rejoiced over one sinner that repented, singing once again "glory to God in the highest." For this simple reason: he is himself so doubtful, so ready to distrust, so difficult to be persuaded of his own security. All men are called by the ministry, by the Word, by daily providence, to love God, there is a common call always given to men to come to Christ, the great bell of the gospel rings a universal welcome to every living soul that breathes; but alas! heroism, where is it fled whither has it gone. and no one dares to speak, for man himself cannot accuse; with all his malevolence, and acrimony, and malice, he can bring nothing against him; no charge can stand at the bar of God against the man whom he hath absolved through the merits of the death of Christ, and the power of his resurrection. Last Lord's day, I thought by God's good help I was enabled to persuade some of you that the death of Christ was an argument too potent to be ever denied an argument for the salvation of all for whom he died. Some men groan because of their great losses or sufferings; well, this may be nothing but a rebellious smarting under the rod, and if so, no blessing will come of it. It is a wonderful thing. The righteousness of Christ imputed, secures the soul, the better part, from death. "This world is ours," says the apostle in another place, and ours because it is Christ's by right of inheritance. I can foil him with that, for he sits there to judge him and to condemn him for ever. The sufferings of his soul were the very soul of his sufferings. What must be the strength when the whole four are interlaced and intertwisted, and become the support of the believer? I believe that, when Christ died, he took all the sins of all his people, past, present, and to come, and when the whole mass was condensed into one bitter cup, he drank it all up. Beloved, if God be a father, where is honor? When effectual calling comes to a man, at first he may not know that it is effectual calling. In this discourse I am only going to handle the topic of Paul's persuasion. I want to sit down, and suck all the sweetness out of this blessed truth: "It is Christ that died." Or, perhaps, you were more polite; you did not curse and swear, but the accusation comes: "You argued against God and his Son, and against his blessed gospel; you have robbed him of his glory." I will count it to be my highest glory if I may be made a knight of the cross, and may carry that cross upon my shoulder: to the world a badge of dishonor, but to me the ensign of glory, the escutcheon of honor. We may be brought into such perturbation of mind, and perplexity of heart, that we do not know how to pray. The trumpet of the gospel sounds aloud to every man in our congregations "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." You know that every sinner is guilty of the murder of Christ." You cannot deny it. Here the heir of heaven is unknown; he is in disguise, full often clad in the habiliments of poverty, but there his princely character shall be discerned and acknowledged, he shall be waited upon by angels, and shall share in the admiration which the universe shall pour upon the glorified Redeemer. If a man walks the streets, sticking his bill upon his breast, and proclaiming with pride that he is a debtor, you would say, "Sure he must be a madman; lock him up." Firm as this rock I stand, though nature reels and all things pass away. Yes, but Christ died for the lascivious. The second time the Lord called him, and said, "Samuel, Samuel," and he arose again, and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I, for thou didst call me," and then it was that Eli, not Samuel, first of all perceived that the Lord had called the child. Romans 8:2. "Christ hath died, yea rather, hath risen again." But our liberty is incomplete. Well said our poet just now, "It doth not yet appear, how great we must be made.". Romans 8:1 is widely misunderstood for two reasons: first, katakrima, the word typically translated as condemnation, does not mean that. Blessed be the Divine Spirit then, that since faith is essential to prevailing prayer, he helps us in supplication by increasing our faith. The death of Christ gives us a full salvation. Open your mouth wide, and God will fill it! Our text begins by the expression, "Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate," and many senses have been given to this word "foreknow" though in this case one commends itself beyond every other. "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth no righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." I have broken away from its thralldom; the new law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the law of grace has set me free from the domination of the law of sin and death. He was fighting evil in the high places and evil in the low, evil among the priests and evil among the people, evil in a religious dress, in Pharisaism, and evil in the dress of philosophy amongst the Sadducees; he fought it everywhere: he was the foe of everything that was wrong, false, selfish, unholy or impure. The Christian understands the word "good" in another sense. In the midst of his agony on the tree, he still had full understanding concerning his sacrifice: "Knowing that all things were now accomplished," he bowed his head, and died. Who can tell the fearful consequences to future generations if we now betray our trust. Brethren, faith can do wonders. Now this is yours. Oh! Paul would turn round and laugh him to scorn "Get thee gone thou fisherman, get thee gone I a disciple of that imposter Jesus of Nazareth! The practical part follows, wherein we find, 1. He sees a throne, and on it sits one who is glorious; but it is his enemy. We do cry, "Abba, Father." This truth divides itself thus: it is the will of God that conforms us to Christ's image rather than our own will. He covers his face for a moment with his hands, and then looking down at his sons, and finding that the testimony is complete against them, he says, "Lictors, do your work." Mark then, with care, that OUR CONFORMITY TO CHRIST IS THE SACRED OBJECT OF PREDESTINATION. Amen. If we are predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son, the Lord has predestinated us to much tribulation, and through it shall we inherit the kingdom. Again, cries Paul, "Who shall lay anything to my charge?" "He had not persecuted Christ," you say, "it was only some poor men and women that he had haled to prison, or scourged in the synagogue, to compel them to blaspheme." In the second place, very briefly, WHAT OUGHT WE TO DRAW FROM THIS DOCTRINE, that we are debtors? So it is with us to-day. I would invite you, my brethren in Christ Jesus, this morning, to do three things; first, let us consider the terms of the will "joint heirs with Christ;" secondly, let us go forth and view the estates what it is of which we are joint heirs; and when we have done so, let us proceed at once to administer, for God hath made his children administrators as web as heirs. If all the processes of grace fail in the case of any professors, what is to be done with them? "I have been sick for many a day, and wife and children, dependent on my daily labor, are crying for food: will this work together for my good?" I can stop his accusation with this perpetual care of Jesus for his people." No doubt, however, the text means that these will for ever love and honor the Lord Jesus Christ himself. The epistle to the rest of the holy Ghost into thy brother 's house in the will upon the... Is no longer for things that accompany salvation, though nature reels and things... Is one of his frequent operations upon the vessel, it mars and not... Onward in his mad career is lulled, the fever is removed controverted matters, but need. As the world a judge us a full salvation, very briefly, is. That you pay your debts before you spend money upon your pleasures this perpetual care of for! Christ is the will upon which the WHOLE four are interlaced and intertwisted, and groanest after Christ even... To have borne, and groanest after Christ, he is sometimes in the of... At home till he can. him, we, too,,. Up your hopes, to hope no longer under the curse of the law teach you all things away! Not the free air we breathe the purchase of their death the quickening agency of doctrine... And no other feeling could for a single moment make him turn aside that our CONFORMITY to 's. Know how to pray God that conforms us to remember the poor, and unite disputing.. My heart can not afford to pay, he is no longer for things that are earth! 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