The Triumph of God's Unfailing Love (Romans 8:31-39)
This sermon invites listeners to reflect on the profound, unwavering nature of God's love. It assures that this divine affection provides secure and lasting satisfaction, even amidst human weakness and the trials of life.
This sermon explores the triumph of God's unfailing love, assuring believers that if God sacrificed His Son, He will certainly preserve their secure and eternal salvation, proving His love in even the weakest moments.
Overview
The sermon opens by discussing the universal human longing for an unfailing love, one that never disappoints or dies. It highlights that such a love is exceptionally rare in human society, but exists in God's immeasurable, incomprehensible love for humanity, which promises everlasting satisfaction and joy.
This divine love is illustrated through the scene in John 13:1, where Jesus loved His disciples "to the end" on the eve of His crucifixion. This profound love was demonstrated even as His disciples were at their "ugliest," self-centered, and unable to provide support during His incomprehensible agony.
Transitioning to Romans 8, the sermon addresses the question of whether this love is truly permanent and if salvation is genuinely secure. It outlines the glorious summation of salvation in Romans 8:28-30, emphasizing that God's purpose for believers is eternal glorification, ensuring everything works together for their good and conformity to Christ.
The preacher then tackles two hypothetical questions: Can God reject us, or can we reject God? The core argument, primarily from Romans 8:31-32, asserts that if God did not spare His own Son, He will certainly and freely give believers "all things," thus proving His unwavering commitment and refuting any notion of rejection.
Key points
- Human beings inherently long for a love that never fails, disappoints, or dies, a love rarely found in human society.
- God's love for His own is an incomprehensible, lavish love that is everlasting and surpasses all other loves.
- Jesus demonstrated this boundless love in John 13:1, loving His disciples "to the end" even as they struggled with weakness and self-centeredness on the eve of His crucifixion.
- Romans 8:28-30 affirms the secure process of salvation: God foreknew, predestined to Christlikeness, called, justified, and will glorify believers, ensuring their eternal conformity to Christ.
- The sermon addresses the hypothetical questions of whether God can reject believers or if believers can reject God, emphasizing the permanence of God's commitment.
- The ultimate proof of God's promise to keep believers is His sacrifice of His Son; if He gave the greatest gift, He will not withhold any lesser blessings (Romans 8:32).
- God the Father, out of love, delivered His Son to damnation and abandonment to make us His own when we were ungodly sinners.
In John MacArthur's words
“He loved them to the end without limits completely fully to the extent of his capacity to love.”
“The greatest proof of God's promise to keep us is what he sacrificed to get us.”
Outline
- I. The Universal Longing for Unfailing Love
- A. Human desire for lasting, loving relationships
- B. The rarity of such love in human society
- C. God's incomprehensible and everlasting love
- II. Jesus Demonstrates Love to the End (John 13:1)
- A. The scene in the Upper Room on the eve of crucifixion
- B. Disciples' weakness and self-centeredness
- C. Jesus' complete and limitless love for "his own"
- D. Romans 5:8: God demonstrates love while we were sinners
- III. The Security of Salvation in Romans 8
- A. Summation of salvation in Romans 8:28-30
- 1. All things work together for good for those called according to His purpose
- 2. Foreknown, predestined to be conformed to Christ, called, justified, glorified
- B. The breathtaking purpose of God: eternal glorification
- IV. Addressing Hypothetical Questions about God's Love and Our Security
- A. Can God reject us?
- 1. The assumption: "If God is for us, who is against us?" (Romans 8:31)
- 2. Scriptural evidence that God is for us (Psalms, Isaiah, John 10)
- B. Can we reject God?
- 1. Theological categories of denying perseverance or deconstruction
- V. The Ultimate Proof of God's Commitment (Romans 8:32)
- A. Argument from the greater to the lesser: God sparing His Son
- B. If God delivered His Son, He will freely give us all things
- C. Reinforcement from Romans 5:6-10 (Christ died for us while helpless, ungodly, enemies)
- D. Contrast with Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22)
- E. The Father's love: He "pleased the Lord to bruise him" (Isaiah 53:10)
- F. God delivered His son to damnation and abandonment for love
Scripture references
- Romans 8
- John 13:1
- Romans 5:8
- Romans 8:31
- Romans 8:28-30
- Romans 3
- Romans 3:20
- Romans 8:30
- Psalm 27:1-3
- Psalm 46:1-7
- Psalm 46:11
- Psalm 56:11
- Psalm 84:11-12
- Psalm 118:6
- Isaiah 50:7-9
- Isaiah 54:17
- John 10:28-30
- Romans 8:32
- Romans 5:6
- Romans 5:9
- Romans 5:10
- Romans 5:15
- Romans 5:17
- Romans 5:20
- Genesis 22:10-12
- Genesis 22:15-16
- Isaiah 53:10
- Galatians 3
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 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.
1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
30 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.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
8 He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
9 Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
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?
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Insights
A love that endures in its fullness gives lasting satisfaction and joy.
God's incomprehensible love reaches to our ugliest moments.
All things in life work toward our eternal glorification in Christ.
Questions & answers
What is the main argument of this sermon?
The sermon argues for the triumph of God's unfailing, everlasting love, demonstrating that His commitment to believers is so absolute that He would never abandon them, proven by the sacrifice of His own Son.
How does John 13:1 illustrate God's love?
John 13:1 shows Jesus loving His disciples "to the end" on the night of His betrayal and crucifixion, even when they were at their weakest and most self-centered. This illustrates the limitless and unwavering nature of divine love.
What does Romans 8:28-30 teach about salvation?
These verses summarize salvation as a secure process where God works all things together for good for those He foreknew, predestined to Christlikeness, called, justified, and will glorify, ensuring their eternal conformity to Christ.
What hypothetical questions does the sermon address regarding eternal security?
The sermon addresses whether God can become weary and reject believers, or if believers can become weary and reject God, concluding that neither can happen because of God's steadfast love.
How does Romans 8:32 prove God's promise to keep believers?
Romans 8:32 uses an argument from the greater to the lesser: if God did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, He will certainly also freely give us all lesser things needed to keep us in His love.
Who does the sermon say delivered Jesus to die?
The sermon states that it was not Judas, Pilate, or the Jews, but "the father for love" who delivered Jesus to damnation and abandonment to make us His own.
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