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Sermon #98[i] — Romans Series

Title:                           Ten Blessed Impossibilities

Text:                            Romans 8:1-39

Subject:                     The Certainty of Grace

Introduction:

I like things I can count on and people I can count on. I do not like change. And I despise any lack of dependability. I admire and appreciate dependability. To me nothing is more comforting, peaceful, and assuring than the dependability of our God and the Gospel of his grace. I rejoice to know that…

• The Lord our God is immutable (Malachi 3:6).
• The Lord Jesus Christ, God our Savior, is immutable (Hebrews 13:8).
• The grace of God is immutable (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

Because we worship the immutable God, because we have been redeemed by an immutable Savior, because we are saved by immutable grace, our faith is a matter of certainty, our religion is a matter of certainty, and our hope is a matter of certainty. Faith in Christ is not ambiguity. Faith in Christ is not speculation. Faith in Christ is not supposition. Faith in Christ is not guess work.

Proposition: Faith in Christ is the well-founded confidence of the believing heart that God is true. — Having received the testimony of God, we have set this seal to our hearts: “God is true!” (John 3:33).

Do you believe that? Do you believe that God is true, absolutely true, always true? If you do, you will have no trouble receiving my message. Turn with me to Romans chapter eight and hold your Bibles open on your laps. I want to show you TEN BLESSED IMPOSSIBILITIES revealed in these thirty-nine verses. Here are ten things that are absolutely impossible.

1.    IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY BELIEVER TO BE CONDEMNED (vv. 1-4).

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Why?

• Because we walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. — We live by faith, not by law!
• Because we are free from the law of sin and death. — “Free from the law, O happy condition!”
• Because Christ satisfied the law’s demands.
• Because we fulfil the law by faith.

That is exactly what God the Holy Ghost tells us in the first four verses of this great chapter.

(Romans 8:1-4) “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. ⁽³⁾ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: ⁽⁴⁾ That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

2.    IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY UNBELIEVER TO PLEASE GOD (vv. 5-8).

(Romans 8:5-8) “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ⁽⁶⁾ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁽⁷⁾ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁽⁸⁾ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

• The carnal mind is enmity against God.
• The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God.
• The carnal man, flesh, cannot please God (Hebrews 11:5-6).

(Hebrews 11:1-6) “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ⁽²⁾ For by it the elders obtained a good report. ⁽³⁾ Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. ⁽⁴⁾ By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. ⁽⁵⁾ By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. ⁽⁶⁾ But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

3.    IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A CHILD OF GOD TO LIVE UNDER THE DOMINION OF SIN (vv. 9-16).

(Romans 8:9-16) “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. ⁽¹⁰⁾ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ⁽¹¹⁾ But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. ⁽¹²⁾ Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. ⁽¹³⁾ For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. ⁽¹⁴⁾ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ⁽¹⁵⁾ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ⁽¹⁶⁾ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”

Saved sinners cannot live under the dominion sin because…

• We have the Spirit of Christ (vv. 9-12).
• We through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh (v. 13).
• We are led by the Spirit of God (v. 14).
• We have received the Spirit of adoption (v. 15).
• We have the witness, the seal of the Spirit, the testimony of God within (v. 16).

Look back at chapter 6, and let me help you. — Sin is in us. Sin is mixed with and mars everything we do. But sin does not have dominion over a believer (Romans 6:16-18, 22).

(Romans 6:16-18) “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? ⁽¹⁷⁾ But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. ⁽¹⁸⁾ Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” —— (Look at verse 22.)

(Romans 6:22) “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”

You are under the dominion of sin when…

• You live according to the lusts of the flesh.
• You think you are righteous, think that you do righteousness.
• You think that it is possible for you to not sin.
• You live under the dread and fear of sin’s curse, the sense of sin’s guilt.

4.    IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A REDEEMED SINNER NOT TO OBTAIN THE FULL, Complete INHERITANCE OF GRACE (vv. 17-25).

(Romans 8:17-25) “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. ⁽¹⁸⁾ For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. ⁽¹⁹⁾ For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. ⁽²⁰⁾ For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, ⁽²¹⁾ Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ⁽²²⁾ For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. ⁽²³⁾ And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. ⁽²⁴⁾ For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? ⁽²⁵⁾ But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

• If we are the children of God, then we are the heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (v. 17).
• If we suffer with Christ, we shall be glorified with Christ (v. 17).
• As God’s glory has been revealed in Christ, Christ’s glory shall be revealed in us (vv. 18-19).
• We wait for that glorious day with confident patience and hope (vv. 20-25).

5.    IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A BELIEVER’S PRAYERS NOT TO BE HEARD AND ANSWERED BY GOD (vv. 26-27).

(Romans 8:26-27) “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ⁽²⁷⁾ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

We never know what to pray for as we ought. —— But the Spirit of God inspires prayer in the heart, and causes us in our hearts to desire of God what we ought.

Illustration: David

(2 Samuel 7:27; Matthew 6:9-11)

• The Glory of God
• The Salvation of God’s Elect
• The Welfare of God’s Kingdom
• The Will of God
• The Grace of God

And Christ, who knows the mind of the Spirit and the desire of our hearts, makes intercession for us, according to the will of God.

6.    IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY EVIL TO HAPPEN TO GOD’S ELECT (v. 28).

(Romans 8:28) “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.”

“There shall no evil happen to the just” (Proverbs 12:21), because our God has made a covenant for us with all of creation (Hosea 2:18). Therefore, no weapon that is formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

7.    IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUR Great God, the GOD of all grace, TO FAIL (vv. 28-30).

Here are five blessed words of grace that fully reveal the purpose of God in all things.

1)    “Whom he did foreknow.” – Loved beforehand and purposed to save.

2)    “Them he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

3)    “Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called.”

4)    “And whom he called, them he justified.”

5)    “And whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

8.    IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY SIN TO BE CHARGED TO GOD’S ELECT (v. 33).

(Romans 8:33) “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.”

“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Romans 4:8).

9.    IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A Blood Bought, A Justly Ransomed, A Divinely Redeemed SINNER, one for whom Christ has made atonement, TO SUFFER THE WRATH OF GOD (v. 34).

(Romans 8:34) “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”

Here are four things that guarantee the eternal security of every sinner redeemed by Christ…

·      It is Christ that died (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13).

·      It is Christ who is risen from the dead, “justified by the Spirit!”

·      Christ rules, sitting on the right hand of God.

·      It is Christ who makes intercession for us (1 John 2:1-2).

10. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A Saved Sinner TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE LOVE OF GOD (vv. 35-39).

(Romans 8:35-39) “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ⁽³⁶⁾ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. ⁽³⁷⁾ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ⁽³⁸⁾ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ⁽³⁹⁾ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Application

(Romans 8:31-32) “What shall we then say to these things? —— If God be for us, who can be against us? —— ⁽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?”

Illustration:   The Boy Selling Grit in Chicago —

                                                                        “Would you like to be my Son?”

                                                                        “Free, for nothin’?”

                                                                        “Free, for nothin’!”

Amen.

Don Fortner

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