Scott continues the study of Romans, exploring Romans 8:29–32 and what it means to be considered "sons of the Most High God" and the concept of inheritance found within the gospel for believers. Scott unpacks key biblical doctrines—foreknowledge, predestination, adoption, calling, justification, and glorification—emphasizing their connection to God’s ultimate purpose: the praise of His glory and the revelation of His grace. He clarifies that salvation encompasses not just a moment of belief, but the entire journey from being called and justified to ultimate glorification and intimate fellowship with God.

Throughout the episode, Scott uses examples from scripture to illustrate how believers are adopted into God’s family, marked out for a purpose, and given the promise of transformation into Christ’s image. The discussion addresses common questions and doubts about God’s intentions, reinforcing the assurance that if God is for us, no one can stand against us.

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Key Topics Discussed:

• Biblical inheritance and estate planning as an analogy
• The meaning and significance of being sons of God
• God's foreknowledge, predestination, and adoption
• Ultimate purpose: the praise of God's glory
• Transformation into the image of Christ
• The security and assurance of believers
• Justification, calling, and glorification
• Receiving and being sealed with the Holy Spirit
• Challenges, doubts, and assurance in faith
• Reflection on personal relationship with God and gratitude

Foreign.

If you're looking for greater hope, assurance and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the Bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the Bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer.

Hi and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet. Fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there will be a link to the episode website at beholding Bible truth.com and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode.

So we're in the process of updating our state money documents, which we do from time to time. If you haven't done that, you should do that. Your day is coming. Not sure when, but your day is coming. I do know, I do know that for sure. Your estate planning document. Yeah, those. Yes, those.

Right. 100% probability that we will all pass away. And after you pass, there's the reading of the will and then you go through there. Right. If you've been a beneficiary, if you've inherited from somebody else's estate, you know, they walk through and they tell you the, the, the terms of your inheritance. Right. Oftentimes inheritance sometimes is outright, sometimes put into trust. Trust will tell you how you can access it along the way, then what's available from time to time at various time periods.

And they usually say, you know, when you reach XH and X age, a certain amount is distributed, something along those lines. Well, we're in the middle of taking a look at the inheritance that has been provided. Because when your last will and testament becomes active is when, when you die. That's right, when you die. The, the Old Testament became active in the New Testament when the one died on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ. So we are looking at our inheritance as, as sons of the most High God. That's what we've been looking at. And I'm calling this section the Gospel for Believers.

The Gospel for Believers because it's really clear when we share the gospel, right? As, as Chris was saying earlier, the gospel for somebody new, you know, Christ died for your sins. If you believe in your heart, confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that God, God raised him from the dead, Christ died, raised him from the dead, you can be saved. But salvation is not that moment in time. Salvation is the entire, the entirety of our inheritance. Right. And so we're looking at it here. And Romans 8 is the gospel for new believer, for. For believers.

Right. For those who are believers. And so we've been digging deep into the gospel, and we're going to continue to do that today. So stand with me, if you will, as we read from Romans 8:29 through 32.

For those whom he knew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his so. So that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those whom he predestined, he also called. And these whom he called, he also justified. And these whom he justified, he also glorified. What shall faith in these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him over for us all, how will they not also with him freely give us all things? The word of the Lord?

So we're taking a look at what does it mean to be sons of the Most High God? The sons of God, right? As sons of God, those who have been adopted into his family and into his kingdom. And again, the idea is not here of gender. The idea is of position, right? The fact that we are sons, as in the firstborn, the firstborn son, the firstborn had had preeminence in terms of inheritance, position, intimacy. So as sons of God, we're looking at, what does that mean? So as we unpack this, it says as sons of God. And that's the key. He's speaking to those who have been adopted. He says, as sons of God.

Know what? That God the Father foreknew you. That God the Father foreknew you.

What does that mean? To be foreknown, to be known in advance. Be known beforehand. Literally, to know beforehand. Know in advance. Right. Know before. So you think about. Well, so what does that mean? Well, let's take a look at.

This is a new concept in the. In the New Testament, if you will. In Jeremiah, he says to Jeremiah, now the word of Yahweh came to me, saying what? Before I bor. In the womb, before the. The time when you existed, before the time when you were made in the womb right before you, you were your first into the world. But he said, before I formed you, I knew you. And before you were born, I consecrated you. So you all said not only that he knew him, but this idea that he knew him with purpose in mind, that he knew him first, that he formed him second.

But he formed him with purpose, a consecration, an appointment. So this is not you. What's interesting, he says in First Peter, he's talking about the fact that that our inheritance is through the blood of Christ. He says for He. Who's that He?

Christ. Yes, for He Christ was foreknown, same word before when the foundational world. But he has appeared in the last time for the sake of you. So when is can like like in reality he was foreknown. He pre existed time, but he stepped into this world in a point of time. He physically stepped in the world in a point of time. But Christ was known before the foundation of the world. In the beginning was the the Word.

And the Word was with God. And the Word was God. And it says, no man has seen God at any time. But the only begotten God, Lord Jesus was in the bosom of the Father. He was in intimate fellowship with the Father, right? No man has seen God at any time. But he, the only begotten God has revealed him. He's brought him out into the open. And it says in the fullness of time, God gave us His Son.

In the fullness of time, at a point of time. So Christ was also foreknown, if you will. So Barnes, old time preacher says, okay, so let's think about this idea of for known. So we're coming to the place where everybody says, so what does that mean? What does that mean? Now I want you to get out of what does that mean? And what does that mean for us as sons of God? So he says to be foreknown. He says it does not here have reference to all human family. Does that make sense for all or not? And have not been conformed to the image of His Son. So he's saying this is not about all, this is about those who are the sons of God, number one. Number two.

He says it implies certain knowledge, right? In other words, it was certainly foreseen in some way that they would believe and be saved. Does that make sense? That we would be known would mean we would believe and be saved. There is nothing therefore in regard to them that is contingent or subject to doubt in the divine mind, since it is certainly foreknown. In other words, if God foreknew it, then it would come to pass. Forget it. If God foreknew it, then it would certainly come to pass. 3. He said the event which was thus foreknown must have been for some cause certain and fixed, since an uncertain event could not possibly be foreknown.

If God foreknew it, it would happen, right? To talk of a foreknowing of a contingent event that is a foreknowing an event as certain which may or not exist, and is an absurdity. In other words, if God fornew must come to pass right for new, right before new, so it must come to pass. While the word use here wait a minute, number four. In what way such an event became certain is not determined by the use of the word. In other words, the word itself doesn't suggest how you write how, but just the fact that you were for known. You were for known, so he says, but it must have been somehow in connection with the divine appointment or arrangement, since no other way can it be conceived to be certain. If it's certain, there is some sort of divine appointment. While the word used here therefore does not of necessity mean to decree that God foreknew yet a choose suppose that there was a purpose or a plan, and the phrase is an explanation of what the apostle has just said, that it was according to the purpose of God that they were called.

This passage does not affirm why or how or on what grounds God fore knew that some of the human family would be saved. It simply affirms the fact and the mode in which those who will believe were designated must be determined from other sources. In other words, this doesn't suggest the how. This just suggests that it was foreknown and therefore it was certain because it was foreknown. This passage simply teaches that he knew them, that his eye was fixed on them, and that he regarded them as to be conformed to his Son, and that knowing them, he designated them to eternal life. So you probably have to read that a couple of times.

But essentially what he's saying. Look, if. If you were foreknown, because there's a lot of. There's a lot of discussion and controversy about what do these passages mean. But to be fornown, he's saying if you were for known by God the Father, it was a certainty that it came to pass, because otherwise he wouldn't foreknow you if you weren't going to be saved. Does that make sense? And therefore it has some certainty, it doesn't speak to how it came right or the the means that came to pass, but then it would come to pass. So the fact that you were for known would be certain in the mind of God. So that's all.

So he's saying you're God fornew you, just as he fornew Christ, just as he fornew Jeremiah. So he says the fact that he foreknew you, he said for those whom he foreknew. He also. What? Predestined. He predestined.

What does that mean? It means to foreordain, to predetermine, or to mark out beforehand. To mark out beforehand. Again, lot of thought about what does all this mean? But let's just point to what is it inflamed to. So he's saying that you were predestined to.

Let's don't get caught up in this. You were marked out beforehand. More importantly, right? We look at it, right? He predestined. If we look at Ephesians, he predestined us to what?

Adoption. Adoption. So we were marked out beforehand. First of all, let's just look at what he says. We're marked out beforehand for what? Adoption. That means we are son. Sons, therefore. Right.

So we're marked out beforehand for an adoption as sons. And daughters literally mean sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, we were adopted to God according to what?

According to his good pleasure. Right?

Not your good pleasure, anything. Right. It's according to his good pleasure. You see that right? Now here's the point. What is this pointing to?

The praise of what? The glory of.

His grace.

So ultimately, this is not about you.

This is for the praise of the glory of his grace. So he's saying you are predestined, you were marked out beforehand.

Set apart. Kind of like what he said to Jeremiah, right? Appointed, consecrated, set apart for adoption as sons because of his.

Good pleasure. It's a good pleasure. And this is the point. This is the ultimate. This is the ultimate purpose. What is it? His glory.

His glory.

His glory. And the glory particularly of his grace, his mercies, his kindness. Let's see. Do we see this somewhere else? Yeah. Further on, Ephesians, he says, in him we have also obtained what?

Inheritance, having been set apart. Right? Set apart, marked out according to whose purpose? His purpose. Who works all things. All things. What's he worked out according to this plan and his will. Huh? So he has a plan. We're marked out beforehand for adoption. His good pleasure in.

He also has a good plan. Right.

Let'S see what that good plan. What's the purpose of that good plan?

So that to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the.

Praise of his glory. Glory. Are we back here? So there's something about his glory.

And it's the most important thing. It's the ultimate of the praise of glory. And. And we're to the praise of his glory. Well, it's not about us.

Not about us. So everybody gets stuck in all of this and lost. What's the point of this? See, the better, bigger question in all of this. How could you? Nobody wakes up and says, what? How can you be to the praise of the holy of holiest glory? How could you be to his praise? How could I be to his praise? How could we be to his praise? I know me.

There ain't nothing in me. That's to the praise of his glory.

So we're marked out beforehand for adoption according to his good pleasure and his good plan. And the ultimate purpose is that he gets glory. It glorifies his mercy, his grace. In fact, it says that the angels are scratching their head saying, what is grace?

See, the angels understand work.

Result because they fell, right? A third of them fell. There's no mercies for angels. There's no redemption for angels. You follow God's will to a T, right? You rebel against God, you're done. There's no. There's no redemption for angels. So they would say, what is mercy? Mercy. He is revealing his right.

He's revealing his grace. Where?

In us.

He's revealing his grace by adopting us as sons. So we're predestined to be to his glory. Don't get stuck in. What does that mean? No, we're. You are, as a son, are predestined to adoption in order to bring glory to Him.

Hang on, there's more. But wait, there's more.

You're predestined to be conformed.

To the image of his son. People.

Who will transform the body of this humble estate. How many have a body of humble estate?

And notice it's getting humbler? Right? As the outer fades away. My knee, my heart, my liver, my back. My right. This outer right is becoming humbler. He's going to conform the body of this humble state into conformity with what?

The body of his resurrection, his resurrected glory. The body which is eternal, which can walk through walls, which can transform and transcend everything. We're going to be transformed into the body of this glory. Really? How's that going to happen? How's that going to happen? According to the power he has to conform all things to Himself. So you're predestined not to do adoption. How am I going to be to the praise of his glory? Because he's going to conform me to his image. And when I'm conformed to his image, that means I can.

Enjoy.

The same intimacy that the Lord Jesus has enjoyed for eternity.

Intimacy? Closeness with the Father. It says, the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, who is, in other words, in intimate fellowship with the Father. And I always say this best picture for me is the physical son. You can't get. We can't get within 4 million miles of the sun because it's 10,000 degrees on. On the surface and it's millions in the center. And the only way you're going to get near to the sun is if you're of the same nature as the sun, as powerful. I get it.

You have to be of the same power as the sun in order to get close to it. He's going to conform you to the image of someone who can come near to the power and the glory and the light of the Father. That's what he's saying here. That's the purpose of all this. You're stuck in the how. But he's saying, as sons, understand, you've been marked out beforehand, known and marked out beforehand to be to the praise of his glory. So that in turn he would go like, what's up with this? In his presence is fullness of joy. And at his right hand, our pleasures forever.

Who sits at his right hand? The son. Only the son. Only the firstborn son sits at the right hand of the king. We're sitting at the right hand of the king. We're seated at the right hand of the king. What.

We get stuck in. How does that happen? No, get like glory and what.

Going to be conformed to the image of his son. That's what we've been predestined for.

Well, that's not for us only or sons. So there's a big so that. So that always suggests what? Purpose. So that's all always about ultimate purpose. Understand? Ultimate purpose.

Those are phrases. He says we're sons so that what? So that Jesus Christ.

Would be the firstborn. He'd be the firstborn among many brethren of which you are now one as a son.

And of which we are one.

So he's saying, this isn't a you, this is a we.

So it moves from you to we. This is you. But you're one of many. Many. So firstborn means two things. First of all, he says he is the image of invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. It doesn't literally mean first in time. It means first in honor, first in preeminence.

Right. So he's the firstborn among all creation. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Which is a great reminder. If he's holding all things together, can he hold your life together. Can he hold your illness together? Can he hold your brokenness together? Can you hold your weakness together? Can you hold. Can you hold your. I can't.

I won't. I don't. Together, he holds all things together. Then he says, for both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father. We're now one. One Father. One Father. For this reason, he's not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, I will proclaim.

So Jesus said, right, in the Old Testament, I will proclaim your name to.

My brothers.

I will proclaim your name to my brothers. You're now a brother of Christ.

You're now a brother of Christ. So we go from I to we. So we're many brethren. We are many brethren. He says, many brethren. So I have this picture in the New. In the. In Revelation, it said, and the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands upon thousands, saying, worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

Myriads of myriads. Which means focused on who, the Lamb who was slain. And he says to him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb. So there's this picture that all the attention is focused. But if you stop for a minute and you look around, there would be myriads of myriads, which means millions, as far as the eye can see, worshiping, worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ. Worshiping God the Father on the throne and his Son. Myriads of myriads. We're now one of millions.

We're now one of millions. To which you say, well, where's my seat?

Right? That's what we go. Like, where will I be? Of course, because we're stuck in us. But it's saying it's we. And the focus of all of that is him, the Lord Jesus Christ, the God and Father. Many brothers. Many brothers. All right, flip over.

He says, there's more. The preeminent ones.

He's. He's the one. So that he might come to have first place. He's the first place one. Which of course begs the question, if he's first place in. In all creation, is he first place in your creation?

Is he first place in your life? If he's first place in God's plan, is he first place in your plan? If he's first place in God's purposes, is he first place in yours? Right? He's the ultimate. He's the ultimate purpose. Right? He's the preeminent one. He's the first place was.

So he says well then it doesn't stop there. He says not only are you predestined to adoption he says those who are predestined are also called.

Those who predestined are also called.

Can mean summit. Come to me called can mean invite. Hey, right, you're invited to next week for our Christmas, you know, our Christmas group, right? It can mean to a point, right? He says to Jeremiah not, not just I, I formed you, I knew you and I called you, I appointed you, right? I've given you a task and a purpose it can also mean just to name something. So he says here you're a chosen race. Who's that? That's the we. That's us a chosen race. A royal priesthood because you're priest to a king. Royal priesthood and you're a holy nation, right? You have a sovereignty that is not of this world and it's a holy nation called set apart It's a holy nation.

A holy nation. And you are a people.

For what? Coventant B We're his. We're his. That's what people always say when I accepted Jesus Scripture says no, it's not that you know God it's whether God knows you not that you have God, it's whether God has you. Right? You have God, I have God, I'm following God, I'm following well, good luck with that. The more important thing is to see have me. Does he know me? Am I his right? I am his own possession. God does not lose any of his.

He knows how to keep his possession. There's a so that what? Why are we chosen world priests or a holy nation? The people for God's own possession? What's our purpose so that ultimate purpose what you may proclaim.

What am I pertaining my own greatness.

Right? Pretty good. Amazing. What's he saying? You may proclaim the excellencies of him who. Where did you get called out of darkness? How do I glory in the fact I was in darkness? That's all I glory. And that's what Paul says It's about my weaknesses. Why? So he gets glory. Power, Power of God I was called out of the mire and the muck.

Says bless the Lord O my soul, all that is within me Bless his holy name Bless the Lord, oh my soul Forget none of his benefits who pardons all your iniquities who heals all your diseases? Who redeems your.

We were in the pit, we were in the sinking sand with no hope to get out he's called you out of darkness. What are we into his marvelous light. Called out of darkness, into his marvelous light. So that's a calling. Calling out of. Into. Right. See how great the love.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us. That we would be Call. This is the same word, call. So we're called out of darkness. We're also called to a purpose. But here he's saying, you're given a name. What are you called, children?

I called you by name, Called you by name. Which means. That's my identity. My identity. I give you an identity. That's what it means to be called. Called out of, invited to appoint. You see? All of it.

We've been summoned out of. We've been invited to. We've been appointed and we've been named. Isn't that cool? So what does it mean to be called? Means to be summoned out of. To invited to the kingdom. Right. Appointed with a purpose and called his own. He says if you're called, you're called.

Then you're also.

Justified.

What does that mean? To render just or innocent. Go from being guilty, being innocent.

Guilty being innocent. What did he do? He saved us. Not on the basis of deeds to have done righteousness, but according to his mercy. How do you do that? The washing of regeneration, renewing by the Holy Spirit. Where'd that come from? He poured it out upon us richly. Notice that God doesn't do just some things he does exceeding abundantly. He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Really? What was the purpose of that? There's the so that.

What was the ultimate purpose? Being justified. Going from guilty to innocent. By his grace we'd be made. Oh, there's that heirs again. Holy smokes.

He's reading his will.

The New Testament. Jesus Christ. Last will and testament. You've been named. You've been called. You've been justified. Hey, look at here. It says you're gaining an inheritance.

That's pretty cool. I think I put that document in my safe. Maybe I should review it from time to time. Remember, there's a trust set up for me. It says it's reserved in heaven. It's protected in heaven for you.

So we've been justified. Made. Made innocent. Rendered innocent. Then he says, if you've been justified, you're also.

Glorified.

Horrified.

Glorified.

While we've obtained an inheritance.

Having been.

Predestined. There it is again. I'm stuck in those words. I got stuck in the words. See what the purpose is according to his purpose. Okay, what's his purpose? Well, he works all things. After the counts of his will, there's a purpose. What is it? To the end.

What's the end? We who are the first in Christ. The first to hope in Christ will be to the praise of his glory. There it is again. So that's the. So that right to the end that we would be to the praise of his glory. Praise of his glory. So it says in Christ. In him.

You were.

Sealed like a signet ring, warmed by the Holy Spirit, stamped with God's grace. Receive the Holy Spirit. Also means down payment. Also means first. First. With the Foley to come, you've received part of the inheritance today. The Holy Spirit. It's a guarantee that you'll receive all of it one day.

You were sealed with the Holy Spirit and it's the Holy Spirit of promise. Promise. It's the first, right. He saw. I read this. Okay, Your inheritance. Here it is. You get the Holy Spirit today.

You get blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. We start to go through this, right? This is the inheritance. It's the spirit of promise who is given as a.

Pledge. Promise. Does God keep his pledges? God doesn't need to pledge, by the way. And it says in Hebrews he swore by himself, which is by two unchangeable things. In other words, if God says that, he doesn't have to put his hand on the Bible and say I swear. Because just the fact that he says it, but he swears. He pledges for our benefit. Who's that for? For our benefit.

To see, it's. It's like double. I say it and I swear it. And God doesn't need to swear it. But if he says it, it will come to pass. Who speaks? And it comes to pass. And he swears for our benefit to give us like double assurance. Why do you doubt? I've sworn and I've sworn by myself.

A pledge of our inheritance. What's the view to the redemption right? That we would be conformed redemption of God's own possession. There it is. To the praise of his glory. Oh, it's about you again.

And see, here's the thing. You're confused. It's not about you. It is about him and his glory. So will he. Will he bring about the praise of his glory? Will he bring it about? Yes, that's what he's saying. So this is just.

All accomplished? That's why it's in the past tense.

Is there a future inheritance? Of course there are. Future to all of this? Yes. Salvation is not the moment that I confess Christ. Salvation is the glorification of you into intimate fellowship with the Father. That's what salv. It's the whole thing. It's the whole thing. So this is about the whole thing.

That's why I put on there a chain of grace. Eternity past, eternity future. For known, predestined, called justified, glorified. The chain of grace from eternity past to eternity future.

That's pretty cool. So Job.

Going through stuff in his life which was challenging, no doubt, very challenging. He was asking God questions like what about what if, whatever. And God says to him, okay, now my turn.

So he says, put on your Depends. I'm going to ask you stuff right now. I get to ask the questions. So pay attention when God asks questions. So to all of this, he starts to ask some questions, and they're rhetorical questions. What does that mean?

He's not asking for you to answer them. He's asking you to consider the answer to these. So what's he saying? The very first thing he says, what. What's he say? Let's look at the scripture. Go back there.

What then shall we say to these things? That's his first question. What then shall we say to these things? What shall we say? And then he says, if.

God is for us. Okay, if God is for us. So is God for you? Yes, yes. So he's saying, if God is for you, or as a result of the fact that God is for you. But how many wonder is God really for me?

And when you go through certain stuff, you wonder, is God still for me? Is he really for me? Like God of the universe, all power, all glory. Is he really for me? Or is he just kind of putting up with me? You wonder, is he for. You know what I mean? Is he for me? No, he's just like, you know, I got, you know, I gotta say that one, you know, like. Or is he for me? Is he for me?

Well, let's look. Psalm, he says, then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. Why.

This I know.

Do you know that God is for you?

Do you know that God is for you? Are there some people in life that you are for no matter what?

Some people in your life that you're for no matter what? The answer would be no. No. The answer is no. There, there. People could do such things, right? That I, even somebody, I'm saying I'm for. That I might not be for them, right? That there would. There would come a time when there'd be. Because I have limited grace.

I have limited. Now, I have more grace with some people, right? You're supposed to have. You're supposed to have lifetime grace for your spouse, right? And then anybody else is less than that. But hey, reality is, my grace is limited.

So I can't say I'll always. I tell Beth, I will always be for you, right? But my. I mean, the reality is my grace is limited. My power is limited, my authority is limited. All of that. God says, I'm for you. That will never, ever change. It just won't change.

You can't, because he can. See, this is about. Understand you are in this glorious picture which is about him and his glory. Him in his glory. So is God. 40? Yes. And I love this. He says, now, let Israel now say.

He says to them, say this. What should you say? Had it not been the Lord who is on our side, when. When things got hard, when men rose up against us and they would have swallowed us alive, when their anger was kindled, then the waters would have engulfed us. When the raging waters would have swept over our soul, in other words, they went through a situation right, where they almost, almost, almost. He's saying what you need to say. Because we say, lord, why did you put me in that? Why were there raging waters? Why was that stuff happening? He says, no, you need to reframe the way you think. You need to ask this question. Had I not been on your side, you would have been toast.

How many have situations in their life? You look back and you say, had the Lord not been on my side, when you're in the middle of them, you're thinking, like, why is this happening? He's saying, had I not been. So he's saying, say that about your life. In other words, think that and say that. Look at your life, look back on your life and say, always, had the Lord not been on my side, had the Lord not been on my side right now, had I not been going through this right now, had he not been on my side, I'd be toast. But how's the end? He says, blessed be the Lord. Because he said, if you knock it on my side, Lord, the raging waters would have swept over my soul. I'd be done. But the Lord who has not given us to be.

Our souls, escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper. The snare is broken. We have escaped. Our hell is in the name of the Lord, whose power is without end. Whose power is without end, who made the heavens and the earth, and he sustains them, right? So he's Saying this needs to be the way you understand. It's not if God is for me. No, God is for me. This I know.

Do you know that? This I know. Do you know it deep in your soul? This I know that the things I've been through, the things I'm going through now, the things I will go through, that God is for you. God is for you. So he says, God is for you, Right? If God is for us. If God is for us, then he says, okay, then who is against you?

Right? Then he says, if God is for you, who is against you? In other words, if he is here for me, who is against me? The ones who is against God. Right. Who is that? The devil in the world system. Right. The Lord is for me. I will not fear too much.

Right? Because he's really speaking to the psalmist, is speaking to his soul. It means I'm fearing. But I have to say to myself, the Lord is for me. The Lord is with me. I will not fear. We have to speak to our fear, don't we speak to our fear? Our fear is there. So the Lord says, do not fear. What can man do to me? Sometimes the world system has engulfed those who are blinded by the evil one.

And people are against us, right? People out in the world that are against us. He says, what can man do to me? And he says, you are from God, little children. And I've overcome them. Because greater is he was in us than he who is in the world system. Right? System. It's the world system. It's the evil one and the evil purposes he carries about through all of it. Why is the media like that? Is the media is controlled by the world system.

Why are the. The why? Why is everything out there seem to be against God and good things? Because it is. There's a world system. The prince of the power of the air. So Jesus said. So since then, the children share in flesh and blood He Himself. Who is that? Christ.

Likewise also particularly the same that through death he might render powerless people had power over death. Who is that? The devil. The devil can't even even threaten you with death. Why? Because death.

Is inheritance. In.

The triumph of Don John and Betty Stam I read about when I was pretty new Christian, they were in China and China Inland Mission, they were. They had a little baby, year and a half, I think she was. A year and a half with gold. And the communists were after them and they would move about and communists took he and his wife together. Down he's been. He's down on his knees Gun to his head. And they said, you know, renounce Christ. And he says, pull the trigger and I'm in glory.

Pull the trigger and I'm in glory. And both of them went to glory that day. Their daughter, you're nobody. Nobody came into the tent. She survived two days until finally somebody got enough courage to go in the tent. She did live. Ended up writing about the work that they'd done. But, well, he's saying, pull the trigger.

I'm in glory. Pull the trigger. Right. Disease gets you, I'm in glory. Right? It's world gets you, I'm in glory. That's what he say, I'm in glory. Scott. That was my ancestor.

Remember you say that, Betty Stan. So, wow. She wrote a poem called Afraid of what? Afraid. Question mark. Of what? It's a great poem. If I can find it all, send it to Roger. That'd be great. That'd be great.

That would be great.

So then he says, this is the greatest rhetorical question in the Bible. He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up from us all, howling on, also with him, freely give us all things. That's the greatest rhetorical question God has asked. So if God the Father did not spare his own son, will he withhold anything good?

Will he withhold anything I've given you my son? It's called the greatest to lesser argument. In other words, if I gave everything which is my son, is there anything less than him that I wouldn't give? And keep in mind that it is to bring you to glory.

To bring it. He's talking about conforming you to the image, right? Will he withhold anything good to. Because the ultimate is to bring about his glory. Right to bring us to glory, to bring him right to bring glory to him. Everybody get that? So is he going to die? If he. If Christ died to purchase your salvation and your glorification, will he not give you everything to make this a reality? That's what he's saying. To bring you to glory. To bring you to glory.

So the first thing you see there is he freely, freely gives all things.

Freely gives all days.

And literally the word which comes from Paris, which means grace, literally means out of grace, out of grace. To bestow generously, to show kindness. It also means to forgive or pardon. That's the word. And he does that freely.

It does it freely out of grace. And what it means is it's personal grace. It's personal grace. It's specific for you. And it means God gives out of, underline, out of His Own gracious heart. And it flows from his own gracious nature. The Lord is compassionate, gracious, slowed anger, abounding in loving kindness. It's flowing out of.

Which means it's not fully.

Dependent upon. Hey.

It flows out of the grace, the, the, the. The. The compassion, the generosity of our God. It flows out of his nature.

What does that mean? It's without end. It's without end. My grace comes to an end. His never does. It flows out of his nature. He freely gives out of his nature.

So what can he say? So he says, will I withhold if I. If I send my son to die to purchase your salvation, which encompasses all of this, by the way. This is your salvation, right? Calling, justification. But your salvation includes glorification. This is salvation here. It's not here in this moment where I was justified. It. This is.

So this is what the Bible calls salvation. It is your glorification, ultimate glorification. Without them. This is not salvation. Salvation is all of these things. That's why he's saying it's. It's predestined, right? Called justified, glorified.

So if he died, if he shed his blood here to purchase this.

Is there anything that he'll withhold.

That will ensure that you're glorified? Once saved, always saved is a foolish way to say it. It's so simplistic. You're just missing the whole thing. You're worried about who? How about him? How about this? The quote. Wrong questions. Wrong question. God is saying, do you understand that if you're a son, this is what he purchased. This is what he will bring about in you.

And it's for mine glory. It's for my glory, right? Not so you can understand what the verbs mean. Not so you can take a test. You understand I'm doing this for my glory. You're called into this right for My glory. You're my possession for my glory. That's why he can say now to Him. Now to Him.

So it should be to Him. Okay. Why is it Him? He is.

Able. What's he able to do? Keep you from stumbling. Really? And what make you stand where?

The presence of his glory. How will you stand in the presence of his glory? Millions upon millions of degrees in power and light. How will you stand in the presence of his glory? Only if you're conformed to the image of his son. There's no way. No way. So he is able to make so that you can stand in the presence of his glory.

Blameless. What? How will that happen? I'm not Blameless. How am I going to stand in the presence of his glory? Blameless. Because of Christ, because of the Lord Jesus Christ, with.

Great joy. No kidding.

Right? Like, boom. I'm standing there in the presence of his glory. Blameless. Boy, if that didn't great joy, like shoo, like what, right? With great joy. So he says, to the only God, our Savior, that's the Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, both in unity of purpose.

To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority. And I love this. He says, okay, now get this right. So you look up that. Look up that chain of grace. So he says.

Before all time.

Now and now.

Out of eternity, into eternity, short period of time.

Where he's carrying this out, this chain of grace, out of eternity. You were predestined for, known, called, justified. What for? For glorification, for eternity. In the presence of the Father, with great joy. In his presence, there is fullness of joy. His right hand are.

So he starts the question here. So what do you say to these things? He says, what can we say? Right. What can we say? That was the first rhetorical question. So what can we say? So here's the question. What do you say to these things? To the fact that you're foreknown, predestined, called, justified, glorified? What do you say? Write down what do you say? What do you say to the Lord if you answer the question? So what do you say?

So what do you say?

So what do you say these things? Well, this is the. I mean, this is the result, if you will. This doesn't happen without the incarnation of. Hopefully, in a way, you're left speechless. You're left speechless. And that's a good thing. We should be in awe of all that God has done. And may the God who fornew you before he formed you in the womb, who predestined you, called you, who justified you, and who will glorify you for sure.

May he bless you and keep you. May his face shine upon you. And may he grant you shalom deep in your soul to know that you are His Son. You are His Son now and forever. Amen.

Thanks for listening. I hope you have greater hope, assurance and confidence in your life and a deeper trust in the God of the Bible and His Son, Jesus Christ. Until next time. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. His shalom in your soul and in your life. Until next time.

May God bless you and keep you.