He Who Spared Not His Own Son

The Amazing Question: Who is He That Condemneth?

0:00 gold mine of biblical truth. This week we will be examining another nugget from that mine found in verse 33, where the question is raised, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea, rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. We will be considering these words under three headings.

0:38 First, the question raised, who is he that condemneth? Secondly, the answer which is obviously assumed, no one. And thirdly, the basis for that assumed answer. Please join us now for this week's exposition of the word of God.

1:00 First of all, then, consider with me the question which is raised on the threshold of this text. Who is he that condemns, or who is the one who condemns? In this particular question, the apostle Paul is hurling into the face of the entire universe a simple but very vital question. He is asking, where is the man? Where is the woman? Where is

1:36 the boy? Where is the girl? Where is the angel? Where is the devil? Where is the demon? Where is

1:45 any intelligent creature who can justly lay the charge of guilt and deserved punishment upon any one of the people? Who is the one that condemns? Condemnation, obviously, in this text being that which results from guilt. Guilt, obviously, that which results from sin that is unforgiven. And so the apostle

2:17 throws this question out into the face of the entire intelligent universe of men and angels and devils and asks, where is that person from whatever circumstance who can lay a just claim of condemnation at the door of any one of the people of God? Now, this question is an amazing question, and it is all the more amazing because when we consider the person who raises it in this text, the apostle Paul, we realize that he does not raise it.

2:59 He raises it as one who is either ignorant of the extent of the problem of sin or one who is ignorant of the character of God with respect to how God regards sin. This is a man who said of himself, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. This is the very one who earlier in this epistle wrote, the wages of sin is due. The wages of sin is due. The wages of sin is due.

3:29 This is the one who wrote even earlier in the epistle, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. And then went on to demonstrate that all men, Jew and Gentile, with or without the light of scripture, stand under the condemnation of Almighty God. Now, how does such a man dare to raise a question like this? How does he dare to raise a question like this? How does he dare to hurl this question into the face of all the intelligent

The Assumed Answer: No One Can Justly Condemn

4:05 creatures of the universe? Where is the one who will dare to condemn the least of the people of God? That's the question which he raises. Now, in the second place, there is an answer which he assumes. And the answer which he assumes is that there is no one, man, woman, boy, girl, angel,

4:32 demon, devil, archangel, archdemon, whoever he be, who can justly lay the claim of condemnation at the door of the child of God. Obviously, his own conscience at the point of writing these words was utterly free from condemnation. A man who knew himself to be by nature the chief of sinners. A man who includes himself with all other men as having sinned in Adam. A man who

5:09 includes himself with Jew and Gentile as standing under the curse of a broken law. And yet he says, who is he that condemns? And assumes that the answer is, there is none who can justly condemn.

The Basis of Confidence: Christ Jesus

5:26 Now, this brings us to the heart of our study. What was the basis of this confidence, with respect to the answer? Well, I do like the New American Standard Version translation in verse 34, because though it may be awkward English, it's not atrocious English, it's a bit awkward, it does bring forward the force of the original. Will you notice, as I read this translation, and many of you have this translation, who is the one that condemns? Now, when the apostle would

6:01 show the basis for this, he would say, I do not condemn. I do not condemn. I do not condemn. I do not confidence he has in that assumed answer there is none to condemn the first word is christ that's the way it is in the original after the question is raised you have the first word christ and in a sense that's the last word what is the basis for such confidence it is nothing in the apostle it is in something wholly external to him and the entirety of the

6:39 answer is summarized in the first word of the answer christ christ christ jesus is he who died yea rather who was raised who is at the right hand of god who also intercedes for us you see what the apostle does in laying bare to us what we might call the inner workings of his own mind and heart in relationship to the great realities of god and sin he tells us that this

7:18 great confidence is rooted essentially in four objective activities of jesus christ in other words the basis for this confidence lay not in himself but in a spirit given understanding of and humble confidence in the person and work of jesus christ and no one no one no one of any age under any circumstances

7:57 who begins to appreciate who god is in his holiness and justice and what he has done in his life and in his life and in his life and in his life and in his life and in his life he is as a sinner in adam by practice not only if you are yet in your sins but if that person is even a believer who yet wrestles with sin no one will ever come to the apostle's confidence in the light of those great realities until he comes to grips with these four objective activities of the person of jesus christ

8:35 of jesus christ the apostle simply gives these brief statements assuming that we will pack into them the richness of the teaching not only previously given in this epistle but of the general teaching of the word of god and we'll seek briefly to demonstrate that the general teaching of the word of god is the 给 reminisOULD YHこの optimistic space of this epistle it is given in all trainer argumentys and behold we can ask question about the advice of the apostle himself because it is given in the text originally how these objective acts in the life history of the Lord Jesus Christ combined to set the apostles' conscience at rest

Pillar 1: The Death of Christ

9:19 and why it was that the constant humble dependence upon them kept his conscience at rest. First of all, he makes an allusion or a statement concerning the death of Christ. Christ Jesus is he who died. He died in the capacity of being spared not, but delivered up by the Father unto the wrath and curse of Almighty God.

9:53 He died in the capacity described in Romans 8.3, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned. Condemned sin in the flesh, that is, in the flesh of the Son of God. When he says Christ Jesus is he who died, we must pack into that little phrase, who died, the teaching of Romans 4.25.

10:23 He was delivered up because or on account of our transgressions. But then he makes this simple statement concerning the resurrection of Christ. Christ Jesus is he who died.

Pillar 2: The Resurrection of Christ

10:41 Yea, rather, who was raised. Or as some of the manuscripts have it, who was raised from the dead. In either case, there is no significant difference. He was raised.

10:55 That is, there was a literal, physical resurrection. The same person who went into the tomb came out of the tomb with newness of life and poured himself. And into that simple terminology, Christ Jesus was raised, is the teaching of this epistle. Raised for our justification, Romans 4.25.

11:19 Declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, Romans 1 and verse 4. And so the apostle lets us know that he dares to throw out the challenge to the entire intelligent universe. Where is the one who can? Where is the one who can condemn?

11:38 Who says, I have that confidence because I have come to accept the facts and the significance of the facts in the death of Christ. And in humble dependence upon those facts, my conscience is at rest. I have come to accept the fact of a literal bodily resurrection and the biblical description of the significance of those facts. And in humble dependence upon the realities of those facts, my conscience is at rest.

Pillar 3: The Session of Christ at God's Right Hand

12:10 Then he goes on to a third fact. The session, the heavenly session of Christ. He was not only raised, but he says, who is at the right hand of God. Now the terminology, the right hand of God, is a figure of speech.

12:29 But it points to a reality. And the right hand of God is the place of power. It is the place. It is the place of authority.

12:38 It is the place of enthronement. And if we had time, we could trace out this rich vein of thought in the scriptures. But suffice it to say that perhaps there is in Ephesians chapter 1 the best distillation of all of that rich teaching in the Bible to be found in any one passage. We read in Ephesians chapter 1,

13:03 concerning the mighty power of God which he wrought in Christ, verse 20, when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but in that which is to come. And he put all things in subjection under his feet. And there you have it. And there you have it.

13:37 You have a distillation of the significance of the fact that somewhere in the universe, this very night, as much as I am now standing on the right hand of this pulpit, somewhere in the universe, and if we could be transported there, we could actually touch a body, the body of the glorified Son of God.

14:03 And from that position, he exerts an authority and power that is unlimited and that is universal. And it is a power particularly calculated to accomplish the purposes of redemption. He has given head over all things to the church.

14:26 That's why he brings in close conjunction his authority as mediator and the work of the gospel. All authority has been given unto me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, make disciples, baptize them, teach them, and lo, I am with you always. So when the apostle throws out the question, who is he that can condemn?

14:51 The basis of that assumed answer, there is none that can condemn. Again, I emphasize, it lies outside of the realm of his own feelings, outside the realm of his own felt consciousness of the presence of God. It is rooted in the great reality. Christ is seated at the, the place of power to do what?

15:15 To accomplish in every sinner who trusts him all that he has promised to do for such sinners. And he has all authority and everything is under his foot with reference to the salvation and care of his church. God said to his son, sit at my right hand until I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet. And in 1 Corinthians 15 we read, he must reign till he has put all enemies beneath his feet and the last enemy to be destroyed is death.

15:52 And in the context you see, it is death with respect to the bodily resurrection, the consummation of redemption for the people of God and Christ is reigning to do what? He is reigning to complete the salvation of poor sinners such as you, and such as the one standing before you. Then there is a fourth great fact that forms the final building block in this great base of confidence. And it is the fact of the intercession of Christ.

Pillar 4: The Intercession of Christ

16:28 And here we move from a historical once for all act in what we call the history of redemption. Christ died, Christ was raised, Christ was seated, but now we are appointed into a present and a continuous activity of Christ who also makes intercession for us. As one has very tersely stated, his session points to his power to save us. His intercession to his will to save us.

17:08 His session puts him in the place of power. His intercession mission manifest the will of that power exercise for our salvation how do we know that well a text like hebrews 725 asserts it in such plain terms listen to the words of that text wherefore he is able to save even to the uttermost those who come unto god by him why seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them his saving them to the uttermost to a completed salvation

17:53 is the end of his intercession and that end cannot be frustrated and we must not think of the intercession in terms of a humble pleading of christ rather it is a regal assertion of his rights as the redeemer did he die to bring many sons what just a foot or two feet or three miles or twenty miles upon the way no the writer to hebrew says he died to bring many sons all the way to glory he died to bring many sons to glory now he intercedes in a royal intercession asserting as it were in his role as mediator

18:37 the claims that he has upon the godhead with respect to the salvation of the people and you find a very strong suggestion of this if not an explicit statement of it in the very language of his intercession in john seventeen in verse twenty four this is how he prays i will not i ask but i will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where i am that they may behold my glory now isn't that a strange kind of intercession when you and i intercede we take the place of a suppliant we plead but he wills i will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where i am

19:21 and it's in that intercession of christ the apostle says that he has the final building block of this solid this unchangeable base of confidence that enables him to cry out who is the one who can bring any valid charge of condemnation to the least of god's elect who is the one who can bring any valid charge of condemnation to the least of god's elect who is the one who can bring any valid charge of condemnation to the least of god's elect there is not a one why because christ died satisfying all the demands of a broken law christ was raised from the dead the vindication of all the claims of his person

20:01 the validation of all the claims with respect to his work he was raised to the right hand of the father the position of power in which to accomplish all all that he purposed to do in his death and resurrection and he intercedes and in a very special way it is the intercession which secures which acts as the capstone over all of his redemptive activities does the believer have sin yet within him is not that sin an affront to god an offense to his law does it not in itself viewed in isolation provoke

20:44 provoke the anger and wrath of god as much as anyone else's sin yes but because he belongs to christ he has an advocate one who pleads his cause if any man sin we have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous or in the language that we read this morning if we were reconciled to god by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life how by what activity of his life by that life that he ever lives in which to intercede for us his people and i say in closing to those of you who are not in christ

Application: No Condemnation for Believers, Condemnation for Unbelievers

21:27 when the question is asked who is the one who condemns there's an answer to that question in your case who is the one who condemns my friend if you're honest your own conscience is all the bar of condemnation you need sitting here tonight if you've not depended of your sin and fled to christ your conscience is your accuser sitting in this place tonight as much as you may try to pervert the voice of conscience stifle that voice your own conscience is all the accuser you need that you are in a state of condemnation that's why your sin

22:10 always has that worm in the gourd of its pleasure that afterthought that bad taste in the mouth of that dainty upon which you have fed that's conscience that worm in that gourd of pleasure not only does conscience condemn the word and law of god condemns you the soul that sinneth it shall die the wages of sin is death who is he that condemns my friend the doctrine of condemnation for sin is not some carryover from a dark dreary spooky kind of medieval christianity it is the teaching of the lord jesus christ and of his apostles

22:55 and unless you flee to christ there is nothing but condemnation for you and that's why this chapter opens with those glorious words there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are aware in christ jesus until you are in christ there is nothing but condemnation and you say preacher how do i get into christ well my friend if i could put you there physically i'd do my best to get you there but there is nothing that any man can do to put you into christ nothing any church can do no ritual no ceremony there is but one way to get into christ

23:37 and that is to believe into him and that's the very language of the bible that whosoever believeth in or into him faith is that bond which you know unites you to him and so i call upon you in the name of christ to believe on the lord jesus christ and thou shalt be saved may god grant that even here this night some who perhaps for years have wondered how can i ever face the thought of judgment with anything other than dread or maybe some wishful thinking that somehow or other that god has given me that i instinctively know

24:22 must judge him romans 132 somehow hope and wish that he'll be less than what i know him to be oh my friend if you're a person like that listen don't stake don't stake your eternal destiny on wishful thinking you will find no resting place for conscience you will find no resting place in the light of scripture until you come to rest in the lord jesus christ in the lord jesus christ in the lord jesus christ in the lord jesus christ in the lord jesus christ in the lord jesus christ in the lord jesus christ in the lord jesus christ you say that's too simple i've got to do something i've got to perform something my friend don't you argue with god's method of saving sinners romans 10 speaks of a people who would not submit themselves

25:06 to the righteousness of god this demands an act of submission on your part you've got to say god you know better than i how to take care of sinners because in the long run you're going to dispose of sinners in the end heaven or hell now lord i better get with it and i better serve you and i better submit to your way of saving sinners your way of forgiving sinners and god's way