Go

Grace Baptist Church

Contact Us

  • Phone: (239) 772-1400
  • Email: 
  • Mailing Address: 1300 Ceitus Terrace, Cape Coral, FL 33991

 

 

The Grace of God in Christ

The Grace of God in Christ

Jun 05, 2016

Passage: Romans 8:32

Preacher: Fred Malone

Category: Sunday Morning

Keywords: christ, gospel, grace, salvation

Detail:

Fred Malone, a pastor and longtime friend of Pastor Tom Ascol preached at Grace Baptist Church as part of a celebration of Pastor Ascol’s thirtieth anniversary at Grace. He addressed one of Pastor Ascol’s favorite verses, Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Pastor Malone starts by laying out the context Paul presents in the book of Romans up to Chapter 8. Paul has argued man’s great need. Having a sinful nature, man has the great need for, among other things, justification, sanctification, and having the details of one’s life superintended by the God of creation. Who is this God the Father? It is the one with whom Jesus (and the Holy Spirit) fellowshipped with in perfection from eternity past. The kindness of this Father cannot be measured. God’s love is so great that He did not spare His own Son but gave Him for us. God has made provision for our need. As Paul asks in the preceding verse (31), “If God is for us who can be against us?”

The delivering of Jesus to the death on the Cross was not an accident of history, an act of the might of the Roman empire, or an independently planned action of the Jews. Neither was his delivery meant as an example of non-violent protest. It was the specific plan of the Father, despite His infinite love, as the only possible means of redemption for fallen man.

Paul argues from the greater to the lesser as he attempts to convince the Roman audience they can have confidence in God: if you have the Son you have everything. After all, having delivered His Son will the Father not also provide His saints with all they need? In the original Greek the emphasis in this phrase is on “not,” “How will He not?” It is only logical, making perfect sense that God will provide down to the minutest detail. Since God is sovereign he can do anything; why then should one of His saints worry? This verse provides assurance and comfort for the present. But the work on the Cross provides assurance and comfort for the future also. Jesus, having settled the sin question for humanity, provides a way for eternal salvation. If you call on Him He will save you superintending not only the needs of the present but your needs for eternity.

For the pastor this verse is also precious. As pastors stay focused on the Lord, dealing with their remaining sins at the foot of the Cross, God promises to “graciously give…all things” a pastor needs to shepherd his flock. After all, the church does not belong to the congregants. Neither does it belong to the pastor. It belongs to Jesus Christ who, having procured it through His death and resurrection stands ready, able, and willing to provide all it needs now and hereafter.