Called

Romans • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Today, we are back in the book Romans, Specifically chapter 8. The last two weeks we have seen how powerful the message from Paul is. The first week I was with you, I presented the Idea that Paul was telling his people That believers in Christ can have a Spirit filled life because the finished work of Christ, and this great chapter started with the promise that if you are in Christ their is no condemnation for you. But if you are not in Christ you do have the Spirit, and as a result there is nothing but condemnation for you, but for the believer there is an assurance that the Holy Spirit brings believers this new life..

Last week Pauls main idea was the Holy Spirit testifies that we are heirs of God, and as a result of being an heir you are going to put to death the deeds of the flesh, and believers have a great reason for this is because they are adopted by God, and part of this adoption means that one day we will be glorified with Christ.

Today we get into what I can only describe as one of the most theologically rich sections in all of scripture.

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Title for sermon: Called

Main Point

The calling from God on a believers life gives hope for the present life and the future life to come. x2

Paul in this text is going to highlight that truth in a few different ways..

The calling on a believers life gives the freedom of the glory of the Children of God.

Freedom is a such a great word for a believer. With freedom comes many promises, and we see that starting in verse 18. Last week I mentioned briefly how great it so going to be when when finally see the glory of God, despite the many sufferings that we may have in this life.

Suffering is real and until Christ comes back it is going to always be here. It’s estimated that over 200 Christians die daily throughout the whole world for there faith, while countless others suffer for Christ in various ways, and despite the realness of suffering in our lives often on a daily basis, it will never compare to the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

The phase not worth comparing would be a powerful one to the people of Rome. The people of Rome would one day soon be under multiple Caesars that would blame Christians for things they did not commit and bring them under intense persecution. BUT this was not worth comparing to the glory that would come for them.

The glory that is going to come will be worth every suffering we ever have in this life.

This glory that is going to come is two fold… One is Christ glory and the other is our glory. The glory that comes for believers creation is waiting on.

Its longing for the revealing of the sons of God. In God’s redemption plan he is not only going to redeem the sons of God he is also going to redeem creation.

Why does creation even need this redemption? It needs this redemption because of the fall. Adams sin had universal implications.

It says that creation was subject to futility. God’s creation prior to the fall was a perfect place, but because of the fall that all changed.

The one who subjected it to futility was God. He punished the land just like he punished Adam, But notice was it says at the end of verse 20, and verse 21. IN HOPE THAT WHAT? That creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption.

We often think of the world as such an evil place, but God is going to redeem it, the work of Christ on the cross, not only calls sinners, sons, but it changes the landscape of the entire world.

Just as believers have been set free so will creation, and in the process receive freedom.

Listen to R.C. Sproul’s words, “The Bible does not teach the annihilation of this planet, but rather its renovation and redemption. The Scriptures promise a new heaven and a new earth: a cosmic transformation whereby the work of redemption effected by Christ will not only bring renewal, sanctification and glorification to man, but also renewal, sanctification and glorification to our natural world, to our natural environment.”

The calling on a believers life gives the freedom of the glory of the children of God. And that freedom tells us that despite our many sufferings the glory that is to come wont even compare, and the creations longing of our redemption will one day be manifested into a freedom that only comes in the new heaven and new earth.

The call from God is ultimately a call to freedom, and that freedom changes everything. This freedom is to live as we were originally called to live in a place that is free from sins bondage.

Where does that freedom come from?

The work of Christ and the work of Christ changes everything, and because of that work, all those who are called by God can have hope for the present life, and the future life to come. Which includes freedom of the glory of the children of God.

The calling on a believers life gives hope for the redemption of their bodies.

Creation also wants this redemption, so much so that is groans for it. But notice how Paul describes this groaning in terms of the pains of childbirth, and this isn't just a long labor process its still continuing to this day. My wife can attest to this while the labor pains were real, and intense in the moment but when our daughter was born it was worth it. And Creation is groaning awaiting the day it will be redeemed.

But this groaning is not just for creation it is we ourselves who wait eagerly for adoption, See last week I talked about being adopted by God, and this reality means that we are already adopted, but we wait for the redemption. We have this eager longing to be adopted because we have the first fruits of the spirit. Believers have tasted and seen just how great it is to be a believer, and yet its not fully manifested to us yet. Believers in Christ have a deep desire that they will one day be fully adopted, and have a new body, and a heavenly body one that does not hurt, and does not break down.

And as believers this is what we hope for, we hope for adoption, we hope for redemption. We hope for something we cannot see. Thats hard. For the people of Rome this must have stung a little, because they wanted all of Christ now, and we are the same way, yet we continue to hope for this redemption all while waiting for it with patience. Just like the creation longs for redemption with pains of childbirth, we wait as well.

And why do we do this? Well Romans 2:7 says, “to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” The waiting of our new bodies will be ever so sweet in the presence of God forever.

And we can wait because we know that we are called by God. The calling of God brings waiting into proper perspective. Because believers have been called by God, we know the waiting will be worth it. The calling from God on a believers life gives hope for the present life and the future life to come which includes the hope of our redemptive bodies.

The calling on a believers life means the Holy the Spirit will help them in their weaknesses

Read verse 26.. As believers we have a great gift that God lives in us. What a ray of hope that in our weakness we have a God who can come and empower us in the darkest of moments, which includes when we suffer, when we have heartaches, when we have any kind of troubles, we have the Spirit in us that helps us in our weakness.

The Spirit helps us pray in our weakness, which means he helps guide us down the winding rivers of this life, while teaching us how to pray while at the same time interceding for us in a way that is too deep for words. The words that are too deep are from the Spirit and not us.

Often times when I go to the Lord in prayer he helps me pray in a way that i never thought possible, he guides me and directs me in ways that I know can only come from him. Its a true work of God.

One commentator says this… “The reason for this effectiveness is the perfect accord that exists between God, “the one who searches hearts,” and “the mind of the Spirit.” God, who sees into the inner being of people, where the indwelling Spirit’s ministry of intercession takes place, “knows,” “acknowledges,” and responds to those “intentions” of the Spirit that are expressed in his prayers on our behalf”

And the beauty of this is that he continues to intercede for the believer, and he does so however he pleases.

One man summed up this two verses like this. God the Father hears the prayer of God the Spirit on the basis of the finished work of Christ. The Triune God is at work in our very own prayers.

The calling from God on a believers life gives hope for the present life and the future life to come, which includes the Holy Spirit helping believers in their weaknesses.

The calling on a believers life means God will work all things for their good.

Verse 28 is powerful, Its one of those verses you see on the walls of homes, and often a favorite among Christians, and this is for good reason. Paul said and we know, that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. There is a-lot there. The church of Rome would no doubt be comforted by this words.

And the beginning of this verse starts with and we know that those who love God. Believers love God, and this love of God is the foundation to what is to follow. See loving God changes our outlook on everything. When you love God, things that happen seem to fall into proper perspective, and for a verse like this loving God is where it starts.

Now Paul says all things work together for good. How is this possible? We know as believers in Christ this life has so much bad, how can God work all things for Good. Well one he is God, and he can, and two he does so for reason.

I love this one quote, “ In God’s infinite kindness and wisdom he suffuses situations and circumstances in ways that prove favorable for his devotees. This is relevant for those who may be suffering as they serve Christ groaning inwardly in a pain wracked world and upheld by the Spirit’s own sufferings.

Despite that God uses all things for good he does not say everything that happens to you is good, and this is important to know. Because we know by experience that this cant be the case.

BUT the good he produces is ultimately two fold. One you are conformed to the image of Christ and two you are glorified.

God works all things in your life to make you more like Christ. One thing I often do is look back and see what God has done in my life throughout the years, and see how he used what I thought were bad situations and turned them into points that made me more like Christ. And he does that for every single believer is a multitude of ways.

Another thing is we will be glorified. This promise has been a theme of chapter 8. and what a great truth it is. That despite the sufferings, and troubles we will face we will be glorified. One day we will be with God in heaven forever.

and we can be confident of these things because we are called by God. This call on our life produces a faith that knows, and it gives hope in this verse. which finishes by saying called according to his purpose.

As much as want to control our lives, the text makes it clear that its his purpose that he is achieving, and this is good, because we want as believers for God to be the one guiding our life. And because we love him, we know he is going to guide us perfectly.

His purpose looks different for everyone, but he has a general purpose as well. If we look at other places in scripture with this same kind of language we see some of those purposes. While I dont want to list all of them One that goes with this text well is Ephesians 1:11 which says, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

and verse 28 like only magnifies Paul main point in this section, and that is The calling from God on a believers life gives hope for the present life and the future life to come, which means God is going to work all things for the believers good.

The calling on a believers life means they will be justified, and glorified.

This truth gives greater meaning to the preceding verses. As believers God chose us, and this choosing is crucial because if you have read the book of Romans you know that in Romans 3:10-11 it says, “as it is written:“None is righteous, no, not one;11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.

If no-one is righteous and no-one seeks God we must have something come into our lives to cause us to believe, and this text says that God does this. Foreknowing and choosing can be interchanged, but either way God chose you as a believer and as a result in his choosing he is adopting you.

This adoption, choosing, foreknowing is not a result of him knowing what you would do, because if you have read the bible especially this book you can clearly see that you will not chose him. You will live in the flesh, and do things your own way.

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I said this last week, but he says I want you, and in that calling he is doing something incredible. He is predestining the believer to be conformed to the image of his son.

Listen to words of Philippians 3:20-21 it says, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Part of this calling on a believers life is transformation its a real change that happens. Not only in our way to death but in heaven.

The good news of this text is that there will be many brothers, God is going to save not just a few but many, and how is he going to do that?

Listen to what the text says, those who he predestined, he also called, and those who he called he also justified. Those who are predestined, and called do not have some sort of dead faith. When God calls someone they believe, but its his calling that enables them to do so.

One cannot be justified before God without personal faith in Jesus Christ. Every believer of God will have a realationship with him.

Justification only comes by faith. Listen to Romans 5:1-11.

We need God to call us out of darkness to believe, but we also have to respond to him by faith.

One man said Justification implies, “We are not simply like Adam, beginning all over again; we are in Christ. In the sight of God we are not only innocent, but as righteous as Christ is, because righteous with his personal righteousness!”

And the good news is that we are not only justified by God but we will be glorified. Every single believer in Christ is justified, and all those people will be glorified. Which means that if you have put your faith in Christ for salvation you will be glorified. Not might, but will be.

This is because he first called you out of darkness, and by faith you responded to that call he had for you, and because of the work of Christ, you will one day be glorified with him forever, and you will receive all the promises that God has given believers in him.

The calling from God on a believers life gives hope for the present life and the future life to come, because they have justified, and glorified.

Closing remarks

the amount of time we spent in the text this morning really can’t even begin to unlock the truths that it has for us. But I trust that you have seen this morning that The calling from God on a believers life gives hope for the present life and the future life to come.

As believers of Christ we sometimes just have to sit back and say thank you for a text like this, because in my darkest hours I have seen the beauty of these verses at work.

In a fallen world the main idea today can become a great source of comfort for any believers life.

If we had to directly apply this to our lives, most of it would to just be to just believe these truths, and believe them in such a way that its at the forefront of our minds daily. These truths are that impactful for the believer.

we seen this in the calling on a believers life gives the freedom of glory of the children of God. The calling results in a freedom from the bondage that man and creation was under since the fall. One day the lord is going to come and give us his freedom. We need that information in our minds.

The calling on a believers life gives hope for the redemption of their bodies. Redemption is coming for all believers and the creation.

The calling on a believers life means the Holy Spirit will help them in their weakness. In this life will always need the Spirits help. It does not matter if we dont know what to pray, he will help your prayer life .

The calling on a believers life means God will work all things for their good. Not everything in this life will be good but he is going to work all things for the Believers good.

Finally the calling on a believers life means they will be justified and glorified. This call is one every believer has and this gives hope for now and all eternity.

The calling from God on a believers life gives hope for the present life and the future life to come.

only believers have these promises and if you are not a believe today. I pray God is calling you to turn to him and you to can have hope for the present life and the future life to come.