Romans: Assurance, Providence, and Life in the Spirit: Romans 8:28-39

Romans 8:28-39 Series - Part 13

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name: JW01134 🔗

Date: 1999-09-05

Synopsis: In this sermon, John Weaver expounds Romans 8:32, focusing on the phrase 'He that spared not his own Son.' He argues that the crucifixion was primarily an act of God, not merely of men or the devil, and that this truth provides the foundation for Christian assurance. Using a fortiori reasoning, he explains that if God did the greater work of giving His Son, He will certainly do the lesser work of freely giving us all things. The sermon emphasizes the inexhaustible grace of God, the severity of God's justice, and the uniqueness of Christ as the only begotten Son. Applications include the warning that God will not spare those who reject Christ, and the comfort that salvation is entirely God's work.

[John Weaver] Romans chapter 8. Let's begin reading with verse 28 and read through verse 32. Romans chapter 8, verse 28. And we know that all things were together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate, be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called, and whom he called, then he also justified, and whom he justified, then he also glorified. What shall we say to these things, if God be for us, who can be against us? 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? Now, today we come to the thirteenth message that I've been bringing on Romans 8, 28.

[John Weaver] And may I point out the fact there's no way I can review all of those previous twelve messages without spending all of my time. But I do want to remind you, last week we looked at verse 31, if God be for us, who can be against us? And so we were dealing there with the invincibility of God, with the power of God.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you what Paul is doing in the latter part of this chapter. You remember I told you that verses 28 through 30 stated the truths of God's grace and God's mercy there to us positively. In other words, it is a positive statement. But when you begin with verse 31 through verse 39, Paul is dealing with negatives.

[John Weaver] Now, what he's doing is he's trying to establish the truth, not only by stating it positively, but also by dealing with any objections that may arise. And so Paul then is pointing out an error, and he is dealing with the error as well. I also told you that this is part of what we would know as catechetical instruction, where he asks a question and then would give the answer until it is enforced into the mind of the hearer. So what Paul is doing when he's asking these questions, he's handling any objections that may arise from his teaching on verses 28 through 30. The first question was, if God be for us, who can be against us?

[John Weaver] In other words, Someone says, well, we've got enemies. What if our enemies arise against us? Paul said, what difference does that make? Because God is omnipotent. God is all powerful. God is invincible. No one can thwart him. No one can hinder him. And so, therefore, his purpose must undoubtedly come to pass. And so he handles that objection in verse 31.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look at verse 32, because this is the verse we're going to be dealing with this week and next week, he asks, He, or says, he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, and here's the question, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

[John Weaver] Now, verse 32 is one of the strongest and most powerful and undeniable arguments for assurance and the final perseverance of the saints that there possibly can be. Paul is giving us an example of logic. An example of reasoning, and I might add that in logic, this type of reasoning is called a fortiori. The a fortiori reasoning is an argument from the greater to the lesser. In other words, if the greater is true, then the lesser is bound to be true as well.

[John Weaver] For instance, if I were to tell you and were able to demonstrate to you that a million gold coins is money. Then I held up one gold coin and I said, this is money also. What am I doing? I'm arguing from the greater to the lesser. If a million of these gold coins is money, then a single gold coin would be money as well.

[John Weaver] Now that's exactly the kind of argument that he's giving us in verse 32. Now watch what he says. He that spared not his own son, that's the greatest. He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, that's the greatest. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? That's the lesser. So if God has done the greater for us, He's certainly going to do the lesser.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to hold Romans 8, but look back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 5. And I want you to note that Paul uses this type of argument frequently. And here is an illustration of it in Romans chapter 5, beginning there with verse 8. Look at it. He says, but God committed his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Now, what's this phrase?

[John Weaver] Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

[John Weaver] Now look at Paul's argument. If God has done the greatest for us while we were his enemies, If He has given us His Son, Jesus Christ, is not God much more now going to continue to bless us and help us, since we are no longer His enemies, for we are now His children? And that's why He keeps saying, much more, after we have been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. So the argument, then, in Romans 8, verse 32, is like the argument in Romans 5, verses 8 through 10. It is an argument from the greater to the lesser. Now, I want you to look back in Romans 8, in verse 32, and let's read it again.

[John Weaver] And let me make another introductory statement. He says in verse 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? That's important. every time you study the Word of God, that you note not only the facts, but the doctrine. You see, facts are vitally important. Now, there are so many people who say, well, don't bother me with the facts, but facts are important.

[John Weaver] In fact, you will notice that Paul's arguments are always based upon fact. They're based upon historical fact. Why? People say, well, listen, It's the spirit of the matter that really counts, not the facts. Well, let me tell you, you might argue with the spirit or the interpretation of something, but you cannot argue with the fact. You see, the spirit may mean different things to different people. But the fact can only mean one thing, you see, and so Paul is basing his argument upon historical fact. Note, if you would please, next, that the doctrine comes from that historical fact. Let me say it another way. The explanation and the exposition of that fact is doctrine. Let me say it another way, I'm telling you the same thing three different ways.

[John Weaver] I like what that old Negro preacher said. Someone asked him, why was it he was such an effective preacher? He said, well, the reason I'm such an effective preacher is I tell them what I'm going to tell them, and then I tell them, and then I tell them what I told them. So I'm saying the same thing three different ways, all right? Once you have the fact, that fact must be applied. And you cannot apply a fact unless you understand the doctrine that is attached to the fact. Unless you understand the explanation and the exposition of the fact. And so what the Apostle Paul does is, he gives us a historical fact. And then he expounds it, he explains it, which is the doctrine, which enables us then to apply that historical fact. And so we have a lot of historical facts. And certainly a tremendous historical fact in Romans 8 in verse 32. But what we want also is not just the fact, but the application of the fact to our lives.

[John Weaver] Now, the whole point of this message and the whole point of the continuation of this message next week is that God's grace is inexhaustible. You see, the argument that Paul is giving is against an objection. And that objection is this. Well, suppose God just saves us and drops us. Suppose God saves us and then ceases to do for us. Maybe we're two greater sinners. And Paul is arguing that is impossible. Because God's grace is inexhaustible.

[John Weaver] He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things? Now, I'm going to give you three ways that God's grace is inexhaustible. Only one of them this morning. First of all, God's grace is inexhaustible in its mystery. You say, Brother Weaver, what kind of mystery are you talking about? Well just stop and think, is it not awfully wonderful and mysterious that God would give his only begotten son for sinners like you and me? Very clearly it is. The Bible says, he that spared not his own son. That's the only phrase I want to deal with today. And I want you to see three things from this phrase. First of all, I want you to note the person.

[John Weaver] Look closely in verse 13. He that spared not his own son. Who is the he? Well, if you'll go back to verse 31, the Bible says, if God be for us, Who can be against us? And then verses 28-30, the entirety of the context is dealing with God. So what is verse 32 telling us? When the Bible says that He, God, spared not His own Son, He is telling us that the cross, that Calvary, is a work of God. This is something that God has done. In other words, God has already given us His Son.

[John Weaver] Now let me make a statement, and I want to take a moment to explain. Crucifixion, the crucifixion of Christ, was not merely a work of man.

[John Weaver] Now it is true that men were used as instruments. And it is true that wicked men crucified the Lord Jesus Christ. But don't take the attitude, well, Those men, they're the ones that did all this. Yes, God used them, but the men are not the ones who did to Christ what was done to Christ. They only fulfilled the decree of God. Look in your Bibles, Romans 8, but turn back in your Bibles to Acts 2. Acts 2, note if you would please, verse 23. Acts 2, verse 23, the Bible says Him, that is Christ, Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, look what Peter tells them, you have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. It is true God used men.

[John Weaver] But the answer is this. The only reason those men did to Christ what they did was because of the eternal decree and counsel of God. Jesus Christ, the Bible says, was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Jesus Christ had been slain predeterminedly in the counsel of God. Look in your Bible to Acts 5 and verse 30. Once again, Peter says this, Acts 5, verse 30. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree. So once again, it is true that wicked men were the instruments. It is true that wicked men nailed Christ to the cross.

[John Weaver] But the truth of the matter is this. Are you listening? Had God not sent forth His Son No wicked hand would have ever touched him. Had God not decreed that Christ be the substitute, no one would have nailed him to the cross. Had God not sent his son, no one would have ever touched him. And so the argument that Paul is giving us in Romans 8 verse 32 is that the crucifixion was not just an act of man, but it was primarily and basically and fundamentally an act of God. It was God who gave Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, second, let me cover this. The crucifixion was not just simply a work of the devil. It was not just simply a work of the principalities and the powers. We live in a day and age where everyone likes to blame everything on the devil. We say, the devil made me do it. And when the devil had nothing to do with it, it was our own wicked hearts that made us do what we did, usually. Most of us are not big enough fish for the devil to even mess with anyhow.

[John Weaver] If you will study the Bible, you'll find that, as far as I know, there are only three individuals the devil personally Tempted, you know, that was Job, Christ, and Peter. Now, he entered into Judas, but he tempted Peter as well. But those are the only three that the Bible specifically names. The devil doesn't have to fool with most of us because we're so wicked of our own and have so much sin and ungodliness.

[John Weaver] I mean, why bother with what you've already got? You understand what I'm saying? So don't blame it all on the devil. Now, it is true the devil is the enemy of God. And it is true that he hated Christ. And it's true that he tempted Christ. It is true that he may have inspired and motivated those men to hate Christ and crucify him. But you've got to remember something. The devil is God's devil. He can only go as far as God will allow him to go. He can only do whatever God will allow him to do. God has him on a chain. And he can only function the way God would have him to function.

[John Weaver] Now I want to show you that the crucifixion was an act of God. I want you to understand that it's very important. I want you to turn in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of John, chapter 19. And I want you to look at what Jesus Christ says to Pilate. John, chapter 19. And do you not remember how that When Christ stood before Pilate, he stood silent for a while. And finally in verse 10 of John chapter 19, Pilate got upset and he said, Speakest thou not to me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and power to deliver thee, or to release thee? Pilate said, Don't you know who I am? Man, I've got power to crucify you. I've got power to let you go. Look at verse 11. Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me. except we were given thee from above. He said, Pilate, you could have nothing unless my father had already determined what's to be done. It's God who has delivered me into your hands.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to Isaiah 53. We'll look at this passage again next week, seeing something a little different. But I want you to note the language that is used in the passages that I'm going to be giving you. The first one is Isaiah 53. And note, if you would please, verse 4. This is the great passage on the suffering of the Messiah. Isaiah 53 and verse 4.

[John Weaver] The Bible says, Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Now look. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Well, did not men smite him? Yes. Did not the devil do his best against him? Yes. But who was it that ultimately smote him? It was God. Look down in verse 6. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Who laid it upon Christ? The Lord, God the Father. Skip down, if you would please, to verse 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief, when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.

[John Weaver] He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days. The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul. He shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities." Question, verse 10, who was it that bruised him? It was God the Father. Who was it that laid the iniquities on him in verse 11? It was God the Father. So the crucifixion was an act of God. It was not just an act of man.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5. Note if you would please there, verse 21. 2 Corinthians 5. Note verse 21. You've got to understand who the he is and who the him is. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21, For he, that is God the Father, hath made him, that is God the Son, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Look what he said, For he, that is God the Father, hath made him to be sin for us.

[John Weaver] Who was it that imputed our sins to Christ? It was God the Father. Turn over in your Bibles to the book of Colossians, chapter 2. Colossians, chapter 2. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. Colossians, chapter 2 and verse 13. And you being dead in your sins and the circumcision of your flesh, have he quickened together with you, have him forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Who put it upon Christ? God the Father. Watch.

[John Weaver] And having spoiled principalities and powers, That's the devil and all his minions. Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. So the crucifixion was not just the work of man. It was not just the work of the devil. No, it was the work of God. And in that work, God destroyed the power of the devil. He broke the principalities and the powers.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2, and note if you would please, verse 4. 1 Peter 2, verse 4. We're talking about Christ, 1 Peter 2, verse 4, to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, watch, but chosen of God. Precious. Was Christ chosen to be? He was chosen to be the Messiah. The substitute. The ransom. Chosen of God and precious. You also as lively or living stones are built up a spiritual house. A holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in Scripture. Look what God says. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him that is on Christ shall not be confounded. Unto you, therefore, who believe, he is precious. But unto them who be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner." It was God who gave Christ. Look back to chapter 1 and verse 18. He says, 1 Peter 1 verse 18, for as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was ordained

[John Weaver] before the foundation of the world. So it was God who decreed, who determined that Jesus Christ be The sacrifice, the ransom, the Redeemer.

[John Weaver] Now, you say, Brother Weaver, why are you saying this? For two reasons. Number one, if you'll look back in your Bible to Romans 8 and verse 32, the Bible begins with the word He. He, that is God the Father that spared not His Son. The Bible plainly tells us that the crucifixion is an act of God. Why is the second reason I'm saying this? Well, let me ask you a question. What assurance, what comfort, what consolation, what guarantee of salvation could there be if the crucifixion was an accident? The work of man. Luck, chance, fate, fortune. or the work of the devil. Some say, well, Jesus didn't intend to be crucified.

[John Weaver] He just made people a little mad and they took it a little further than he wanted. That's hogwash. That's blasphemy. There's no comfort. There's no assurance. There's no salvation in that. The only comfort that we can have, the only assurance of salvation, the only guarantee of our salvation is that the crucifixion was not a work of man, it was not a work of the devil, it was a work of God. It's something that God has done. In that, we see the absolute, wonderful, and mysterious race of God.

[John Weaver] that spared not his own son. So it was God who gave his son. Note secondly, if you would please, in verse 32. He that spared not. I want to deal with the word spared. He that spared not.

[John Weaver] Now, would you listen carefully to this? Because I'm going to make an application when I close today. that will be based primarily upon this word. The word for spared is thetomai in the Greek. You put a oo in front of it, which is a negative, and it negates it. But the word thetomai literally means to be charitable toward, to be lenient with. But when you put the negative in front of it, This phrase literally means that God was not charitable toward. God was not lenient with His Son. God did not hold back anything.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you the exact same word in another passage of the Bible. Turn first of all to Romans 11 and look at verse 22. Let me show you how forceful How powerful this word is. Romans 11 and verse 22. Romans 11, verse 21 it is. He says, for if God spared not the natural branches, take ye lest ye also spare not thee. Well, if God did not spare the natural branches, but lock them off, judge them, He says you better take heed. Then he says, behold, therefore, the goodness and the severity of God.

[John Weaver] Now, if that's not sufficient to let you see, I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Peter, chapter 2. 2 Peter, chapter 2. 2 Peter, chapter 2. Here is the exact same word with the exact same construction. Look at 2 Peter 2 verse 4, For God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into the chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment, and spared not the old world. But save Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing the flood upon the world of the ungodly." Now what does the Bible mean when it says that God spared not the angels of sin? He judged them. What does it mean when it says that God spared not the old world? He judged it.

[John Weaver] He poured out His wrath. He poured out His justice upon it. So God did not spare the natural branches. God did not spare the angels. God did not spare the old world.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you one other passage to give you the force of the word spare. Look in your Bibles to Acts chapter 20 and verse 20. In this passage, the Apostle Paul uses the same word. You talk about a perfect picture. Look at this. Acts chapter 20 and verse 20. Look what the Apostle Paul says. Acts 20 verse 20. He says, And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, have taught you publicly from house to house. And that's not the verse I wanted. It was verse 30. I said 20, but it's verse 30. But look at it in verse 30. He says, And of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw disciples after them. And I started Verse 30. I should have read verse 29.

[John Weaver] For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Then he said, of your own selves.

[John Weaver] Now, look in verse 29. Here's the thing. Not sparing the flock. Shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

[John Weaver] Now my question is this. Do wolves have mercy upon sheep? Do wolves treat sheep leniently and charitably? What do they do? They devour them.

[John Weaver] Now, that's the picture that God gives us in Romans 8 in verse 32. He that spared not his own son. He that allowed the full justice, the full wrath, the full righteousness of avengers to fall upon Christ. He held nothing back.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you. What happened at Calvary was pictured by an Old Testament illustration. So I want you to turn to two passages. First of all, to Genesis 22, and secondly, to Hebrews 11, because Hebrews 11 will give us the New Testament application. But I want you to go back, first of all, to Genesis 22. Genesis 22.

[John Weaver] Genesis 22. Alright, in this passage, everyone understands this is where Abraham was going to deliver up Isaac, his only son. You remember God told him to take him and offer him as a sacrifice. And when Abraham started to do so, the angel of the Lord stopped him. Now note in Genesis 22 and verse 16, here's what God says. And said, By myself have I sworn, said the Lord, for because thou hast not done this thing, Because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son. Now note the word withheld, and hath not withheld.

[John Weaver] Now everyone in here knows, or at least you should know, that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. Certain parts of Ezra and Daniel have some Chaldean in it, but mainly it's written in Hebrew. Or Aramaic, I should say. The New Testament was written in Greek. He said, Brother Weaver, how in the world can the word withheld here be applied to Romans 8, verse 32, to despair?

[John Weaver] Let me tell you why. Because the Septuagint, whenever you see LXX, which means 70, whenever you see that, that refers to the Septuagint, which was the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. The Septuagint was quoted from by Christ and by the apostles. So the Septuagint then was the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. And when you get to the word withheld in the Septuagint, it is exactly the same word, spared not.

[John Weaver] Literally he said, by myself have I sworn saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine son, thine only son. Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 11, you'll see how Genesis 22 was a figure of Christ. Hebrews 11 verse 17. The Bible says, By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac. And he that received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead. Watch, from whence also he received him in a figure." In other words, Abraham's purpose and heart was to slay his only son. And God knew it. And God stopped him. And when God stopped him, and Isaac came back down off that mountain with him, it was a figure of Christ. That's what he says. Not only a figure of God not sparing his son, but also a figure of the resurrection as well. So when the Bible says, he that spared not, the word spared not means this.

[John Weaver] that God did not withhold. God did not spare His Son anything in life or in death. Whatever it took to save His people, whatever it took to satisfy His justice, whatever it took to honor His law, whatever it took to magnify His holiness, whatever it took to make Him just and the justifier of him that believeth on Jesus Christ, God did not withhold it. God poured it. upon his son.

[John Weaver] So the scripture says he that spared not. Now, if you look back at Romans 8 verse 32, there's another phrase I want to deal with this morning, and that's his son. The Bible says he that spared not his son. Romans 8 verse 32. So here's the third point, and that is the object. The first thought was the person, he God. The second thought, the action spared not. And now the object, his son.

[John Weaver] You've got to ask yourself this question. Who was it that died on the cross? And the answer comes back. It was Jesus Christ. Well, who is Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God who is co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father, the second person of the Trinity, who himself is God incarnate. You say, Brother Weaver, I believe that. Why are you emphasizing this? Let me tell you.

[John Weaver] Because there are liberal theories of the atonement. There are liberal theories concerning Jesus Christ. They are wicked. They are blasphemous. They are wrong. But they are there. One of those so-called theories is known as the martyr theory. There are some who say, well, Jesus Christ was not God in flesh. He was just a good man who died for a good cause. And he died to show us that we need to be true to our convictions. Yes, we do need to be true to our convictions. And it is true that Christ is our example, according to 1 Peter 2. But He is more than our example. He is our substitute. He is our sacrifice. He is our Savior. He is our Redeemer. He was not just simply a good man. He was God in the flesh. Perfect God and perfect man. So, anytime you hear someone talking about the murder theory, They're denying, in actuality, the deity of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something, folks. If you deny the deity of Christ, if Christ was not God, then we're all lost and still in our sins. It's that simple. Because only God could redeem. Only God could save. But then there is another liberal theory that you hear quite frequently today. And that is known as the universal sonship theory. You see, this is the problem with liberals. They will use exactly the same words that we use.

[John Weaver] They just attach different meanings to them. For instance, if you ask a liberal, do you believe that Christ was divine? And he will respond, well, of course I do. And then if you push him, he will add this, I believe in the divinity of all men. What is he saying? He's saying that Christ was no more God than we're no more God. That Christ was a son of God the same way that we're the son of God. Which is a denial of the deity of Christ.

[John Weaver] Now listen, it is true that you and I are sons of God by adoption. But Jesus Christ is the Son of God by eternal generation. There never was a time when He was not God. There never was a time when He was not the Son of God. You remember John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. The phrase only begotten is one word in the Greek. It's the word monogamous. It literally means one of a kind. Unique. There is none like Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is unique. He is God's only begotten Son. That's why the Bible says in 1 Timothy 3 and verse 16, and without all controversy, great is the mystery of God. And listen, God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, believed on the world, seen of angels, and received up into glory. And without all controversy, great is the mystery of God and His life. God was manifest in the flesh. You see, when Jesus Christ came, He was God incarnate.

[John Weaver] God in the flesh. Now let me show you this. I want you to look back in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 22. This has always been a beautiful picture to me, but I want you to see how closely you and I should pay attention to the Word of God. Because most of the time when we read Scripture, we don't pay attention to the words. We don't even pay attention to what's there, much less what is missing.

[John Weaver] You say, what are you talking about? Well, this is the story, once again, where Abraham is taking Isaac and he's going to offer him as a sacrifice at the command of God. So they're going to the mountain.

[John Weaver] Now watch Genesis 22, verse 7. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father and said, My father. And he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood. But where's the lamp of our offering? You see, Isaac was beginning to get the idea something's missing. We say we're going to worship God. And we say, we're going to give a sacrifice, and here's the wood, and here's the fire, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Watch verse 8. And Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.

[John Weaver] So they went both of them together. Now, I want you to note, there is one word that is missing. that we read into it normally, or we think it. We would normally read verse 8, And Abraham said, My son, God will provide for himself a lamb. But that's not what Scripture says. He is not saying God will provide for himself. Watch. He said, my son, God will provide himself. God will give God. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, and all those lambs that were slaughtered at the Passover, everyone pictured Jesus Christ, because God was going to give God, God was going to provide Himself, His only begotten Son, to be our sacrifice, to be our substitute, to be our Redeemer. Now remember Paul's argument. He that spared not his own son. Paul is arguing from the greater to the lesser. I can't finish the argument today, but let me give you some applications of what we have covered today.

[John Weaver] The first application is very simple. There should be no trouble understanding this first application. Salvation is a work of God. This is something that God alone can do and does. Jonah 2 verse 9, the Scripture says, Salvation is of the Lord. There is not a man that can save himself. There is not a man that can help save himself. There is not a man that can save anyone else. That's why I said earlier, if Jesus Christ is not God, We're in a lot of trouble. Because we're lost. Because only God can save. Second, it is God the Son who purchased our salvation. It is true God the Father sent the Son. God the Father gave the Son. But it's God the Son who purchased our salvation. And by the way, it is thirdly, God the Spirit who applies that salvation. You see, if you deny the Trinity, that God is one God in three persons, you destroy salvation. Salvation is a work of God. It's a work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

[John Weaver] I want you to look back in Romans 8 and verse 32, and I want you to listen carefully because here is the final application. Look at Romans 8, verse 32, the phrase that we've dealt with today, he that spared not his son. Listen carefully. If any sinner, if any unconverted, unrepentant, non-Christian, ever has any hope of leniency, charitableness. And he believes that God is going to exercise that leniency and charitableness toward him even though he is a rebel and wicked and wrong and ungodly. Let me tell you, that hope of charitableness and leniency is in vain. It's useless. It's worthless.

[John Weaver] You say, what are you talking about, Brother Weaver? I'm talking about this. If there was ever a time that God would be lenient with sin, if there was ever a time that God would be lenient with wickedness, if there was ever a time that God would be charitable toward sinners, certainly it would have been when sin was imputed to His own dear Son. But Scripture says, God spared not His Son. And do you think that God would spare you when you've hated Him, rejected Him, denied Him, broken His law, trampled His Word under your feet? And you think somehow on judgment day, God's going to just smile at you and wink and say, well, I'm going to send everybody else to hell, but you just skip on into heaven. You're deceived. You're deceived. You're deceived. You know what most sinners think? Most sinners think that they're going to make it by somehow. They think that some way God will make an exception with them. They believe that somehow God is not going to be as just as His Word declares.

[John Weaver] They believe that somehow everybody else may be damned, but not them. I've got news for you. If you've never vowed to Jesus Christ and turned from your sins and embraced Him in faith, and received him as your only substitute and only Savior, you're going to find out God will never, ever be lenient with a Christ-rejecting, God-denying, Bible-hating rebel. If there was ever a time that God would have been charitable, He would have been toward His only Son.

[John Weaver] But He spared him not. And he will not spare any other sinner. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your mercy. Drive home this important truth that it was you, Lord, who gave your Son. The crucifixion is the work of God. And because you spared him not, we can have an assurance and a hope and a guarantee of salvation. For if you spared him not, but delivered him up for us all, how shall you not also with him freely give us all things? And Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray for our young people. I pray for every adult that you would drill into their souls that God hates sin, and the only way that God will ever be merciful to a sinner is in and through Jesus Christ. And without Him, there is no mercy. There is no hope.

[John Weaver] Only a sure, and certain judgment, and a fearful looking for the day of destruction. Enable us to trust in Him. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.