Guilt-Free

Whatever you really need, God will supply, and everything that comes your way is part of God’s plan and works for you.


Scripture: 2 Peter 2, Romans 8:28-31

Transcript

Alright, thank you very much. And, hello again, my radio friend. How are in the world are you? Doin’ Alright? I trust so. Bless your heart. This is your good friend, Bob Cook, and we’re back together again, looking at the Word of God for these precious few moments: trying to put a handle on it so that you can get hold of it for yourself.

Now, for those of you who’ve been listening, you know that what I’ve tried to do in the last few days is to look at Romans 8 as a contrast with 2 Peter 2. 2 Peter the second chapter has this awesome indictment of sinful human nature. False prophets, false teachers, damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, pernicious ways, covetousness, feigned words, manipulating people, making merchandise of you, not afraid to speak evil of dignities, presumptuous. They’re like natural brute beasts. They’re walking after their own flesh in the lust of uncleanness. They’ve eyes full of adultery and cannot cease from sin. They are addicted to sinning. They have a bad influence. They beguile unstable souls. They operate on the basis of covetousness. And, “What do I get out of it?” And they speak great swelling words of vanity. They allure through the lusts of their flesh, through much wantness. People who had been clean escaped from them who live in error. And while they promise liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption.

Oh, what an indictment of sinful human nature when it gets into religious circumstances. Well, it’s all true, unfortunately, isn’t it? And after we finish Romans 8, we’ll come back and finish up this second chapter starting with verse 19 and going on. But I wanted you to have an encouraging contrast to see what God can do through His indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of a true believer.

And so, then, we’ve looked at Romans 8 where there’s new commitment and new life and a new law, the law of the Spirit of life. And there is a new focusing of values to be spiritually-minded as life and peace. And there is new quickening, new dynamic. The Holy Spirit is going to quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit. And there is a new heart cry, not of fear but of family, the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba, Father.

A new assurance, the Spirit bears witness with our Spirit, that we are, indeed, God’s children. There’s a new assurance about the future, sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us, a new hope, in other words. And, there is a new prayer life. The Spirit helps our infirmities. The Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And there’s a new rationale — all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

There’s a new eternal plan revealed whom He did foreknow, predestinate, to be conformed to the image of His Son and then He called and then He justified and then He glorified, a new overall plan originating in eternity. All of this for the believer who has committed himself to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith.

Now, we’re into Romans 8 and verse 31. What shall we then say to these things? All of this is true. What’s going to be our reaction to it? Well, he says, “if God be for us, who can be against us?” “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

You are on the winning side because you are in line with the eternal purposes of God. My old theology prof in seminary, Dr. Champion, used to say, “God is sovereign and He will have His will done either with you or in spite of you. But it’s going to be done.” God is for us and we are in line with His eternal plan. And so, nothing can stop what God has planned for us. Now, how does that work out? 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?”

God gave you the best He had, the pearl of heaven, the great jewel of great price, the only begotten Son, He said, “In whom I am well pleased.” He gave Him for your ransom from sin. And if He gave the best, why wouldn’t He give you everything else, too? That’s what Paul says — all things. So, what is this — who can be against us? What does it involve? It involves the complete pouring out of God’s riches for you. The acronym that we sometimes use for the word grace, G-R-A-C-E, God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” He gave us all things.

Paul says over in 1 Corinthians, “What then,” he said, “All things are yours. Whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or life, or death, the world present or the world to come or anything else — all things are yours and ye are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.” You remember that? All things are yours. Now, I found the passage — I think I quoted it just about right at that. “Whether Paul, or Apollo or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours and ye are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.” Give us all things.

Now, what does that actually mean in everyday living? It means that whatever you really need, God will supply. Second, you know the verse for that. “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus.” Second, it means that everything that comes your way is part of God’s plan and works for you.

Two verses in that connection, one that we just looked at Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

And the other is, “We in our light affliction which is but, for a moment, worketh for us, far more exceeding in eternal weight of glory.” 1 Corinthians 3 — what is it? 18, I think. So, trouble works for you like circumstances work for you. What is in this all things? The riches of heaven are yours. Every need that you really have will be supplied and all of your experiences and circumstances of life are working for you, not against you.

Remember, the illustration of this is a good one, as you find it over back in Genesis where Jacob was told that Joseph had — he didn’t know, of course, that it was Joseph that had — Joseph had retained one of the sons of Jacob and kept him for a hostage, you might say. He was more or less toying with these elder brothers because they didn’t know that Joseph was who he was. And so, well, finally, they brought their — they brought their word back to Jacob. And what did he say? He said, “All these things are against me. All these things are against me.” See? Well, he didn’t know. He didn’t know that God’s plans still involved bringing him down to Egypt and staying there for 400 years and all of that. “All these things are against me.” Yes, of course, it seemed like that. It seemed like that. But, instead, the things that were happening, well, Jacob didn’t like them. The things that were happening were part of God’s plan. And Joseph, later on, could say to his brothers after he revealed himself to them, “You meant it to me for evil. But God meant it for good.”

So, freely give us all things. Every need supplied and every circumstance working together for the perfect will of God in your life. Not only that, but perfect freedom from guilt. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elected is God that justifyeth. Now, the fact that you’re God’s elect, that is to say God reserves the right to make His plans based on his infinite foreknowledge. And God knew as you came down the centuries, God knew even before the foundation of the world what your life and your choices were going to be. And knowing then that you were going to choose the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are part then of God’s elect, the sovereign foreknowledge and planning and election of God are involved there.

And so, he said, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” It is God that justifyeth. When God says, “You’re Alright.” You’re Alright. When God says, “The charge is dropped,” it’s dropped. And when God says, “I’m going to forget about it,” he forgets. Oh, dear friend, this is part of the all things. Complete freedom from guilt. You don’t have to carry that guilt any longer. Many years ago, when Coreen and I were still serving in a pastorate, a lady came to see us. And the minute she got inside the house, she just broke down and sobbed. And when she finally collected her emotions enough to talk, she said, “I just had to come and see you. I am so heart sick.” She said, “I’ve carried a burden of guilt for 25 years.” And then she told us the sad story of a mistake that she had made about a quarter of a century or so before. Nobody knew about it except she and I suppose one or two others. But she’d carried that on her conscience all these years. And it had haunted her, and plagued her. And she said, “I don’t know what to do about it because I’m so guilty. And there isn’t a thing I can do to make things right now after the years have gone by.”

Well, what a delight it was for us, Coreen and I, to kneel with her and hear her pray based on the verse “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgiveth our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” And when that lady arose from her knees, there were still some tears in her eyes but oh, a beautiful smile upon her face as she said, “I’m free from guilt for the first time in 25 years.” Yes, you see, God takes away guilt. Why? It is God that justifieth. When He says, “I paid for it all at Calvary.” The precious blood of Christ has redeemed you. You were not redeemed with silver and gold, corruptible things such as silver and gold or your vain lifestyle received by tradition from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. And so, when God says, “You’re redeemed.” And God says, “You’re free.” And God says, “There’s no more guilt left.” It’s so because He said it. Free from guilt — that’s part of the all things.

And then, it makes you immune to criticism. Now, this doesn’t mean that you won’t listen to your critics. I think the most valuable thing you can do is to learn to listen to your critics because you can learn a lot from them. Most of the criticism I’ve gotten in my lifetime I’ve deserved. I don’t know about you, but that’s true. And you can learn a lot from your critics. You don’t learn anything while you’re yelling at the top of your voice or arguing or trying to justify yourself. Don’t learn a thing that way. And so, I believe in learning from your critics and I think many of you do, too. Don’t talk back, listen. And then, take what is useful and use it.

However, he said, “Who so — who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that has risen again… who’s making intercession for us.” Nobody can criticize your position in Christ because He is the living proof that you’re Alright. Well, we’ll get at this some more the next time we get together.

Dear Father today, guide us in your will. Keep us true to Jesus. I ask in His name. Amen.

Till I meet you once again by way of radio walk with the King today, and be a blessing!



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