[0:00] Just before the preaching of God's word, please take your Bibles and turn to Romans, to the book of Romans chapter 8. And I will be reading verses 31 through to 39.
[0:16] Romans chapter 8, starting at verse 31. What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
[0:30] 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? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
[0:44] It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died, more than that, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
[0:57] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble, or hardship, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, for your sake we face death all day long, for we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
[1:14] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels, nor demons, neither the present, nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
[1:38] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Let's hear the preaching of God's word. Have you ever had the opportunity to fly first class? Amen.
[1:49] It's been about 20 years ago that our family was coming back from a vacation in England, and our flight was overbooked. We volunteered to stay an extra night, and among the other perks given to us was that we were bumped up into first class for the seven-hour flight home.
[2:07] And we found it was worth a night's wait. We were wined and dined for hours, food like I'd never seen back in class or economy, in coach.
[2:21] The seats were larger. You could kick back and stretch your legs, and I think the flight was even smoother up there. And all these things were designed intentionally to make our flying experience more comfortable and more enjoyable than it was back there.
[2:41] Now, to be sure, those who flew back there made it to Pittsburgh just as surely as we did, but we can attest that those of us flying first class made it with greater comfort and enjoyment.
[2:58] In the same way or a similar way, all without exception who repent of their sin and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you, all of them are going to arrive safely in heaven.
[3:16] Now, some lack assurance of this salvation, and so they find the trip plagued with doubts and fears, others, little peace, ever wondering, am I going to make it?
[3:32] Others enjoy full assurance of salvation, and so they travel with far greater comfort and confidence and joy.
[3:43] Both groups arrive safely in heaven. But the fully assured believers find the journey far more enjoyable.
[3:56] Now, believers, God wants your journey to heaven to be marked with that comfort and confidence, that peace and joy that comes from knowing for sure that you're going to make it to heaven.
[4:10] Romans chapter 8 is designed by God to give this assurance to all who are in Christ Jesus. Yes, we all who are in Christ Jesus can fly first class.
[4:27] Last week, I likened this chapter to a symphony entitled, The Believer's Security in Christ. And the music begins on that triumphant note of, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
[4:44] And it continues by telling us that the three persons of the triune God are united to ensure that not one in Christ Jesus ever misses heaven.
[4:57] We were told that in all things along this journey, God is working it for our good. How's that for smoothing out the ride?
[5:09] All things that ever happen to you along the way, He will work for your good. And if we're in Christ, we saw that our salvation is an unbreakable chain of events.
[5:23] It began from eternity past in the heart and mind of God, foreknowing us, predestining us. And this chain of salvation reaches into eternity future when we will be with Christ and be like Him in glorification forever.
[5:39] And then we come to verse 31. And there's a pause in the music and a question is asked. What then shall we say in response to these things?
[5:53] And that question marks the beginning of the conclusion of the symphony. We are now heading into the finale. Five more questions follow along with their answers, either assumed or stated.
[6:06] And it's all summing up. There's not a whole lot of new things stated. It's just summing up and driving home this glorious truth of the believer's absolute security in Christ Jesus.
[6:19] And we've seen four of these questions already. Today we come to the last as we close out this great chapter of the Word of God. So the music has been swelling with each question and each answer.
[6:33] It now ends with the kettle drums pounding and all the instruments blaring as the triumphant note of assurance in Christ is sounded.
[6:45] And then left ringing in our ears to accompany us on our journey home to heaven. Question number five is found in verse 35.
[6:58] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Now, we noted last week that Paul does not bring up questions that no one is asking.
[7:12] No, the fact is that real Christians can be plagued with doubts and fears about whether Christ really loves them. Or that something might happen to cause him to fall out of love with them.
[7:26] And so not make it all the way to heaven at last. It's like that young lady in love. But she's not sure whether her beloved loves her.
[7:40] And so she's with that daisy and she's plucking the petals. He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me not. Working her way around to see at the end.
[7:51] Does he love me? Insecurity, fears, doubts plague her. How sad. The Christians sometimes are in the same quandary.
[8:05] It's really hard to know which is more amazing. The love of Christ. Or our doubts about that amazing love.
[8:18] Of Jesus. For the believer armed with just Romans chapter 8. Has this glorious flower in his or her hands.
[8:31] And can move around the whole of the chapter with each verse. He loves me. He loves me. He loves me. He loves me. He loves me. He will never stop loving me.
[8:43] That's the reality. That's the reality. That's the theme. That's the truth that's being brought to us here in Romans chapter 8. And especially as we come to the last question.
[8:56] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Now let's be clear to start with. This love of Christ is not talking about our love for Christ. But rather his love for us.
[9:10] It's that love that brought him out of heaven. Down from his glory. Into this world of sin and woe. Love caused thine incarnation.
[9:25] Love brought thee down to me. We say. It's the same love that resisted every temptation to sin through his 33 years. That he might have a perfect righteousness to give to us who had none.
[9:38] To make us fit for heaven. It's that love that went to the cross. And there suffered the damnation that we deserve for our sins. And it's that love for which even now he is at the Father's right hand for us.
[9:55] And interceding for us. Praying for us. And that same love that will one day bring him back for us. Now the us.
[10:07] Who's the us? We asked this several weeks ago. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? This is the us of the whole context. It's the us that he's working all things together for good.
[10:18] It's the us who've been foreknown and predestined and called and justified and will be glorified. It's us whom the Father came and sent his son for.
[10:30] It's us that he's for us. It's us who cannot have any accusation stick against us. He's still talking about us.
[10:41] His people. Those who are in Christ Jesus as the whole chapter began. Now it's interesting. Verses 35 to 37 are speaking about Christ's love for us.
[10:54] And then something I didn't always pick up on but now I see it. When we come down to verses 38 and 39 it shifts.
[11:05] And it's now talking about God's love for us in Christ Jesus. Well which is it? Well it's both.
[11:18] There he refers to the Father's love for us. Because it was the Father who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all. And it was the Father who so loved us that he sent his son to be the propitiation to turn God's wrath away.
[11:32] By pouring out that wrath on his son. It's the Father who crushed his son out of love for us. So Paul moves almost uninterruptedly from Christ's love to God's love.
[11:46] The Father's love. And that's because there's no difference between the Father's love and the Son's love. It's the same love. Remember they share the same one divine nature.
[12:01] We do not worship three gods. We worship one God in three persons. And one God has one love. Jesus is God. The Father is God.
[12:12] The Holy Spirit is God. And God is love. So this passage then is speaking of that divine love. And here it's that Christ has for us.
[12:25] That the Father has for us. That is for us who are in Christ Jesus. But before we go any further I just want to pause. And be sure that we understand what Paul is doing here at verse 35.
[12:36] In light of the whole developing theme of the believer's security in Christ. He's summing it all up. He's building to his climax with these questions.
[12:49] And in this last question we come to the highest peak of all. The greatest security. The greatest ground of your assurance Christian.
[13:01] And what is it? Well stick with me here. It's not just about a plan. Albeit the wonderful plan of salvation.
[13:12] It's not just about a mere doctrine. Albeit the glorious doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. All the way to the end of their lives. It's not about just some actions that God has undertaken for us.
[13:27] As glorious as they are. We're taken even deeper. Into the very heart of God. The highest, the deepest, the greatest assurance that we have.
[13:43] Is this love in the heart of God. For us. You see it's that love for you in Christ that burns with an eternal fire. That cannot die.
[13:54] This is the fountain head of our salvation. The fountain of every blessing. It's the thing that's behind his golden plan of salvation.
[14:05] It's the love that gave birth to that plan. It's the thing behind every doctrine in scripture. The love. The unfailing love of God.
[14:17] It's the thing behind all of his actions. His saving acts. That which moved him to act. If I can put it this way. Is the beating heart of God.
[14:30] For his people. It's a person. With love. In his heart. And that's the grand finale. This is the highest peak of all.
[14:41] For your security. And that's the note. That the Holy Spirit ends the chapter with. That's the note that you're to leave with. That's the note that's to accompany you.
[14:52] Every step of the way. On your way to heaven. The reality that nothing can separate me from this love. Well. Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
[15:04] The word for separate comes from a word meaning space. And I think it's clear then. The idea is. Who can put space. Between us and Christ's love.
[15:16] Who can put any distance between us. Who can cut off or isolate us from God's love. And he further fills out this question.
[15:27] With a list of specific things. That we might fear. Would have that effect. Of keeping us from making it all the way home to heaven. And so separating us from Christ's love.
[15:40] Shall trouble. Or hardship. Or persecution. Or famine. Or nakedness. Or danger. Or sword. Lord. Now these are questions that real believers have.
[15:52] And especially in such circumstance. I don't know if I could handle this. If that happened to me. I don't know if I could persevere. And get to the end. If I had to go through that.
[16:05] You say. I thought you said John. That God wants us to travel in first class comfort. And encouragement. All the way to heaven. Yes he does. But not without trouble.
[16:16] Or hardship. But rather through. Trouble. And turbulence. And hardship. To know. That God loves me.
[16:30] God the Father loves me. God the Son. God the Holy Spirit. Loves me. You see. These troubles and hardship. They too are part of normal Christian experience.
[16:41] And it can get worse. It can be persecution. It can be not having enough clothing. And not having enough food.
[16:51] Some of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. In Malaysia. Are experiencing that very reality this morning. Fleeing with nothing. Nothing to eat.
[17:04] But what they can scavenge from the forest. Rest. Persecution. Danger. Sword. Sword. Sword. Sword. Sword. Sword. Sword. Sword. Sword. Sword. Now these Christians in Rome to whom Paul was writing.
[17:16] Were living under. The Emperor Nero. Persecution was a very real threat. And more brutal persecutions were coming in the years that followed.
[17:28] Sword. Dangers of the sword. Not metaphorically. But a sword of iron that severs the head.
[17:40] The rack to torture them. The Colosseum with its lions and wild animals. These were real threats. And before it was over tens of thousands laid down their lives under such persecution.
[17:58] Because they would not curse the Christ. And live. And even the Apostle Paul himself. Would die. As a martyr.
[18:09] Under. The Emperor Nero. But the question Paul wants us to think about is this. And he wants us to think hard. Can any of these things put distance between us and the love of Christ?
[18:24] Can any one of them or all of them together ever separate us from the love of Christ? Now in verse 36 Paul immediately then calls up Psalm 44 and verse 22.
[18:40] As it is written. For your sake. God. For your sake. We face death. All day long. Literally we are being killed all day long.
[18:53] We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. And so by quoting the Psalms. Paul is reminding his hearers that. Persecution.
[19:03] Danger. Peril. Sword. Has been something that God's people have faced in every age. Every era. They have been despised.
[19:14] They have been worth nothing but the slaughterhouse. In the eyes of the world. They live under the threat of death. All day long. Never knowing what might be around the next corner. Who might be shooting at them from the shadows.
[19:28] And Paul is reminding them. This is the way it is for God's people in this world. Those that God loves. Goes through. Go through these kinds of things.
[19:38] And that's why Peter says to the suffering church. Don't. Dear friends. Do not be surprised. At the painful trial you're suffering. As though something strange were happening to you.
[19:49] No. It's nothing strange. It goes with the territory. We're not home yet. We're going through enemy lands. Do you think for a moment you're Jesus.
[20:01] Who suffered like no one else ever suffered. Going through this enemy land. That he would stop loving you. Because you're going through such persecution. Notice it was for your sakes.
[20:15] For your sake oh God. Isaiah. Psalm 44.22 is quoted. It's for him. It was because of his name. That they were having their lives taken.
[20:28] And going through persecution. Would Jesus love his people less. For having suffered for his name. No. That would draw out all the more pity for them.
[20:39] And he would send more help to them. He knows what it's like to go through that. And should even persecution. And these sorts of things. Ever separate us from his love.
[20:51] Not at all. So Psalm 44.22 is called upon. To point out. Old believers suffering for the Lord's. Old Testament believers. Suffering for the Lord's sake.
[21:03] But you know how that Psalm ends. Four verses later. The Psalm ends with these words. From those sheep facing the slaughterhouse. All day long.
[21:13] rise up help and redeem us because of your unfailing love what was their hope in danger in sword in persecution it was the unfailing love of God and they appealed to it in their time of need that was their soul's chief treasure the Lord loves us with a chesed covenant faithful undying love that was the music ringing in their ears and to it they appealed you love us Lord help us so Paul's wanting us to think can any of these things separate us from the love of Christ well he gives us the answer as if we needed it verse 37 but it goes beyond just an answer of no he gives us no but there's a lot more than just no no in all these things were more than conquerors through him who loved us now there's three points
[22:22] I want you to see here in verse 37 first of all in all these things what things trouble hardship persecution nakedness famine danger sword it's not as long as none of those really bad things happen well then then I can maybe make it through and be more than a conqueror and be secure in Christ's love but that's not what he says he says it's in all these things it's in persecution in danger in sword that we triumph and are victorious second thing to note in all these things we are more than conquerors the word is a is a very strong word it's a it's a strong compound it it's saying we are hyper conquerors we're we're overwhelming overcomers in other words we're not just barely getting through we're not just eking out a victory no in all these things we're not just surviving we are thriving we're not just conquerors we're more than conquerors you know the apostle
[23:47] Paul knew of which he spoke he says in second corinthians chapter 2 and verse 14 thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ triumphant procession a military campaign coming home victorious and he's always leading us in that victorious parade yes this is the same Paul who two chapters later says that he's always being given over to death for Jesus sake this is the same Paul who was in prison for his faith the same Paul who was persecuted the same Paul who was stoned and drug out of the city and left for dead that Paul he always leads us in triumphant procession in Christ we're victors we're more than victors and notice he includes us his hearers his readers we who are in
[24:59] Christ we too are more than this isn't just something for some great apostle this is something for rank and file citizens in the kingdom of God and then thirdly the reason how is it that this is the reality of God's people can anything separate us from the love of Christ thirdly no and all these things were more than conquerors how through him who loved us we're back at love aren't we it's not through my strength it's not through my fortitude my willpower my brains no it's nothing in me it's all because of the one who loves me what will he not do for those he loves so far from all these troubles and hardships persecutions ever separating me from that love it only serves to press us in to press us in all the more near as we sang to Christ's love isn't that what you find your troubles and hardships they show you how futile it is to trust in anything broken cisterns that cannot hold water that's all it is and in troubles we see there are just broken sisters that can't and we turn to the fountain this love of God who is for us and so these trials show us where our help really is found and chase us into the arms of our loving savior and it's him who loves me that enables me not just to survive my trials but to thrive in my trials not just to somehow get through and eke out a victory but to be more than conquer through him who loved us notice it is past tense him who loved us you say oh well that doesn't talk about now
[26:56] I'm a little nervous does he love me now if he loved you enough to not spare his son but to give him up to the death of the cross for you you can you can know that he loves you no less today Octavius Winslow says that Christ loves you so much believer that if it was necessary he'd die for you all over again what's he saying well we don't need to have him die he died once he paid the full price of our sin but if it was necessary he loves us no less you see than the day he went to the cross for us what a glorious reality to live with and that's what made Paul not only survive his thorn in the flesh but actually to glory in hardship and trials and sufferings it's what made David more than a conqueror though Saul was trying to hunt him down for 12 years to kill him it's what made Daniel more than a conqueror in the lion's den where he went for the Lord's sake it's what made the three friends of Daniel more than conquerors as they went into the fiery furnace for the
[28:11] Lord's sake it's what made Stephen more than a conqueror as the stones pounded the life out of him for the Lord's sake it's what made these saints of the early church in Rome more than conquerors rather than to curse Christ and to die and so laid down their lives and it's the same love of Christ you see that makes you and me more than conqueror in our trials and sufferings for in Christ we too live and die in the sure hope of his unfailing love now what is it about this love of God that makes it so certain how can Paul be so certain that if you know this love you'll never not know it you'll never come to the end of it well it's just because of the nature of this love it is a special love that God has for his own and so it's unfailing love it's infinite eternal unchanging love you see because God is unchangeable his love is unchangeable because love is what he is God is love and so his love cannot change did he set his love on you it's constant it will be there for you it will never be separated from you we change but his love changes not and then think of this why is it that true believers can doubt whether God loves them well isn't it because we we know we don't deserve that love and there's some days that we really feel like we don't deserve that love to the point we start wondering if he does love us go back go back to the the time you first put your faith in
[30:21] Jesus did you make yourself deserve his love then no the reason for his love was not found in anything in yourself anything of attractiveness lovableness goodness it was rather found in him alone his love is this living flame forever burning because it is self fed you know in the tabernacle the priests had to keep feeding the lampstand oil so that the light would shine and burn without ever going out that could only happen if they kept filling the bowl the love of God is not like that needing to be filled from without it's self fed self kindled love self generated love depending on nothing outside of himself doesn't have anything to do with what kind of day you had what kind of week you had so this unchanging love this unconditional love of Christ never fails but always endures so we can turn to it in all of our troubles to be in
[31:44] Christ is to be in his love and to never be out of it Psalm 103 17 from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him there never was a time in eternity past when his love was not set upon you there will never be a time in eternity future when that love is not settled upon you from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love Jeremiah 31 3 I've loved you with a temporary love and everlasting love and with loving kindness have I drawn you Isaiah 54 10 though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed yet my unfailing love for you will never be shaken nor my covenant of peace with you be removed says the Lord almighty who has compassion upon you and so we come to verses 38 to 39 that bring this symphony to a close it's a crescendo of triumph covering much the same ground again there's not much new here we've already
[33:01] Paul's already listed seven things that are not able to separate us from the love of Christ now he's going at it again and he's listing ten more things that cannot separate us from God's love and again these are some real concerns that real believers have about wondering whether they'll make it and wondering whether God's love will always be there for me so he says in verse 38 for I am convinced that neither death nor life shall be able to separate us from God's love I'm going to comment just on some of them I'm going to go through each of them I'm convinced that death cannot separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord many fear death and it does indeed separate us from much doesn't it it separates our soul from our body it separates us from the enjoyments of the earth the good gifts that
[34:09] God has given us here it separates us from loved ones who here has not lost a husband a wife a father a mother a child a grandchild a Christian brother or sister a friend death is indeed the great separator but there's one thing death can't separate us from it's the love of God in Christ Jesus the great separator is thwarted foiled can't separate us from this love you hear the triumph you hear the building of this great symphony neither angels nor demons Satan and his hellish crew can't separate us from the love of Christ Christ triumphed over him on the cross and put him to an open shame and so he may harass he may accuse he may tempt but he cannot separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus none of his accusations can stick neither the present nor the future oh how the unknown future can scare us can
[35:27] I make it through that will his love be with me all through my future what will the future bring I don't know but I know what it won't bring it won't bring separation from you and Christ you who are in Christ Jesus your loving Lord is Lord of the future isn't he and he'll work it all for your good nor any powers here he's thinking of governments powerful men wicked governments that could work against you and may oppose you and threaten you and take your life it will not no powers will be able to separate you from the love of God neither height nor depth no unmovable mountains that stand in your way and threaten you can separate you from his love for his love reaches to the heavens higher than the mountains no depths of hell no valley of sorrow or depths of depravity or depression because deeper still is the deep love of
[36:35] Jesus these cannot separate us from his love and finally it's like the apostle throws his hands up and says I can't keep dreaming and thinking up of all these possible things and so he just grabs for a catch all phrase an all inclusive finale and he says nor can anything else in all creation separate you from this love anything else now that's the comfort and encouragement that God wants you marching to heaven with this this is what makes us always triumphant more than conquerors come hell and high water Jesus loves me and I guess that says it all now Paul says I'm convinced of this I'm persuaded of this are you are you convinced of this are you more convinced of this than anything in the world than the fact that you're going to walk out of this building are you more convinced that the love of
[37:49] Christ cannot be separated from you ever well you can be Romans 8 is charting the path it's leading us back to this never failing love of God in Jesus Christ but you say what about sin I didn't see sin on the list can't my sins separate me from his love well not for those who are in Christ Jesus for God has already laid your sins all your sins upon him and then damned those sins in his son gave the punishment for those sins everyone so can't sin separate you from God no he was separated he cried why have you abandoned me that you might never be abandoned by his love united to Christ those sins have been blotted out and remembered no more and all of his righteousness put to your account so God has justified you
[38:50] God has declared you righteous we have been through that ground in Romans 8 oh but I still sin and I have something to confess every day do you think any of your sins of this week surprised God do you think that if he had known what you did he wouldn't have chosen you in the first place sent his son for you it was precisely because he did know what a helpless and hopeless sinner you are that he sent his son for you so far from separating you from his love that's why he drew near and poured out his life for you wonderful thing to know that the one who knows me best loves me most there's nothing he doesn't know about me and he loves me the most and he loves me unfailingly inseparably
[40:03] God's already demonstrated his love for us and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us he's already demonstrated his love for us and that while we were yet enemies he died for us you didn't make yourself deserving of his love in the first place you came as a hell deserving sinner and threw yourself upon his mercy in Jesus Christ and he didn't refuse you he embraced you in love that's how we live that's each step of the way home it's repentance and faith in Christ it's the gospel so no in Christ Jesus your sins cannot separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus and besides I think that is included in the list it's in that catch all right the last phrase anything else in all creation sin is a part of that and even that will not separate I just don't feel like God loves me sometimes
[41:05] Paul's not talking about feeling he didn't say you know I'm feeling like nothing can separate no he says I'm convinced I'm persuaded you see to be a Christian means you live by what God says not by what your heart feels it's a wonderful thing to feel that God loves you nothing like it on earth perhaps the highest I would think the highest joy of heaven to always feel that we have foretaste here the Holy Spirit shedding that love of God abroad in our hearts but but you see even when we don't feel that God loves us it doesn't change his love for us we can still be convinced that he loves us we can say right into the heart of our feelings John God loves you what more could he say to you what more could he do for you than what he's already said or done this whole chapter on assurance and security began with no condemnation for those who are in
[42:17] Christ it now ends with no separation from his love for those who are in Christ how firm a foundation you saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word what more could he say than to you he has said said to you who to Jesus for refuge have fled this chapter has taken us through the whole gamut of salvation from eternity past to eternity future it's taken us to the very heart of God and revealed his heart for you what more could he say to ever convince you of his love he gave his son to show it receive it believe it this is the climax of your security the ultimate source and fountain head of all assurance love love love love love love love for you put this down right at the top of your to do list
[43:18] I need to delight in this love that I can never be separated from because if I have that note ringing in my ears I can go through trouble hardship persecution nakedness famine danger and sword sleep or steep yourself in this love here in Romans 8 we're memorizing memory pack on Romans 8 memorize the whole chapter remember every pedal he loves me he loves me he loves me embrace your security bask in the sunshine of his love you know that's your most basic identity your disciple whom Jesus loved well live every day in the warmth of it wake up to it walk in it all day long and go to sleep on it George Matheson was born in Glasgow
[44:18] Scotland in 1842 he was the oldest of eight children and one of the brightest reminds me of my older brother he went to university and he graduated with top honors at age 19 and while at school he met and fell in love with a girl who was also a fellow student and they were planning to be married but as he was completing his studies he was rapidly going blind it was an incurable disease that would eventually result in total blindness he broke the news to his beloved and asked if she still wanted to marry him her answer came as a dagger to his heart when she said I don't want to be the wife of a blind man and so ended their relationship it would be 20 years later the evening of his sister's wedding that he was home alone and the memory of his own broken wedding plans came flooding back with all the painful emotions of his tragic loss and he sat down and in no time he says the words came to him to write this poem that is still being sung today and is found in our hymnal oh love that will not let me go
[45:58] I rest my weary soul in thee I give thee back the life I owe that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer fuller be he never did marry he became a minister and he proved the truth of his own hymn that there is a love that would never let him go that would make him more than a conqueror in life and in death a love that knows no end a love to know to relish to rest in to rely upon a love that made him a conqueror even in his grief that love behind the gospel the very love that God has and is that love that is for us that love that sent his son for us that love that justified us that called us that that set his love for upon us in eternity past and predestined us and called us to himself and and justified us and one day will glorify us that love that even now moves him at the father's right hand to pray for you who are his people who knows you who loves you and prays for you every prayer coming from this heart of love a love that wants you to be with him a love that takes our spirit to him at death a love that will bring him back one day to get our bodies and raise them in power and glory to be with him a love that will not let us go forever and ever if you're lost this morning you need to know it's only in
[47:48] Christ that you can ever come to know this unfailing love are you in Christ only there is this unbelievable love outside of him is only wrath for your sins oh but in Christ there is a love that will never let you go get into Christ you get into Christ by faith you come and surrender the whole of your being to him trusting in him alone to save you turn from your own way come and throw yourself on his mercy and you will be joined to him whom to know is life eternal whom to know is is to be love forever well let's rejoice in this as we respond to this love with number 455 in our hymnal oh that deep deep love of Jesus let's stand and sing it to his everlasting praise 453 go in the joy and peace of it what will it be to be with him in heaven it will be to see and sense and know that love without any veil between and what is it now to live with a sense of that love it brings a bit of heaven to earth may we know more and more of it amen