From Valley to Victory, Part 11

Thank you for joining friends around the world for Leading the Way with pastor and author Dr. Michael Youssef. Complex truths in the Bible have caused theological debates for centuries. Other topics are more simple and yet just as life-changing. Coming up next, Dr. Youssef focuses on the simple and the complex topic of salvation. It's part of his series in the pages of Paul's Letter to the Romans from Valley to Victory and content that you're going to want to listen to again and again or share with your friends because it will help you better understand the foundation of your faith. So listen right here or at ltw.org or you can download the Leading the Way app.

Right now diving into Romans 8, let's listen to Dr. Michael Youssef. The phrase no free lunches is really expresses the reality that somebody has to pay. What we're saying when we say there are no free lunches is that there is no such thing as pure grace. There's no such thing as no unearned favor.

No such thing as unmerited gift, right? In most business relationships, the axiom is you scratch my back, I'll scratch your back. You give me something I want, I'll give you something you want. You do something nice for me and I'll do something nice for you. But someone has to pay.

Say that with me. Someone has to pay. In reality, no free luncheon may be a good deterrent for the freeloaders but when it comes to salvation, somebody already paid. So I want to tell you about a real free lunch today that will keep you alive for all of eternity. If you turned already with me to Romans 8 and we're going from verse 28 to the end and I want to show you three things from this passage. In verse 28, you're going to find that this free lunch will sustain you, will nourish you for all of your life and then for all of eternity even when you eat some junk food and poisonous food sometimes. Secondly, I want to show you from verses 29 and 30, two verses, that this free lunch you could never get yourself if you live to be a million years old. And finally, thirdly, verses 31 to 39, God himself guarantees that no one will eat your lunch.

First, God's free lunch that will nourish you, that will sustain you, that will keep you regardless of what junk food you may eat at times or poisonous food you may eat at times and that's in verse 28. Verse 28 of Romans 8 is called the glorious verse in the scripture. In fact, it is the most glorious verse in this whole epistle. But it's also the most misunderstood and the most misquoted verse probably in the whole Bible. For true believers, this verse has been the soft pillar on which many a weary head has laid and rested. Someone said that Romans 8 28 is one of the most glorious provisions in the whole of the scripture. It is breathtaking in its magnificence.

It is overwhelming in its generosity and it is all-encompassing in its magnitude. And here the Apostle Paul is saying, we know. People always jump those two words and they go to the next few words. But those two words are very significant. We know.

Say it with me. We know. He is saying that based on the fact that the Holy Spirit already has sealed our adoption papers, they are permanent and they're forever. Based on the fact that our names are written in the book of life by the blood of Jesus Christ, we know therefore beyond the shadow of doubt that God is weaving all of our circumstances, the bad circumstances and the good circumstances, and don't ever call bad circumstances good, the bad is bad. Amen.

Don't spiritualize. But he can take them all and he weaves a tapestry. We know beyond the shadow of doubt that God uses our deep disappointments and bring his own divine appointments. We know beyond the shadow of doubt that God takes all of the bad and the painful and the hurtful and the confusing things in life and he shakes it up together in his sovereign mill and voila, a blessing comes out.

Here's what Paul is saying. We know that in all things. Can you say all things? All things. That means all things. Not just some things, not just the good things, not just the happy times, not just the good fortune or the good luck.

No, no, no. All things. And the word is that he incorporates them.

How come? Because God is working unceasingly on behalf of those who love him. Because God is working energetically on behalf of those who love him. Because God is working purposefully on behalf of those who love him. And please, please, please do not quote this verse to somebody who's not a believer. This verse is for those who love him. It's for those who what? Because often you hear people glibly say everything will work out for the good or everything works okay in the end or you hear some people glibly say everything will be all right.

No, no, no, no. The good will certainly work out only for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Now, amen belongs here. This is not a promise to the non-believers. It is only for those who truly love Jesus.

Let me illustrate. Because Joseph demonstrated his love for God by his faithfulness. Even though he did not have a Bible or a preacher or a Bible study, things that happened to him because of his faithfulness. God took all of this and he brought a glorious things out of it. Because Job was tested by God with the most dreadful circumstances, God double blessed him. When Daniel placed God above his safety, God came down and zipped the lion's mouths. Because Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego loved God so much even at the threat of death, God himself showed up in the middle of the fire.

And don't ever forget he did not save them out of the fire, he walked with them in the fire and he turned into a garden. Because of the divine eternal Son of God, obey the father unto death, the death of the cross. The father mightily raised him from the dead. The father crowned him Lord of all.

The father made the grave give way to glory. For all of us who love God, listen to me when I say that whatever satan means to harm you and he wants to harm you, make no mistake about it, God is weaving it and turning it to bring a blessing to you. Amen. For those of you who love the Lord, you need to understand.

Those of you who are absolutely anchored in the word of God, you need to understand what I'm going to tell you. Your life is not a random mess. Your life is not out of control. Your life is not a string of disasters or even a string of good luck. Your life is not meaningless and purposeless and aimless. But even in the midst of your suffering, you can shout with the prophet Jeremiah who said in the midst of his suffering, prophesying in 29 11, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and future.

Amen. First, God's free lunch nourishes you even when you get some poisonous food in your system. Secondly, God's free lunch is something that you could never, never, never, never in a million years get yourself. Look at those two verses 29 and 30.

Beloved, listen to me. There is no ambiguity in the scripture. There is no ambiguity in the word of God as to the fact that we cannot save ourselves. There is no ambiguity as to the fact that salvation and redemption is God's free gift to us.

And those who preach ambiguity, which they seem to be growing in number sadly, those who preach ambiguity, either they're fooling themselves or they are totally deceived. We cannot work for our salvation. We cannot pay for our salvation. We cannot brag about our salvation. It is the gift of God. It's truly a free eternal lunch.

Look at verse 29, Romans 8. This verse has been described by some scholars as a golden chain. And like any chain, you take one link out and the whole thing collapses.

It's a golden chain. Every link is significant. Every link is there for a purpose. Every link is there for a purpose. There's for knowledge, one link, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification.

It's one chain. We saw in the last message that there is no condemnation upon those who are in Christ Jesus. In fact, not only that there's no condemnation, but this no condemnation eventuates in glorification. Don't miss this very important aspect of the Christian life. Some people do to their own detriment. God does not save us at some point in our life, and then He just loses interest in us and moves on.

Drop you off. No. That is not our God. That is not our Savior. That is not our beloved Jesus. God does not love us today and then hate us tomorrow. God does not redeem us today and then unredeem us tomorrow. God does not welcome you one day and then kick you out tomorrow.

No, no, no. That's not our God. We sadly do these things to each other, but that is not our God. The Bible said in John chapter 13 verse 1 that when God loved His own, He loved them to the end. Now He loved them to what?

The end. There is no disinterest on God's part. There is no forsaken of you by God.

No, no, no, no. In this area, some people in the church really get messed up. They do get messed up about it. They say, oh yeah, yeah, I believe the Bible. I really believe the whole Bible, but I'm having problems with this predestination thing. What's that predestination thing?

Oh, let's talk about it, okay? Beloved, the only source of election and predestination is the love of God, and that divine love is not changeable. Sure, we make a decision to follow Jesus, but did you know that God's decision about your salvation came before your decision?

Did you get that? It is God's purpose. It is God's plan. It is God's pleasure for the believer to be eternally saved, not just saved one day and lost the next day. I don't know about you, but this truth does not only put me on my knees. It puts me on my face before God in gratitude and in thanksgiving. Think about this. Before time began, God knew you by name. Before time began, God willed it that you be eternally saved, and I'm absolutely convinced after all these years in ministry that it is pure human pride, human arrogance that says, my salvation is a joint venture with God. Really?

You mean you're equating your part of receiving salvation from God with the cross of Christ? Come on now. No wonder. We have a whole generation now that don't talk about sin anymore. We just say mistakes. We just make mistakes, and that's okay.

That's fine. But here's the other side of the problem. You see, I always told you, you go to one extreme or the other, you get into trouble. Here's the other extreme that is happening today, particularly among younger preachers. They take this grace for granted. In fact, they presume on the grace of God. You know, the psalmist said from the sin of presumption, God, deliver me.

They presume on God. Well, you know, God has chosen me. God will be just as God is, so now I can sit on my blessed assurance and do nothing.

There's even worse than that. There are some are saying now that the grace of God is, I should sin boldly. No, my beloved friends, that's equally heretical. One is human pride. The other one is human apathy.

There are some people who say about the Word of God here in Romans 8 29 and 30, about election and predestination, they immediately say, oh, you see, if God predestined me, if God chose me, and I did not choose him, he must be predestining people to hell. Are you listening carefully? This is important.

Absolutely not. That is a false conclusion. But do you know why? Because there is not a single verse in the scripture that says that God predestined people to hell. In fact, in both Old Testament and the book of Ezekiel and the New Testament, everywhere in the scriptures is God longs for people to repent.

It's his wish, it's his desire that no one should perish. I'm going to say more about this in the next message. But my beloved friends, I only know what I know. It's the Word of God said.

And I could never draw conclusion based upon my feeble and false logic. That's what they do. And they get into trouble.

They get messed up. What the Word of God says is this. I could not boast about my salvation because it's a gift.

But there's more. The Word of God also tells us that we live in peace, that we have peace within. That we have peace within. Because the God who saved me is going to keep me saved.

Amen? The God who saved me is going to keep me saved. The Word of God also said that I cannot be apathetic about my salvation. I cannot be apathetic.

I can't just say, oh, who? Yeah, he saved me. Fine.

No. That is why Philippians 2 12 says, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. What does that mean? God gave it to you. It's a gift. And you better be grateful to it day after day after day. And you better live up to that name, live up to that calling.

You better be an obedient. I cannot rest on my blessed assurance and take that gift for granted. But I must seek his strength on a daily basis to live in obedience.

Listen carefully. I cannot help but pray earnestly. I cannot help but give generously. I cannot help but do all that I can to let others know about this gift of salvation so that they too can come to know the glorious gift of God.

My beloved, if you receive the gift of God of eternal salvation and gave the assurance of salvation, you need to tell others about it. Amen? Amen.

Amen. That's what God's free lunch should do to every one of us. Because he has given us what we could never get ourselves in a million years. And therefore, we need to tell others about that free lunch. First of all, that free lunch nourishes you, sustains you all of your life and then for eternity.

Secondly, that free lunch gives you what you could never, never, never, never get yourself or get myself in a million years. Thirdly, lastly, God himself is the one who can assure us that no one and nobody can eat your lunch. Look at verse 31. What is there left to say? What can I say after this incredible knowledge of God's gift, of God's grace? The only thing left for me to say is that if you are saved, no one can take your salvation away from you. If God is for us, who can be against us? Say that with me. If God is for us, who can be against us? Here's a use of translation.

I pity, I pity the person who thinks they could take away my salvation. Don't miss this. Don't miss this. Paul did not say that we don't have some real formidable enemies arrayed against us. He doesn't say that. They are there.

Trust me. They are there. Look at verse 35.

There's a list here. The unbelieving world persecutes us. The indwelling sin is powerful adversary.

Death has been defeated but not destroyed. Together with the principalities and the powers of darkness. These are some formidable enemies.

While all of this is true, it is only part of reality. These things are big. These things are powerful. These things can be scary at times and they appear that way but they are nothing. They are nothing when they are compared with the power of the one who's in us and for us. These formidable enemies.

It reminds me of a big, big guy who might be seven feet tall but he's a fat slob. He gets into the boxing ring and a professional boxer comes in. He can take him out with one knock.

First knock. Don't ever forget the Holy Spirit is a professional boxer. Amen. That's why he who's in us is greater than he who is in the world. Who can bring charges against God's elect? Who condemns us when God set that free? Who can condemn us when God said there are now no condemnation upon those who are in Christ Jesus?

The answer is what? When Christ speak, no one dares to contradict him. When Christ acts, when Christ acts, no one can stop him.

When Christ issues a verdict, no one can overturn that verdict. And that is why I count the German count of Zentzerdorf was a playboy who turned missionary who could write these magnificent words in this of a song that he used to sing. Behold I shall stand on that great day, cleansed and redeemed, no debt to pay. For by your cross absorbed I am from sin and guilt, from fear and shame.

Amen belongs here. The love of Christ for his elect is so powerful. The love of Christ is so permanent. The love of Christ is so unchangeable. The love of Christ is eternal. It is a problem.

It is a problem. You see somebody who might be hanging around church for a while, a churchgoer or even might be a professing Christian doing terrible things. And then people say, see, see, that means people can lose their salvation. See, salvation can be lost.

Look at this. Beloved, listen to me. That person did not lose his salvation. He was never saved to begin with. He'll see, maybe loved hanging around Christians and I've seen it. People are never saved, never born again. Just love hanging around Christians. And that's why they give Christians a bad name.

They love looking like Christians. Listen to what John said in 1 John 2 19. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they belong to us, they would have remained with us. But by their going, they showed that none of them belong to us.

They're never saved. They're lookalike. They're imitation.

They're fake. But for those who are true believers, nothing shall separate them from the love of God and Christ Jesus. That's what Paul is saying. That's not what I'm saying. It's the word of God.

Nothing. Again, look at verse 35 again. It gives us seven powerful things that could really challenge our faith. Every one of them alone could challenge our faith, but they will fail. They will ultimately fail for nothing can separate us from the love of God and Christ Jesus.

Tribulation will not, distress will not, persecution will not, famine will not, nakedness will not, peril will not, death will not. Dr. Michael Yusef always passionately proclaims the uncompromising truth of God's word. Thank you for listening to Leading the Way.

You can connect with Leading the Way at 866-626-4356 or ltw.org. Our faith is under assault in America. Why are biblical beliefs now labeled hate speech?

Why are students camping out in protest on their college campuses? Why are there two versions of the truth on the Internet and in the media? And what forces are behind the attack on Christianity? In his book, The Hidden Enemy, Dr. Michael Yusef offers timely insight to help you understand and respond to threats against the Christian faith. It is time for each of us to stand up for the truth boldly, lovingly, and without compromise. God can bring spiritual awakening in these dark times, but we must pray, seek His face, and proclaim His truth. Through Leading the Way, we must continue spreading the life-altering good news of Jesus' love.

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