Romans 8:32 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? Note that — I. GOD HATH ALREADY GIVEN THE VERY GREATEST THING TO SET MY SALVATION AGOING, viz., what every parent who had but one beloved son would surely feel the greatest of his treasures. In human transactions the pledge is but a minute proportion of the complete performance, and yet there is a distinct hope awakened of the entire fulfilment, from the token that has thus been put into your hands. But in this transaction the pledge is more valuable to the Giver than all that He hath pledged Himself for. We may, indeed, feel that the joys of eternity may be of greater value than all the firstfruits and tokens in the shape of grace and growing meetness, here. But God feels that He has already given what to Himself was of the greatest value. II. THE DEEP AND MYSTERIOUS SUFFERING INCURRED AT THIS FIRST AND GREATEST STEP IN OUR SALVATION IS NOW OVER. The travail of Christ's soul hath already gone by; and now He has only to see of the fruit of this travail and be satisfied. When He set forth from glory on our world's restoration, He had persecution and cruel martyrdom before Him; but what He thus originated with pain, He has only now to prosecute in peace and triumph to its consummation. Will the Father who spared not His own Son a deep humiliation to commence the enterprise of our recovery now refuse to magnify Him, and bring the enterprise of Him who is the Captain of this glorious warfare to its most honourable termination? III. ALL WHICH GOD HATH DONE IN THE WORK OF OUR REDEMPTION HAS BEEN DONE ENTIRELY OF FREE WILL. It was not because He owed it to us, but because His own heart was set upon it. This makes it a wholly different ease from that of a debtor who, after having made payment of so much, would like to get off from his obligation for the remainder. There is nought of this kind to stint the liberality of God. When He did give up His Son, it was because He so loved the world. It was because of God's longing desire after the world that He gave up His Son unto the sacrifice; ands after the sacrifice has been gone through, He will not turn round upon His own favourite object, and recede from the world which He has done so much to save. That force of affection which bore down the obstacle that stood in its way will now bear onward with accelerated speed to the accomplishment of all the good that it is set upon. To do otherwise would be throwing away the purchase after the purchase-money had been given for it; and well may we be assured that after God has freely given such a price for our salvation, He will freely give all things necessary to make good that salvation. IV. WHEN HE GAVE UP HIS SON, IT WAS ON BEHALF OF SINNERS WITH WHOM AT THE TIME HE WAS AT VARIANCE. It was at the period when a blow had been inflicted on the dignity of His government, and a sore outrage laid on Heaven's high throne by the defiance of creatures whom its power could annihilate or sweep away. Now the state of matters is altered. The breach has been healed. The debt has been paid. And if God in the season of guilt gave up His Son, will He cease from giving now in the season of atonement? If, when nought ascended from the world but a smoke of abomination, the price of its redemption was freely surrendered, will there be no movement of grace now that there arises the incense of a sweet-smelling savour? And if in our state of condemnation, then, He delivered Him up for us all, is not the assurance doubly sure that, in our state of acceptance now, He will with Him freely give us all things? V. HE GAVE UP HIS SON AT A TIME WHEN MERCY WAS CLOSED IN AS IT WERE BY THE OTHER ATTRIBUTES OF HIS NATURE — when it had not yet found a way through justice and holiness of truth, and when it had to struggle against an obstacle high as the dignity of Heaven's throne. It was in fact on very purpose to open an avenue through this else impassable barrier that Christ went forth. And is not the inference as resistless as it is animating — that the same mercy which forced a passage for itself through all those difficulties will, now that they are cleared away, burst forth in freest exuberance among all those for whom it scaled the mountain of separation. He who gave His Son while Justice was yet unappeased, will freely give all things now that Justice is satisfied. Conclusion: But this subject is inexhaustible. It is not the preciousness of Christ as being Himself a gift that the text leads me to expatiate on. It is the goodness of it as a pledge of other gifts. There are other securities for this than those on which I have insisted that might well cause the believer to rejoice in it as in a treasure the whole value of which is inestimable. For will God stamp dishonour on this His own great enterprise, and leave unfinished that which He hath so laboriously begun? Will He hold forth the economy of grace as an impotent abortion to the scorn of His enemies? Never was foundation more surely laid, nor can we tell how many those unshaken props are by which it upholds the confidence of a believer. (T. Chalmers, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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? |
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