The Sufferings of Christ
A Sermon on Romans 8:32
Scripture
32He 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?
Sermon Description
It is instinctive to try to spare loved ones from pain and suffering if at all possible. Yet one reads in Romans 8:32 that God the Father did not spare His Son from suffering; rather the Son was delivered up for unworthy sinners. Can such a statement by the apostle Paul be the apex of the glory of God? Can the truth of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross and the appeasement of the Father’s wrath truly be God’s most glorious display of His love? This is the argument of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon on Romans 8:32 titled “The Sufferings of Christ.” He meticulously examines each word in this theologically-rich verse by the great apostle. Every word, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is of upmost importance in expounding the wondrous truth of God’s grace in this text. Dr. Lloyd-Jones not only makes a case for the Father graciously giving up His Son for the salvation of sinners, but he sheds light on the true agony and grief Christ felt in His sufferings. While some want to minimize Christ’s cry of dereliction, Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims the glory of God in the suffering of the Son.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon focuses on Romans 8:32 to strengthen the believer's assurance of salvation.
- Verse 32 provides an argument for why God will not abandon those He has saved.
- The argument is that if God did the greatest thing (not sparing His own Son), He will surely do the lesser thing (providing all other things we need).
- The sermon examines the meaning and significance of each word and phrase in Romans 8:32 to understand the depth of the argument.
- "He that spared not his own Son" - God the Father was the one acting in not sparing His Son.
- "His own Son" - The Son is God's eternal, only begotten Son, not just a man.
- "Spared not" - God held nothing back from His Son, He did not keep anything from happening to Him. The same word used when Abraham did not withhold Isaac.
- "But" - Shows the contrast between sparing and delivering up. The opposite of sparing was done.
- "Delivered him up" - Handed Him over to bear the full wrath of God against sin. Given over to the powers of darkness.
- "For us all" - On our behalf, in our place. Though we were sinners and enemies, He was delivered up for us.
- "Freely" - Done out of God's grace and love, not in response to anything in us. Magnifies God's love.
- "All things" - Everything necessary to bring us to glory and conformity to Christ. Grace, circumstances, needs, etc.
- We can be assured of perseverance because of what God has already done in delivering up His Son. He will surely finish what He started.
- We must understand what truly happened at the cross to grasp the depth of God's love and argument for assurance. Not just a demonstration of love but a substitutionary atonement where God's wrath was poured out on sin.
- We should respond with praise, worship, and trust in God who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.