Seven Incontestable Questions
SEVEN INCONTESTABLE QUESTIONS
John W. Bramhall
A PERSONAL TESTIMONY
The writer of this message has enjoyed the assurance of salvation over sixty-seven years and testifies to the blessedness of its truth.
The good Shepherd has said–“I give unto my sheep eternal life; and they shall NEVER PERISH”. (John 10:28) For every person who trusts Christ as his or her Saviour, to “perish” is an absolute impossibility! “They are not only saved, BUT SAFE!” The prayer of the writer is that the joy of this precious truth will be the possession of every reader. “For these things are written that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life”–1 John 5:13.
November 1981
SEVEN INCONTESTABLE QUESTIONS
What a triumphant climax the Spirit of God renders at the close of the great doctrinal section of Romans! It is unsurpassing in its ascription of glory and praise to the God of all grace Who has provided salvation for us!
The magnitude of the Gospel’s power is revealed, in its deliverance from sin’s penalty, from sin’s indwelling power and ultimately from sin’s presence! Though profound in revelation, yet the simplest saint can echo the words of another when asked what lessons he had learned in his Christian experience. He replied– “First, I learned that I have never done anything good in my life; second, that I could never do anything good; and thirdly, that Christ has done it all!” These three truths are precisely taught us in the doctrinal section of the Roman Epistle, from chapter one to chapter eight.
Then follows the climactic song of worship in Romans 8, verses 31 thru 39. It is introduced by Paul with a leading question, saying– “WHAT SHALL WE SAY TO THESE THINGS?” The “things” referred to are undoubtedly the perfect salvation God has provided through His beloved Son, as taught in the preceding chapters. It is in response to this leading question that the apostle presents seven indisputable questions that no being, whether celestial, terrestrial or infernal, can contest!
“IF GOD BE FOR US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?” – As a believing sinner, how can I ever doubt the blessed fact that the Gospel has revealed, that GOD IS FOR ME!
He has justified me; He has brought me into His eternal favour; He enables me to overcome the power of indwelling sin; He has assured me of entering into eternal glory! All this He teaches me in the doctrinal part of the Roman letter. My salvation is a work that is done entirely by God Himself, whereby He bestows upon a believing sinner who puts his and her trust in the finished work of His Son, eternal life NOW; with the assurance that He will bring me into eternal glory later! Then, WHO CAN BE AGAINST ME? Not even my greatest adversary and all his hosts of evil! (Eph. 6:11-13). The fact is incontestable!
“HE THAT SPARED NOT HIS OWN SON, BUT DELIVERED HIM UP FOR US ALL, HOW SHALL HE NOT WITH HIM FREELY GIVE US ALL THINGS?” – If God gave HIS BEST for me, will He not give me the rest? He looked even beyond the Cross, to the glory that I will some day share with His Son. “If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ” – Romans 8:16.
Is Christ not “the appointed heir of all things?” – Hebrews 1:2. The Father, in bestowing His Son, knows of no way to withhold the rest from me – Ephesians 1:3. To give me the rest is small, in comparison to giving me His Beloved Son! Heaven was emptied of its greatest treasure when the Son was given, to make me rich! – 2 Corinthians 8:9. This fact is also incontestable!
“WHO SHALL LAY ANYTHING TO THE CHARGE OF GOD’S ELECT?” – This is a legal expression, meaning to place a charge of guilt against me before God’s throne. Satan would do so, if he could! Demons would do so, if they could! Men also would attempt to, if they could! But the question suggests that there is NONE to accuse me, a justified sinner who has believed on Jesus (Romans 3:26); not even my great Adversary! To him God says – “THE LORD REBUKE THEE, IS NOT THIS A BRAND PLUCKED FROM THE BURNING?” – Zachariah 3:3. Again, this fact that none can accuse me is incontestable!
“I hear the accuser roar,
Of ills that I have done;
I know them well and thousands more, JEHOVAH FINDETH NONE!
Sin, Satan, Death press near
To harass and appall;
Let but my risen Lord appear,
Backward they go and fall”
“GOD THAT JUSTIFIETH?” – Will HE accuse me? Omit the italic words “it is”, added by the translators. The statement can be given as an interrogative question. Will the JUDGE WHO forgave me my sins turn around and condemn me again? NEVER! Has He not said “their sins and iniquities will I remember NO MORE!” – Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 10:17. His decision to justify me because I Have believed on Jesus, His Son, is FINAL AND IRREVOCABLE! PRAISE HIS NAME! Surely with joy I confidently sing-
“Tis the promise of God full salvation to give, Unto him who on Jesus, His Son, will believe. Hallelujah! ’tis done, I believe on the Son; I am saved by the blood of the crucified ONE!”
“WHO IS HE THAT CONDEMNETH?” – Can anyone re-open my case before God’s eternal throne? Has not God said to me – “There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to them which are in Christ Jesus”? – Romans 8:1. Do not the words of Jesus speak with highest authority when saying – “Verily, verily I say unto you; he that heareth my word and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life” – John 5:24. That there is now no condemnation is an incontestable fact, praise the Lord!
“No condemnation! O my soul,
Tis God that speaks the word.
Perfect in comeliness art thouIn
Christ, thy glorious Lord.
No condemnation! – precious word!
Consider it, my soul,
Thy sins were all on Jesus laid,
His stripes have made thee whole.”
“CHRIST THAT DIED?” – Again an interrogation. Will HE condemn me? NEVER! He is a four-fold protection for me. Yes, I have done offenses; I do not deny it. BUT- HE DIED for them! Do I need “life”? Yes; but HE is “risen again” for me. “I am saved by HIS life” above – Romans 5:10. Do I need a representative before God’s throne? Yes indeed! and HE is in the chief place of authority for me – “at the right hand of the throne of God”. For my transgressions and failures I need an Advocate and I have ONE (1 John 2:1,2). He “liveth to make intercession for me”. Then how can He condemn me after He has saved me? The fact is
incontestable! It is impossible! Not only SAVED, BUT SAFE!
“WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST?” – The apostle then recites ALL the possible experiences of trials that can happen. My troubles may hang like a heavy cloud over my head, but the proof of His unchanging love is His very word, not my experience, which may sometimes seem to disprove His love. Through every kind of testing “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us”. In all adversity, not my strength, but in His strength I will conquer. The very one act of love when He died for me and rose again, is the source of unconquerable strength!
Then the apostle’s eye looks through all time, all space, through all worlds, and in the most sweeping language declares his persuasion that there is nothing “able” to break the golden chain of love that binds the heart of God to His own. His language embraces every conceivable adversary in the universe, declaring none “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. He loves me in “death” and He loves me in “life”; and life can sometimes be more trying than death! Nothing in space above, nor depth beneath, nor “any other thing” can separate me from His love. When God the Father gave His Son for me, He gave me IN HIM all the love He felt toward His beloved SON! Oh what love! This fact too, is INCONTESTABLE!
Seven questions, possessing facts that are irrefutable! HALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOUR IS JESUS OUR LORD! The preceding sections of Romans may seem dry and doctrinal; but at the end is demonstrated the vital connection between doctrine and love! “Behold, WHAT LOVE!”
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