Freely Given All Things

Our Bible passage, introduction to Sunday 24th November service and hymns are below.

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Our principal verses are:

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Rom 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?

 Freely Given All Things

With the Lord Jesus Christ comes all good things. Our Saviour told His disciples, ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you’. What are ‘these things’? All temporal things that are good and necessary for our earthly life. All the blessings of salvation; a hatred of sin, forgiveness of sin, and peace with God. All the blessings of spiritual life; union with Christ, the love of God, the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. All the blessings of heaven and eternal glory.

First the best, then the rest

Paul’s argument is simple. If Jehovah God provided us with the Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest gift of all; if He spared Him not, but delivered Him up for us all, then nothing that is less than Christ will be withheld from us. Every good and perfect gift is the inheritance of the family of God. The Godhead works together for our good. All the angelic host works together, under Christ, for our good. The temporal universe and everything created in it works together for our good. Even sin, death and the grave are employed to benefit God’s people.

Boundless grace

The word ‘freely’ in our verse speaks of God’s liberality in blessing His people. His goodness is bountiful and generous. ‘The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly’ (Psalm 84:11). We have previously seen, ‘them that walk uprightly’ are those who walk by faith in Christ. Our Father delights to give good things to His children. The gifts of His goodness and the callings of His grace, being without repentance, being without regret on God’s part, will never be withdrawn or annulled.

Sovereign grace

Freely speaks, too, of the sovereignty of God’s choice in dispensing His good gifts. They are liberally bestowed without compulsion in God and without reference to merit in the recipient – of which there is none, we all being sinners. There is nothing innate in us that Jehovah, foresaw, sees now, or ever will see, to attract His gracious notice or merit divine goodness. All who know something of their own heart will agree in this matter. To the glory of God, His goodness and mercy is graciously free, both in its nature and supply.

Exercised grace

This is not to suggest there will be no suffering for the Lord’s elect. History proves otherwise, be it the persecution of Christ’s apostles or the testimony of the saints of God in all ages. Believers know sickness, loss and death, and we know what it is to experience doubt. Yet, ‘all things are yours’ says the apostle to the Corinthians. Let us learn to interpret our trials in the light of God’s word and not question God’s word because of our trials.

Christ is everything

The Lord Jesus is the supreme gift of God’s love to sinners. The covenant of peace is the expression and revelation of God’s grace and goodness. We began our studies speaking of God’s love and wisdom which by design works ‘all things’ together for our good. To that end Christ is our Substitute by whom we are reconciled. He is our Risen Head to whom we are united, our Daily Bread with whom we are fed, our Everlasting Life through whom we live spiritually.

Infinite goodness

The dimensions of God’s love have not been measured nor the boundaries of His goodness set. ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.’ As we face the challenges of life we have God’s gospel promises to encourage us by day. When we face the challenge of death God’s promises are our comfort in the darkness. Those who trust in the shed blood and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus have in themselves God’s justifying righteousness, complete pardon of sin, sanctifying grace, filial adoption, and eternal life – all ‘freely’ given, in a sovereign way, according to our God’s good will and pleasure.

The reward of grace

As we face uncertain days, trials and temptations our confidence is not in our own strength but in Christ’s. Our hope is not in our righteousness but in Christ’s. Our comfort comes from the Holy Spirit upon us, the love of God toward us and the faith of Christ within us. We trust Him for everything. We do so knowing all glory and honour is His by right, His by covenant obedience and His by victory at the cross and it is ours as well. It is ours because God has freely given to us all things in Christ.

Amen

Our hymns are below.

Hymn 1

Gadsby selection 595

Free Grace. Eph. 1. 7; 2. 5-8; Rom. 5. 20

W. Gadsby           8s

1
Free grace is the joy of my heart;
Its glories, with wonder, I trace;
To me it does freely impart
Rich blessings, just suiting my case;
No monster more wretched could be,
Nor less of God’s favour deserve;
Yet such is free grace unto me,
I never, no never can starve.

2
Grace takes all my ruin and woe,
Nor murmurs my burdens to bear;
And grace in return makes me know
In Jesus I’m comely and fair.
In self I’m polluted and vile;
But grace sweetly speaks unto me,
It tells me, and that with a smile,
In Jesus I’m perfect and free.

3
Its blessings, though rich and divine,
Are all without money and price;
A soul, though as wretched as mine,
May venture to hope and rejoice;
Its highest delight is to give
True riches to sinners undone;
Nor can it, nor will it deceive,
The soul that with Jesus is one.

Hymn 2

Gadsby selection 52

The Gospel. Mark 2. 17; 1 Tim. 1. 15; Rev. 22. 17

Gospel Mag., 1777                                                    11s

1
The gospel brings tidings to each wounded soul,
That Jesus the Saviour can make it quite whole;
And what makes this gospel most precious to me,
It holds forth salvation so perfectly free!

2
The gospel declares that God, sending his Son
To die for poor sinners, gave all things in one;
This, too, makes the gospel most precious to me;
Because ’tis a gospel as full as ’tis free!

3
Since Jesus has saved me, and that freely too,
I fain would in all things my gratitude show;
But as to man’s merit, ’tis hateful to me!
The gospel – I love it; ’tis perfectly free!

Jehovah God has given the Lord Jesus Christ to the church as the supreme evidence of His love. He has also freely given us all things with Him of which we are partakers by faith. This is our inheritance in Christ and is all to God's glory and praise.