Peace With God

I actually prayed about which translation to use today. I like the NLT, it makes things clear but there are a couple of words I want you to hear and one is the word “wrath.” I am using the NRSV today.

Also listen for the word THROUGH…

Through can be used as a preposition or and adverb. When used as a preposition, it is followed by a noun: in today scripture, the noun is all the spiritual blessing we have in Christ. Everything we have from God comes through the LORD Jesus Christ.

Results of Justification

5 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast [exult, glory, rejoice] in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. ⁸ But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. ¹¹ But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Introduction

We have a great text today and I will assure you that we will only scratch the surface and I am not convinced that this sermon is even a scratch.

Paul begins Romans 5 with the word THEREFORE which is a reference to what he has said previously and we do not have to guess at what that was because he re-states it: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith.” I like the way Paul sums up justification in chapter 3 {Romans 3:22-25, NLT}

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ²⁴ Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. ²⁵ For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. 

Transition

Today, I want to talk to you about the wonderful results of our being justified by the atoning work of Christ.

I. WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD

Man, in his natural state is at war with God. The enmity or hostility is very evident today. This world does not appreciate God’s word. The world didn’t appreciate Jesus. There was an unbelievable hostility toward Christ and it stems from the fact that the world is at war with God. We resist His rule and we ignore His laws.

Luther said…

Luther said, “The justified have peace with God and enmity with the world. The unrepentant have peace with world and enmity with God.”

If a husband and wife are fighting, the solution is a reconciliation.

Look at verse 10…

For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life. 

Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:20…

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them.

Now this wonderful peace we have with God is an objective fact; not a subjective feeling. I like the way J.B. Phillips translates verse one…

Since then it is by faith that we are justified, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Think of it this way…God the infinite JUDGE has sounded the gavel and declared…All who put their faith in my Son and His atoning blood are declared “Not Guilty.” If God has declared you “Not guilty” because you are in Christ, who is going to overturn that verdict?

When two nations make peace, who declares the peace? Is it not the supreme leader of each nation? For England in WWII, it would be Churchill; for us, it would be our president. Folks God is the Supreme Leader of the Universe, if He declares peace, there is nothing you can do about it. You can continue your fight against His will be it will not change the fact that He had declared all men are justified in His sight when they put their faith in Jesus. PEACE IS A FACT, NOT A FEELING. It becomes a feeling once you trust the fact.

II. WE HAVE JOY IN SUFFERING

I don’t mean joy in suffering itself but joy in the midst of suffering. Look at what Paul says is verses 3-4…

We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

The Greek word that is translated “Boast” here {exult-NASB, rejoice-NLT, glory-NIV} comes from a root word that means to prop up, bolster, brace, make stronger, boost. It us used in a good sense here but early Paul uses the same word to refer to Jewish pride.

Romans 2:23…

You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

Here Paul is talking about an inter strength that bolster’s our confidence. It is not a boast of the mouth, it is a deep sense of strength that we hve when we accept as a fact that we have peace with God and that he is working all things together for our good and His glory.

What Paul describes here is the process by which we are sanctified…

*Sufferings–The word used here is the common word for suffering, affliction and tribulation. It literally means to be between a rock and a hard place, to be pressed, distressed, in a bind, caught in a narrow straight, no place to turn. H.A. Ironside, “Suffering is the divinely appointed flail that separates the wheat from the chaff.“

Suffering leads to Endurance…

*Endurance– one of my favorite Greek words, hypo-mone, a compound word that means to stay under.  Endurance leads to Character.

*Character–who does not want character. If I have to suffer to have character then I will rejoice in my suffering. Character then produces HOPE.

*Hope– does not disappoint us, it never lets us down. In enables us to steady, steadfast and consistent and this leads to love.

Love leads us to our next point…

Talking about results of Justification by faith…

III. WE EXPERIENCE GOD’S LOVE

God pours His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us {Grace}.

The truth I am about to share can change your life. There is really no basis for God’s love other than the character and will of God. God choose to love even before He creates us. Note what Paul says about the LOVE OF GOD…{v.6-8}

⁶ For while we were still weak {helpless, sick, powerless, impotent, feeble, without strength}, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. ⁸ But God proves His love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

God’s love is incredible; there is really no human parallel. You or I might die for a select few but would we be willing to sacrifice our son for anyone? We sure would not consider doing such a thing for a derelict.

John said…

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He also said, We love because he first loved us.

Earthly and perishable things will never satisfy your hearts deepest desire: only HIS LOVE can accomplish. {Ill. in marriage, our relationship with Christ}. God’s love is like a FOUNTAIN, it springs forth from HIM. It is not called into action by anything you and I do. It is a grace love.

Conclusion

Due to time, I will make my fourth point the conclusion: because we have been justified by the blood of Christ and declared not guilty we are and will be saved from GOD’S WRATH.

Verse 9…

Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through Him from the wrath of God. 

Only Jesus can save you from God’s wrath. The war is real: the world has hostility against God but don’t forget that God is holy and He has hostility toward sin and it will be vented on the unrepentant. {Ill. the Ark}

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