Sunday Morning Service

Romans 5:1-11 (Click scripture reference for audio access)

"5 Points Of Justification"  •  4.1.12  •  Sunday Morning Service, Calvary Christian Fellowship

Intro.

- We have been working through this wonderful section of scripture, detailing the doctrine of justification. Paul has shown us the righteous basis for justification by faith in Christ in chapter 3.

- He has justified, redeemed and propitiated us through Christ. God's justice is fully satisfied, His wrath against the sin of His people, those who believe in Christ, is completely abated.

- Paul then illustrated that justification by faith has always been the way God has dealt with His people, for Abraham was saved apart from race, ritual or rule.

- Today, in these first 11 verses, Paul lays out these 5 amazing benefits of justification, which set the tone for the rest of this section in Romans. Paul claims that believers have

I. Peace With God (v.1)

II. Access By Faith (v.2)

III. Hope Of Heaven (v.3-5)

IV. Experience Of His Love (v.6-8)

V. Reconciliation With God (v.9-11)

Text

I. Peace With God (v.1)

•  Romans 5:1 : "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," : Therefore, having BEEN justified by faith. Listen to that finality. God has justified you. It has been declared. Justification deals with our past and our status.

- God has made a standing and final legal declaration about the one whose faith has settled upon Christ! That is set in the books of heaven, sustained by the Highest Authority!

- Take it in and understand: Paul wishes for us to know that what God has done, is done! You can add nothing, you can take nothing away! This leads to our first benefit: Peace!

- Present, continual, peace with God. Two hostile enemies now have an accord with one another and there is a settled relationship!

- The word speaks of security and safety. Listen: Paul has spent a great deal of time removing all possible security. He now brings us the only security that God wants us to have.

- You may think that you have always been at peace with God. That is simply not true.

- Far from being at peace, you have been at war with God and He has been at war with you because of the sin that has marked your existence.

- You had been an enemy of the true God and proven it by refusing to surrender to His Christ. When you finally did, that war ended and a new period of peace began!

- This is why the world desperately longs for peace and seeks to find it apart from Jesus. It cannot be done. Only Jesus brings us into perfect peace with the Lord!

- This accord is alive and well as long as Jesus Christ is alive for this peace has been secured by Him on our behalf!

II. Access By Faith (v.2)

• Romans 5:2 : "through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."  : Our second privilege that Paul describes is continual access to God, which speaks to our approach.

- In days of Kings, one was never allowed to come near to the King's chamber without express permission from the King. Consider how much more severe that was with God!

- God allowed one man to enter into His presence one day a year. The High Priest would enter into the Holy Of Holies, sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat and leave immediately!

- For centuries, that way was blocked and that thick curtain told the story of separation! That is, until it was torn from top to bottom the moment that Jesus died! At that point, we gained access!

- I heard a wonderful story this week of a boy seeking to go beyond a barricade to meet his King at a parade. The soldiers parted before him when a man grabbed his hand and led him forth.

- The boy shockingly walked forward and got to stand near the King because the man that grabbed his hand was the crown Prince! Jesus has grabbed your hand and brought you in!

- We have this introduction into His presence by this grace and far from running away as fast as we possibly can, we are given the privilege to remain there!

- The word "stand" is used elsewhere in Greek literature to refer to the foundation of a building! We are established, set in place by the grace of God, boasting in the hope of the glory of God!

- The word "hope" in English is defined thusly: "The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best." It's wishful thinking based on perceived possibility.

- That is not this word. This word refers to a confident, joyful expectation of something in this case, the fulfilled glory of God, eternal salvation, heaven!  

- Our focus, our strength and our firm, confident conviction is that we will live with Jesus forever and know the full value of God's promise to us!

III. Hope Of Heaven (v.3-5)

• Romans 5:3-5 : "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." : Knowing what we know about introduction into His heaven, changes our perspective on the Earth!

- The world cowers before trouble, but the Christian boasts in tribulations. The Christian is one who is always exulting in his tribulatuions which refers to pressure. Difficulties. Problems.

- Does this mean that when we experience these things that we celebrate? Not at all. When we face troubles, we feel the difficulty accutely, but then are able to assess them properly.

- Unlike the person in the world who is undone by their troubles, the Christian recognizes that God is working in our lives, transforming us, making us fit him for heaven!

- Tribulations, pressures, produce perseverance. The word can also be translated "steadfastness" or a determination which works "character."

- This word is borrowed from the world of gemology, referring to a gem that is genuine upon inspection. Our faith is one that is tested, tried by fire, proved genuine by continuity!

- Years of varying pressures, plus sustained character proves and demonstates that a person that is living for heaven! He can struggle this way because His expectation is sure. Heaven is his!

- This hope, this certain expectation will not disappoint. With every step we take in this world and with every trial, we sense the love of God in a deeper way.

- That love of God is administered to us by the Holy Spirit, which He has poured out to us. "Shed abroad" means to burst forth, like wine bursting out of a wineskin.

- God has given us the Holy Spirit, not in small measure, but with great liberality! We are fully supplied, completely equipped with His Holy Spirit! Why is that important?

- The Holy Spirit in our lives is a guarantee, a downpayment of God's intention towards us!

- We know that heaven awaits, our expeaction will not be disappointed as our character grows and His Holy Spirit pours God's love out upon us!

IV. Experience Of His Love (v.6-8)

•  Romans 5:6,7 : "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die." : Here is an amazing concept regarding God's love and commitment.

- We were without strength, feeble. When the opportune time came, Christ died for the ungodly. He died on our behalf, in our place! When did He do this? When we were ungodly!

- What kind of contrast is that? A good man on the earth might provoke someone to be willing to die. A good man might find someone willing to die for him.

- You have heard stories of extraordinary heroism. There are legends of self-sacrifice. These are not every day occurences, but in extreme circumstances, such things are possible.

- In the world this has happened. Now, consider how many times you have heard the story of a man who willingly died on behalf of his avowed enemy? Here is the only true story of that.

•  Romans 5:8  :  "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." : God demonstrates His own love. This is not one who responds to love, but has love within Himself. It's His own. It's how He loves!

- You had nothing to offer the Lord. You were helpless and hopeless. You could give nothing toward the Lord that would make you a valuable object of love. We were sinners, He died for us!

- God doesn't just tell us that He loves us. He proves it. He proves His love by sending His Son Jesus to die for not righteous men, not ungodly men, but thorougly wicked, completely guilty sinners!

- If one ever questions God's love, Paul beckons that person to the one act in history that proves it once and for all: The Cross of Christ, the ultimate experience of God's love!

V. Reconciliation With God (v.9-11)

•  Romans 5:9-11  :  "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." : How much more! If He demonstrated His love for us while we were sinners, how much more shall we be saved now that we are justified, at peace and declared righteous!

- If God does this, justifies, redeems, and propitiates His enemies, what will He do for friends!

- This section demonstrates an "a fortiori" which is to argue from lesser to greater. We have declared righteous by His blood, so we will be saved from wrath through Him.

- The cross shows God's love for us for all time, but never forget that we are saved from His wrath! The unbeliever is not saved from God's wrath. In fact, wrath is stored up for them!

- Second argument: When we were enemies of God, He reconciled us to Himself through His own Son's death! What now of His life? What can He do for us now as He lives?

- Notice what Paul says about our pre-conversion state. There are no neutral people! We were enemies, hateful and hostile against the Lord.

- When faith in Jesus was born, things changed! God made a friend from an enemy!

- If His death changed our status from enemy to friend, what can His life effect, but to carry us all the way home! We shall be saved by His life!

- If Jesus ever died or if He got kicked out of heaven, that would end our security, but because He lives, He will accomplish what He promised without a doubt!

- Does this not cause you to rejoice in the Lord? Does this not magnify Him in your hearts? It's through Jesus that you have receieved the reconciliation.

- You could not have made yourself a friend of God, God had to make you a friend! We can only receive that status and trust it from Him!

Conclusion

- The conclusion is inescapable: This salvation which comes from the Lord, begins in Him, works out in us and is completed by Him.

- You have peace with God, access to His throne, hope of heaven, the experience of divine love through the Cross and by His Holy Spirit, being reconciled to God through Christ!

- What more can you ask for? What more can He give? Paul wants you to settle in grace, knowing that the Lord is the God of grace!