Romans 5:1-5
The Riches of Christ
Welcome!
Would you open your Bibles to...
Rom. 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rom. 5:3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
Rom. 5:4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Rom. 5:5 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.
Pray
Intro
Ex. Ugandan shillings
√ Faith
It’s the currency of heaven – your good works just won’t buy you any special favors with God.
He’s chosen to have a relationship with us based upon faith!
Justification (vs. 1)
Rom. 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
√ Note the “therefore” in vs. 1
That is to say, in light of all that Paul has related in
chapter 4 to the Christians in
…he now tells us we too are justified before God by faith in Jesus even as Abraham and David were!
You’ll recall that we defined justification as…
“Just as if I’d never sinned”
The first benefit (riches) of a relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ is that you get a clean slate!
Ex. Ever been turned down for a credit application!
Spiritually speaking you now have Jesus’ credit!!!
Peace (vs. 1)
Continuing in vs. 1 Paul tells us that one of the benefits of being justified – having right standing before God – is that we now have peace with God!
That’s a BIG deal!
If you have studied anthropology you know that every religion on the planet has elaborate rituals by which they attempt to make peace with the “god” of their understanding.
Ex. Human sacrifice – Inca
That’s because in the heart of every person is the innate understanding that Mankind is separated from God and is somehow not at peace with Him.
Even under the Mosaic Law the Jew had to continually offer sacrifice to make peace with God because he/she continually sinned!
√ The point is that we can do nothing of ourselves to bridge the gap between Mankind and God. The sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden was an act of war against God which put Mankind at odds with God.
Job cried out…
Job
Job
However, in Jesus we have such a One that can lay His hand on both God and man!
1Tim. 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
Jesus took the wrath of God upon Himself when He bore our sins upon the Cross and by so doing made peace between God and Man!
Ap. Do you have peace? Are you still worried that God is out to get you? That He’s just waiting for an opportunity to destroy your life and dreams?
Listen to the heavenly message…
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14
Stop worrying and place your trust in the work which Jesus did you for on the Cross!
Access (vs. 2a)
Rom. 5::2a through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,…
The next benefit of our faith in Jesus Christ is that we have…
“access by faith into this grace” – vs. 2
“access” = “entrance to the king through the favor of
another.”
That is to say, it is by faith in Jesus Christ that the door is opened for us to experience the Grace of God.
Grace = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
Or, God gives us what we don’t deserve!
Forgiveness, made to be heirs with Christ of all heaven’s glory, eternal life, perfect experience!
It’s important to understand that Grace is different from God’s mercy and love.
Note:
Eph. 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
Eph. 2:5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
Mercy is the compassion of God that moved Him to provide us a Savior.
If, God could have saved us by His sovereign mercy alone, then Jesus would not have had to go to the Cross.
Love is the motivating plan behind all that God does in saving us.
From the promise in the Garden to provide a savior, to His long-suffering bearing with our rebellion, to His willingness to give us His Son, to His future plans for us to dwell with Him in eternity!
All of it is motivated by His love.
However, since God is also Holy & Righteous, and sin is a complete offense to Him…
…His mercy and love cannot operate in Grace until there is provided satisfaction for our sin.
Jesus’ death upon the Cross is that satisfaction and therefore makes possible the exercise of God’s Grace toward us!
The point?
We have access to God’s Grace by faith alone! We can do nothing of our own to open the door to the King of Heaven.
Ap. What does God’s Grace mean to you?
His grace provides not only salvation, but safety and preservation for the you who are saved…
…despite your imperfections!
Grace perfects us forever in the sight of God because He see’s us “in Christ”. Therefore, when God looks at you He see’s Jesus’ perfect life which means that you can stand before Him.
We can be assured of this entrance into the Father’s blessings by faith alone because of the torn veil.
Mat. 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Mat. 27:51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
Before you did anything!
Glory (vs. 2b)
Rom. 5::2b through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The benefits of faith cover every aspect of our existence.
Having peace with God takes care of our past.
Having access to God by His Grace takes care of our present.
Having “hope of the glory of God” takes care our future!
Our past, present and future is all provided for through our faith in the complete work of Jesus on the Cross!
√ Here Paul tells that one day we shall share in His glory!
What does that mean? It means that we will one day dwell with God and experience the fullness of perfection that we can only now see through a dim glass.
Remember that’s in contrast to what Paul told us we were before Christ…
Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Now that we’re in Christ we have attained to the glory of God!
√ Paul tells us that we “rejoice” in this future hope.
“rejoice” = “boast”
When we were sinners we had nothing to boast about!
Now that we’re saved we can boast in His righteousness and glory!
Ex. My graduation – Sean shared the glory!
Assurance (vs. 3-4)
Rom. 5:3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
Rom. 5:4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
√ One of the benefits of faith is that we now have the assurance that the trials of life will produce Christ-like character in us!
One of the inescapable facts of life is that we will experience trials and tribulation!
Joh. 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Christian and non-Christian alike experience difficulties in life because we live in a fallen world.
Sin has produced corruption at every level of our existence.
No one escapes that.
The benefit to the Christian – which the non-Christian does not have is that we can be sure that every trial and tribulation we endure will produce a more Christ-like character in us.
√ Grace vs. Legalism
There’s also an advantage to the Christian who walks in Grace vs. the Christian who is bound by legalism.
Ex. For the Christian who walks by Grace when a trial comes there way they can immediately rejoice knowing that God will use Satan’s best weapons to bring about good in their life.
The result = hope! (note the end of vs. 4)
For the Christian who walks in legalism when a trial comes there way what do they do?
Look for sin in their
life!
Why? Because they have no assurance of God’s favor toward them because they approach God on a performance-based relationship.
The result = despair!
Why?
Because we all know that we fail daily to live up to God’s perfect standard. The legalist is always trying to earn God’s love. So, when trials come they immediately conclude that they’ve done something wrong!
Ap. Which do you want to live under!?
Hope (vs. 5)
Rom. 5:5 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.
√ The last benefit of our faith which we’ll look at this morning is hope…note that Paul says it’s a…
“hope does not disappoint”
That’s in contrast to the false hope which the world has which so often never comes to pass.
Ex. People all around the world hope for a better life. Unfortunately, for many people because of the restrictive nature of the place they live they will reap only disappointment.
The writer of Proverbs said…
Pro. 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
The wonderful benefit of the hope we as Christians have because of our faith in Jesus Christ is that we will not be disappointed in Him Whom we have trusted!
Note the reason that Paul says our 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.”
We have the assurance that our hope in Jesus is not misplaced…
Why?
…because He has poured out His love in our hearts through the presence of the Holy Spirit!
The point?
You can know today that you are…
Forgiven of your sins (your past is covered!)
Have access to God (you are presently right with God!)
You’re going to heaven (your future is established!)
How?
Because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life Who was given to you as a guarantee that God has recognized your faith!
Eph. 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Eph. 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Ex. Down payment – earnest money
Ap. You can have hope today that will not disappoint you because once you have come by faith to Jesus Christ you can know that God has honored that faith by the “guarantee” of the presence of the Holy Spirit!
Close
√ The benefits of faith in Jesus Christ
Justified – declared perfectly righteous by the Father
Peace with God
Access to God’s Grace
Future Glory with God
Assurance that He is working in our lives
Hope that cannot disappoint
Ap. Why would anyone want to try and come to God with anything less than faith!
Ex. Ugandan shillings