Justified by One

Romans 5:1-6 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

As we come to the fifth chapter of the book of Romans, we learn about being justified and see a stark comparison that affected all mankind.

This morning the title of our message is, Justified by One.

Have you ever done something and felt guilty about it afterwards? Even if you think no one saw you do it. Or perhaps someone did see you do it and they made it right for you.

Often parents end up doing that for their children. Our children make a mistake and tear something up that belongs to someone else, and we pay for it or make restitution. We make it right.

That is exactly what justification is, but our justification comes by faith in and through Jesus Christ. Sin made all of us wrong, but we have been made right in God’s sight by faith in and through Jesus.

Not only have we been made right, but we also have peace with God. It’s good to have peace, but the peace we have was not because of anything we’ve done, it’s a peace because of what Jesus Christ our Lord and savior has done. A peace that only He can give.

Because of our faith, and certainly not because we deserve it, but just because of our faith, Jesus has brought us into a place of undeserved privilege.

We see people trying to exert privilege because of race, position, power or other perceived but unearned authority and it doesn’t usually work out too well.

But the privilege we have, comes from Jesus, so we can confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. It’s important to note, we have no glory of our own. All that we have comes from God and he, in his graciousness, shares his glory with us.

But why would God do that? Because by sharing his glory with us, through us, his kingdom is increased. We become his spokespersons throughout the earth telling of his goodness. Spreading the good news of the Gospel.

And then Paul lets us know there are some things we’re going to go through, but the good news is, because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we’re equipped to handle it. How do I know that, because it’s here in the word.

Verse three begins we also boast in our sufferings, that word also, is a continuation talking about our undeserved privilege and glory. Yes we have undeserved privilege and glory, and we boast in that don’t we.

We’ll say things like, “Favor ain’t fair, but I’m so glad I got it.” When asked, “How you doing:” We respond with, “Oh I’m blessed and highly favored.” We have what I term a call and response, “God is good…” — “And all the time…” It’s easy to give God praise when everything is going our way, when we’re getting what we want, when the children are doing well in school, when life is gooood.

But what about when it’s not?

• What about when there’s more month than money?

What about when you and your spouse aren’t getting along? And you’re wondering, where is the love you said was mine all mine till the end of time, where is the love?

What about, when instead of getting the promotion you’d been working for, you got a pink slip?

What about when there seems to be no prosperity in your life and all you can see is Red Sea trouble in front of you and Pharoah Army worries behind you?

What do you do then? In verse three the Apostle Paul says, but, uh oh, there’s about to be a shift, but we also boast in our sufferings. In good times and in bad, we are to boast. We’re not boasting about what we’re going through, we’re boasting about our God who’s going to see us through, even what we’re going through right now.

When we can remember that God’s goodness and mercy and grace and loving kindness and provision and love is not contingent on our situation; we can rejoice when, not if, but when we run into problems and trials.

Rejoice in the Lord sometimes?

Rejoice in the Lord just when all is well?

Rejoice in the Lord just when you’re all booed up?

Rejoice in the Lord just when your bank account looks good?

Rejoice in the Lord just when things are going your way?

Rejoice in the Lord just when everyone is saying yes?

Rejoice in the Lord just when all your bills are paid?

Rejoice in the Lord just when you get the promotion?

No, Rejoice in the Lord always, and just in case you didn’t catch it the first time, and again I say rejoice.

We are to rejoice always even in the midst of trials and tribulations. When we look at various translations one says to “glory in tribulations”, another says, “rejoice when we run into problems and trials”, still another says to, “boast in our sufferings”.

Wait a minute why would I boast about having trials and tribulations?

You boast because God is working on you.

You boast because it’s only a test of your faith.

You boast because it’s through the trials that your faith grows.

You boast because it’s through tribulations you see the wonder working power of God.

You boast because God is still good even when your situation seems bad.

You boast because God’s praise is not contingent upon your circumstance.

Now the question is how are you looking as you go through your trial?

Are you going through with a woe is me, why me, I don’t deserve this, attitude, or are you seeing it for what it is—God building your patience to better deal with life? As God building your endurance to run this Christian race.

When I think of endurance I think of an athlete. When I played basketball, we ran, a lot. We ran to build up our endurance so that when we got in the game, we wouldn’t get tired as we ran up and down the court. And so we could play even when we were tired.

A runner building up their endurance for a race, doesn’t just run the distance of the race they’re going to run, they run much further to get their body used to running at top speed through the finish line not just to the finish line. They build their endurance so they can finish strong not just cross the finish line. There are many races that are won and lost at the finish line.

It’s recommended that a person preparing to run a half marathon, which is 13.1 miles, should run 30 miles per week throughout the year to build endurance and increase their speed for the race. That’s 1,560 miles to run a 13.1-mile race. For a full 26.2-mile marathon the distance per week increases to 50 miles.

When we go through trials and tribulations, it builds our endurance, it develops our patience, our ability to learn to wait on God.

It builds our endurance to not expect God to be a microwave God.

It builds our patience to learn to trust that God knows best.

It builds our endurance to know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

It builds our patience to withstand hardship and not crumble under the pressure.

Trials build our endurance to be able to not only finish strong, but to carry others with us, to carry others until they have the ability to run on their own. Until they are able to pick others up and help them run their race. The strong bear the infirmities of the weak.

And then that endurance produces character. Your talent will get you in the door, but it’s your character that will keep you in the room.

How’s your character? Can people count on you to show up when you say you will?

Can you be trusted to do the job you said you’d do, the right way? Or will you cut corners, just to get it done?

When your name is brought up, do people speak good of you? When others would attempt to scandalize your name, are there those who will come to your defense?

Character—it’s important. Solomon stated it this way, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.”

When your name is mentioned, is there an oooh yes 😊or an oooh yes ☹.

So as we continue to climb, character produces hope, it strengthens our confident hope of salvation. It allows us to be able to praise God even in the midst of our trial. We don’t have to wait for the battle to be over, we can shout now.

We know that we have the favor of God in our lives, so we don’t have to be downtrodden when things don’t go our way. We can say like Job, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”

If everything you had was suddenly gone, could you still praise God? Let’s hope we don’t have to find out. Because the truth is, until we’re in a situation, we truly don’t know what we’d do. We might think we know, but as we grow in Christ our responses will change. We won’t react the way we used to, when things and people challenge us.

The longer we walk with Christ, the more like him we become. Or at least that’s the way it should be. And when we have hope we’re not disappointed, nor are we ashamed because God’s love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior.

We can rejoice even in the midst of our trials and tribulations because when we were weak,

rather than take advantage,

rather than leave us on our own,

rather than abandoning us to an eternity in hell

Christ died for us,

the ungodly,

unholy

unworthy

ungrateful

selfish

self-centered

I want what I want, and I want it now

sinner.

Christ sacrificed his life and his sacrifice turned things around for us. It opened a door that had been closed to us. It built a bridge that allows us access to God the Father. It restored the path that Adam’s sin destroyed.

When Adam was created, he was perfect. Then he sinned and through that sin death came to mankind. The error of one man affected every human being on the earth and it affected us forever.

If you’ve ever wondered if one person matters, if one person can make a difference? The answer is yes, they do, yes we do, yes you do. What you think; what you say; what you do; it matters.

When Adam sinned in the Garden, it brought physical death and, it separated mankind from God. But praise be to God, He didn’t stop with Adam, God sent a Redeemer, he sent someone to make restitution, to restore us back to our place in God. He sent His only begotten Son into the world to die for our sins and pay a debt we couldn’t ever begin to pay. And again, we see that one person matters, but this time,

this man, Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man

this man, Jesus, the Savior of the world

this man, Jesus, our Creator, yes he was there in the beginning with God

this man, Jesus, the Passover Lamb

this man, Jesus, the Water in the desert

this man, Jesus, the King of kings

this man, Jesus, the Lord of Lords

this man, Jesus, the Rose of Sharon

this man, Jesus, the Lily of the valley

this man, Jesus, the bright and morning star

this man, Jesus, the Mediator between God and man

this man, Jesus, our Wisdom and Strong Tower

this man, Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor

this man, Jesus, the Mighty God

this man, Jesus, the Everlasting Father

this man, Jesus, the Prince of Peace

this man, Jesus, the Messiah

this man, Jesus, the great physician

this man, Jesus, our hope in times of suffering

this man, Jesus, Jesus, our burden bearer

this man, Jesus, our heavy load sharer

this man, Jesus, the restorer of all things

this man, Jesus, our prosperity, health, and peace

this man, Jesus, our High Priest

this man, Jesus, who sticks closer than a brother

this man, Jesus, our helper

this man, Jesus, the God who supplies all our needs

this man, Jesus, who brought salvation to us all

this man, Jesus, the Power of God unto salvation

this man, Jesus, the door

this man, Jesus, the gate

this man, Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life

this man, Jesus, the only way to the Father

this man, Jesus, The Alpha, and the Omega,

this man, Jesus, the Beginning, and the End

this man, Jesus, who is coming again and when he does

this man, Jesus Christ, is the One who will make all things new!

John said, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”

John said, then, the word then would signify that there was something that had taken place before he saw the new heaven and new earth. Before the new, the old had to be disposed of.

In the book of Revelation, the 20th chapter, beginning at the 11th verse you’ll find what was disposed of. John said,

“Rev 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books. 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; 15 and anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Before the new can come, you must get rid of the old.

Those old habits

those old thoughts

those old ways

those old words

those old places you used to go

“… if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Do you want to become new today? We like new things, don’t we? Today you can become a new creation, all that stuff that happened in your past will be just that, in your past.

This day, if you’ve never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can make today your rebirth day. Walk away from your old life, into the life God designed, the one he planned specifically for you. Make today the day you step out of the lake of fire into the glorious Kingdom of God, where the light is perpetual, where the is rejoicing forevermore, where there is no more sorrow, no more pain, no more sickness. That place is heaven.

You’re saying, “But what about now, what about before I get to heaven?” I can’t, in fact I wouldn’t dare tell you everything will be wonderful and that your life will be trouble free, because I just told you that we will glory, rejoice, boast in our trials and tribulations, in our sufferings, but the difference is, when you make Jesus Lord of your life you don’t have to bear the burden alone, Christ will be there to bear your burden for you.

You can cast your cares on him, for he cares for you, not only that, once you give your life to Christ, it’s time to connect with a body of believers who will lift you up and encourage you when times get hard, when those trials and tribulations come and it’s all yours for the asking.

Paul tells us in this very book, “… if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.”

It’s prayer and it sounds something like this, Father I confess I’m a sinner, please forgive me. I believe Jesus is your Son, that he was born of a virgin, that he came, lived a sinless life, and died for my sins. I believe you raised him from the dead and now he sits at your right hand interceding on my behalf. Jesus, I give you my life, come into my heart and be Lord of my life. In your name I pray, amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, welcome to the family of Christ, now find a Bible believing Bible teaching church near you where you can get busy learning and growing and make more disciples.

If you live in the Douglasville, GA area we’d love to have you join us here at 3500 Hwy 5, Ste 101. See our website at www.lovechristianctr.org for information on the church, what we believe, how to join us live on zoom, how to contact us, and if you feel led, how to support this ministry financially. We praise God for all of our financial partners and may God richly bless you for your kindness towards us.

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We have been Justified by One, Jesus Christ. The Son of God has paid the price for our sin. He’s redeemed us back to the Father and made the gift available to you for free. Will you accept the gift?

If you’re here in the sanctuary and you’ve never received Christ as your savior, today is a good day. If you have and you’d like to make Love Christian Center your church home, the doors of the church are open.

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The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.