Romans 5

Explanation Of Grace

Commentators view this section in a wide variety of ways. Black sees it as a transition from the treatment of justification to that of the spiritual life. Boylan regards it as a study of “the fruits of justification”, while others specifically reject this (Godet, e.g., sees it as dealing with the certainty of final salvation for believers). Lloyd-Jones finds in it the key to the understanding of the rest of the letter and speaks of it as teaching that our salvation is “absolute, complete and final”; he entitles his treatment of this chapter “Assurance”

Verses 1-2......What is the “therefore” There for?

Romans 4:24–25 “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

Therefore, because of this.......of Christ and His finished work, the means of our salvation is by faith.......The law of faith that Paul has been writing the Romans about.

Justified by that faith in Jesus Christ. He is making a distinction from the approach to God by the law and because of Christ now we are under the law of faith.

Justification in the Greek seems to emphasize that this a on-time legal document. NOt an on going process!

Paul will explain that more as we go in the chapter.

Justified by faith.....we then have peace with God through our Lords Jesus Christ!

Jesus made that peace....one preacher said that Jesus smoothed the frown of God’s justice!

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

In the current world in which we live, there is nothing but trouble! If you seek for your peace to be in this world you will always be troubled!

But in Christ we have peace with God, which is truly why we are here! To be at peace with God!

James 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Ephesians 2:16 “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”

The fear that is spoken of in Scripture has nothing to do with the worldly stuff.....for example :

1 John 4:16–19 “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.”

The perfect love of Jesus Christ has cast out all fear of standing before God!

This is why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom....without that you will not see Christ as perfect love!

The ultimate reality of life is that God created us for His glory....we fell from that original creation and Christ is the only human that ever lived a holy life before God!

Therefore, He is the only one that has pleased God, now Jesus has completed what is needed for us to be cleansed and made right before God!

Therefore, by faith, our rightful fear of God is cast out! We might have boldness in the day of judgement, not because of what we have done but what Perfect Love has done for us!

We have been justified by faith; thus (therefore) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have present possession - present possession, peace. This is not psychological tranquility. This is not positive feelings. This is not feelings of wellbeing. This isn’t feelings at all.

When we talk about peace a lot, we have in mind feelings. You feel peaceful. You feel comfortable. We’re not talking about that here. This is a peace that is not subjective, this is a peace that is objective. This is not talking about some kind of inner tranquility. This has nothing to do with feelings and everything to do with actual relationship. The point is this: Justification by faith in Jesus Christ establishes a new relationship between the believer and holy God. The prior relationship was defined by the fact that we were enemies, enemies of God.

This grace is only accessed by faith.....Paul is still emphasizing that this is only granted by faith, not by works!

We stand in confidence, because we know that it does not weigh in the balance…it is finished!

We also then rejoice in hope of the Glory of God......

The NT word for hope, unlike the English word, contains no uncertainty! It speaks of something that is certain but not yet realized!

Christ is the realization of that hope, because He Himself has secured it!

Verses 3-5........Not only stand and rejoice in this marvellous Grace of God through Christ.....we glory in our tribulations....

Glory meaning exult which means rejoicing.....but it is greater than rejoicing it is rejoicing at it’s highest level.......boasting! Brag about!

Ok....what is causing this highest level of rejoicing? Tribulation????.........Tribulation here carries the meaning of being pressed as grapes being squeezed for their fluid.

One writer wrote: “This squeezing is not the normal pressures of living, but the inevitable troubles that come to followers of Jesus Christ because of their relationship with Him!”

Such difficulties produce rich spiritual benefits!

Tribulation works patience or perseverance....endurance......The ability to remain under tremendous weight and pressure without giving in!

Matthew 24:13 “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

A perfect example of this is.......Polycarp after they had urged him to denounce Christ, he said: “86 years have I served Him and He never once wronged me; and how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who saved me?”

They tied him to the stake to be burned, but did not nail as was custom because the ties would burn and the person would run out.....but Polycarp assured them that he would stand immoveable....and he did, but it is said that the fire did not harm him at first......a soldier pierced him with a spear to kill him!

There are so many more.....Jon Huss being on back in 1415....

Huss was brought before the counsel, and his beliefs—Christ (not the pope) being head of the church; separation of church and civil power; a belief that communion be available in both bread and cup to all (wine was often withheld from the laity)—were enough to have him condemned as a heretic.

On July 6, 1415, Huss was given an opportunity to recant. When he refused, he was taken to the cathedral, stripped, and led to the courtyard. Tied to the stake and given one last chance to renounce his beliefs, Huss responded, “Lord Jesus, it is for thee that I patiently endure this cruel death. I pray thee to have mercy on my enemies.”

 Peter of Mladonovice, a follower of Huss and witness to his execution, wrote that Huss sang Psalms while being engulfed by flames.

That is patience........

Patience then builds experience....proven character.......That really just means proof....

Proof that your faith is in Christ and none else! Proof of self denial!

Proven character build our hope.....a confident expectation..........

Hope comes in last of Paul’s list but it was there from the beginning......

Paul is saying that hope, the genuinely Christian hope, never puts those who have it to shame.

It never disappoints! Mainly because the focus of verses 1-2.....Justified, at peace with God, in which we stand....without fear!

Why does the Christian hope does not disappoint?

Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts........through the Holy Spirit.....the gift of the Spirit is Christ in us the hope of glory!

The Spirit which is the power that brought Jesus which gives life and brought Jesus out of the grave!

Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

This is all produced and given by love....for God is love!

Verses 6-11........Christ in our place........a continuation of the law of faith explained...

Without strength....does not speak to our physical condition, it speaks to our weakness, but more so not having any strength to do anything about our standing before God.

Incapable of doing anything to help ourselves before God!

This makes us ungodly and the love of God spared us by given His Son to die for the ungodly!

Look at the phrase “when we were” and “in due time”......

While we were still helpless.....at the right time or appointed time!

Now, Paul moves to explain or bring out the fact the unexpected nature of His death because no one dies for evil people!

His expression refers to the difficulty of finding someone to do this rather than to the number of occasions when it happens.

Scarcely does you happen to find someone ready to die for anyone, much less and evil person!

But God demonstrated His love toward us......notice that Paul does not leave himself out of the ungodly........

While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.........during our sin......He made the first move, He made the only move!

The cross is the means by which God demonstrates His love to us!

That is why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:17–18 “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

Much more......what Paul is about to say keeps pushing the level of the greatness of this Grace of God!

Justified by His Blood.........Jesus was the substitutionary death for us, paying the penalty that was due......eternal death, torment...........

In so doing that, He spared us from the wrath of God that is to come for all sinners!

“He made Jesus sin for us?”..........He treated Him as if He had committed every sin, ever committed by every person who would ever believe, though in fact Jesus committed none of them. Hanging on the cross He was holy, harmless, undefiled. Hanging on the cross He was a spotless lamb. Jesus was never for a split second a sinner. He is Holy God on the cross. But God is treating Him---I’ll put it more practically.......God is treating Jesus as if He lived my life. God punished Him for my sin-turns right around and treats me as if I have lived His life. ..........Completer forgiveness, covered by the righteousness of Christ...........When God looks at the cross He sees you and when He looks at you He sees Christ.”

The sinners are God’s enemies, thankfully, this is not the last statement on the matter.....\

We are reconciled to God by the death of His Son.....

Reconciliation is a word used to define making peace after a quarrel

We didn’t reconcile, though! While we were without strength, sinners, and ungodly, God sent His Son to die!

This is why this is so important, because Paul is calling us to believe in this reconciliation through Christ!

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

For if were are reconciled to God through His death, much more that means we are saved from the wrath of God through the life of Christ!

Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

We will be kept by His life and brought into this glorious life through His life!

Joy.....Our boasting is in God through Christ that we have received this atonement/reconciliation!

Hebrews 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Hebrews 10:19 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,”

Hebrews 13:12 “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.”

1 Peter 1:18–19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

Verses 12-21.....abundant Grace!!!