Advent Series: #2--Peace

Romans 5:6-11

Of these “names” or “attributes” Isaiah uses to describe the coming Messiah, the one which speaks to the reconciliation He will bring is the title, “Prince of peace.”

When we take a look around our world, “peace” often times isn’t the word which comes to mind.

When we look inside the homes of so many homes and families, sadly, we see strife, conflict, and brokenness—things which are the polar opposite of peace; and

When we look inside ourselves, tragically, so many people find themselves internally struggling with conflict and unrest, with hearts that yearn for peace, yet with vailed and deceived hearts, find themselves searching for peace in all the wrong places.

What each of us must understand is this: true peace can never be found in the facade of worldly promises, the deceit of it’s passing pleasures, or the enticement from the passing pleasures of sin---true peace is ONLY found in one being positioned in Christ. Why?

Because worldly promises, the deceit of it’s passing pleasures, and the enticement from the passing pleasures of sin leave a person broken, incomplete, and uhwhole, which is the exact opposite of Biblical peace—they only serve to create emnity with God---and as long as theres emnit with God, there can be NO peace with God

Man in becoming friendly with the world, creates emnity

James 4:4 “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Man, in his fleshly/sinful/and carnal mind has created this emnity with God

Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”

Emnity exists with God, b/c of man’s sin against God

James 1:15–16 “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.”

The Bible teaches us that mankind instinctively knows their hearts are not at peace—that something isn’t right---just look at what we search for to quench our hearts, fill the void, and find peace:

People try and find peace in a bottle or a drug

People try and find peace in lust and immoral relationships

People try and find peace in greed, materialism, and making a name for themselves

People try and find their peace in religiosity and acts of religion

People try and find their peace in identities outside of the one they were created to live in

The hard truth is, no matter what man does, or how much man tries to clean himself up, he cannot attain peace with God—not on our own. In remembering and worshipping the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we praise Him and honor Him as the One who ushered in peace b/t us and the Father

(Read Romans 5:6-11)

The Greek word for peace is “Eiriene”, and broken down means, “taking what’s broken and restoring it to wholeness,” whether its in our own lives, our relationships, or in our world.

God, in order to bring peace between man and God, would require His Son to come to our world, to relate to humanity in order He might be crucified for the sin of humanity, bringing reconciliation (or peace) between sinful man and a holy God. This act on our behalf is act of unbelievable love that shows the great depth of justification. Peace can exist between a person and God, when begin to see the “agape” love of God towards us, seen in these verses.

I. (v.6-7) Peace with God begins, when we see that amidst our utter weakness and total depravity, Christ died for us

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.”

First, we must realize we were “without strength,” and “ungodly”

What does “without strength” mean Biblically? Note the descriptiveness of the Greek here and what is says about who a person is apart from Christ and who a believer was before Christ:

Weak and worthless, powerless and useless

Helpless, hopeless, and destitute,

Spiritually worthless/useless, and unable to help ourselves

What does “ungodly” mean, Biblically? Note again the descriptiveness of the Greek and what it says about man’s position apart from Christ; we’re

Not like God—we were different from God (God is wholly other, consecrated and set apart)

Profane, having a different lifestyle than God

Imperfect, unholy, unrighteous

Second, we must realize the depth of our weakness and ungodliness. What does the Bible state about this person (before Christ)?

Romans 1:28–32 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

1 Timothy 1:9–10 “knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,”

Ephesians 2:12 “that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

Thirdly, we must realize Christ’s death was according to God’s timing—for our behalf

“In due time”—tells us Christ died at a time appointed by God, a time He destined and set. Why?

Man had to be prepared for Christ before God would send Him to the world

Man had to learn they were without strength and ungodly

Man had to come to the realization that they were sinners in need of a Savior

This is what the law reveals (see Romans 4:14-15)

This is true of anyone person today.

Before you can realize the magnitude of the cross, you must realize the magnitude of your sin and the standing your total depravity/weakness/and ungodliness leaves you in.

Christ died for us—this teaches us Christ died for our benefit, for our sake, in our behalf, in our stead, and as our substitute

Christ died as our sacrifice

1 Corinthians 5:7 “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”

Hebrews 9:13–14“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

1 Peter 2:24 “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

Christ died as our ransom

Romans 3:24 “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

Colossians 1:14 “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

Titus 2:14 “who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”

Christ died as our propitiation

Romans 3:25 “whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,”

1 John 2:2 “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Lastly, we must see God’s love (in Christ’s death) as uncommon and unbelievable

Scripture’s illustration is all we need to see and understand this point:

A scarce number of people

Would sacrifice their own lives for the life of another/or for a great cause/leader they believed in

Would die for a just/upright man (righteous)

Would dare die for a “good” man

This is not what Christ did—He did not die for the righteous and godly person, for the good & pure man—Christ went beyone what men “might” do. Christ

Died for the ungodly—for those who were/are the very opposite of righteous and good

Died for those “without strength;” again the useless/destitute/worthless, those without value/worth to society and men

Died for those whom no one else would die for---the sinner, those diametrically opposed to God

II. (v.8-9) Peace with God is stirred, when we realize the depth God went to prove His love for us—seen in the “when” Christ died

Romans 5:8–9 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

(Note two words and their meanings as we get into this)

“Demonstrated”—

(GRK) means (1) to show, (2) to exhibit, or (3) to prove

(GRK) tense is the present tense: which denotes that God is always showing and proving His loves towards us

See what love He demonstrated— “His own!”

It’s a divine love

It’s the love that exists between all members of the Trinity

It’s the love that kept Christ on the cross and rose Him from the grave

“Sinners”

(GRK) refers to a man who is sinful and sins

By disobeying/distrusting/doubting God’s Word and will

By living selfishly

By ingnoring God’s commandments

By doing his own thing

By living to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pursuing the pride of life and things of this world

Peace, then, is stirred, in the realization that God has proven (and keeps proving) His own love; note two atonishing truths here:

(First) By giving up His only Son; not sparing His Son

The enormous weight of God must have gone through (think on this)

God had to send His Son out of the spiritual and incorruptible world into the physical and corruptible world

God had to humiliate His Son by stripping Him and insisting He become clothed with corruptible flesh and die as a man

God had to watch His Son walk through life being rejected, denied, cursed, abused, arrested, tortured, and murdered by then hands of sinful men…He had to sit back and watch it happen when He knew in a minute He could have rescued Him.

God had to destine His Son to die for the sins of men (me and you)

God had to lay EVERY and ALL sin upon man—letting Him bear it all

God had to treat Jesus as the sinner in order to bring reconciliation to you and me

God had to turn His back on His only begotten Son

This enormous weight seems to get even weightier given that God did all this—send His Son to die for the

Unworthy & useless

Ungodly & sin-ridden heart

Wicked & depraved

Worst sinners & outcasts imaginable

The enormous weight of realizing that in these things, God

Never blinked, never hesitated

Never had a second thought, nor was there a plan B

Never questioned, nor doubted

(Second) By giving up His only Son while we were still sinners. What does this mean?

It means that Christ came to save man from his sins, while man

Was still in sin

Was unable to clean ourselves up,

Was unable to get ourselves out of our sin debt…

Was living amidst our own self-infliction

Two Biblical examples

Peter’s denials

The thief on the cross (Luke 23:32-43 from last week)

Peace continues to be stirred and realized, b/c in Christ’s death, God continues to prove His love towards us, b/c

We are now justified through the shed blood of Jesus Christ

Colossians 1:20 “and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

Hebrews 9:14 “how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

We are now saved from God’s wrath—understanding more of what God’s “wrath” is, helps settle us more on God’s great love towards us

What “wrath” is not; God’s wrath is NOT

Anger that is an agitated outburst of violence we so often associate with the word;

Anger that quickly blazes up and just as quickly fades away—not anger that arises soley off emotion

What God’s “wrath” IS, however, is:

Decisive anger—anger which has arisen from thoughtful decision; arises from the mind more than from emotions

It is ALWAYS an anger which is righteous, just, and good

It is an anger that stands against sin & evil, violence & immorality, idolatry & injustice

It is an anger that abhors and hates sin & evil, which dispenses just revenge and equal justice

It is an anger, however, that is deeply felt—and anger which must felt, b/c sin/evil must be opposed and erased if there is to be a “new heaven and a new earth.”

God’s wrath, or anger towards sin demands justice & payment—a payment Christ paid on our behalf

III. (v.10-11) Peace with God is discovered, when we realize that in Christ’s death, God has reconciled us to Himself:

Romans 5:10–11 “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.”

“Reconciliation” (GRK) means (1) to change, (2) to change thoroughly, (3) to exchange, (4) to change from emnity to friendship, (5) to bring together, and (6) to restore.

Note Paul’s emphasis on reconciliation in these verse: 3 times he refers to reconciliation coming through Jesus Christ:

“…we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son...”

“…much more having been reconciled…”

“…we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have noe received the reconciliation.”

We are reconciled by Christ’s death

What broke our relationship with God is sin—our sin, my sin, your sin. We are enemies of God b/c of our sin (enemies draws us to back to the sinners and ungodly here).

Every person is born in sin—therefore every man (apart from Christ) is an enemy of God

Regardless of how harsh this may sound—or how offended this makes a person, Scripture is very straightforward:

The person who rebels against God

The person who rejects God

The person who curses God

The person who ignores God

The person who disobeys God

The person who fights against God

The person who denies God

The person who refuses God…cannot be said to be nor is he a friend of God, rather he is an antagonist and stands opposed to God.

The way in which we are reconciled (changed thoroughly, going from emnity to friendship) is the death of Christ Jesus:

When a person “believes in their heart and confesses with their mouth,” that not only did Christ die for them, but that “God raised Him from the dead,”

God accepts the death of Jesus Christ for the death of that person

Gods accepts the sins borne by Christ as the sin committed by that person

God accepts the condemnation borne by Christ as the condemnation due to the man

In other words, there was an exchange—this is what is meant by being reconciled.

Therefore, b/c of what Christ accomplished and in confession of this, a person is freed from his sins and the punishment due his sins

(Thirdly) It is God who does the reconciling—men do not reconcile themselves to God

We are recipients only of the gift of reconciliation—it is an act entirely of God

2 Corinthians 5:18 “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,”

Ephesians 1:6 “to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

God saves us by Christ’s life

“His life” means the life of the living Lord

“His life” means that Christ stands as our great Intercessor and Mediator—as the Peacemaker between man and God

1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,”

1 John 2:1–2 “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

“His life” means He stands as the Sinless and Righteous Son of God

God gives us joy in atonement and reconciliation of Christ

John 15:11 ““These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

John 16:24 “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

Romans 14:17 “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Isaiah 12:3 “Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.”

(CLOSING/WORSHIP)

True peace—is positional peace—peace that is rooted in the position of being, “in Christ.” “True peace requires taking what’s broken and restoring it to wholeness, whether its in our own lives, our relationships, or in our world.” In Christ, we are no longer enemies with God, but adopted sons and daughters of God, His children---His friend. “In Christ,” the tension, that once existed b/c of our sin, is now as our sin---loosed.

True peace, becomes at least two things:

(1)—It becomes what guards and protects our hearts in the midst of the trials/tribuations of life and of those things which might otherwise divide our minds

Philippians 4:4–7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

(2)—It becomes the constant provision of our lives, as we delight and meditate on God’s Word and the things of Christ

Philippians 4:8–9 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

We can celebrate and rejoice in this peace, b/c of the Baby born in Bethlehem some 2000 years ago. As the Prince of peace, Christ ushered in for us what we could not accomplish for ourselves, reconciliaton with God.

Maybe you are here and in need of positional peace—maybe you’ve been searching for your peace in the passing pleasures of this world, of sin and of religion, yet your heart continues to remain unsettled.

The unsettledness of a person’s heart can only find it’s stillness in the peace found in the confines of salvation.

Maybe you are here as the believer, who, though being positioned in Christ have allowed the weeds of this world to take root and your heart is more focused on the chaos rather than the Creator

Let us be reminded of what the Bible says about our position in Christ:

1 Peter 1:6 “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,” Trials are but for a short time

Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

John 10:28 “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.””

The last two weeks, in talking about Advent, we seem to be talking a lot about Christ and His crucifixion (the hope He it brings and the peace He/it brings). We must understand is birth had a directive….a mission…and a purpose.

Talk about Myrhh and then close.