Romans 5:1-5

Let’s go back to Romans 1:16-17

Romans 1:16–17 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 2-3 was the POWER of the gospel.

Romans 4 was the PROMISE of the gospel.

Easter was GUARANTEES of the gospel.

In Romans 5, we are going to see the PRESENCE of the gospel in our lives.

Main idea: The PRESENCE of the gospel produces Christ-likeness.

Right from the beginning of chapter 5, we need the reminder that Paul is writing to believers, those who have been justified by faith through the Lord Jesus Christ. Our salvation is given by God’s power, maintained by God’s power, and preserved by God’s power. It is impossible to measure up to God’s standards, leaving the reality that salvation can never be based on human efforts.

Verse 1 - we have peace with God.

What does Paul mean when he says that we have peace with God?

Redemption brings peace with God. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” A believer is alive with Christ. An unbeliever is a dead person with the ability to breathe oxygen.

Restoration brings peace with God. The penalty of sin no longer blocks our relationship with the Lord. Unconfessed sin with always interfere with this right-standing, but will never disintegrate a believer’s relationship with the Lord.

Reconciliation brings peace with God. A believer is no longer an enemy of God. Romans 8:7 says, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” Unbelievers are never on the same side with God. You’re not going in the same direction; not even close.

Verse 2 - we stand in the portal of grace.

One commentator said, the Greek word for stand “carries the idea of permanence, of standing firm and immovable.” To deny God’s grace in our life would suggest that God was unwilling to complete what he began or unable to complete his work in our life.

In Bible times, there wasn’t a universal opportunity to stand in the grace of God. SEE PICTURE OF TABERNACLE People would go the tabernacle or the temple, Gentiles were allowed in the outer courts only. Jewish women were allowed to go in a little further, but not holy place. Jewish men and regular priests could enter the Holy Place. Once a year, the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies. There was a strict process to be followed or death would be the result.

We stand in grace because that’s where forgiveness happens. The portal of grace isn’t a reason to sin knowing there is a blank check of forgiveness available to us. It’s a reason to sin less often because we are grateful for the work of the gospel in our life.

We stand in grace because that’s where the perfecting of the saints takes places.

We stand in grace because there is a oneness with God. We wake up in the morning, we step into the holy of holies, and we have all the grace that we need until we wake up the next day. Lamentations 3:22–23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

We stand in grace because a legitimate believer doesn’t want to be any where else. Wondering outside the grace of God is an attempt to handle life’s twists and turn on our own power.

Verse 2 - we eagerly exalt God’s glory.

Does anybody have pictures of your grandkids with you? There are grandparents constantly looking for opportunities to brag about their grandkids. There are parents that won’t stop talking about how their kids have never lost a soccer game. They don’t tell you the league doesn’t keep score, they just brag that their child hasn’t lost.

The ESV says rejoice. The NIV says boast. The NASB (2020 update) says celebrate. All of those translation intends for us to brag about and show of God’s glory. If we live with other people, we brag about how God showed up during our day. When we are going through rough times in life, we brag to our closest how the goodness of God preserves us. When we have the opportunity at work to give glory to God, we show of God’s glory. We make a Saturday evening decision that we are going to brag about Jesus on Sunday morning with other believers. When we make a Saturday evening decision about Sunday morning, that changes how we prepare to exalt Jesus Christ in this building. If we change how we prepare to exalt Jesus in this building, over time we will grow in our ability to exalt Jesus outside of this building.

Verse 3-4 - we anticipate opportunities for the Lord to produce Christ-likeness in us and through us.

In New Testament times, this word for suffering was used when olives were squeezed for oil or grapes were squeezed for juice. There are days when it seems like the pressure around us is squeezing the life out of us. Days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into months. Months into years.

There are financial pressures. There are medical pressures. There are marriage pressures. There are employment pressures. There are parenting pressures. There are political pressures. There are academic pressures. There are pressures from extended family. If you’re single, there is a whole different set of pressures. If you’re a widow or widower, there are unique pressures in your life.

We think our endurance is coming to its end and our hope is thin. Lord, I need you to show up. Lord, what do you have for me on the other side of this pressure? Lord, I need to feel your love being poured into my heart right now. Lord, will you help me be sensitive to the Holy Spirit who is on this journey with me?

In 2017, I was sitting in the steam room at the Y. Some of you know this has been a place where I go to visit with the Lord. I was really frustrated that life was moving at the pace I thought it should be moving. A church that I really wanted decided to go with another pastor. I began to doubt everything about my calling. I remember sitting in the steam room crying because I felt so inadequate. I was pleading with God to change the course. Then I felt God speak into the situation, “I am more interested that you’re learning to depend on me much more than I’m interested in changing this course.’

When we anticipate opportunities for the Lord to produce Christ-likeness, we become more interested in learning to depend on him than we are in the pressure changing. The presence of the gospel is the sweetest place to be.