The Perks of Salvation

In chapter 5 Paul begins this next section with a summary of the first four chapters. He has locally laid out an argument for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. So now that he has laid this foundation he is ready to begin moving on to other theological ideas.

In my life I have had many jobs to make ends meet. some of these job were good some were not. One of the better jobs I had outside of ministry was working for Harris Night Vision in Roanoke Va. One of the things that made this Job a good job was the benefits package that came with it. It came with, medical insurance, retirement matching, and stock in the company. But like most companies their was a waiting period before those benefits would completely kick in. For instance, the company would match 50% of my contributions to my IRA up to 6 % percent of my income. However, if I left before it vested , I think 5 years, I would only leave with whatever contributions I had Made. This was to encourage employees to stick around. The health insurance started day 1. So there were both future benefits but also immediate benefits.

Today in this passage Paul address the eternal benefits of know Christ. Specifically the immediate benefits of know Christ.

How often when we think about our journey of faith our mind drifts toward hardship. We know there are eteranl rewards when we die. While Paul often mentions hardship he goes a different direction. He begins to point our the benefits of salvation, the perks if you will. So today we will look at the 5 benefits of salvation that that require no waiting period.

#1 We have Peace

Romans 5:1 CSB

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Most often when we think of peace in our spiritual lives we think of inner peace. The feeling of being worry free or careless if you will. This however is not the type of peace that is mentioned in this passage. However it can create a since of inner peace.

The word “Peace” in this context has the idea of two warring parties coming to terms and signing a peace treaty. In other words, Through Christ we have been offered a peace treaty.

look at Romans 5:10

Romans 5:10 CSB

10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

I think we often misunderstand the offer that has been given to us. The scriptures call us outside of Christ the enemies of God. Meaning that our very lives oppose his purposes. Our sinful and rebelious way wars against God’s purposes for this world. In everyway we are the enemies of God, despite how you see yourself. Does God love everyone yes and no?

John 3:16 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

How is God’s love offered to us according to this passage? Through His Son. If you reject the gospel, if you reject the son, are you living in God’s love or outside of it? You see Yahweh’s love is offered to the vilest sinner. It is freely offered to all those who will accept the treaty of peace. Those who will turn from their sin and embrace by faith the salvation of Jesus Christ. It is through Christ that the offer of Peace from the war being waged against God is given. He offers peace in exchange for your unconditional surrender.

What a relief it is to be at peace with God!

#2 We have access

Romans 5:2 CSB

2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand...

Do you ever feel frustrated and unheard when it comes to our nations leaders.? How many of us feel as though we really have access to our house and senate leaders? I mean we all know that we can call and leave a message. A message that some assistant or aid will count as a “yeah or ney” on whatever is the hot button political issue of the day.

Or if I am fortunate It’s possible to make an appointment with your senator or representative. Once the appointment is confirmed for some far off date, you’ll have a short period of time to make your case.

But most of the time we feel helpless and unheard, like we are just one face in the crowd of 342 million people.

But in Christ we have unlimited access to the God of all creation. The one that breathed the world into existence.

Hebrews 4:15–16 CSB

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

We are not simply a nameless face in the crowd of 8 billion. God knows you by name.

Revelation 21:27 CSB

27 Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Notice with me that when a person humbly accepts Christ gift of salvation your name is written in the lambs book of life. In order for one to write a name, your name must be known. The God of all the universe gives you unlimited acccess to himself through pray and the Holy spirit and he knows your name.

Jesus said it this way.

Luke 12:6–7 CSB

6 Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. 7 Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

He knows every detail about your life. God see’s you! He hears your request personally. He knows you intimately.

Psalm 56:8 CSB

8 You yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

David recognised this truth. That God even remembers the tears that we have shed due to enduring hardship in our lives. You have access to the very one who made you through prayer.

God is not at the end of some unending universe. Which by the way, the only thing that is eternal is God. An unending universe is a lie designed to make people feel as if God is far from us. When instead he is right here with us. In Christ, you have the attention of God every time you pray God hears.

Psalm 116:2 CSB

2 Because he has turned his ear to me, I will call out to him as long as I live.

For this reason....

#3 We have hope

Romans 5:2 CSB

...and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

Why is God’s glory hope? Why should the fact that God will do what is best for His own Glory bring us hope?

Because this means that God will only due what is best. God will only do what is Good. Look at this example in Moses intercessory pray for the children of Israel. The children of Israel had just been rescued by God from Egypt and turned to other gods, and made a golden calf. God tells Moses that he is going to destroy them and start over with Just Moses. then Moses prays(example of having access to God) but also that God will do what is best for his own Glory and name. This is why when we pray in the name of God, for his kingdom sake God will answer the prayer that is best for his purposes.

Exodus 32:11–14 CSB

11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God: “Lord, why does your anger burn against your people you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a strong hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out with an evil intent to kill them in the mountains and eliminate them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger and relent concerning this disaster planned for your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel—you swore to them by yourself and declared, ‘I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and will give your offspring all this land that I have promised, and they will inherit it forever.’ ” 14 So the Lord relented concerning the disaster he had said he would bring on his people.

Notice how Moses from a human perspective at least prays concernig the reputation of God. Now lets be clear about something. Im not going to spend a lot of time on this but I do want to address this for a minute. Can God change His mind? Was God wrong in his first decree?

context determines this answer.

The children of Israel worshipped other Gods in the face of being miraculusly rescued. Would God ahve been righteouss in destroying them? Yes. They were rebelious and involved in some type of sexual pervsion worshipping the calf. So God would have been righteous to destroy them. If he had killed them all he would be feared for his righteousness. Was he good in doing this, yes.

But if God showed mercy to them. Was he good in doing in this? One action displayed his holiness the other his perferct love. Either decision he made shows his charachter and glory. either decision God made was Good.

So when Moses prayed. God changed his mind. Not because one option was better than the other. But because Moses asked God, Moses prayer absolutely changed the outcome. The will of God is not a linear as we would like to make. God will only do what is good for his own sake but through prayer we often get an opporunity to ask God to choose one good thing over another.

So Pray Church...Pray often.…Pray with hope in his glory...Pray for his kingdom to come. Pray realizing that God listend and will do what is best.

I love Paul’s segway into our next point

#4 We have confidence in the Everyday struggles.

Romans 5:3–4 CSB

3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.

Even when things look at thier worst God is working his best.

Romans 8:28 CSB

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

#5 We experience the love of God

Romans 5:6–10 CSB

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

There is no love like the love of God.

Have you experienced the saving love of Jesus Christ?