Romans 5:1-11: An Unshakable Faith for an Unstoppable Mission

Introduction

First missions trip - Russia - most memorable experience - a village of a few hundred with about a dozen Christians - older ladies and a believing family. Man served as a caretaker… Visiting an elderly lady who wanted her home to be used as a place of worship…

That trip shaped me. It was the first time I felt the weight of how lost our world really is. The numbers are staggering: over 3.5 billion people still have little or no access to the gospel. No church. No missionary. No Scripture in their language. Unless something changes, they will enter eternity without Christ.

This is why our church gives, prays, and sends. Last year, Southern Baptists gave over $206 million to support more than 3,500 missionaries—missionaries we help keep on the field. Today, we have the privilege of sending one of our own young couples into one of the most spiritually dark and difficult places in the world.

Why would they leave comfort, family, and safety to live in a culture totally foreign to them? An unshakable faith in Jesus. Unshakable faith fuels an unstoppable mission.

That’s what Paul believed, how Paul lived, and what Paul wanted the church at Rome to embrace. And it’s what I want you to embrace. Romans 5:1–11 shows us why we can live with unshakable faith, and what God gives us when we place our trust in Jesus—resources that compel us to take the gospel to the nations.

Because of your unshakable faith you live at peace with God.

vs. 1 - Therefore… since justified… we have peace with God. HUGE statement.

Before you came to faith in Christ, you weren’t at peace with God. You were at war with God. A war you declared. You chose rebellion and rejection of his will. You were his enemy (vs. 10).

But… instead of determining to destroy you, God determined to save you. He sent His son to the earth on a rescue mission - to live a perfect life for you, die the death you deserve, and rise from the dead to give you resurrection life.

The war is over, God’s judgment has been satisfied. You are no longer His enemy, you are His child. Grace has captured your heart, and you are at peace because of your faith in the Messiah.

Peace with God is an OBJECTIVE reality - your unchanging position before God AND peace with God produces peace of God. (Philippians 4:6-7) Whatever you face in this life, your heart can be settled because of your unchanging relationship with God.

Early Christians clung to this truth. They faced persecution, loss, suffering— but peace with God produced peace in them — they endured hardships with peace.

Another privilege - vs. 2 - “We have obtained access by faith into grace…” Grace = the undeserved, unmerited favor of God. That’s your current status. You can center your life around the grace of God - knowing that He is not going to judge you. Instead, He blesses you. You have full access to His presence - to depend on His help, to cry out to Him in prayer, to experience His joy, His power, etc. It’s all yours because of His grace!

Peace with God is more than a removal of hostility - it’s an entrance into an ongoing, powerful relationship with the One who loves you.

“We boast in the hope of the glory of God…” Our hope is not in ourselves and what we can accomplish - our hope is in the One who has given us peace. It’s rejoicing in what God has done!

Peace with God MUST make you a peacemaker FOR God.

If God made peace with us, we must refuse to treat anyone as beyond His peace.

Billions of people at war with God who God wants to rescue - He’s called us to be a herald of this good news - to declare it. This is what Paul desired for himself and the church at Rome.

What keeps us from having a peacemaking heart for the nations? Out of sight, out of mind - We have to train our hearts to see the nations. This is why we want you to go on a trip. Or, educate yourself. IMB videos, Operation World, etc. Let it lead you to pray.

Peace with God MUST break down barriers that prevent Gospel mission.

God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11), but we do…

We see people of different backgrounds as enemies rather than people who need a Savior. (e.g., all muslims are terrorists, all Europeans are liberals, etc. Or, our own immigration issues in America has caused us to see people with hate instead of grace.)

Anonymous letter - Why are you going to build sandboxes for the Commies? How many of us have that kind of heart towards people of a different background?

Because of your unshakable faith you can endure with purpose.

vs. 3 - “We boast in our affliction…” People don’t boast in affliction, they complain in affliction! UNLESS - they know God that God uses affliction to grow us AND to further His Kingdom.

Fact of the matter - you can’t grow to maturity without affliction.

Paul NOT talking about affliction that comes from merely living in a broken world. He’s talking about missional affliction - affliction that we face because we are boldly living out our faith.

He knows believers in Rome will face affliction if they boldly live for Jesus, and you will too.

BUT afflictions produce endurance - Endurance is staying power. Endurance is faith that keeps on walking when everything in you wants to quit. It’s not “I’ve got this,” but “God’s got me.” “I’m not giving up.” You walk thought one hardship with Christ and discover He is faithful, and it prepares you for the next. You stay faithful to the mission because you know Jesus is worth it.

Endurance produces proven character - AS you depend on the Spirit - Affliction will either make you bitter with God or more like Jesus dependent on the choice you make to either depend on the Spirit or quench the Spirit. The more you endure, the more your character is formed. The more you depend on God, the more you grow in faith, patience, self-control, spiritual fortitude, Christlikeness, etc. Affliction becomes the classroom where God shapes your heart.

Proven character produces hope - 2 Corinthians 4:17 - As I grow in character and maturity, I become more convinced that sacrificing my life for the mission is worth it. “Light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” Hope = I know good is going to come out of this affliction - God’s Word does not return void - He will be faithful to produce a harvest, etc.

Hope will not disappoint - God’s love poured out through the Spirit - God WILL be faithful. Afflictions are NOT a sign of God’s disapproval of me. He’s proven His love, and He’s given me His Spirit to help me endure.

If you are going to live on His mission, expect affliction.

Serving with Bonnie in China - former judge, exiled to another country, but came back and continued to translate.

What kind of affliction will you experience?

Social pressure: Labeled judgmental for not accepting cultural norms. Told to be silent because the Gospel message is intolerant.

Relational pressure: Family that tells you you’re wasting your skills and abilities because you’ve become a religious fanatic.

Spiritual attack: Intense temptation when trying to obey. The enemy whispering lies into your ears causing discouragement and doubt.

What do you have in affliction?

God’s call. You know exactly what God has called you to.

God’s promise. He is with you to finish what He started.

God’s people. Support of the church.

God’s power. The Spirit to empower you to stand firm, to walk in holiness, to know His love, etc.

Affliction doesn’t destroy the Christian. It develops the Christian. Affliction doesn’t silence the mission. It strengthens the mission.

Because of your unshakable faith you can rest in God’s unquestionable love.

vs. 6 - The love of God sustains and compels the mission of God. The more you are aware of God’s love for you, the more you want to share His love with others.

To the two we’re sending out; don’t forget where you came from. “While we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly.” That’s our story - all of us on a path to eternal destruction. But at just the right time, 2000 years ago, the first Christmas - God sent His Son into the world to die for the ungodly.

vs. 7 - What a humbling thought - We live in a world of “survival of the fittest.” How often is someone willing to give up their life for someone else? Maybe every now and then, someone will die for who they consider to be a “good” person.

vs. 8 - However, Jesus died not for good people, but for sinful people - people who had made themselves His enemies. The death of Jesus is the PROOF of God’s love for us, and what glorious proof it is.

John 3:16 -For God so loved the world… 1 John 2:2 - Jesus is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. 2 Peter 3:9 - God wishes that NONE would perish but that all would come to repentance… This is the LOVE of God - He desires everyone to be in a right relationship with Him and He has provided a way.

The love of God MUST be shared. We’ve been justified by His blood (declared righteous). And, we will be saved from His wrath. Paul speaking of final judgment. We will NOT experience it because we’ve been justified by His blood and saved by His life - saved by His life a reference to resurrection. Jesus is alive - seated at the right hand of the Father. The ONE who is alive makes us alive.

vs. 11 - We boast in Him because we have been reconciled to the Father. We don’t boast in ourselves - we rejoice in Jesus.

God’s love for you is unquestionable, and God’s love is worth sharing.

The love of God compels repentance instead of rebellion. Some of you in rebellion this morning. See how much God loves you - repent and turn to the One who desires a relationship with you. Believe that Jesus died and rose again for you. Turn to Him.

A rebellious world needs the message that we are sending this missionary couple to proclaim: Jesus loves you so much that He died for you. (You’re going to see people repent! Coming out of darkness into light! Amazing privilege!)

The love of God compels confidence instead of insecurity. Instead of “Can I do it? Can I live on His mission? Do I have what it takes?” “I must do it - I must go wherever He leads me. I must share the glorious news of God’s love. (Be confident in your call in hard days - God is with you, God has equipped you, God has sent you. God will not leave you.)

The love of God compels sacrifice instead of selfishness. Stay here and live a comfortable life or take the Gospel to the ends of the earth? Josh and Lindsey have chosen what I hope we will all chooses - mission over comfort. (When the mission becomes uncomfortable and you long for home - Remember the One who left heaven to come to earth for you… to ultimately bring you to His heavenly home.)

This morning, if you’ve never turned to Jesus, let today be your day of salvation.

Followers of Jesus - commit to pray for the Martins. Commit to pray for the nations. Commit to pray for yourself - that God would give you a desire to live for His mission.