28) Blessings of Justification Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Pastoral Reminder: Head Heart Hands
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
This week we celebrated the birth of our Lord and savior. The humblest act of the all powerful Son of God, emptying himself and taking on frail humanity. Becoming a man that knew sickness, sorrow, and suffering. The man who would give his life to purchase for himself a people.
We spent time through this Advent Season focusing on the blessings that came with the arrival of the foretold Messiah.
6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
The advent season brings forth the Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love that is found in Jesus. The child that has come into the world who brings light and life to men and women who receive him. Those that he gave the right to be children of God.
10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
Today we will turn back to Romans and start a passages that speaks of how Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love all work together for the believer, as Paul writes about the great blessings that come with justification. Turn with me to Romans Chapter 5.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 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. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 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. 11 And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.
In the previous chapter Paul used Abraham to demonstrate that justification before God is by faith and not works. Nine times he re-emphasized that the righteousness of God is credited to a believer's account. That no one can earn it by works. The righteousness that is required to be found not guilty before the judgement of God comes not from within ourselves but from God who graciously bestows and credits it to anyone who believes in the Gospel proclaimed by the Apostles.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
After Paul puts forth his argument for salvation and justification by faith alone. He turns to a series of blessings and benefits that are recieved when a person in justified by faith. Today we are going to look at the first three. We have peace with God, We have Obtained Access to God, and We have Hope in the Glory of God
We Have Peace With God
We Have Peace With God
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Chapter 5 starts with the truth that Christians are those that have been justified by faith not by works. God justifies because he chose to do so to those who heard the message and believed.
4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, 5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
This work of God results in the person moving from being an enemy of God to having peace with him. In verse 10 he will restate that we were enemies at the point in which we are reconciled.
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.
The hostile man must be changed by God because he has no ability in himself to change and to humble himself before the law of God. So he always in rebellion with God.
7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so.
There are only two authorities that people serve. Either the Father in heaven or the father of this world.
44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.
A person is either walking in the light obeying and serving God or in the darkness carrying out the desires of the devil. Doing all things in rebellion to God. Hostile to his law and commands. A person who suppresses the truth of God.
18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them.
Walking in darkness or walking in the light. To be at peace with God. Too no longer feel the constant anger burning against the unrighteous.
11 God is a righteous judge and a God who shows his wrath every day.
We must not be deceived that God looks past the immorality, hatred, rebellion, and the disobedient.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things.
But by faith, we have been justified so we receive peace with God. Stop to think about this idea. You know the ways in which you have rebelled against what God calls good and gone your own way. You know the ways that you have sinned. You know that sin separates you from God. But God made a way that none of that would ultimately deny you to be reconciled to the one whom you have openly hated by your actions and words. There is a way but it is only through Jesus.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Peace with God comes through Jesus and him alone.
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. 22 But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him—23 if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it.
This peace is of great assurance because even if we falter and sin we are still at peace with God. As he lives to intercede for us.
25 Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.
There are ups and downs in our walk with God. There are times of strength and times of weakness. And the Lord promises that he will discipline those that he loves when his children fall into sin. It is one of the ways that we are reassured in our salvation is that we are disciplined in our sin. But when it comes to our salvation Jesus is always interceding for us before the father. For if we are saved by faith because we could never earn it, how would we be able to keep it.
This peace comes through our Lord Jesus Christ. The word for Lord means supreme authority. Why can Jesus completely save us, because there is no higher authority. There is no spirit, angel, demon, human being, including ourselves that has the authority to overrule the Lord who intercedes for us. This peace is assured and cannot be removed by any force or being that exists. It is a great blessing to stand beside Paul and be able to say with confidence
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Peace is the first blessing of justification that Paul starts with, in verse 2 the apostle continues expanding on the blessing of justification.
We Have Obtained Access to God
We Have Obtained Access to God
2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
The second consequence of a justified person, is that they have gained or obtained access to God. The word for access is also translated as introduction. It has the idea of being given the opportunity of admittance to the presence of one greater than oneself. Like a person gaining admittance to speak with a king.
Scriptures teach that only the pure can be in the presence of God.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not appealed to what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully.
Jesus taught
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Only those that are pure of heart will see God. Only those that have clean hands. For the wicked do not have access to God.
2 But your iniquities are separating you from your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not listen.
5 The boastful cannot stand in your sight; you hate all evildoers.
Many times in scripture God says that he banished the wicked from his presence, he turns his face away from the impure, he stops listening to the prayers of the evil.
The implications here are great. To the Jew, it is unthinkable to be in the presence of God. The only man that could be in the presence of God was the High priest as he entered the holy of holies in the temple and only one day a year, the day of atonement. And even then if the high priest entered in an irreverent way he could be stricken dead by God.
But here through justification we have also gained access to God. The two other times Paul uses this idea of being granted access is in Ephesians.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
12 In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him.
The only way for a wicked man to be deemed pure in his soul to be granted the opportunity to enter into the presence of the pure and holy king is through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus. This is to bring any believer including ourselves great confidence.
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—20 he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
The wicked have access to the one who is pure, because they have been made pure by God through Jesus. He made the way and maintains the way, so that we can draw near to him in full assurance. He does what we could never do. He makes our hearts and bodies pure and clean. We are given this opportunity by faith.
2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
This is an amazing blessing and grace. That we have been admitted due to his unmerited favor. He bestows this privilege to us because of his goodwill towards those he has justified.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?
Paul says we can. This is the second blessing that he lists that a believer receives by faith. That he can stand in the holy place of the Lord where is presence dwells. And this is through Jesus as he went ahead to make a way
24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model of the true one) but into heaven itself, so that he might now appear in the presence of God for us.
Because of this truth. We rejoice along with all of the other saints. The other holy ones from the past and into the future. We boast or exalt in the hope of the glory of God.
We Have Hope of the Glory of God
We Have Hope of the Glory of God
We Boast in the Hope of Future Glory
We Boast in the Hope of Future Glory
… and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
The one who understands these blessings will boast in the hope of the Glory of God. This the attitude and response of the one who has recieved much but looks forward that which has not been obtained yet. And here it is the glory of God that will be given to the believer at the end of their time on earth.
29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
Jesus was sent to be the first, to bring forth many sons and daughters of God. To make a way for men and women to be saved.
10 For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—for whom and through whom all things exist—should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
The end of our lives no matter the outcome. Whether we die rich or poor, old or young, strong or weak we have the hope of appearing with him in his glory.
4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
We are being transformed in our lives into a reflection of his glory but even in our greatest growth we will fall short but we still rejoice in the process.
We boast in our future hope. We tell of the Glory that we will receive but that doesn’t mean that we don’t rejoice in the events of today.
We Boast in our Afflictions
We Boast in our Afflictions
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. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, …
To boast or rejoice in our afflictions is a hard concept to wrap our minds around. Especially today when so many sermons are on how God will remove all trials from your life and will take away the hard stuff in life.
With sermons that focus on living your best life now. Or that people in God’s favor will be free of struggle or be given great fortune. Preaching that God’s plan is comfort, not conflict. Or if you have enough faith that you will not lack anything. Or faith that eliminates all of our problems. That if we are faithful enough in obedience, that we are guaranteed happiness or that God wants you Happy, Healthy, and Winning in life. It is no wonder that so many Christians find that life is not a walk in the park or a life that is like floating down a calm river with the sun shining and the fish are always biting.
I have never known a Christian with a pain free, trial free, easy life. Affliction and trials are universal to the living. But the response varies greatly from person to person. You know what I am talking about. Two Christians go through the same trial and they think completely different about it.
God did not hide the fact that following Jesus would bring affliction and tribulation.
12 In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
When a person obeys God and lives and grows in righteousness and godliness they will find themselves the recipients of persecution. We are not promised perfect health, large bank accounts, easy lives. There are afflictions that have been appointed to us.
2 And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 so that no one will be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.
The Christian sees the suffering that they endure as part of the will of God and continues to rejoice that they are blessed.
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
The believer sees the trials of life as a work of God. They produce something in the person. The word here translates as afflictions or tribulation has the idea of great pressure. The pressure that is applied to refine metal used the same word.
There are pressures that we experience in life that cause a change in us. Many times it is only through pressure that we mature in the faith and in this case. Paul says that we know that this pressure builds endurance or patience. It builds continuance. It helps us to know that God gives us the strength and faith to continue when others turn away. When other fall back and go back to what is easy and blend back into the world around them.
When the pressure is resisted, we know it produces something that becomes the proof of what God has done in us. When forgiveness is given to those that don’t deserve it. When a missionary gives their life to share the Gospel to a foreign nation that rejects it, or a widow gives her limited resources to help another. When parents fight against the influence of the world in their children’s lives. Shutting down social media, speaking against what is taught in schools. When women choose to stay home and take on the most challenging and rewarding job of all, the full development of their children and care of the home. When men turn down promotions to be available for their families and decide that money is not all there is. This is all proof of the work of God as the quality of our character is revealed under the pressure.
2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
Hope begets hope. Hope in the future Glory puts into perspective our current tribulations as a work of God that reveals the work of God in our lives and then produces more hope.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.
Our trust in the faithful creator grows.
19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.
When we look at the sufferings of Christ that he endured so that we could be saved we start to see our affliction as light in comparison.
17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.
We rejoice that he is doing a work in us. That he has not left us to our old ways.
18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
This hope does not disappoint because it an anchor for our soul as it is in the one who has entered the sanctuary to make a way for us to enter as well.
Hebrews 6:17–19CSB
17 Because God wanted to show his unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The enemies of God that have been banished from His presence, that have no hope in themselves to resolve this, find themselves in a dire situation. God’s wrath and anger are revealed against them.
18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,
This is the state of all men and women before God’s great mercy and grace of justification by faith. That justification doesn’t just make us right before the court it also provides great blessings. To be at peace with God forever and every. That you cannot earn your salvation by works and therefore you cannot lose your salvation by works. For your salvation guarded by God, sealed by the Spirit, and the Son continually intercedes for us to the father.
None of this depends on us. By faith we are credited with righteousness and blessed with peace as we are invited to enter the presence of the Father. Where we lift up prayers with the help of the Spirit.
It is our attitude and response that we should be concerned with. If we are truly saved then we should anticipate persecution and affliction. But these should come from doing good not evil. When we do evil, when we sin we are provoking God’s to discipline us and to correct us. This different than the trials spoken of here. Here we have the trials that come because of our obedience not because of our disobedience.
But when we face pressure we see our character and person built and matured. We see God at work in our minds and hearts. We find that we do Love the Lord more and more each day and we also love our brothers and sister with greater love as well.
We are to live in a way that provokes the anger of the enemy, of the world. We should never desire to live in a way that continues to provoke the anger of the one that we claim saved us. That died for us. That humbled himself for us.
This will be a great encouragement for those that are seeking the Lord and a great conviction for those that have turned away or become complacent in the will of the Lord for our lives.
Let us trust in the hope that does not disappoint.
Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Blessing/Benediction
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.
