Romans Part 8

GRACE - God’s Riches at Christ Expense Part 8

Last week we talked about trials and tribulation. Paul encouraged us that this would build patience/perseverance, and through that character then hope.

Be careful when you ask for patience. You know what they say. Lord give me patience and I want it now.

Remember what gives us patients is tribulation and trials. So be careful the next time you pray for patience.

Let’s jump into God’s word this week.

Romans 5:6–8 MEV

While we were yet weak, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Rarely for a righteous man will one die. Yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were yet weak Christ died for us.

There has been an attitude in many Christian circles for to long that you have to clean up to come to Christ but that is so anti-Biblical.

Instead Christ died for us while we were still ungodly.

As I have been saying over the last few weeks you can never be good enough to come to Jesus. You must come as you are.

Listen to this story about a good guy that came to Jesus and what happened to him.

Mark 10:17–22 MEV

When He set out on His way, a man came running and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good, except God alone. You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.” He answered Him, “Teacher, all these have I observed from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking upon him, loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, take up the cross and follow Me.” He was saddened by that word, and he went away grieving. For he had many possessions.

We would have said that this was a good man. He kept all the commandments of the Bible. He could be considered a righteous man. Even since he was a child he lived a great life.

But no matter how good he looked on the outside. No matter how religious he was. No matter how many commandments he kept he was not good enough to get into heaven.

Now I don’t want us to take this wrong. In our society today people that have wealth many time are looked down on because of their wealth.

This is not what Jesus was saying. It wasnt because he was rich that he wasnt going to make it to heaven. It was because of were his heart was in conjunction with his money.

The love of his possessions is what was keeping him from going to heaven.

As I have said. There is nothing wrong with having possessions, what makes it wrong is when you allow your possessions to dictate who you are.

Matthew 6:21 MEV

for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

For this young man his treasure was wordly possessions, not God.

He asked the right question but he did not like the answer.

We must come to God the way we are and then when he points out to us what is in his place we can then change.

If you are weak come to Jesus. He died for you even in your weakness.

While you and I were filthy sinners Christ Jesus died for us.

Romans 5:9–11 MEV

How much more then, being now justified by His blood, shall we be saved from wrath through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, how much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. Furthermore, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Next Paul uses the term “much more”. Not only did he die for us in our sin but much more we do not have to endure the wrath of God.

You do not want to have to endure the wrath of God. You don’t have too. Even though we deserve to endure that wrath Jesus did it for us.

We were justified by the blood of Jesus.

Justification mean that you have been declared innocent even though you deserve to be found guilty.

Romans 5:12–20 NKJV

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,