Peace With God
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Peace with God
Peace with God
1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous 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 rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
The Result
The Result
“Therefore...”
Therefore — the word directs our attention back — specifically back to the issue Paul has been dealing with — justification by faith. But he’s not attempting to focus on the issue of justification by faith — but the Results. So, this could be Consequently.
What has Resulted from being justified by faith?
The Result is absolutely incredible!
The result of being justified by faith is that we then have “Peace with God.”
What does that mean to “have peace with God?”
The Negative
It’s war with God.
Well, we could ask, “What is the opposite of Peace?” War, right! The opposite of Peace with God is “War with God.”
Many would immediately object and say, “I’m not at war with God! I have no feeling of conscious hatred for Him. I don’t actively oppose His work or contradict His Word. At worst, I’m just — Neutral about God.
7 For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.
Romans 8:
But there’s another aspect to this. Not only are all unbelievers enemies of God — but God is the enemy of all unbelievers. He is their enemy to the degree that He is angry with them every day.
11 God is a righteous judge and a God who shows His wrath every day.
God is the enemy of the sinner and that enmity cannot cease until the sinner places his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Just when you think it’s bad enough. Not only are sinners enemies to God and God enemies to sinners — but Christ told us something else.
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 has not stood 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 liars.
It’s not like they are fighting a personal war against God, but they have joined sides with Satan, the archenemy of God.
Well, that’s the negative inference we understand from the term “Peace with God.”
What is the Positive aspect of the term “Peace with God?”
Well, this is what we want to consider.
The Positive
The positive is Peace with God.
“Peace with God” — results from justification by faith, from two sides — God-ward and man-ward; or we can say in an objective sense and a subjective sense.
“Peace with God” — results from justification by faith, from two sides — God-ward and man-ward; or we can say in an objective sense and a subjective sense.
Peace of necessity would involve two parties — and in this case God and man. To even have the issue brought up — this “peace with God” indicates that the was not peace with God. But the question is:
But the question is:
What was the level of non-peace, or we might say the intensity of the non-peace?
He has been telling us about the intensity of this non-peace — and he began laying that out as far back as 1:18, remember?
18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,
And he said that he is “not ashamed of the gospel” because it delivers us from that wrath — and not just “wrath” by itself as if it were absent of a person — the gospel delivers us from God’s wrath! This is why it’s so important to see that this is not just peace — BUT “peace with God.”
This is fundamental to salvation, which is being justified before God.
And this gets to the answer of our question: What is the level or intensity of non-peace with God?
The level is the highest level, the intensity to the nth degree. It cannot be any greater!
Do you see how he keeps bringing this up?
Well, why does he bring this up? It’s because he wants us to see the level or intensity, not only of the non-peace with God — but the level or intensity of the Peace with God! There can be nothing higher or greater than this Peace with God.
So, let’s first consider the level and intensity of the Wrath of God.
1. The Wrath of God
1. The Wrath of God
When Isaiah saw “the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple,” he saw the Lord in His glory and power and honor. Look at with me.
There is a level and intensity of God’s Wrath that helps us to understand this Peace with God.
Isaiah 6:2-4
Isaiah 6:2-
2 Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth.
4 The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.
God is high and lifted up. There is nothing equal. There is no one at His level. But look at His intensity of His person. He is “Holy, holy, holy.” This means He is set apart from all else. He is set apart in His power, in His wisdom, in His love, in His faithfulness — He is set apart in His justice, His righteousness, in His Holiness.
The level and intensity of God’s holiness helps us understand His wrath.
But notice
God is not merely holy. He is not even Holy, holy. God is Holy, holy, holy!
He’s not even Holy, holy.
He is Holy, holy, holy!
This is the superlative of holiness. There are no other levels, no greater intensity of holiness.
But then notice the contrast between God and man in the next verse.
2. The level and intensity of man’s sin helps us understand His wrath.
Isaiah 6:5
Isaiah 6:5
5 Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.
This reaction of Isaiah after he had seen the Lord, describes the level and intensity of man. It’s not that man is less than animals and plants. Man was made in the image of God. But he sinned against God, against the holiness of God. And so Isaiah sees God enthroned and his response is — “Woe is me for I am ruined.”
Paul shows the level and intensity, not only of the holiness of God and the sin of man, but the wrath of God gives the level and intensity of the non-peace with God. There is no merely an issue like some people have an issue with someone and just can’t get past it. There is a complete absence of peace. There is enmity. We have declared ourselves enemies of God. We linked ourselves with Satan. We were, — “enemies” with God. And because we were enemies, we were then at one time, according to Paul in , “by nature — children of wrath.”
Another aspect of the level and intensity of the Wrath of God is found in the way in which God dealt with our sin.
3. The level and intensity of God’s redemptive plan helps us to understand God’s wrath.
He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, who died under the wrath of God for our sin.
21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.
Look at
9 Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath.
In other words, the perfect, holy, righteous, sinless, Son of God, had to suffer under God’s wrath in order to propitiate God’s wrath for our sin. Simply state — Jesus took the wrath of God for us. That’s the level and intensity of the whole thing concerning God’s wrath.
2. Peace with God
2. Peace with God
As high a level and intensity is the wrath of God, so is the peace of God.
Most of a believer’s blessings must await his resurrection and glorification. But this Peace with God is immediately established the moment we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Objective nature of Peace with God
Objective nature of Peace with God
Notice the switch in the verb tenses.
“Having been justified by faith...”
“We have peace with God...”
This peace with God is what we have — Right Now! We are not looking for it. We are not hoping to get it. We have it and we have it now and we are rejoicing in it.
A Christian is someone who is clear about this. There is no more thorough test of our profession of Christ than exactly this — Peace with God.
How does such peace come?
The apostle is clear about this. We’re still in the objective.
“we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This again indicates the reality of this from God’s view. It is important that first God is at peace with us. And this is the great issue of the result of justification, and it’s the most immediate result — reconciliation.
19 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross — whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds because of 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 —
Through Jesus Christ
Through Jesus Christ means that by His death on the cross, God’s wrath was satisfied for my sin because Jesus, who knew no sin, who was perfect and holy, became sin for me. And God was completely satisfied. This is the idea of the biblical word, propitiation.
2 He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.
He, as God’s own Lamb, took my place. It was the great substitute.
Permanent Peace
That peace is permanent and irrevocable. First, by the nature of the transaction. This is why the book of Hebrews calls Jesus a better sacrifice. The holiness of His character testifies to the nature of the peace as permanent and irrevocable.
But also we know that because Christ rose from the dead and ever lives that He
25 Therefore, He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
Therefore, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we have this wonderful peace with God.
Subjective nature of Peace with God
Subjective nature of Peace with God
This is the side of man in reconciliation.
We are aware of this peace with God. We know this to be the case. But it’s more than feelings of gratitude and warmth, though we have these. But this is something to be convinced of. This is why Paul is saying it.
“So, there it is!” Paul says. “Peace with God! You don’t have to look for it or hope for it. You have it through your Lord Jesus Christ.”
Think about this. John MacArthur puts it so well.
“When a Christian is convinced he is eternally at peace with God, that he is secure in Christ — he is freed from focusing on his own goodness and merit and able to serve the Lord with the unqualified confidence that nothing can separate him from his heavenly Father.”
When we truly understand our position, when we understand it from God’s view, that we are at peace with God — then we from our own view be at peace with God. And that gives us a place to stand.
Standing
Standing
Look at verse 2.
2 We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
This carries the idea of permanence, immovable. So, we are immovable! We are immovable to our sins, to the Devil’s temptations, to the world’s hatred of us. We are immovable because we have this place to stand and it’s in the objective reality of having peace with God.
We have obtained access to God (having peace with God) by faith into this grace in which we stand.
Although faith is necessary for salvation, it is God’s grace, not out faith, that has the power to save and keep saved. We are not saved by divine grace and the preserved by human effort.
6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:
24 Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy,
3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh?
If we understand that it is God who saves and keeps us, then we should never doubt our security — because really that brings into question God’s integrity (questioning His word) and His power (questioning His sovereignty).
This peace with God gives us a sure standing. We cannot be moved, not because of us, but because of God.
Joy
Joy
This standing gives us joy.
— “and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
Since every aspect of salvation is solely and exclusively God’s work, salvation cannot possibly be lost.
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.
30 And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.
Salvation is anchored in the past in the event at the cross.But here we are — anchored in the present.
Rejoice denotes jubilation and joy in the present — notice again the present tense — because we have the divinely -secured hope.
What do we normally think of when we say hope?
We think of something that may or may not happen, possible connected to chance, right?
But that’s not hope here. Let me show you why. What is hope connected to?
“we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
Our hope is connected to our ultimate destiny that is shared with the very glory of God. To put it another way, hope would be lost were it not connected to God’s glory.
Would God ever give His glory over to mere chance?
Absolutely not! God’s glory is at stake with your salvation. If He has predestined, called, and justified you, then be assured for the sake of His glory, you will be glorified.
— Matt Chandler preached a sermon on this text titled — “God is for God.”
How do you get “God is for God” out of ?
It’s all because of one small phrase in the middle of the Psalm.
A Davidic psalm.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff —they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
3 He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
For His name’s sake.
Peace with God becomes subjective and experiential to us because it was first objective.
The People of God are moved to Joy when the objective reality involves us personally. And so Paul says:
“AND we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
How do I know this includes me?
It comes down to two words. The first is We and the second is Our.
The first is We and the second is Our.
We refers to those who have been justified by faith — They have peace with God!
Our personalizes it in that the we now possess that peace with God.
We have been declared righteous by faith.
We have peace with God.
Through OUR Lord Jesus Christ.
We have obtained access through Him
By faith into this grace in which we stand.
And we rejoice in the hope of glory.
Notice the time our is used is in reference of possession. Possession of Whom? The LORD Jesus Christ.
He is our Lord, our Master, our King, our Ruler, our Sovereign, our God.