Romans 5:1-11
Notes
Transcript
Outline for Bible Study/Discussion
Outline for Bible Study/Discussion
Big idea: Because we have peace with God through Jesus’ death on the cross, we can rejoice, knowing that God loves us and that we have a sure hope for the future.
FCF: enmity with God; being “still sinners”
FCF: enmity with God; being “still sinners”
Intro: What are some famous conflicts in history or movies?
Intro: What are some famous conflicts in history or movies?
- Example: Batman & Joker;
- Batman & Joker; sports rivalries;
- What are some others?
- In our text we’re going to see the “Greatest conflict in the world and how it has been resolved.”
o Any ideas what that conflict was? (between people & God)
Read the text:
- Context: Paul has been talking about how we’re saved by faith in Christ, not by our works; he says we’re justified (which means what?). Now he is talking about what that means: what are the implications, the benefits of justification.
- Starting off right there in v. 1: “What does Paul say that those who are justified now have?”
o Peace with God.
- “If we now have peace with God, what does that imply about our relationship with God before trusting Jesus?”
o We were at war with God (see v. 10: enemies with God).
o “Why is this important to recognize?”
§ We have to remember what we were like before to remember how wonderful and amazing the gospel really is!
§ Illustration: Difference between someone asking if you and your best friend are at peace with each other? (you’d be like… yeah…?) vs. someone asking if Hitler and the Jews were at peace with each other.
- “What does peace with God result in (v.2)?”
o We get to stand firm in God’s grace (v.2)
o We have hope of the glory of God (v.2)
- “How does the gospel change our perspective on suffering and difficulty?” (see v.3-4)
o Not only do we rejoice because we have a good future to put our confident hope in, we can also rejoice in suffering because it actually grows us spiritually, which increases our hope!
- V.5: our hope will not fall through, we can be confident about it. Why? What is our hope based on?
o God’s love given to us by the Holy Spirit.
o So notice something! We have peace with God (V.1) through who? Jesus. And we can be confident about our hope because of what? God’s love.
o Paul is teaching us that we have amazing blessings and benefits because of our faith. It’s amazing to be a Christian, and it’s all based on God’s goodness and His character, nothing about us or our strength.
o So he says we can be confident about out hope because of God’s love.
- In verses 6-8, “How has God proven his love for you?”
o By dying for us.
o When? While we were still really, really bad.
o Would you die for someone who was a terrible person? Jesus would. Jesus did!
§ First, let’s praise Jesus because of how good he is.
§ Second, this is the proof that God loves us, so we have be confident about our hope! So don’t let anything get you down!! You have peace with God almighty. You have a good future because of God and he proved it! We can be confident. And if that’s true, what is there out there that could discourage us? Definitely not coronavirus or missing school or being lonely. Don’t forget about your hope!
§ Third, what does this text teach us about God’s love? What is his love based on? Why did he love you?
· NOT because of us. Because of his own character.
· Why is this good new?
o Because if he loved us first while we were still sinners, is there anything we can do to make him not love us anymore? He already loved us at our worst!
§ NEVER doubt that God loves you. He’s a good Father. He’s already proved his love. Don’t doubt it.
- (v.9-11) “Why did we need to be reconciled to God? What separated us from him?”
o We were enemies (v.10) that deserved the wrath of God (v.9).
- Who accomplished this ministry of reconciling us to God?
o Jesus (“through him” all over the place”)
- “How did Jesus accomplish this ministry of reconciliation?”
o Dying for his enemies/sinners
- How can we learn from Jesus’ example in this passage?
o Love those who are hard to love;
Three Big Take Aways:
1. We can rejoice because we have peace with God, we’ve been made right with God, and we have hope sure hope about the future.
a. We deserved nothing but wrath and destruction, and look at all we’ve been given just because God loves us.
b. This should make us joyful, even in the worst circumstances.
2. We can KNOW that God really and personally loves each of us.
a. We all have days where we feel like we’re not good enough for God, like He’s mad at us, like he’s disappointed. And it’s true that we can grieve God when we sin.
b. But at the bottom, at the root, at the foundation of things, We are deeply loved by God. And because he loved us while we were still sinners, we can know that His love will never go away. God loves you and he’ll never stop loving you! How amazing is that. That is good news.
3. We can love others by laying ourselves down for people that we don’t like.
a. Maybe right now that’s someone in your family. How can you go serve and love someone even tonight or this week?
All three things are incredible witnesses to non-Christians: when we have joy in Christ, they want what we have. When we love others who don’t deserve it, they want to know why we’d do that.