Untitled Sermon

Peace with God Through Faith.

There are many philosophies that are being past around these days. They run the gambit of God is not real to God is a myth to God is in the created things of the earth. Some people believe in meditation and some pray to their ancestors. But what does the word of God say? This morning I’d like to to discuss why and how we believe.

Let’s take a look at the words Paul in Romans 5:1-11.

We are justified by faith. What is faith? Heb 11:1 says Faith is the substance things hoped for the evidence of things unseen. Faith is believing that Christ is who the bible says He is. The Son of the Living God. Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb 11:6. What is Justification? The action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God. So in the eyes of God we are made righteous through our faith in Christ.

When we have faith and believe in the power of Christ we then find that we have peace with God. What does it mean to have peace with God? for me it means not to worry about the things that life throws at you. We all know the worry wart that person that you see coming and all they have is woe. You try as you may to avoid them but somehow they manage to to find you and burden you with every problem and worry that the world could give you. When they are done and walk away you wanna jump off a bridge. This isn’t how Christians should live when we have peace with God. When we have peace with God we have the blessed assurance the whatever we face in this life God is with us. Nothing that happens to us surprises God. He knew and knows what every inch of our lives en tells. He knew it before the foundation of the world. Knowing this we can rest assured in what Gen 50:20 says “ what the devil meant for evil God uses for good” for His glory!.

Oh Saints there is so much right here in just the first verse. But let us us move on the verse 2. (read)

3. It starts by saying through Him, Him who? Through Christ!!! Through Him because of our faith we have access to His grace. What is Grace? Grace is God’s unmerited favor. It is God giving us what we, as sinners don’t deserve. The many blessings that we take for granted. Don’t get grace and mercy confused. Mercy is God not giving us as sinners what we deserve. What as sinners do we deserve? HELL! His grace is giving us the things of life we don’t deserve.The verse continues and says the grace in which we stand. We are standing in God’s grace and rejoicing in the hope of God.

Now this next verse, verse 3 says (read) . The KJV says tribulations. How can we rejoice in our sufferings? Do any of us like to suffer. Most of us would rather not. But the word continues and says knowing that our suffering produces endurance (patience). When we go through something in our lives and come out of those troubles we should come out stronger. We should come out with a closer relationship with Him. How so do you ask? Well when you look back at what and how God took you out that should make you rejoice and sing hallelujah.

Vs. 4 says endurance produces character or experience. As you look back to see how God bought you out of those troubles you should have the hope and confidence that He can bring you out of you next bout of trouble. Next bout? yes Saints as long as we live we will have trouble is this sinful world. Especially if you are working for the Lord. Satan will constantly attack to try to diminish that hope you have in Christ.

Vs.5 Starts by saying Hope does not put us to shame. Now I had to dig a little to fine out exactly what this meant. Hope does not put us to shame or disappoints us!!! We will never be disappointed hoping in Christ. Because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Okay What? The Holy Spirit has been poured into us? When Where? The instant you professed your belief in Christ and confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord you are saved. The instant you became saved you became a new creature in Christ and the Holy Spirit instantly moved into your heart. Rom 8: 9,10-13. You don’t have to stop eating or drinking. You don’t have to stop or start dressing a certain way. Christ just wants you to come as you are. Listen God doesn’t need you to get yourself together first. He just needs you to come as you are.

Now let’s move a little further into verse 6. While we were weak in sin. at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Vs.7 When Christ died for the unrighteous Paul says what man would die for a righteous man? Listen we all know that a parent would put their life on the line for their child or even for another family member. Perhaps mother, father etc. Even for someone that is trying to do something good but .

Vs. 8 says that Christ died for the us while we were yet sinners. He didn’t wait for us to become saved or to get ourselves together. Saints do you know that while we were wallowing in our sin God was making a way for us? A song says “when I look back over my life and I think things over I can truly say that I am blessed I have a testimony”. How many of you can say that? How many of you can take a look back at your past and see where the hand of God moved in your life? I Can! I can look back to my HS days, my military days, and my young adult days and see where God moved me to things and moved me (saved me) from myself. I never thought I’d be standing here behind any pulpit telling anyone one about the goodness of God. I can see how God led me to a Wednesday night bible class where a Deacon named Booker Johnson was teaching the word of God. I remember when i was invited how I thought I was going to go and tell them somethings about the white mans religion. I remember sitting there and this God sent man took his time to divert from the class and focus on salvation. I remember walking away from that class thinking these people are crazy. But I also remember being drawn back that next week and the week after and this man continued to teaching salvation. Then I remember when those words penetrated my hardened heart and I accepted Jesus Christ into my life. I thank God today for that man. For his love and patience. How many of you have a similar story? how many have taken time to look back and see God’s hand?

Vs.9 Now we are justified by His blood. What does this mean? it means we are saved form the wrath of God. we are saved from the eternal damnation that nonbelievers will face at that Great White Throne Judgement. We are saved by Him. By the blood washed sacrifice that he gave.

Vs. 10 God loved us so much that while we where yet sinners Christ died for us. Now we see that that we are reconciled though his death we are saved and once saved always saved. We cannot loose our salvation. Now understand we can fall out of fellowship god. When we knowingly sin and remain in that sin and don’t confess that sin and ask for forgiveness and don’t repent from that sin we can find ourselves out of fellowship with God but that doesn’t mean we loose our salvation. We may miss some blessings and the result of our sin may bring some dire consequences but we cannot loose our salvation.

Vs. 11 And because of His love and the sacrifice that He made on that old rugged cross we can rejoice and be glad knowing that we shall always be with Him.

Summary: In this life we will have tribulations. We will have trials. Sometime our trials and tribulations can seem endless but rest assured God is with us. He knows what we are going through. So we can rejoice even in our suffering with that knowledge . We can know that our suffering produces endurance and endurance character and with that hope. But it all begins with accepting Jesus. (go over the plan of salvation). If you believe this will you say this prayer with me(sinners prayer) Thank you and may God Bless you. In the mighty name of Jesus.