Sermon Tone Analysis

“God will forgive; that is his ‘business.’”

—Voltaire

“I like committing crimes.

God likes forgiving them.

Really the world is admirably arranged.”

—W.H. Auden

“Christians are by no means immune from the temptation to slip from a celebration of grace to an abuse of grace.”

—Douglas Moo

Refutation: I would never abuse the grace of God! Have you ever debated with yourself while on the verge of sinning or even in the midst of sinning?

Have you ever thought this, “I know this is wrong.

I need to stop this, and I will stop this—just not yet.”

In that moment you are guilty of abusing God’s grace.

And it is this issue of understanding God’s wonderful grace that is greater than our sin, and instead of rejoicing in that grace, and being transformed by that grace unto godly living, we take advantage of God’s grace to wallow in our sin a little longer.

This is the issue the Apostle Paul wanted the Roman Christians to understand.

Let me take a moment and remind you of the flow of Paul’s argument in Romans.

The Apostles primary concern from of the letter was clearly detailed in chapter 1.

The Apostle then proceeds to set forth the wonderful doctrine of justification from ch 1-4.

In the beginning of chapter 4 we have a wonderful definition and explanation of justification by the Apostle.

Salvation is nothing that a person can earn- it is not a wage that you work for, it is a gift freely given by God.

How do we receive this free gift of God?

We believe- we receive God’s gift of salvation through faith.

When we believe God justifies the UNGODLY!

That is the miracle of salvation.

God justifies not good people, or righteous people.

God justifies ungodly people!

What does it mean that God justifies us?

Notice the end of the verse, “his faith is counted as righteousness.”

Here it is again- when one believes God justifies that person- that means God counts that person righteous apart from works.

You were ungodly.

But then you put your faith in Jesus Christ and God counts you righteousness.

In God’s eyes, once you have been justified by faith, you are as righteous as Jesus is, you are as righteous as God- that is the gift of salvation that God gives.

But it is not only that...

The flip side of the meaning of justification is this: your sins are forgiven, and God no longer counts sin against you.

This is the great doctrine of justification.

And the Apostle wants us to understand that glory of justification by faith in Jesus Christ is available for us, God will count us righteous just like He did for Abraham.

Paul concludes his theology of justification by faith alone at the end of chapter 4. In chapter 5 Paul moves on and begins to discuss the benefits of justification.

Therefore, now that we see quite plainly that justification is a gift of God, not of our own works, but something freely given by God to us when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, and now that we are justified by faith here are all of the benefits that flow out of that justification.

What are those benefits?

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 1)

We have access to a new realm of grace by faith (v.

2a)

We have the future hope of sharing in the glory of God (v.

2b)

We have great cause for rejoicing both in the future blessings of our salvation and even in our present sufferings (vv.

2b-5)

We have the love of God poured out abundantly in our hearts (v.

5-8)

In 5:9 Paul turns his attention to a very significant benefit of our justification.

In fact it is so significant that this theme will carry on all the way to the end of ch.

8! What is this very important benefit of our justification?

Because we have now been justified (Our sins have been forgiven and we have been counted righteous)

by means of the blood of Jesus Christ !

HOW MUCH MORE (God has already done the hard part- He justified the ungodly!

If God has already done that, how much more certain is it that God will do a much less difficult task?

What is the less difficult task?)

We shall be saved from the wrath of God

by means of him (Jesus Christ)

This is what Paul wants us to understand that one of the sure and certain benefits of your justification is that is guarantees your final or ultimate and complete deliverance from the wrath of God.

In other words because you are justified you can sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that one day you will be glorified, or you will experience the full measure of your salvation.

What we have now in our salvation is wonderful!

But, it is only a small portion of the final salvation that will be ours one day (God calls it merely a down payment).

There is so much more in store for believers.

And because you have been justified you are guaranteed to have one day the full measure of the salvation that God has promised to you and nothing that take that away.

Your justification makes absolutely certain your glorification.

This is the great theme that Paul will be dealing with from chapters 6-8.

How do we know that we shall be saved one day by his life?

The first answer Paul gives us to this question is because of your union with Christ!

In vv.

12-18 Paul develops the wonderful doctrine of the believer’s union with Christ.

One of the benefits of our justification is that the believer is united with Christ.

We are in Christ.

And that makes all the difference!

Our union with Christ is one of the assurances that we will one day experience final salvation!

Because we are united to Christ, this new position that we have enables God to cause his grace to abound to us!

Now as Paul ends chapter 5 and begins chapter 6 he is going to deal with a common misunderstanding and misuses of the grace of God that is ours because of our union with Christ.

Paul wants us to understand something about our union with Christ so that we do not abuse the grace of God, but instead celebrate it.

Paul wanted the Roman believers to understand the realities of their union with Christ so that they would not continue living in sin.

Comprehending your union with Christ is essential for you to stop living in sin.

What must we understand concerning our union with Christ so that we can stop living in sin?

Several truths about our union with Christ.

The first truth we need to understand so that we might stop living in sin is:

I. Our union with Christ transferred us from the realm of sin to the realm of grace

Romans 5:20 (ESV)

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass,

20νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθεν,

Now law came in,

ἵνα πλεονάσῃ τὸ παράπτωμα·

in order that it might increase considerably the trespass

Law- God’s moral standard of righteousness

Increase considerably the trespass?

οὗ δὲ ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία,

but where sin increased considerably,

ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις,

grace increased to an extraordinarily greater degree

Remember Paul is wanting to show us that because of your justification and your union with Christ you have an assurance of your final salvation.

Here is one of those great assurance.

Because of your union with Christ much more has the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one many Jesus Christ abounded to many!

To what degree does God’s grace abound to us?

Where sin increased (even increased considerably),

grace abounded all the more (grace increased to an extraordinarily greater degree)

Illustration: Rich uncle who always covers your debt, where your debt increased his pocket book increased to an extraordinarily greater degree)

Romans 5:21 (ESV)

21 so that, as sin reigned in death,

21ἵνα ὥσπερ ἐβασίλευσεν ἡ ἁμαρτία

So that, just as sin reigned

ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ,

in (the dominion[1]of) death,