Romans 5:1-11

Join me in your copy of God's Word to the glorious book of Romans, chapter 5.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

Hope that you have enjoyed the study thus far in Romans.

! We know it's been sort of spread out, so our goal now is to kind of continue moving through it, like Nathan said, at a little bit of a faster pace.

Just indulge me for a few minutes while I just want to emphasize, I guess, the importance of the book of Romans.

If you're joining us for the first time in Romans, or you can't really remember from several weeks ago what was preached,

some people here today may think, I understand the gospel message really well.

I believe the gospel. I'm a Christian. I have for a long time trusted my life to Christ.

I'm ready to move on to something else more deep beyond the gospel.

I'm ready for deeper spiritual things.

You may be thinking I might be bored in Romans. I may not be challenged in Romans.

And I want to humbly confront people who feel this way this morning.

There's a great quote by David Pryor and it says this,

We never move on from the cross.

We never move on from the cross.

Only into a more profound understanding of the cross.

The gospel can help you break free of all sorts of sin in our lives.

Many of us who may claim that we know the gospel, love it and cherish it,

and we're ready to move on to something else,

those same people will forget the gospel probably later today.

And definitely tomorrow.

If we watch the lives of many throughout the week, even my own life,

think about your own life,

much of it is marked by unbelief in the gospel.

Your lives would look radically different if the gospel was foremost in your mind

and in your heart on a daily basis.

Many of you are lack.

You have a lack of joy.

You're often bored.

You're lazy.

Depressed.

Eaten up with anxiety and a lack of peace in your life.

When facing circumstances,

you may even lack consistent spiritual growth.

And it seems like the Christian life for some of you has just been reduced down to

a list of just don't do this and try to do this during the week.

Always looking for a new technique, a new book.

A new truth to take comfort in, to strengthen your faith.

Many of you may be posturing throughout the week,

trying to project that you are stronger in your faith than you actually are.

Many may be performing, trying to prove themselves to others around them and to God.

And then many of you are just faced with panicking.

You are looking around with fear and anxiety in your life.

If any of this stuff characterizes you,

you need to be reminded that you do not move on from the gospel.

The gospel itself is powerful enough to give you the confidence to free you from

joy-robbing, legalistic, pharisaical thinking in your life,

the crippling effects of guilt and shame in your life.

It will help you.

The gospel can set you free just basing the quality of your faith on how you feel on a particular day.

Free you beyond circumstances and help you grow in joy and in gratitude.

Because sadly, one of the lingering effects of sin in our lives is we have a tendency to forget.

We have a tendency to forget the most basic foundational truths of the word of God.

We forget it.

And we think that we've moved on.

And Satan, the world, and sin in our lives would love us just to forget the gospel

and think that we've graduated from it to another theological level.

The late Tim Keller learned a lot from him.

Not a perfect man, but learned a lot from him.

But one of the things he said I'll never forget is

the gospel is not just the ABCs of Christianity.

It's the A to Z of Christianity.

It's not just the minimum required doctrine necessary for you to become a Christian,

but it's the way that we make all spiritual progress therein.

The gospel is that message that is simple, that a child can understand it,

but yet so deeply profound that the greatest theologians can stare at it every day of their life

and never get to the depths of it.

Paul said he wrote a preaching to the Gentiles,

the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Ephesians 3, 7, and 8.

If the gospel is true then, if it's true,

it must stand up under the harshest scrutiny.

We need an airtight case for the gospel

if we are entrusting our souls to his message.

If your faith, if your salvation was on trial,

and you were headed into a courtroom,

what would you take with you?

Arguably, the book of Romans gives us

the fullest detailed at-length explanation of the gospel.

It is written like a court case.

It is the fullest explanation of our salvation.

It might have already been said,

but Martin Luther believed

that if you understood the book of Romans,

it was the key to unlocking the entire Bible.

So never get bored of reading Romans.

So a quick reminder of where we've been.

Quick reminder.

Chapter 1 and 2,

Paul brings a case against all humanity,

including himself, Jews and Gentiles,

that we are all fallen, sinful, and rebellious to our Creator.

In chapter 3 and 4,

he then moves to establishing unequivocally

that salvation only comes on the basis of God's grace,

working through man's faith.

This is almost as if he put us all in the same category.

He said,

you cannot save yourself.

You cannot be good enough.

You cannot keep God's law.

If you're going to face God,

who is called the righteous judge,

one day at the judgment,

you cannot go on your own.

If you bring your own works,

or your own merit into things,

or your own morality,

you will be consumed.

So he makes the argument

that salvation comes only on the basis of God's grace,

working through our faith in Christ.

If we come any other way,

even trying to keep God's law,

which we've established in the previous chapters,

which is impossible,

we will fail.

So in placing all humanity under the power of sin,

Paul then points to the redemptive work of Christ

in saving sinners.

Faith in the Savior

has always been

the only way

for us to be made right with God.

And he points in chapter 4

that Nathan just went through

to Abraham's faith.

That he was justified,

made righteous

by his faith.

So having established that,

that man is not saved by works

or by keeping the law,

but by faith in Christ

through God's grace,

here's where we're going

from chapter 5.

I will say that chapter 5,

at least half the time

that I sit down

and open the Bible

to share the Gospel

with an unbeliever,

I use Romans chapter 5.

Romans 5 · chapter mention

You'll hopefully see why.

So that's what we've done

where we're going.

Here's just a question for you.

If the preservation

of our salvation

depends on what we do

or don't do,

then our salvation

is only secure

as our own faithfulness.

That's scary.

If your salvation

that we've talked about

in the previous chapters

is kept alive,

maintained,

and preserved

by your own strength

and willpower,

then that is very terrifying.

Thankfully,

that's not the case.

So Paul moves beyond that

to the central theme

of chapter 5 through 8.

which is that

if we are righteous

in God's sight,

if God has truly saved us,

we have a certain hope

and a certain hope

of future glory

and eternal life.

If you look at verse 1

in Romans 5,

it says,

therefore,

since we have been justified

by faith.

So he now turns

to the implications

of that statement

and describes

the blessings

or the benefits,

the consequences

of a believer

being justified

before God.

He expounds

on the results,

the effects

of that great reality

that we are justified

before God

in Jesus Christ.

So,

really quickly,

I'll give you

five,

maybe not quickly,

but I will give you

five certainties,

okay?

Not hypotheticals,

not we hope

this maybe works out,

it's certainties,

okay?

Five certainties

that we see

in this passage.

So let's read it together.

Romans 1,

1 through 11.

Therefore,

since we have been

justified by faith,

we have peace

with God

through our Lord

Jesus Christ.

Through Him,

we have also

obtained access

by faith

into this grace

in which we stand.

And we rejoice

in hope

of the glory

of God.

Not only that,

but we rejoice

in our sufferings,

knowing that suffering

produces endurance.

endurance.

Endurance

produces character,

and character

produces hope.

And hope

does not put us

to shame,

because God's love

has been poured out

into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit

whom He has given us.

For while we were weak,

still weak,

at the right time,

Christ died

for the ungodly.

For one will scarcely die

for a righteous person,

though perhaps

for a good person

one would dare

even to die.

But God shows

His love for us

in that while we were

still sinners,

Christ died

for us.

Since therefore

we have now been

justified by His blood,

much more

shall we be saved

by Him

from the wrath

of God.

For while we were

enemies,

we were reconciled

to God

through the death

of His Son.

Much more,

now that we are

reconciled,

shall we be saved

by His life,

more than that,

we also rejoice

in God

through our Lord

Jesus Christ

through whom

we have now

received

reconciliation.

So from this passage,

we're going to look

at five benefits,

five blessings,

five results

of being justified

before God

and Christ.

number one

is certain peace

with God.

Certain peace

with God.

And you see that

in verse one.

We've been justified

by faith.

We have peace

with God

through our Lord

Jesus Christ.

If we understand

what Paul has written

so far in Romans,

especially chapter

one

and two,

we understand

that that is

a remarkable

statement for us

to hear,

that we have

a peace

with God.

Previously,

our relationship

with God

could only be

described in terms

of extreme enmity,

hostility

towards each other.

It says in

Isaiah 57,

Isaiah 57:20

verse 20,

the wicked

are like the tossing

of the sea.

It cannot

be quiet.

And as waters

toss up mire

and dirt,

there is no peace,

says God

for the wicked.

We were locked

in a serious

contention,

in a legal

dispute

with God

as His enemies.

Look at verse 10.

We were locked

in a serious

dispute with Him.

But,

what Paul is saying

is now,

by His grace,

what Christ

has done

for us,

we are justified

by faith

in what He

has done.

We see that

in chapter 4,

verse 25.

And so,

hostility

that existed

with God

previously

is now

taken away

because of

what Christ

has done.

We are no longer

enemies,

but at peace

with Him.

And this is

a real

peace.

Paul's present

argument

explained in

those previous

chapters

says that we

were at war

with God

and that we

now have been

justified

by faith.

faith.

Now,

I'm going to

try to not

get off

track too

far,

but I'm

begging you

if you are

a believer,

especially if you

are a member

of this church,

understand what

being justified

means.

Alright?

It's a word

that's everywhere

in the New Testament,

especially in

Romans.

So,

it is not

just enough

for us to

have our sins

forgiven.

To have

something

canceled

or taken

away

or forgiven

is not

enough

to stand

before God.

Just because

you've had

dirty clothes

taken off

doesn't mean

that you have

clean clothes

on.

Right?

And we need

clean clothes

to approach

God's throne.

So just to

have sin

taken away

and forgiven

does not

mean that

we are

righteous.

So,

what happens?

Christ then,

this is that

glorious doctrine

of the great

exchange,

Christ gives

us His

perfect

righteousness.

He gives

us His

clean clothes.

It says

in Isaiah

that He

has wrapped

us in

robes of

righteousness.

So now,

we can

approach God

actually

clean,

actually

bright,

actually

righteous

in His

sight.

When He

says we

are justified,

He is

declaring

that you

have kept

the law.

You are

blameless.

And He's

doing that

on the

basis of

what Christ

has done

and not

what we

have done.

So that

is the

great

exchange.

Christ

takes

our

sin

and bore

our

punishment

and He

gave us

His

righteousness

so we

could be

accepted

by God.

So the

result of

that

justification

is we

have real

actual

peace

with God.

Peace

is not

subjective

but

objective.

It is a

legal term.

We have

right standing

with God

and therefore

we have

peace

with Him.

If you

look a little

further,

we have

peace

not because

of our

good moral

behavior,

religious

activity,

going to

church,

good deeds,

reciting

Bible verses

or any

other good

thing that

you can

think of

that we

struck our

own deal

with God.

Spent three

years in

college with

a guy,

a veteran

of the

Iraq war

and all

he talked

about was

like he

had his

own deal

struck with

God and

I kept

telling him

you don't.

Like you

come on

his terms

and not

yours.

We cannot

have peace

with God

through anything

we do but

we can

have an

actual peace

with God

through

our Lord

Jesus Christ.

He alone

is the

agent of

our

reconciliation.

So let me

just ask you

a question.

Brother or

sister,

are you

fearful that

God is

still going

to punish

you for

your sins

that you

have

committed

in the

past?

Are you

afraid that

something that

you might

do in the

future is

going to

cause God

to finally

judge you?

Does the

reality that

if you have

Christ and

you are

justified in

him,

does that

give you

peace?

what he

has done

for you?

Does that

comfort your

soul?

Does it

take your

anxiety away

about facing

God one

day?

So that's

one, we

have certain

peace with

God.

Number two,

we have

certain

access to

God.

Certain

access to

God.

Verse two,

through him

we have

also obtained

access by

faith into

this grace

in which

we stand.

God.

This would

have been

an amazing

statement for

particularly

Jews hearing

this.

Many

generations

before Christ

having access

to God

was a

crazy idea,

scary idea,

foreign thought.

Many of the

people of

Israel in the

Old Testament

knew that

sinful man was

incapable of

approaching God

and entering

into his

holy presence.

They had

witnessed

firsthand,

men and

women just

consumed by

approaching God

on their

own.

God could

only be

approached

through various

protocols

prescribed in

the Mosaic

and Levitical

law.

But now,

since Christ

has secured

peace by

his blood

shed on

the cross,

we are no

longer his

enemies but

at peace

with him,

because of

that we

can have

access to

the holy

presence of

God.

Access to

relationship

with him.

Access to

worship him.

Access to

have like a

child would

have to a

father.

That's what

we have,

access to

God through

what Christ

has done.

So,

have you

taken that

access for

granted?

It has just

approaching God

become so

familiar that

you've forgotten

that it is a

huge blessing

to account

yourself to

be able to

go into

God's presence

because of

Christ.

It says in

the psalm,

psalm 68,

Psalms 68:2

verse 2,

that the

sinful,

the wicked,

will not

stand in

God's

presence,

but they

will perish

as wax

does before

the fire.

That's

scary.

So,

how does

that not

happen to

us?

It's because

we are

standing in

Christ.

You and

I would

never,

ever dare

approach the

holy presence

of God

apart from

Jesus Christ.

without

him,

the

presence

of God,

the

holiness

of God

has to

be

protected

from

us.

If we

try to

enter into

God's

presence on

our own,

God would

be

dishonored

and we

would be

destroyed.

Right?

But now,

only because

of Christ,

our great

high priest,

we may

come near

and feast

our hearts

on the

flaming beauty

of his

holiness and

his presence

and stand

there just

in awestruck

glory.

It says in

Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10:19

verse 19,

we have

confidence to

enter the

holy places

by the

blood of

Jesus,

by the

new and

living way

that he

opened for

us through

the curtain.

So,

therefore,

we do not

have to

fear,

to come

into God's

presence,

but we

must come

through Christ

and through

Christ alone.

There is no

other way.

Because of the

work of Jesus,

we can have

access to

God through

a remarkable

state of

his grace

in which we

stand firmly,

securely.

That word

stand carries

the idea of

permanence,

of standing

firm and

immovable.

That's awesome.

We can stand

there certain.

So,

this is a

blessing of

justification.

We can have

peace with

God,

access to

God.

Number three,

number three,

certain hope,

a certain hope

in God.

See this in

verses two

through five.

We rejoice in

the hope of

the glory of

God.

Not only that,

but we rejoice

in our sufferings,

knowing that

suffering produces

endurance.

endurance produces

character,

and character

produces hope,

and hope does

not put us

to shame.

So,

biblical hope

is not just

wishful thinking,

it's not just

crossing our

fingers and

hoping that

things just

turn out the

way we want

them to be.

Biblical hope

implies looking

forward to

something good

in the future

with confidence,

certainty,

and expectation.

Here,

true,

genuine

believers can

be assured

that as a

result of

being justified

before God,

they can

possess true

hope of the

glory of

God.

Right?

That is a

promise that

one day we

will be

glorified.

We will be

perfected on

the last day.

That is

amazing.

So,

prove it,

right?

How do I

know that?

Well,

you don't have

to turn

now,

let's read

you one

verse out

of Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8.

Now,

think about it,

if we are

justified,

it says,

those whom

he predestined,

he also

called,

those whom

he called,

he also

justified,

and those

whom he

justified,

he also

glorified.

Like,

we have a

certain hope

if we are

made right

in God's

sight that we

will one

day be

glorified.

It's one

of the

clearest

hallmarks

of a

justified

believer

is our

perspective

on the

future,

how we

look at

things in

the future.

True

believers

who are

righteous

in God's

sight

have a

certain

hope of

future

glory

to be

with God

forever.

So,

if you look

a little

further in

these verses,

if that

amazing

hope of

future

glory

is in

Christ,

if we

have that,

it will

endure.

endure.

It will

endure even

in suffering.

You see

that?

Sufferings

here is

really the

word

tribulations.

It means

to be put

under great

pressure.

And in the

context,

it's not

necessarily

referring to

the common

hardships that

we just have

in our

everyday life.

It's

specifically

referring to

the suffering

that we may

endure because

of the

backlash of

being a

follower of

Christ.

the suffering

that we

endure by

being right

with God.

So,

some of us

might think

that suffering

would undermine

our confidence

in God.

But Paul is

actually making

the opposite

argument.

If your

hope is

destroyed and

is obliterated

by a little

bit of

suffering,

then it

wasn't

really a

hope worth

having.

It's not

a real

deal.

But if

you have

an eternal

hope,

not saying

it will

be easy,

but it

will

endure.

It will

last.

And Paul

proves that

by arguing

cause and

effect here

in these

verses.

And our

suffering,

God allows

into our

lives,

He provides

the opportunity

and the

need for

our hope

to endure.

That

endurance

that we

see,

or that

perseverance

through

trials,

it produces

character.

The word

here is

provenness.

it proves

something.

A character

that has

stood up

under

extreme

trial and

examination

and found

to be

genuine

through

testing.

That's

what we're

implying

here.

So,

understand,

like,

I was just

trying to

think of a

story to

tell,

but I

probably

will resist

because it

will take

me a

long time

to tell

it.

But in

the past,

like when

soldiers were

facing a

great enemy,

outnumbered

three to

one,

and they

were asked,

like,

how are

your men

just not

going to

run when

the enemy

shows up?

They're

terrifying,

they outnumber

you,

and like

this particular

general who

was Caesar

said,

they won't

run because

they have

been tested.

They have

been tested,

they are

veterans,

and they

will stand

until the

end.

He knew

the quality

of the

provenness

of the

men that

were under

him.

Right?

So when

we face

trials,

and we

endure under

that extreme

testing,

we will have

proven character.

And that

proven character

produces a

stronger hope

and confidence

facing the

future.

You see that?

It's just right

in front of us

in these

verses.

So therefore,

suffering is

important because

it is the

testing ground

for faith and

hope to be

strengthened.

we all

would argue

that the

most humble,

mature believers

we know are

those who

endure great

suffering in

their lives and

somehow persevered

through it,

still trusting

God, still

clinging to

his promises

despite the

pain and

despite the

loss.

God uses

those trials

to make us

more like

Christ, to

give us

godly

character.

So therefore,

we can

rejoice,

not only in

the future

glory, but

in present

trials and

sufferings.

Not because

they're pleasant

to go through,

but because

God uses

them to

transform us

for the

better, to

make us

more like

Christ, and

to bring us

closer to

him.

For

those of

you who

may be

lacking

hope this

morning,

does this

reality,

that we

are made

right and

justified in

God's

presence

through

Christ,

does that

give you

hope to

face the

future?

Does it

bring hope

to you that

all the

sin that

you bring

is not

going to

ultimately

destroy you,

but you

will have

hope to

stand before

God one

day, even

through the

sufferings of

this present

life, you

can have

hope for

the future.

number

four, a

certain love

from God.

Number four,

a certain

love from

God.

Look at a

part of

verse five,

starting in

verse five.

He says,

connecting it

to the

previous

verses,

because the

love, because

God's love

has been

abundantly

poured into

our hearts

through the

Holy Spirit

whom he has

given us,

for while we

were still

weak at the

right time,

Christ died

for the

ungodly, for

one will

scarcely die

for a

righteous

person, though

perhaps for a

good person

one would

dare even

to die, but

God shows

his own

love for

us, and

that while

we were

still sinners,

Christ died

for us.

So in

these verses,

Paul grounds

the subjective

experience of

God's love to

the objective

work of Christ

on the cross.

So we have

a hope that

does not put

us to shame

or doesn't

disappoint us

because it's

anchored in

not our own

goodness or

our own

love for

God, but

in his

agape

unconditional

love for

us.

That's where

we can ground

this certain

hope, is it's

based in

God's love.

Our hope,

our final

deliverance is

certain, again

because it's

based on

God's love and

that he has

given us his

Holy Spirit.

Now why does

this matter?

The Spirit

enables us to

trust in the

atoning work

of Christ.

The Holy

Spirit is how

he is the

agent in

which God

manifests his

love to

us.

One of his

primary roles

is to

assure

born-again

believers that

are justified

in Christ

that they

truly belong

to him.

Jesus said

in John 14

John 14:26

verse 26,

when he

comes,

he will

remind you

of all

that I

have taught

you and

to bring

to remembrance

all that I

have said.

Right?

So that's what

the Spirit

does.

He brings

the truth

of God's

word,

the promises

of God's

word,

reminds us

during those

trials that

we go through

in everyday

life.

So he is the

agent of

God's love.

He brings

it to us.

Similarly,

Paul wrote

in Ephesians

Ephesians 1:13

1 verse 13,

when you

heard the

word of

the truth,

the gospel

of your

salvation,

and believed

in him,

you were

sealed with

the promised

Holy Spirit,

who is the

guarantee of

our inheritance

until we

acquire possession

of it,

to the praise

of his glory.

So,

while we

wait for

hope to be

finally fulfilled,

God's love,

literally it

says,

is being

poured out

into our

hearts

through the

Holy Spirit.

So the

hope of

future glory

and final

deliverance is

rooted in

God's

unconditional

love for

his people

that his

son died

to save.

So look

here also

at verse

6.

Look at

the timing

of God's

love.

It says,

at the

right time.

Alright,

so we may

think,

why did it

take so

long for

Jesus to

come?

Well,

God says

it was the

right time

in redemptive

history for

Christ to

appear to

accomplish the

work of

salvation.

So how

many of

us

functionally

believe that

God helps

those who

help

themselves?

How many

of you

actually

believe that?

A few

years ago,

a study

revealed that

half of

evangelicals

thought this

was a direct

quotation from

the Bible.

Half.

84% at

least believe

that it was

a biblical

truth.

So,

not true

at all.

Both

wrong,

both

heresies.

Ben

Franklin

said that

in

Paul

Richard's

Almanac,

not in

the Bible.

So,

what does

it say

here?

Paul writes

that God

lovingly sent

Christ for

us when

we were

weak.

See,

that means

helpless,

vulnerable,

defenseless.

It denotes a

lack of

moral strength.

It is

connected to

us being

ungodly.

unable to

save

ourselves

or do

anything

to pour

ourselves

out of

the pit

that we

were in.

In that

helpless

state,

Christ came.

And so,

we see,

he gives you

an example

here.

There is no

greater love

than what

Christ has

done.

He contrasts

the death

of Christ

with other

examples

of human

heroic

deaths.

Right?

Such deaths

are substitutionary

in nature,

meaning somebody

else dies

for another

person.

Right?

And he

says,

on the rare

occasion,

even a

fallen,

sinful human

being might

die for

a morally

upright person,

a good

person,

one that's

done much

good.

But those

examples are

radically

different in

comparison to

Christ's love

for us.

They pale

in comparison.

Human love

at its very

best is puny,

weak,

and pathetic

in light of

who God

is,

in light of

his love.

Why?

Now think about

this,

because all

others are

rooted in

mutual love

or friendship.

Jesus says,

it's easy for

you to love

those who

love you.

What benefit

is that to

you?

If even

sinners love

those who

love them,

he didn't

die for

righteous

people.

He didn't

die for

people who

did good

to him.

Jesus

died a

horrible

death for

unrighteous,

ungodly,

hostile

enemies.

It'd be

easy for

you to

maybe die

for your

child or

for a

really good

friend or

a parent,

a loved

one,

but they

love you

more or

less.

But again,

Christ died

for those

who hated

him,

for the

ungodly,

for his

enemies.

He took

the place

of sinners

like you

and me

who lived

in willful

rebellion

against him.

So,

in God's

love,

he initiated

our salvation.

1 John

1 John 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

God's

love,

and this

is the

love of

God,

not that

we have

loved God,

but that

God loved

us and

sent his

son to

be the

propitiation

for our

sin.

Number

five,

moving

quickly here,

trying to

land the

plane.

Number

five,

we have

certain

reconciliation

with God.

Certain

reconciliation

with God.

Look at

verse 9.

Since

therefore we

have been

justified by

his blood,

much more

shall we be

saved by

him from

the wrath

of God.

For if

while we

were enemies

we were

reconciled to

God by

the death

of his

son,

much more

now that

we are

reconciled

shall we

be saved

by his

life.

More than

that,

we also

rejoice in

God through

our Lord

Jesus Christ

through whom

we have

received

reconciliation.

So we

don't like

to be

called

enemies

of God.

Right?

That is a

hard term

to swallow.

Most people

think I'm

cool with

God.

I've got

no problem

with God.

Like what

problem does

he have

with me?

Well,

unless you

are in

Christ,

you are

his enemy.