The Benefits of The Justified
April 13th, 2008 • Posted in Bible Sermons •Romans Lesson 8
THE BENEFITS OF THE JUSTIFIED
Romans 5:1-11
Key Verse: 5:1-2
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
In Romans Chapters 1-4, Paul declared that the entire human race, both Jews and Gentiles alike, who are under God’s wrath, can be justified through faith in Christ Jesus. In other words, anyone who puts their trust in Jesus Christ, regardless of his or her human background or past history, can have an exclusive membership in the royal family of heaven. (John 1:12) Well, some of us might say, “Wait a minute! It sounds exaggerated, blown out of proportion.” When something sounds too good, it’s reasonable to regard it with suspicion. Why? It’s because usually there are hidden fees and conditions, written in a very small letters, that will eventually hook us. Is Paul exaggerating the gospel so as to sell it better? No, not at all. As a matter of fact, many Christians are not enjoying the full benefits as God’s children. Some of them just go to church once a week on Sundays, and the rest of the week they only struggle to survive. As a result, when people in the world see them, Christians look miserable and are not any different from them. So why should they believe in what does not seem to make a difference in a person’s life? We as Christians should know what blessings we received from God as His beloved children and fully enjoy them. In today’s passage, Paul gives a brief account of the incredible benefits of the justified in Christ. Let’s see what blessings we have as Christians.
First, Peace; we have peace with God through Christ (1)
Look at verse 1. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” When we are justified through faith, all our sins from the past have been forgiven, no matter how awful they may be. The grace of forgiveness of sin is not a trivial thing that we should overlook. Christ Jesus, the Son of God, paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins on the cross. As a result, we have peace with God, and a reconciled relationship with Him.
In verses 10-11, the word “reconcile” or “reconciliation” is repeated three times. The word “reconcile” means to reestablish friendship between. It’s not easy to reconcile with one another. So many people today suffer from a broken relationship problem. We see some people don’t talk to each other even though they have been longtime friends and partners. Our relationship with God was not so good either. According to verse 10, we were God’s enemies. It’s not that God did something wrong to us, but that we were rebellious to Him. We were supposed to come to God and say, “I am truly sorry, Lord!” But we never did. Yet, it was always God who took the initiative. God, by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, reconciled us to Him. Now, through Christ our hostile relationship with God has been changed to a friendly relationship with Him. The wrath of God is not against us any longer. Therefore, we don’t need to be afraid of coming to Him no matter what condition we may be in because God is not angry with us at all. We have peace with God.
However, we should distinguish having peace with God from having peace of God or having peaceful mind. Even though we have peace with God, we don’t always feel peaceful. In order to have peace of God, we need to exercise our faith in Jesus (Jn 14:27, 16:33), and it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in us (Gal 5:22). Jesus is a peacemaker between God and humankind, and he is our peace. That’s why he is called “Prince of peace.” (Isa 9:6) We face many challenges in our day-to-day struggle. How can we have peace? Some people are so desperate for peace of mind, they take drugs or get drunk. The Christian life is not easy. But God does not want us to take drugs or get drunk. He wants us to exercise our faith in Christ by trusting Him always. He said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (Jn 14:1) Peace with God and peace of God are the great benefits we have through Christ Jesus. We should be able enjoy this peaceful relationship with God and the peace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Phil 4:7 reads, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Second, Grace; we have access to the grace of God through Christ. (2)
Look at verse 2a. “Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” These days, so much information and knowledge from many different sources are available to us, especially through web-sites. Recently, I got library cards from some of the fine libraries in the City, like the New York Public Library, Columbia University Libraries and Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library at Queens College. These libraries have enormous amount of information and resources, such as books, data, journals, films, pictures and catalogs. One of the amazing things is that now due to the benefit of advanced technology, we can have access to the information and data in the library without actually entering the building. If you have an access code, you can enter the virtual library through the web, navigate all the materials you want and download the information you need as much as you desire. But you need an access code.
God our Father provided so much amount of grace in heaven for us, and we can have unlimited access into this grace. Our access code to the grace of God is “By faith in Christ.” We can download God’s grace into our hearts as much as we need, whenever we need and wherever we need. We have unlimited grace of God available, but the problem is that many of us do not enjoy the full benefits. Jesus said in John 10:9-10, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” In the past, we were helpless in our unjustified situation. But not any longer. Even though we still might be in a helpless situation, we are never without help. We have access to the grace of God through our faith in Christ Jesus.
Look at verse 2 again. “Through whom we have gained access by faith in this grace in which we now stand.” “In which we now stand.” What does it mean “In which we now stand”? It means that in any situation we can be confident because we have the shield of protection in the grace of Jesus Christ. I remember the lyrics from the hymn, “In Christ alone, my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song; This cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.”
Third, Hope and Joy; we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (2b-5)
Look at verse 2b. “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Some of the staffs at the Menninger Foundation, one of the leading psychiatric centers in the US, were asked to identify the single most important element in caring for the emotionally disturbed. They unanimously singled out hope as the most important factor in treatment. In fact, people who feel hopeless have depression, and untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide. Have you ever felt hopeless? Have you ever thought about committing suicide? Why? Hopelessness. When people feel that conditions will never improve, that there is no solution to a problem , they think that dying by suicide is better than living. We cannot live without hope. God gave us hope.
What hope did God give us through Christ? Students want to get good grades and get into a prestigious graduate school, law or medical school. Then what? To make a lot of money and become rich and famous? Those are not bad things. But such things cannot be our ultimate hope for living. Why? Because we all die someday. We as human beings, whether wealthy or intelligent, are fundamentally hopeless before the power of death. All men and women are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. ( 1 Pe 1:24) Nothing in the world lasts forever. Recently, Charlton Heston, an Academy award winning actor, died at the age of 84. I enjoyed his movies “Ben Hur” and “The Ten Commandments.” We live just about 80 to 90 years. If we die, our physical body turns to a handful of dust in a few years. How hopeless we are! There is no hope in the world. People who put their hope in the world are doomed to despair. But God did not give us such short-lived things in the world as our hope. Our hope is in the glory of God. Paul said, “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
What glory was Paul talking about? He may be saying the coming of the Kingdom of God when Jesus comes again. Matthew 16:27 reads, “For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.” He might be talking about the transformed resurrection body that will be revealed in us when Jesus comes again. Paul said 1 Corinthians 15:50 (NLT), that flesh and blood, our physical bodies, cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. How can these dying bodies inherit what will last forever? Our physical body will be transformed. How? Paul said that it’s a secret. We will be changed in a moment, in the blink of an eye. Those who have died will be raised to live forever. Those who are living will also be transformed. This glory of the transformed body is far better than any glory we can have in the world. So we can truly rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
But one thing we should remember is that while we live in this world, we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Read verses 3-5. “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” While we live in the world, we run into problems, sufferings and trials. How can we rejoice when we run into problems, one after another? It’s only possible when we know and believe God’s ultimate purpose behind them. We can be optimistic and remain cool even when things seem to be out of control. For we know that nothing happens to us without God’s foreknowledge and God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His good purpose. (Ro 8:28) Verse 5 reads, “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” One of the convincing proofs of the glorious hope is the indwelling Holy Spirit, through whom God has poured out His love in our hearts. Everyday, God is telling us through the Holy Spirit, “I love you.” Do you hear that voice?
In the musical, titled “Fiddler on the Roof”, an old man named “Tevye” who had been married to his wife, “Golde” for more than 25 years once asked her, “Do you love me?” “Do I what?” said Golde. “Do you love me?” “Do I love you? I think you are tired. Go inside and lie down!” “Golde, I’m asking you a question.” He said. “Do you love me?” “You’re a fool.” “I know,” said the husband, “Do you love me?” “Do I love you? For twenty-five years I’ve washed your clothes. Cooked your meals, cleaned your house. Given you children, milked the cow. After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now? I’m your wife.” “I know… But do you love me?” After a long pause, she said, “I suppose I do.” And the husband said to her, “I suppose I love you too. And you know what? After twenty five years it’s good to know.” When was the last time you said to your loved ones, “I love you?” Love makes our lives beautiful, meaningful and happy. God is love. How did God express His love for us? The best expression of God’s love is Jesus’ death on the cross for sinners.
Look at verses 6-8. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Spiritually speaking we were powerless, like weak and vulnerable prey in the jungle, helplessly waiting to be eaten by their predators. We became like this because we were unthankful, rebellious, selfish and proud. We were not worthy of someone dying for us. We were God’s enemies who betrayed His love. But God’s love for us didn’t change. He remained faithful to us. In the fullness of His time and according to His promise, God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to become the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. We generally think that love should be mutual. “If you love me, I will love you.” Love in today’s world is conditional love, a “give and take.” But God’s love for sinners was one-sided, sacrificial and unconditional love. God loved us even though we didn’t love Him. 1 John 4:10 reads, ‘This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
Read verses 9-10. “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him though the death of His Son, how much more, having being reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” God’s love for us does not stop at just forgiving our sins through Jesus’ death on the cross. Through his resurrection from the dead, we now can live with a great expectation of our resurrection body and a priceless inheritance - an inheritance kept in heaven for us. (1 Pe 1:3-4)
We were God’s enemies. But Jesus our Lord, who is a peace-maker, made us friends of God. Now, we can rejoice and enjoy our wonderful relationship with God our Father. We are forgiven only by the grace of God. Therefore, we cannot boast of our salvation. Yet, we can truly appreciate that we now have peace with Him and confidence in God’s love. Even though we are justified, we are not perfect as long as we live in our physical body. We no longer live by legalism but live by the grace of God in Jesus. We are precious children of God, belonging to the royal family in heaven, who has access to the unlimited grace of God by faith in Jesus. We will also be transformed in the glorious heavenly bodies and live with our Father in heaven. With this glorious hope, we can rejoice even in the midst of sufferings. We need to know and enjoy the full benefits of God’s salvation in our lives now and forever. Peace, grace, hope and joy through the indwelling Holy spirit. These are not small benefits. They are our greatest treasures. The gospel Paul preached is not religious rules but the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. May the Lord help us to enjoy the full benefits of His salvation, so that His glory may be revealed in the world. Read verses 1-2. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
