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Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 - |
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THE SPIRITUAL
BLESSINGS OF JUSTIFICATION (Rom 5:1-5) 7/29/07 Pastor INTRODUCTION A. Chapter five of Romans is
a glorious chapter in that we are no longer wallowing in the dregs of total
depravity of chapters 1-3. In fact, we have even gone past the glorious light
of the doctrine of justification in chapter four. Now we have ascended to the
great mountain, which overlooks all that the justified have obtained in
Christ. B. Paul speaks no longer of the sinner that
needs salvation, but of the believer who has salvation. Justification, God’s
declaration of righteousness, has been judicially executed on the believer’s
behalf. An aorist participle is used to declare that justification (dikaiōthéntes
- “having been justified”) has already taken place. The believer is
eternally and securely justified, for we read nowhere in Scripture where God
judicially un-justifies (cp. Rom 8:1). C. Note that Paul reiterates that
justification is “by faith (ek pisteōs),” the theme of Romans. D. Because (“therefore,” oun - logical
conclusion) the believer has been justified, he has obtained a spiritual
position in Christ through grace (4). The believer’s spiritual position
includes many more spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3) than just justification. But
according to Romans, justification opens the door to these spiritual
blessings. Lewis Sperry Chafer comments about these spiritual blessings, [There
are] thirty three stupendous works of God which together comprise the salvation
of a soul.…They are wrought of God; they are wrought instantaneously; they
are wrought simultaneously; they are grounded on the merit of Christ; and
being grounded on the merit of Christ, are eternal.” (Systematic Theology
Vol. III, p.234) I. PEACE WITH GOD (1) A. Paul expounds upon the
spiritual blessings given to believers. He begins with the fact that the
believer has “peace with God.” B. The believer has peace (eirếnê)
with God because the wrath of God has been pacified through Christ’s
propitiatory death (Rom 3:25; 5:9). C. So the peace that is spoken of here is not
a subjective or emotional peace, though the believer does experience that
kind of peace (Phil 4:7), rather it is an objective peace that is synonymous
with receiving God’s favor (Eph 2:1-7). D. Peace with God as well as any other
spiritual blessing comes through the agency (diá) of the person
and work of Jesus Christ. II. ACCESS TO GRACE (2) A. Furthermore, through
Christ’s agency (diá) on the cross, believers have obtained
access to the grace of God by faith. B. No one has access to God or His grace any
other way than through Christ. But believers have and continue to have in
their possession (“obtained” - perf C. What does it mean to have access to God’s
grace? 1. On the
one hand, it means that the believer has all the positional graces regarding
salvation. For example, His graces would be (1) Redemption - Rom 3:24; (2)
Propitiation - Rom 3:25; (3) Justification - Rom 4:23-25; (4) Objects of Love
- Rom 5:8; (5) Saved from Wrath - Rom
5:9; 8:1; (6) Reconciliation - Rom 5:10-11; (7) Died to Sin - Rom 6:1-10; (8)
Free from Law - Rom 7:2-6; (9) Co-heirs with Christ - Rom 8:17; (10)
Glorification - Rom 8:30; etc.. 2. On the other hand, it means that the believer
has all access to God’s enabling graces. For example, God give gives grace to
live the Christian life, to find mercy, to have victory over sin, and to help
in a time of need (Heb 4:16). III. HOPE IN TRIBULATION (3-4) A. Because the believer possesses
all spiritual blessings and because he is enabled to live the Christian life,
he is able to understand God’s purposes in tribulation (thlípsis -
lit. to press; afflictions, distresses, or calamites cp. Mat 24:21) and
have hope through them. B. Paul tells us that we can and should
“exult” (kaucháomai - in a good sense have confidence in God) in
our tribulations. This is the same word used in vs. 2 when the believer
exults in hope of the glory of God. The believer can have such a strong
confidence in God that he knows God is working all things together for good
(Rom 8:28). C. In addition, the believer knows that
tribulation brings about perseverance. Perseverance (hupomonế)
means to “remain under.” It is often translated, “endure.” The idea is that
when God brings trials, His purpose is not necessarily to remove it from us.
He has a purpose for those tribulations to work in our life. We are to remain
under and allow God to work in our lives. D. God’s ultimate purpose is to conform our
character to that of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul calls it “proven character”
or character that has been tested and approved. It is character that God
tests in order to make purer. Indeed all things are working together for that
very purpose (Rom 8:29). E. We then have hope; hope in knowing that
through all these trials, God is sovereign and all-powerful and is bringing
about His will. IV. LOVED BY GOD (5) A. The believer knows these
graces and positional truths are certain because he is ever coming to a fuller
knowledge of God’s eternal love for him. B. Many older commentators (Augustine,
Luther, not Calvin.) interpret the “love of God” in Rom 5:5 as the believer’s
love for God (objective genitive). While this is a truth taught in Scripture
(Gal 5:22; 1Jo 5:2), the majority of modern commentators (Dunn, Fitzmyer,
Moo, Käsemann, Lagrange) interpret the
“love of God” as meaning God’s love for the believer (subjective genitive). C. The context seems to support the latter
view. 1. Rom
5:1-3 teaches what God has done for the believer positionally. 2. Rom 5:6 begins with an explanatory “for”
(gàr). 3. Rom 5:6-8 explain God’s great love for
the believer. D. The believer receives
God’s grace in understanding the depths of God’s love for us in Christ. 1. God’s
love is lavished upon the believer (Eph 2:4). 2. God’s love is exhibited His when God
makes the believer His child (1Jo 3:1). 3. God’s love surpasses our knowledge (Eph
3:19). 4. God’s love cannot be separated by
anything (Rom 8:39). V. APPLICATIONS A. God’s Love For Man 1. There is
probably nothing more important than to be assured that God loves mankind
(Joh 3:16). 2. What many fail to understand is that in
order to experience God’s love, man must accept God’s love by accepting
Christ. There is no other way to experience God’s saving love. Until then,
man can only experience God’s wrath (Joh 3:36). B. God’s Love For The
Believer 1. There is
probably nothing more important than for the believer to understand the
depths of God’s love for him. 2. The result is that the believer… a) does not
fear (1Jo 4:18) b) loves God (1Jo 4:19) c) loves the brethren (1Jo 4:7, 20) d) knows that he has received God’s favor and
mercy (Rom 5:1-2) C. The Believer’s Spiritual
Position in Christ 1. When the
believer begins to grasp his spiritual position in Christ, he becomes
subjectively secure that he is objectively secure. 2. Furthermore, the believer becomes
grounded in the faith and grounded in God’s marvelous grace and love, which
leads to maturity in Christ. |
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