Romans 5:1-5
WHY TRUE BELIEVERS CAN REJOICE
Intro: Thus far in Romans, Paul has spent considerable
time detailing man's need for salvation. We have
learned that man is a sinner and that he abides under
the wrath of God. We have learned that nothing
associated with religion, works, the Law, or with rituals
can ever provide salvation to humanity. We have seen
that we are totally dependent upon faith to bring us into
a right relationship with the Lord. It all comes down to
realizing that it is not what we do that makes the
difference in the saving of our souls, it is all about Who
we know. When we know Jesus, we have salvation,
when we do not know Jesus, we are lost, 1 John 5:12.
With this truth firmly nailed down, Paul now moves
forward in his discussion of the doctrines of salvation.
Now, Paul begins to tell his readers the benefits of
being saved by grace through faith. In these first 5
verses of chapter 5, Paul tells us Why True Believers
Can Rejoice in their salvation. It is that theme that I
want to spend some time looking at this evening. I want
to tell you Why True Believers Can Rejoice. If you
haven't been in a rejoicing mood lately, I want to show
you why every child of God has the right to praise the
Lord and be filled with "joy unspeakable and full of
glory", 1 Peter 1:8.
I. V. 1a OUR POSITION AS BELIEVERS
(Ill. The first reason we have for rejoicing is that of our
position in Christ Jesus. Notice what this great verse
says about our position.)
A. Our Position Declared - Paul says that we who
have believed have been "justified". This is a
word that many do not fully understand.
Basically, it means "to count someone
righteous." It means "to reckon, to account, to
judge, to treat, or to look upon as righteous."
It does not mean to make righteous! It does
mean that we are treated like we were righteous.
(Ill. We are all sinners! Even though most of us
claim to be Christians, we are still sinners!
Justification does not mean that God is not aware
of our sins. It does mean that in spite of our sins,
God treats us as though we were not sinners.
Even though we are unrighteous and wicked, God
treats us as though we were as righteous and
pure as He is Himself.)
(Ill. How is this possible? It happens because
when the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He paid
for ALL of our sins. Then when we receive Him
as our Savior, God gives us the righteousness of
Christ, 2 Cor. 5:21. Justification does not mean
that we are perfect, it just means that God sees
us as though we were!)
(Ill. Imagine a man on trial for murder. The
prosecution knows he is guilty, the defendant
knows he is guilty and even the judge knows he
is guilty, but the jury finds him not guilty. Even
though nearly everyone in that courtroom knows
the man is guilty of murder, he is treated like an
innocent person because he has been declared
innocent. When I stand before the Lord, I know
I am guilty, the devil knows I am guilty and God
knows I am guilty. However, because I have
trusted Jesus, God treats me as though I was
innocent because He has justified me!)
(Ill. If this truth ever dawned in the depths of our
souls, it would change us forever!)
B. Our Position Described - How did this great
miraculous and fantastic justification come
about in your life and mine? By faith! We didn't
earn it! We didn't deserve it! All we did was
take God at His Word concerning the Person
and Work of the Lord Jesus and God justified
us by faith!
(Ill. I am grateful this evening that salvation is
the product of faith alone! If it relied on my
ability to perform, I would be lost. If it required
me to keep a list of rules perfectly, I would be
lost. If it required me be a good person, I would
be lost. Thank God, it is all by faith!)
I. Our Position As Believers
II. V. 1b-2 OUR POSSESSIONS AS BELIEVERS
(Ill. In these verses, Paul lists for us some of the
benefits of justification. Because we are considered
righteous by the Lord, there are certain things that
belong to us tonight. These possessions are very
precious and should never be taken for granted, but we
should meditate on them and allow them to be the
catalyst for rejoicing in the Lord.)
A. V. 1b We Possess Acceptance - According to
Paul, salvation brings with it peace with God!
This is a truth that can hardly be understood by
our mortal minds! You see, every lost person is
the enemy of God, Rom. 8:7. But, when that
lost person turns to Jesus Christ by faith, God
declares an end to the hostilities! God declares
peace. He them brings that person into a right
relationship with Himself. When Jesus is trusted
by faith, that person enjoys immediate peace
with God. What does this mean?
1. God's wrath is turned away - Rom. 5:9.
2. Heaven is satisfied - 1 John 2:2
3. Old enemies have been reconciled - 2 Cor.
5:18
(Ill. There is an expression that I have heard
many people use over the years. It involves
"Making peace with God." I read about an old
saint who was dying. He was visited by a friend
who asked him, "Have you made you peace with
God?" The man replied, "No, I haven't." To that
his friend said, "What! Oh you must make peace
with God." "I'm sorry, I cannot do that.", replied
the dying man. His friend said, "But you must!
Don't you know that it is dangerous to die without
making peace with God?" To this, the dying man
said, "But how can I make peace with God? My
Lord made peace with me 2,000 years ago when
He died on the cross, and I accepted it. I have
had peace ever since!" This man understood
the truth of Colossians 1:20, "And, having made
peace through the blood of his cross, by him
to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I
say, whether they be things in earth, or
things in heaven.")
(Ill. We don't make peace with God, He made
peace with us at the cross. Now, we must
accept that and when we do, we are given peace
with God. This is the first permanent blessing
the every child of God receives at the very
instant of salvation. We are accepted by God!
We are at peace with Him!)
B. V. 2a We Possess Access - This verse teaches
us the truth that through Jesus Christ, we have
direct access to God Himself. The word
"access" means "to enter the presence of the
king." Through Jesus, we have the right to enter
into the very presence of the God of Heaven
without fear! We have access to the Heavenly
Father!
(Ill. This must have been a radical idea to Paul's
readers. Most of them came from a religious
background that demanded that a respectful
distance be maintained between the worshiper
and God. Think for a minute about the Temple!
Gentiles were restricted to the outer court of the
Temple. If they went any further in, they could
be executed. Women were restricted to "The
Court Of Women". Then, there was the "Holy
Place". Where only the priests could minister.
Beyond this, there was the "Holy of Holies".
Only the High Priest was permitted to enter this
room, and then only once per year on the Day of
Atonement, and he could not enter without the
blood of an innocent sacrifice. The message
was crystal clear: "Keep Your Distance!")
(Ill. Paul's message is that through Jesus, we
have full access to the Father in Heaven!)
(Ill. A little boy once stood outside the gate of
Buckingham Palace in London. He wanted to
talk to the king, but was sternly turned away by
the guards at the gate. As he stood there crying,
a well-dressed man approached him and asked
the little fellow why he was so upset. The little
boy told the man his story. When he had heard
the reason behind the little boy's tears, he smiled
and said, "Here, hold my hand, sonny. I'll get
you in. Just you never mind those soldier!" The
little boy took the strangers hand and together
they approached the gate. When the soldiers
saw them coming, they all snapped to attention
and open wide the gate for the stranger and the
little boy to enter. He was lead through the gate,
across the courtyard, down carpeted hallways
and through open doors, until finally, he was
brought into the very presence of the king
himself. What got him there? He was holding
the right hand! You see, the kind stranger was
none other than the Prince of Wales, the king's
own son.)
(Folks, There is only one way to Heaven: Jesus,
John 14:6. If we are holding His hand, we will
have no trouble entering the presence of the
Father!)
C. V. 2b We Possess Assurance - Not only is there
peace with God and access into God presence,
but the believer also enjoys blessed, deep-settled assurance of salvation. Notice that the
assurance we have is two-fold.
1. Assurance Here - Notice the phrase, "grace
wherein we now stand." The word "stand"
carries the idea of permanence, of being
firmly fixed and immovable. Basically, this
verse teaches us that we are absolutely
secure in the Lord Jesus Christ. In other
words, this verse is all about our eternal
security as believers.
(Ill. The eternal security of the believer is a
doctrine that many do not hold to this evening.
Many people prefer to believe that a person
can be saved and then, somehow, they can
lose their salvation and need to be saved all
over again. These folks laugh at us Bible
believers who affirm the security of the
believer. And, one of the main problems they
express with the doctrine is that it leads to
loose living among many who profess to be
eternally saved. Sadly, they are right! Many
use the eternal security of the believer as a
license to commit sin. However, the person
who lives such a life neither understands
eternal security, nor does he understand
salvation! Our security in Christ leads the
genuine believer to live a clean, holy life. A
life of gratitude to the One Who paid the
ultimate price to provide salvation in the first
place.)
(Ill. According to verse one, we are saved, or
justified, by faith right? That is, we did not
earn, buy or get it as a reward. Salvation was
given as a gift! Okay, if that is true, then verse
two says that we "stand" (firmly affixed) by
grace. In other words, it was faith that saved
the soul, and it is grace that keeps the soul!
To say that we are saved by trusting Jesus
and then, after that, we must keep ourselves
saved, is a total contradiction. If I can keep
myself saved, why don't I just go ahead and
do the whole job? The answer? I can't do
either! I was saved by grace and I am kept by
grace, 1 Pet. 1:5. It is all God all the way!)
(Ill. Note Romans 8:31-34. These verses tell
us that the highest court in the universe has
declared the believer to be justified. Where is
the court that can over turn that verdict?)
(Ill. There is always someone who wants to
ask what if this or what if that. Well,
regardless of the if, the child of God is still
secure in Jesus! Notice the following:
1. What if I deny Him? - 2 Tim. 2:13
2. What if I cannot hold out? - Phil. 1:6;
Jude 24; Gal. 3:3
3. What if I sin after I am saved? - Col.
2:13-14; Rom. 5:20; 1 John 1:9
4. What if it is you are wrong? - John 6:37
Hey, I've got some "what if's". What if we
stopped looking for a reason not to believe
and just started taking the Lord at His Word?
What if we just believed that the same God
Who was powerful enough to save us was
also able to keep us? What if we just let
"eternal" mean "eternal"? What if we just let
"everlasting" mean "everlasting"? What if we
just rejoiced in the salvation we have in Him
and rested in the blessed assurance that is
ours by faith? What if we just stopped looking
for a reason to doubt God and just took Him at
His Word?
(Ill. The bottom line is that you can have
absolute assurance here!)
2. Assurance Hereafter - Just as sure as we
can know and believe that we are saved and
secure in this life, so too, we can have that
same assurance beyond this life. Eternal
security extends beyond the grave - Rom.
8:29-30. From these verses, it is plain to see
that our security has already been planned by
God. That is why we can say this evening
that we are as sure for Heaven as if we had
already been there 10,000 years!
I. Our Position As Believers
II. Our Possessions As Believers
III. V. 3-5 OUR PRIVILEGES AS BELIEVERS
(Ill. We are saved and we are secure, but right now, we
live in a world of trials and tribulations. We need help
tonight in these areas as well. Notice some of the great
privileges that are our as believers in Jesus Christ.)
A. V.3a The Ability To Rejoice In Trouble - Paul
says that the Christian can rejoice in the bad
times of life. Why is this true? Because of the
little word "knowing". When the trials of life
descend, the true believer knows that God is
working our His will in our lives and is attempting
to produce in us a state of Christlikeness. God is
trying to make us like Jesus.
(Ill. The word "tribulations" means "pressure".
There are certainly times when this life will exert
pressure on the child of God. However, the
mature Christian also knows that it takes pressure
to produce Christlikeness. Pressure is the
process used to turn coal into diamonds. And, it
is pressure in the life of the believer that forces
out more of the old, sinful nature and reveals
more of the image of God.)
(You see, we can rejoice in trouble if we will
remember that every trial is a blessing from the
very hand of God, Rom. 8:28. That is will
produce in us more of the image of Jesus. That
when we have been chosen to suffer for Him, He
is merely helping us become more like Him. With
that in mind, it is easier to endure the difficult
days.)
B. V. 3b-5a The Ability To Recognize Our Troubles - In this section, Paul tells us all about
the benefits derived from the "pressures" of life.
Note the progression mentioned in these verses.
1. Tribulation - Pressure
2. Patience - Endurance
3. Experience - Proven Character or Maturity
4. Hope - The confident expectation that we will
not be disappointed.
Basically, what Paul is saying is that when
troubles come in our lives as a result of our walk
with the Lord, we learn to endure and through
endurance we are matured and proven in our
character, then as we see God sustain us in the
difficult time, we can rest in the deep settled
knowledge that He is in control and will see us
through.
Ill. Simply stated, the more we endure for Jesus,
the more we become like Him! And that is a good
thing!
(Ill. You can mark this down, "The road to maturity
is paved with struggle!" Just as any growing saint
of God.
1. Ask Abraham and he will point to Mt. Moriah.
2. Ask Jacob and he will point to a pillow of
stone.
3. Ask Joseph and he will point to a Egyptian
prison.
4. Ask Moses and he will point to the backside of
the desert.
5. Ask the three Hebrew children and they will
point to a fiery furnace.
6. Ask Daniel and he will point to a den of lions.
7. Ask Peter and he will point to a Roman fire
and his three denials.
8. Ask John and he will point to Patmos.
9. Ask any believer who has traveled far with
Jesus and he will tell you that "God's
blessings are poured from a bitter cup!"
C. V. 5b The Ability To Rest In Our Troubles - If
life is to be difficult and there is to be trouble in
my life, then how can I rejoice and how can I
rest? The answer lies in this verse. Paul tells us
that the love of God, like a vast river, is constantly
being poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit!
When we were saved, God placed His Spirit into
us. The Holy Spirit is like a conduit through which
streams vast quantities of the great love of God.
(Ill. As we go through this life, there will be many
difficult days. However, as we face all the things
that will come our way, we always have the
precious Holy Spirit in us to guide us, to teach us,
to constantly remind us of the awesome love of
God for His children. He makes the trip bearable!
He makes the destination believable. If we will
but learn to rest in the Spirit of God, He has the
power to keep our hearts in perfect peace,
regardless of how difficult the way becomes,
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose
mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in
thee.", Isa. 26:3.)
Conc: If you ask me, these reasons are more than
sufficient to give every child of God justification to
rejoice in God and in His salvation. I am sure the Lord
has spoken to some hearts this evening.
Maybe you aren't saved and want to get in on
justification. Jesus is available is you will come to Him
by faith. Maybe you have been worried over doubts
concerning your eternal security as a believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ. There is help in Him if you will come.
Maybe you have been going through trials and
tribulations and they have just about got the better of
you. Why not bring them to Jesus and let Him let you
understand that He is just duplicating His life in you? If
there are needs, this altar is the place where they will
be met. Will you come if the Lord is speaking to your
heart?
