Pastor Jann Braaksma
Who wrote the Book of Romans? Paul
Is Romans one of the Gospels? No – one of nine letters to churches Paul wrote.
Help me out please – the first six books of the New Testament are; Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and Romans.
We believe Paul wrote Romans to introduce himself to the people in Rome before his visit there and to give a sample of his message.
The key verse is considered to be 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
With the word therefore, Paul indicates a conclusion based on his previous argument. In chapter 4, Paul showed how sinners, both Jews and Gentiles, are justified by faith.
Let’s stop here for a moment and see how John Wesley defined justification.
From my Wesley Study Bible – the core term – justification.
“John Wesley agreed with the Protestant Reformers that justification is making our relationship with God right through Jesus Christ. But Wesley understood justification in a particular way: God’s mercy and grace, shown in the suffering and death of Jesus on our behalf, pardons our sins and restores our capacity for love of God and neighbor.
This occurs in the exercise of faith that is a gift from God to actively trust in Jesus and receive God’s pardon and acceptance. It results in a renewal of the image of God in us that had been damaged by sin, so that we might begin lifelong growth in Christ-likeness as the Holy Spirit enables us to love God and neighbor.
What God has done for us (justification) and what God does in us (sanctification) are together a part of God’s work of restoring the whole of creation back into right relationship to God.”
So, justification is making our relationship with God right through Jesus Christ, and enables us to love God and neighbor.
Back to the verse – Paul begins to describe how having been justified through faith affects our relationship with God.
First, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Having peace with God means there is no more hostility between us and God, no sin blocking our relationship with Him.
More than that, a new relationship has been established, so we no longer dread the outcome of judgment but live under the protection established by God.
Verse 2 reads – (Our Lord Jesus Christ) through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
Please don’t miss the ‘justified through faith’ in verse 1 and ‘access by faith’ here, the Holy Bible doesn’t read by works, it’s by faith. “And we live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corn. 5:7)
Not only has Christ made us right with God, but He also has given us personal access to God, bringing us into this grace in which we now stand.
Ephesians 6:13b says; “after you have done everything, to stand.”
We have been brought into a place of favor with God. Instead of being His enemies, we are His own children. Humankind was created for glory, but because of sin, had fallen “short of God’s glorious standard”.
It is God’s purpose to recreate His image, His glory, fully in us so that we can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Remember, John 3:17 says – “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Anticipating our future with God ought to bring great joy. We stand in God’s grace, and the outcome of our lives is secure in God’s hands. We no longer need to be haunted by thoughts of judgment; now we can reflect upon and respond to His grace.
Verse 3 seems to make a left turn. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings. What?!? Rejoice in our sufferings?? I’ll pass thanks.
For Christians, suffering does not negate the reality of God’s love, but provides the occasion to affirm and apply it.
This character quality of learning to persevere is not an end in itself. It is one step in a process. Perseverance develops character and character, hope.
The word character (dokime) includes the idea of “approved as a result of testing.” A person with this kind of character is known for their inward qualities rather than any outward appearances.
The end result of this chain reaction is hope. And hope is confidence that God is in control and will see us through. The difficulties of life are not random, meaningless, or wasted when we are trusting God.
A song I hear on the radio says; “don’t let this storm go to waste.” And that would seem to fit here. Don’t let the trial or suffering go to waste. Use it to test us, prove us and take us deeper in our faith and hope in Jesus Christ.
Verse 5 – 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.
When our hope and trust is in God, we are absolutely assured that He will fulfill all that He has promised – we will be resurrected to eternal life and will be with Him in glory.
Why? Because God has already poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We can have hope in God because of the nature of His love.
And we buy the Holy Spirit with money, right?
We earn the Holy Spirit by good works?
Memorizing enough bible verses?
Perfect attendance to worship or Sunday school or Youth group?
Then how do we receive the Holy Spirit? By asking God. By receiving Him by faith.
Verse 8 – But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Christ’s death is the highest manifestation of God’s love for us. While we were rebellious and despicable, Christ died for us so that we could come to God, find peace with Him, and become heirs of His promises.
Christ did not die so that we could be made lovable; Christ died because God already loved us and wanted to bring us close to Himself.
(Verse 9) God justified us through the blood of Christ shed on the cross.
Because God is holy, He could not accept us by simply disregarding or ignoring our sins. Instead, those sins had to be dealt with.
And God did this through the sacrificial death of His Son. Again, this justification (our right relationship with God and loving God and neighbor) is God’s approval, given to us only on the basis of what Christ did.
We didn’t earn it or pay for it or really deserve it. Christ did the work, took the blame, died in our place. We get the benefit.
It is an acquittal that sets free all of us who were otherwise hopeless prisoners of sin. If Christ’s blood was shed on our behalf, then His blood will certainly save us from God’s wrath.
We were enemies because we were rebels against God. Because of Christ’s death, we were reconciled to God.
Because Christ’s death accomplished this, so His life – His present resurrection life- delivers us from eternal punishment and insures our salvation.
Knowing all that God has accomplished should cause us to rejoice – again I say rejoice.
Paul has already told his readers that they should rejoice in sharing God’s glory (5:2) and in their suffering (5:3). Now he exclaims that they should rejoice in God.
We rejoice in God because Christ took our sins upon Himself and paid the price for them with His own death, instead of punishing us with the death we deserve.
Through faith in His work, we become His friends and are no longer enemies and outcasts.
And what do we do with this knowledge? Smile and nod our heads?
Go right on living as we always have?
I want us to take a moment and sit in silence before God. Tell Him you are sorry. Thank Him for all He has done. Ask to receive the Holy Spirit. Or simply sit in silence.
One moment of silence will be kept and we will close with “Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary.”
Resources Wesley Study Bible; The Life Application Bible and Life Application New Testament Commentary.