Okay, now look at Romans chapter
5. I want to take a look at verse
1 down through verse 6. But Romans chapter 5 verse 1
begins with the word, therefore. And as I said earlier in the
reading, it always looks back to the words before that were
given. Now we know that chapter divisions
in the Word of God were added by the translators when they
translated it from the original. And we have what we call the
King James Version, 1611 King James Version, which I think
is the best translation. We've been using it for years
and years and years, and it's okay to look at other translations
and compare. compare with this, but I think
what we use here is the best version of scripture. But chapter
divisions are added to help us, and verses are added to help
us find things. And oftentimes they're in the
right place, but I think maybe they have, could have done better
by including verse 25, starting the chapter there. or verse 24,
Romans chapter 4, because it talks about the Lord Jesus Christ
was raised up from the dead, the one that was delivered because
of our sins, our offenses, we have sinned against God. He was
delivered up because the only way that sin could be put away
was for God to have a just sacrifice in a substitute name Jesus Christ. He was delivered for our offenses
and He died for our sin according to Scripture. But He didn't stay
dead, He was raised again because He got the job done of putting
away our sin. He was raised again because that
word therefore could be rendered because He justified us. We're justified by His blood
as we read over here in chapter 5 verse 9. much more than being
now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
Him. Remember the verse in chapter
3, verse 24, turn there and let's read this again. being justified, Romans 3.24,
being justified freely by His grace through the redeeming blood
that is in the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God set forth to be the
propitiation. Now, it's a big word. It simply
means the sin-atoning sacrifice that removes our sin through
faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission
of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God to declare,
I say at this time, his righteousness that he might be just and the
justifier of those who believe in a blessed Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ. We only have justification by
the blood sacrifice of our substitute Jesus Christ, our Lord. He was
delivered because God made Him to be sin for us. He was delivered
for our offenses, for our sins and our transgression. All the
sins of God's elect, all the sin of God's people was laid
upon the Lord Jesus Christ. He suffered under the judgment
of God for our sin against God. He bare our sin in His own body
on the tree. Christ suffered the just for
the unjust that He might bring us unto God. And He was raised
from the dead, as it says there in verse 25. He was delivered
up according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God for our sins, and was raised again because He got the job
done, because He justified us. He justified us. His resurrection
The Lord Jesus Christ actually died under the judgment of God
for our sin. He died a real death, an atonement
for our sin. They took him down from a tree
and put his dead lifeless body in the tomb. And three days later
he walked out. signifying that what he did was
successful, signifying what he did was satisfying unto God,
he shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. The Lord Jesus Christ satisfied
God's law and justice on our behalf. And he was raised from
the dead to declare what he did was successful and satisfying
unto God. Therefore, you see how that leads
into therefore, being justified. Now, how are we justified? We're
clearly told in the Word of God that we're justified by the grace
of God through the blood atonement of Christ. You remember, look
just across the page here in Romans 3 verse 28, Romans 3,
28. Therefore, we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Now, what does saving faith look
unto? The Lord Jesus Christ, who's the justifier. We're justified
by his blood. Therefore, being justified in
and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the literal translation
of that verse goes this way, having been declared righteous,
then by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus
Christ. That's the Young's literal translation. Being justified or having been
declared righteous, then by faith, we have peace with God. Without
faith, it's impossible to please God. Well, therefore, so let's
look at verse one. Therefore, being, being, justified. Now what does it mean to be justified? It means to be cleared of all
guilt. To be considered in the sight
of God, having never sinned against God. Now that's justification,
that's biblical justification. Cleared of all guilt, and made
righteous in God's sight only in Christ. Now we read a moment
ago in Colossians chapter 1 verse 22, because His blood atonement
is so effectual to put away all our sin, we are presented to
God in Christ, unblameable, unreprovable in His sight. Now, I might look
horrible in your sight and the sights of others, but the believer
resting in the Lord Jesus Christ stands in Him complete, holy,
unblameable, unreprovable before God Almighty. Now, that's being
justified in the Lord Jesus Christ. In the book of Jude, the apostle
there writes, he's able to keep us from falling and to present
us faultless before the presence of God's glory with exceeding
joy. The Lord Jesus Christ is joyful
presenting us, his bride, his people, before the Father, completely
justified, made righteous, cleared of all guilt, having never sinned. Think of it. There is therefore
now no condemnation to those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's only by faith, you see,
they're being justified, or having been justified, Now by faith,
how do we receive this justification? How do we receive the Lord Jesus
Christ? Faith doesn't accomplish salvation,
does it? Faith doesn't accomplish justification, does it? Faith
receives Christ who did. We receive him by faith. God-given,
God-honoring faith. By faith, we have, what do we
have? We have peace. We have peace
with God. We have peace with God through,
it's always through, our Lord Jesus Christ, by faith. We read
in Hebrews 11, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen. And then we read in Hebrews 11
verse 6, without faith, Without faith, it is impossible to please
God. Those that come to God must believe
that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. Now, why would
you say, and this is talking about the faith of God's elect,
the faith that acknowledges the truth. Why would it be impossible
to please God without faith? A man without faith is a man
without Christ. That's how we receive the Lord
Jesus Christ. By God-given faith. God-given
faith always looks to the Lord Jesus Christ alone. We studied
recently in Hebrews about looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ. And
then in Isaiah 45, where he says, I am God. Beside me there is
no other. The only just God and Savior.
And then he says, look. Look unto me and be ye saved.
That's the look of faith. That's the look of faith. That's
eyes of faith that look to the Lord Jesus Christ for all of
salvation. And we know this faith, this
faith is a gift of God. Faith is not something that's
born in our natural heart, in our natural mind. What appeals
to this natural heart, this depraved heart, and this wicked mind? The only thing that appeals to
us naturally is unbelief. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. The natural man loves darkness,
not light. So true God-given faith always
looks to the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's the gift of God. It's
not something that evolves in us. It's the supernatural gift
of God. And it comes with being born
again. Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, he's born
of God. He's born of God. Peace with
God comes only by and through the Lord Jesus Christ, who made
peace for us with His own blood. He made peace for us. Now we
often hear in religious circles, we often hear people who don't
know the gospel, and are not rooted and grounded in the gospel,
they might say something like, Well, I'm trying to make peace
with God. You ever heard anybody say that? Well, I'm trying to
make peace with God. Forget it. You're a guilty, vile sinner
who cannot satisfy the Thrive Holy God. You cannot make peace
with God. Forget it. Don't go there. How
is peace made with God? God is holy, we're sinful. How
can I satisfy God's holy justice? Only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only in Christ. We read it a
moment ago, he made peace for us. He made peace for us with
his own blood. For in him dwelleth all the fullness
of a Godhead bodily, having made peace through his blood, 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, and you that were sometimes
alienated, enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath
he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present
you holy, unblameable, unreprovable in his sight. That's the blessings
of the gospel. He made peace for us. He made
peace for us with the blood of his cross. With the blood of
his cross. Why do we need peace with God? because we're sinners, because
we're guilty. Remember, we studied in chapter
3. You remember over there in chapter 3? Look at verse 19,
Romans chapter 3. Now we know that what things
whoever the law saith, is saith to them who are under the law,
that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty
before God. Why do we need peace with God?
Because we're guilty. Why do we need peace with God?
Because He's angry with the wicked every day. Why do we need peace
with God? Because He said, the foolish
shall not stand in His sight. Why do we need peace with God?
Because in Adam all died. In Adam all sinned. You remember
we read Romans chapter 5 verse 12. How did we get in the mess
that we're in by nature? I know what God has made us by
grace. But how did we get in the mess
that we're in being sinners before God? Verse 12, Wherefore, as
by one man, Adam, Go back to Genesis 3. By one man, sin entered
into the world. And you know what happened as
a result of sin? Death. Death, death, death, death. When sin is finished, it brings
forth death. So death, because of sin, has
passed upon all men in that all have sinned. What Adam did, you
did. When Adam sinned against God,
you were in him. What he did, you did. Now I've
got a homely illustration that helps us get a hold of that.
What Adam did, we did in him. We were in his loins. My mother
immigrated to this country in 1948. She grew up in Holland. And after
the war, she immigrated here in 1948. I was born. in Gooding, Idaho in 1952. And here's the point I'm trying
to make. You see the point I'm trying to make? What she did,
I did. When she came here, I came here
because I was in her. Four years later after she immigrated,
she had a baby boy named Thomas. So what she did, I did. I was
in her. And what Adam did, I did. When
he sinned, I sinned, and you did too. And that death and guilt
has been passed upon all men in whom all have sinned. We don't
become sinners by sinning. We sin because we are sinners.
We're born in sin, shapen in iniquity. That's how we get here.
You ever wondered why little infant babies die? because they're sinners. Death
is always the result of sin, whether it's a one-year-old,
a one-day-old, or somebody that's 100 years old. Death, we may
die by this disease, or that disease, or this bullet, or that
ax, or that sword, or whatever. But the result of sin is death. The good news of the gospel is
where sin hath abounded, moreover the law entered in that the offense
might abound, but where sin abounded, grace does much more abound. The wages of sin, that is death. But the gift of God, the gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It's only
through Christ that we have redemption, reconciliation. Notice Romans
5 verse 1, through, through, in, by, because of our Lord Jesus
Christ. In the flesh, no man can be justified
by the deeds of the law. No sinner can be justified. It's
only through Christ we have redemption from our sin. It's only through
Christ that we have righteousness before God. It's only through
Christ that we are reconciled unto God. Therefore, only in
Christ do we have peace with God. In Isaiah 32, it says, the
work of righteousness, verse 17, and the work of righteousness
shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and
assurance forever. The work of righteousness. Now
who's that talking about? It's not talking about the deeds
of your hand. The best moral day you've ever had. The cleanest
day you've ever had. And the best day you've ever
had is nothing but vanity. It's nothing but filthy rags
in God's sight. Don't look to it. Don't trust
it. Be done with it. Don't put any confidence in the
flesh. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ alone. So, therefore,
being justified by faith. You see it? We have peace. Peace with God. Peace with Almighty
God. We're accepted in the Beloved
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, he goes on, by whom also. You mean there's more? By whom
also we have access. We have access. By faith, there
it is again, faith is the precious gift of God. By faith into this
grace, salvation is by the grace of God. By the grace of God,
we have access by faith. Into this grace. Look right across
the page, right there at the bottom of the page, Romans chapter
four, verse 16. Therefore, it is of faith that
it might be by grace. To the end, the promise might
be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the
law, but that which is also the faith of Abraham, who is the
father of us all. It is therefore of faith that
it might be by grace. We only have access to God by
faith, believing him. By whom also we have access by
faith. Faith looks to the Lord Jesus
Christ. Access is a door. The Lord Jesus Christ said, I
am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved. Christ is our access. He is our
door. Every one of you that came in
here this morning, how'd you get in this building? I guarantee
you, you didn't climb up through this window, did you? How'd you
get in here? You came through that door. You
had access into this building through that door. The Lord Jesus
Christ is that door of salvation. Look to Him. Come to Him. Rest
in Him. By whom we have access by faith
into this grace through our Lord Jesus Christ by which we, by
which we, what? Wherein we stand. We stand accepted
in the Beloved. We stand complete in the Lord
Jesus Christ, because in Him dwells all the fullness of the
Godhead bodily. And we stand in Him. We stand
upon that rock, that solid rock, that foundation. The foundation
of God stands assured. The Lord knoweth them that are
His. David said on his deathbed, Although it be not so with my
house, God hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things, and it is certain, and it is sure. That's what we
have in Christ. We have access by faith to the
throne of grace. He said, Come boldly to the throne
of grace, that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help
in time of need, wherein we stand. We stand accepted in the beloved,
and you know what? We not only stand there, but
we rejoice. We rejoice in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Did you notice over here in verse 11, not only so, but also
joy in God, we rejoice. Not only so, but also joy in
God through our Lord Jesus Christ, for whom we now have received
the atonement, or reconciliation. Christ is our joy. He's our joy. We rejoice in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and we have no confidence in the flesh. We stand in Him,
we rejoice in Him, and notice this other word. I love these
words here. Faith, grace, we stand, we rejoice, and we have
hope. We have hope. Hope. We have a good hope, don't we?
Paul writes about that in 2 Thessalonians. We have an everlasting consolation
in Jesus Christ himself. We have an everlasting consolation
and a good hope through grace. It all gets back to grace, doesn't
it? These are big words. These are glorious words. Justified.
Peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have access by faith. We have grace. We stand. We rejoice. And we have hope. Hope. A good hope. And then it says
we glory. We glory. It's the hope of the
glory of God. It's the hope of the glory of
God. Salvation is so arranged by God Almighty in His infinite
wisdom that the Lord Jesus Christ must have all the honor and all
the glory. You remember the story that we
studied several times in the book of Exodus? When Moses prayed to the Lord,
Lord, show me your glory. Remember Exodus 33? Remember
what the Lord said to him? I'll call all my goodness to
pass before you. He said, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy. Lord, show me your glory. What
did he say? I'll have mercy on whom I will
have mercy. My greatest need, God's greatest
glory is my greatest need. I need mercy. It's of the Lord's
mercies that were not consumed. Did you know that? The hope of
the glory of God is the Lord Jesus Christ alone. So you see
how he's building his case here? And he goes on. Look at verse
3. And not only is that so, not only is that true, I mean, That's
saying a whole lot. We're justified. We have peace.
We have access. In His grace we stand and then
we rejoice in this hope of the glory of God. And not only is
all that true, not only is all that, it's just so. It's true. But, he says, we also glory in
this. And that word glory means rejoice.
We also glory, or we also rejoice in tribulations. Also, knowing that tribulations
work as patience, and patience experience and experience hope. Now, not only is that so, we
have peace, access, we stand, we rejoice, But also, we rejoice
and we glory in tribulation. We rejoice in tribulation. James writes this, he said, my
brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptation
knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience. Patience. We glory, we rejoice
in tribulation. Our Lord said in this world,
these words have I spoken unto you that in me you might have
peace. In this world you shall have tribulations. We all know about that, don't
we? Trouble, trouble, trouble. Now we don't rejoice in the pain
of trouble. We don't rejoice in the heartache
of trouble. But we do rejoice in the effect of trouble and
trial in our life, knowing, for the believer now, for the believer,
and I'm talking to believers, knowing that they are appointed
by the Lord for our good. They're appointed by the Lord
for our good. A dear old preacher brother,
Scott Richardson, lived up in Fairmont, West Virginia,
way back in the 30s and 40s, and he preached up there for
almost 50 years. And he had this statement. He
said, I never forgot what he said. He said, our disappointments
are God's appointments. Our disappointments are God's
appointments. He appointed the way that we
should go. We read about in 1 Peter 1. Turn over there. 1 Peter 1. These
trials are for our good. Whom the Lord loveth, he chastens
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. In 1 Peter 1. Look at verse 6. 1 Peter 1.6. Wherein ye greatly
rejoice, Though now for a season, if need be, O it's need be, you
are in heaviness through manifold temptation, that the trial of
your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though
it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor
and to glory, the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom have
we not seen, you love? Whom though now you see him not
yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, full of glory,
receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your soul."
Turn over here to another reference on this trial of God, tried of
God. Turn to 2 Corinthians 4. 2 Corinthians
4. And while you're looking at 2
Corinthians 4, 17, we all know the scripture said, In Romans
8, 28, and we know that all things work together for good to them
who are the called, to them who love God according to God's eternal
purpose. Second Corinthians 4, 17 is working
for our good to them who love God. Romans 4, Excuse me, 2 Corinthians
chapter 4, let's read it verse 15. 2 Corinthians 4 at verse
15. For all things are for your sake
that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many
redound to the glory of God. For the rich cause we thank not
though the outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed
day by day for our light affliction. which is but for a moment, worketh
for us a far more an exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
While we look not at things which are seen, but things which are
not seen, for the things that are seen are temporal, the things
which are not seen are eternal." So these light afflictions, they're
just for a moment, and they're working for our good. They don't
work against us. They don't work against us. Now
back to the text, Romans 5 verse 3, knowing not only so, but with
glory and tribulation, knowing that tribulation worketh, it
works in us. What does it work in us? It doesn't
work rebellion, not in the believer. It works patience, patience,
and patience, experience, and experience hope, experience hope. God sends trials to teach us
by experience to patiently wait upon the Lord and a willingness
to submit unto His will. I remember my pastor telling
a story about this young believer who was somewhat anxious and
impatient and he went to his faithful old pastor, and asked
him, and told him, said, pastor, he said, I just don't have any
patience. Would you pray for me? And would you tell me what
I should do to have some patience in these heartaches, in these
trials? And the old preacher said, well, let's pray. Let's
pray together. And he bowed his head, and they prayed. And the
old preacher prayed, Lord, send this man heartache. Send this
man trial. Send this man trouble. And after
the old man was through praying, the young man said, maybe you
misunderstood what I said. I said, I need some patience. He said, that's how patience
comes, through trial, heartache, and sorrow. Not only so, but
with glory and tribulation, also knowing that tribulation worketh,
worketh patience, patience. Wait upon the Lord, and again
I say, wait upon the Lord. Cast thy burden upon the Lord,
and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous
to be moved. Wait upon the Lord. Cast all
your burden. We read in 1 Peter chapter 5.
Casting all your burden upon Him, for He cares for you. Cast
your burden upon the Lord. Verse 4. Romans 5 verse 4. And patience. What is patience?
Patience in trial and heartache and sorrow. What's the fruit
of that? Experience. You don't really believe anything
until you've experienced it in your heart. Patience brings experience
and experience hope. Hope. Patiently waiting upon
the Lord. brings experience or proof of
the promise of God to bless his people, being fully persuaded
all that God has promised, he's able to perform. He has promised
us in his word that he said, my grace is sufficient. Let's
see if we can find that. That's over here in 2 Corinthians
chapter 12. His grace is sufficient for the
trial. Whatever trial God sends you, it comes from the hand of
our loving Father, whom the Lord loveth, He scourgeth, and trieth
every son whom He loves. Trials come from the hand of
our loving Father, but He gives us grace. 2 Corinthians chapter
12, look at verse 7. And least I should be exalted
above measure through the abundance of revelation, There was given
to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet
me. This is God's special chosen
servant. Read this man's experience. I
mean, he had trial after trial after trial. Every city he went,
he was run out. There was a riot, a revolution,
sometimes a revival. lest I should be exalted above
measure, through the abundance of revelation there was given
to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet
me, to beat me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For
this thing I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart
from me. Lord, just take this trouble
away, take this trial away. And he said to me, verse 9, my
grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect
in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will
I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecution,
Paul, you don't mean this. You don't mean you're enjoying
these, you've taken pleasure in infirmities and persecutions? They was beaten and stoned and
whipped. Persecution in distress is for
Christ's sake, for when I'm weak, that's when I'm strong. When
I realize, Lord, if you don't help, I'm gone. Lord, if you
don't save, I'm gone. He has promised us his grace
is sufficient. We all know about trials, don't
we? We're either in one, coming out of one, or headed for one.
That's just this life. And the Lord sends these trials
into the lives and hearts of believers for our good. That's
what He's saying here in this text. Go back again to Romans
5. Patience, experience, and experience
hope. Verse 5. Hope, make it not a
shame. Because the love of God, we have
a good hope through grace. In this hope we have in Christ.
Christ himself is our hope. Christ himself is our hope. Christ
in you, the hope of glory. And this hope, make it not a
shame. Believers are not ashamed to own the Lord Jesus Christ.
And here's why. Because the love of God is shed
in our hearts, shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
which is given unto us. The hope we have in Christ, believers
are not ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can say with the Apostle
Paul, As he says there, I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for I
know whom I have believed. And I'm persuaded he is able
to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. And
again in Romans 1, he says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ, for it's the power of God and the salvation to everyone
that believes, to the Jew and also to the Gentile. The love
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. How do we know anything about
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? It's by the revelation
of God the Holy Spirit that reveals Christ unto us. God who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts. that
we might see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
He hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed
them unto his children. When it pleased God, Paul writes,
who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace
that he might reveal His Son in me, that I
might preach Him among the heathen. Immediately I confer not with
flesh and blood, but when it please God, who separate me from
my mother's womb, and then call me by His grace to reveal His
Son in me. Let's go back and read this again.
Verse one. Therefore, being justified, By
faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand, we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not
only is that so, we glory in tribulation. Also knowing, knowing
that tribulation works patience. Wait upon the Lord and patience,
experience. and experience hope, a good hope
through grace. And hope make us not ashamed
because this love of God, this love of God has been shed abroad
in our hearts. by the Holy Ghost, which is given
unto us. Our Lord said, when the Comforter
has come, He'll bring all things to your remembrance. And then
when the Lord Jesus Christ is departing, ready to go to Calvary
Street, and He's talking about the Holy Spirit, and the office,
and the paramount purpose, and the chief purpose of the Holy
Spirit, He says, when the Holy Spirit has come, He'll take the
things of mine and show them unto you. What does God the Holy
Spirit comfort His people with? Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. Hope, make it not a shame, because
His love of God is shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Spirit
that's given unto us. That's how we're quickened. That's
how He makes Himself known to us by the revelation of Christ,
by the power of God the Holy Spirit. Now I'm going to save verse 6
for next week. I've used up all my time. But when we were yet without
strength and due time, Christ died for the ungodly.