All right, let's look at Romans
chapter five. I'm gonna just read up to Romans 10 so we can
keep with the context. But what the Apostle Paul is
inspired by the Holy Spirit to do here is kind of like summarize
the whole Christian life as a life of grace, a life that is lived
in and by the power of God. It's not by our own power. It's
not by our own goodness. It's not by anything in us, but
it's by what God has done for us through Christ in reconciling
us unto himself. And he says in verse one, therefore
being justified by faith, by Christ. Think of it that way. Justified based on his righteousness
imputed. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Now he speaks of peace with God.
That's the same as being reconciled to God. God reconciled to us
and us reconciled to God. The Bible tells us that that
peace comes by the blood of the cross. In other words, it doesn't
come by my making my peace with God. It comes from Christ making
peace with God. and as our surety and our substitute,
by whom, verse two, we also, we have access by faith into
this grace wherein we stand. Our access to God is by looking
to Christ and resting in Christ, pleading his merits. That's how
we get to Christ. That's established from the very
beginning. When God, look at the example of Cain and Abel,
how did, why didn't Cain have access to God just like Abel?
Because he didn't bring the blood. the blood which pictured the
blood of the Lamb of God. And he says, we rejoice in the
hope of the glory of God. That's the key to understanding
whether or not my hope is a good hope. Does it glorify God as
he reveals himself in the word? See, that's what people today
in religion, who talk about giving glory to God. Mostly what they
mean by that is, well, we just give God credit for everything.
But that's not what it means to give glory to God. Yes, we
give him credit for creation, for providence, for salvation,
for our blessings. But the glory of God is his honor,
his majesty, as he reveals himself, so that if I'm giving glory to
God, but it's not the God of the Bible, who reveals himself
as the God of the Bible, then what am I doing? I'm giving glory
to an idol. Somebody says, well, you gotta
dot every I and cross every, no, you just gotta believe God.
And so we give glory to God. My hope of salvation, my assurance
of salvation, My peace, my being reconciled to God, my claim,
does it give glory to God and God alone? Because he won't share
his glory. Or does it give glory to me?
Now, if I believe salvation, you all heard Randy, if you saw
the funeral service, you heard Randy talk about how he taught
the students skoka, salvation conditioned on Christ alone.
And Aaron always remembered that. And he said, it's just simple
to me. You know, when all these people get off on righteousness
within and what I do and all that, he said, it's all simple
to me. It's salvation conditioned on Christ alone. If it's conditioned
on you, then that means you're gonna try to get some glory,
whether you believe that or not. But if it's conditioned on Christ
alone, he gets all the glory. So verse three, and not only
so, but also we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh
patience, troubles, the trials, I'm gonna talk about that in
the message, but it works endurance. Perseverance is what that's talking
about. And patience, experience, that
perseverance brings us to know and understand even greater,
experience hope, hope maketh not ashamed because the love
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which
is given unto us. As he shed that love abroad in
our hearts, our minds, our affections, our wills, our inner man, God
gives us a new heart in the new birth, gives us new life, that
drives us to Christ, who is the embodiment of the love of God,
and that God gave his son to be a propitiation, a sin-bearing
sacrifice that satisfied justice for our sins. And he says in
verse six, for when we were yet without strength, without any
ability, in due time, in God's appointed time, Christ died for
who? Not those who deserve it, Not
those who he looked down through the telescope of time and foresaw
who would believe, no, he died for the ungodly. Those who are
without God, who didn't know God, who didn't want God, the
true God. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. Men can understand that. We've seen, even in the world,
even among unbelievers, we've seen people give their life for
their country, give their life for their family, their children,
all of that. That's reasonable to us, isn't
it? But, verse eight, here's something that's astonishing.
God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. The unconditional love of God,
the unconditional work of Christ, all conditioned on him. Now there
were conditions. Righteousness had to be established,
sin had to be dealt with, had to be put away. God must be just,
as I think Brother Jim Byrd said this, and it's true. Before God
does something for us, he must do something for himself. He
must honor himself. Christ died for us. Much more
than being now justified by his blood, that's his death. In Romans
chapter three, he tells us through faith in his blood to do what?
To declare his righteousness for the remission. That's what
it is. His blood is his righteousness. His death is his righteousness.
That's the satisfaction to law and justice. We shall be saved
from wrath through him, through Christ. Now here's the lesson,
for if when we were enemies, now that's, you know, somebody
says, well, I'm a sinner. I've made some mistakes. By nature,
having fallen in Adam into sin and death and being born dead
in trespasses and sin, spiritually dead, we are actually declared
by the scripture to be natural enemies of God. Now if somebody
thinks of an enemy, they think of somebody who's kind of Gritting
their teeth, frothing at the mouth, picking up a gun or something. No. Christ said this. He said,
if you're not for me, you're what? You're against me. That's an enemy. A person who's
indifferent. I had a man tell me one time,
he said, well, I don't hate Christ, I just don't care. That's an
enemy. How do I know that? The Bible
says it. And so if you're saved, you know,
somebody makes the statement, said, well, I just don't ever
remember a time I wasn't saved. Well, that means you're not saved. Why? Because Christ died for
the ungodly. And if you don't ever remember
a time you weren't saved, it means you didn't need salvation to
begin with. You were never an enemy of God. But I was, even
in my religion, I was an enemy. And that's what he says, if when
we were enemies, abjectly opposed to the grace of God. Now, these
enemies can appear outwardly righteous, they can be kind,
they can be humble among men, but they're not humble with God.
You see, you're not humble before God until the Spirit brings you
down to see your sinfulness and your deservingness of God's wrath
based upon your best efforts. To be good. Enemies. And he says, when we
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son.
Reconciled to God by the death of, now reconciled means we're
at peace with God. By what? By what means? By our
decision? I made a decision for Christ?
Or I gave my heart to Jesus? Is that how you, no. By the death
of his son, period. That's it. Reconciliation between
God and sinners is a matter of God's love, God's mercy, God's
grace, but it's also established and attained based upon a just
and proper ground that honors God. And that just and proper
ground that honors God is the death of his son. Justice satisfied,
righteousness established. That's what it's based on. And
any notion of God's love and mercy and grace without that
justice satisfied, without righteousness established, is a false view
of the true and living God. And this is why reconciliation,
as well as all of salvation, can never be conditioned on us.
When we were enemies, God didn't wait for us to become friends
by our own free will. That didn't happen. And then
God doesn't make us friends before he does it. You know, people
today, they're saying, well, God cannot impute righteousness
to you until he first makes you righteous. No, even when we were
enemies reconciled to God, how? By one act, by one offering. Purged our sins. When, when did
it, when I was an enemy. When you were an enemy. That's
it. You see, this puts grace in that
proper context for God's people. God didn't wait, he's not hanging
over the banister of heaven waiting on you to become his friend before
he's your friend. No, when we were enemies, we
were reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5 speaks of that. God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses to him. Now
if we're reconciled to God, that means he does not charge us with
sin. He does not impute sin to our count. Now upon what ground
can God properly not charge me, a sinner, an enemy, with my sins
and still be glorified? Upon what ground? One ground,
the death of his son. The substitutionary, sacrificial
death of Christ. What does that mean? That means
my sins were imputed to Christ, charged to Christ, and he justly
died for his enemies. That's what it means. I've got
quoted in your lesson, Psalm 85 and verse nine, surely his
salvation is nigh them that fear him, that glory may dwell in
our land. And he says this, mercy and truth
are met together. You see, God doesn't have to
lie to show mercy. He shows mercy and truth meeting
together. Righteousness and peace, that's
reconciliation, have kissed each other. God can have peace with
enemies, but based on a just ground. You see, I don't think I've cited
it in this lesson, but a lot of people are turning to passages
of scripture, like Proverbs 17, I think it's verse 15, where
it says that a judge, for example, who condemns the righteous or
condemns the just and justifies the unrighteous, the unjust,
the ungodly, both are an abomination to God. And that's true. If you have a human judge who
condemns a just person or an innocent person, we might say,
or a judge who justifies a guilty person, that's an abomination
to God. And so they reason, now this
is human rationale. Here it's sinful human logic. So they reason, well then God
cannot do that to us because he would be an abomination to
himself if he justified the ungodly. Now why is it that man cannot
do that without being an abomination to God and God can do it and
not be an abomination to himself? I'll tell you why. Because man
cannot do that on a just ground. If man does it, you know what
he's doing? He's dishonoring the law. He
breaks the law. If a judge condemns a just person
or justifies a guilty person, he's breaking the law. And the law is of God, he's dishonoring
God. But is there a way? Is there
a way that God can do that, justify the ungodly, condemn the just
when he condemned his son on the cross? My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? Is there a way that God can condemn
his son who died the just for the unjust, and God can justify
enemies, sinners like us, and still honor himself? Be true
to himself. Well, my friend, behold the mystery
of godliness. Behold the gospel message. Behold the wisdom and the power
and the grace of God. Yes, he can. He can do it on
a just ground. And what is that just ground?
For God made him, Christ, to be sin for us. Christ who knew
no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. That's what it is. The gospel
is called the gospel of peace, the gospel of the ministry of
righteousness. But even when we were enemies,
on his part, God was reconciled to us at peace with his people
by the death of his son. This has always been the case
for all the vessels of mercy which he had for prepared under
glory. All right? How could we be vessels
of mercy except on a just ground. And what ground was it? And is
it? The imputed righteousness of
Christ, the blood of Christ, the death of his son. That's
something, isn't it? Christ has always been the surety
of his people. So look at verse 10, he says,
so if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the
death of his son, much more Being reconciled, we shall be saved
by his life. Now, what is it talking about
his life? I've seen some of the old Puritan writers, well, that's
talking about Christ's obedience under the law while he was here
on earth. No, it's not. He did obey the law while he
was here on earth. He kept it every jot and tittle.
He was the perfect God-man. And he could not sin. He's the
impeccable Christ. All that's true. But what this
is talking about is his resurrection from the dead. Which was the
capstone, the seal, the proof that his death reconciled us
to God. That his death satisfied justice
for all our sins. That his death was the establishment
of all the righteousness that you and I need to have a right
relationship with God. He lives, you see. He died for
his people. He was buried and he arose again
the third day. He ascended unto the Father and
he is seated at the right hand of the Father ever living to
make reconciliation, ever living to be our, to intercede for us. He's already made reconciliation.
And it's upon the ground of the reconciliation that he made that
he intercedes. So here's what he's saying. We're
reconciled to God by the death of Christ. But Christ didn't
stay dead, he arose from the dead. And as long as he's living,
we're saved, we're sure, we're secure. We could never be lost again,
we can never be unreconciled. We can never fall under perdition. Why? We're saved by his life.
He lives, he arose from the dead. Why did he arise from the dead?
Because of our justification. We're justified. So we cannot,
if Christ died, listen, here's what he's saying. You know, these
people talk about, well, Christ died for you, but it does no
good unless you seal the deal with your faith or your decision.
No, if he died for you, You're gonna be saved. How do you know? Because he lives. You see, no sinner for whom Christ
died can perish. Why? Because we're saved by his
life. He's living. He's a living Savior. And so we will be, listen, if
Christ died and arose for us, we cannot perish. We will be
given spiritual life in the new birth and we will live eternally
in glory with him because Christ arose from the dead and now lives,
all for whom he died and arose again shall live forever and
forever with him. And we can no more be lost than
Christ could die again. Now look at verse 11. He says, and not only so, but
we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we
have now received the atonement. To joy in God is to glory or
to boast in God's grace, being assured of having been reconciled
to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That word joy is the
same word that's translated glory in 1 Corinthians 1, 29 and 30,
that he that glorieth glory in the Lord. Galatians 6, 14, God
forbid that I should glory or boast except in the cross. Philippians
3, 3, we rejoice in Christ Jesus, same word. And so we glory in
him, we boast in him. How do I know? How can I make
a boast of being secure, being reconciled to God, being saved
and sure for heaven? Only in Christ. because of what
he did as my surety and my substitute, because of his righteousness.
Now the word atonement here in verse 11 is literally the word
reconciliation. It's the same word used in 2
Corinthians 5 when he talks about God reconciling the world unto
himself, be ye reconciled to God. Atonement is generally an
Old Testament word. describing a covering of sin
with the sacrifice of animals. Atonement by the blood of animal
sacrifices always pointed forward in type and picture to the actual
time of redemption by the blood of Jesus Christ. In other words,
it always pointed forward. The blood of bulls and goats
could never take away sin, and so it was called an atonement.
Some scholars, you know, that word has come to take on different
meanings. We talk about limited atonement,
and that's okay. You know, we talk about one preacher
I knew who started talking about at-one-ment, we're at one with
God in Christ, and that's okay. But technically speaking, the
same Hebrew, the word atonement is the covering of the animal
sacrifices. which could never take away sin,
but it pointed in type and picture and prophecy to the blood of
Christ. You see, Abel, when he brought the lamb, of God, the
lamb, the sacrificial lamb. He wasn't looking to animal blood
to pardon his sins, to forgive his sins. He was looking to what
the animal blood pictured, and that's what all the Jewish sacrifices
were for, even though the majority of them missed it. But there
are four times in the Old Testament where the same word that's used
for atonement is translated reconciliation, and I've got those listed for
you, for example. One of them is Daniel 9, 24,
when it talks about the coming Messiah is gonna make reconciliation
for the sins of the people. That's the same word atonement.
Another time it's used is the pitch that was used to go on
the outside and on the inside of Noah's Ark. If you read about
that, that word pitch is the same word. But here in the New
Testament, it is reconciliation. And so what he's saying here
is this. Not only so, but we also join God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation. God is reconciled to his people
by the death of his son. God is reconciled to his people
through the righteousness of Christ. Now what's going to happen
to all of his people? They will, some have already,
but they will be reconciled to God on the same basis, the same
ground. Over in 2 Corinthians chapter
five, we see an example of what Paul's talking about here. When
he talks about God, verse 19, well he says in verse 18, all
things are of God, that is all things in the new creation, who
hath reconciled us to himself, by Jesus Christ. God reconciled
to his people by Jesus Christ. That's the way it's always been.
And have given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Our ministry,
that's the ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church, the ministry
of 13th Street Baptist Church, of any gospel church, Grace Baptist
in Ruston, Any gospel church is a ministry of reconciliation,
and here's how we know, verse 19 of 2 Corinthians 5, to wed
or name them, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world
unto himself, not imputing, not charging their trespasses unto
them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
What is that? That's the gospel. Salvation
conditioned on Christ alone. Now then, verse 20, we are ambassadors
for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. In Christ
be ye reconciled to God. Now you be reconciled to God.
On what ground? On the same ground that God is
reconciled to us. Verse 21, God made Christ to
be sin for us. Christ who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. All right.