Romans on the Gift of God

May it please Almighty God to bless us together this morning as we meditate in His Holy Word. Let's turn to the Epistle of Paul to the Romans and chapter 6, and we'll read the last verse in that chapter, verse 23. So the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, chapter 6, and reading verse 23.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is a short statement really, but it's a very important statement because it tells to us two things. First of all, the clause, the first clause is the result of sin. And it tells us this, for the wages, the payment for our sin is death. And all of us have been in that condition to realise how solemn it is to be found being paid for our sin. receive the payment for our sin, which is eternal death. But thanks be to God, there is also the other wonderful statement, and that's the gift of God. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So all of us are in the first part and may all of us be in the second part because how important and relevant it is for every one of us that we come to that acknowledgement that we are sinners.

We have disobeyed God's word. And if we disobey God's word, we are a sinner. And a sinner needs to have that sin removed because no sinner with sin can ever enter into heaven. It's easy just to say these things, isn't it? But how true it is. Because here the apostle Paul spells it out very clearly.

For the wages of sin is death. That's the payment that we get. That's what we've earned. We've earned by our sin eternal death. And yet we have this wonderful statement, but the gift of God. It's not anything that you and I can produce ourselves. We can't give it to anybody. It's God's gift, God's unmerited gift to unworthy sinners. And what a gift it is, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It's not something that you and I can earn ourselves. No, it's a free gift.

And what a wonderful blessing it is to think that you and I, as utterly unworthy sinners who do deserve eternal death, are blessed by the grace of God with eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Well, we read together this morning those two chapters, the fifth and the sixth chapters in the Romans and they're very instructed for us to understand the great truths that we have set before us here. And the Apostle speaks to us very clearly and he tells us in the fifth chapter, he says, wherefore, verse 12, wherefore as by one man Adam, sin entered into the world, and the result of that, death by sin. Eternal death. No opportunity to recover ourselves. And so, death passed upon all men, for the all have sinned. All of us. Every one of us.

The Apostle goes on and tells us in verse 15, but not as the offense, so also is the free gift. So amazing, isn't it? You and I have earned death because of our sin, eternal death because of our sin. But then he comes and says, but not as the offense, not because of what we've done, so also is the free gift.

For if through the offence of one many be dead, spiritually dead, much more. A lovely statement, isn't it? Much more. The grace of God and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many. So it's good, isn't it, to have a statement like that set before us.

On the one side, the payment for our sin. On the other side, the free gift given to all his people by the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, we should, I hope, rejoice this morning that we do have such great truths and that you and I may be really concerned that we're not left on the one side deserving the eternal punishment of God and finding the wages of our sin is eternal death, but by the grace of God and by the mercy of God, He gives to us this free gift of eternal life.

Both those situations are eternal. There's no opportunity to change them. They are decreed by Almighty God. But what a great blessing it is if the Holy Spirit comes and touches our heart and shows to us our condition that we were born in, the condition which continues to exist until God in his great love and mercy looks upon us and calls us by his grace.

That free unmerited favour that directs us to God's love and to God's mercy beautiful words which the Apostle Paul speaks when he wrote to the church at Ephesus and he commences the second chapter and tells us and you hath he quickened that means spiritually alive and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins. You see he's writing to the church of God, to the saints. We're told in the beginning of this epistle he's writing by the will of God to the saints which are Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Well it's a great blessing if you and I were amongst those who are categorised as the faithful in Christ Jesus.

And the apostle goes on to say, wherein, in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Well, it's good to look into our heart and to see before God where we stand, whether you and I have a time past, or whether we are still in that condition of being dead in trespasses and in sins. Don't forget the apostle says, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past. None are exempt.

And we are either there still, or we're amongst those who God in his great love and mercy has made spiritually alive and we've been quickened by the blessed Spirit of God. Well, we carry on reading, but God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are saved. What a mercy that is, isn't it? What do we see there? Anything that we deserve? Anything that we earned?

No, my friends, it's the free grace of God. It's a love of God which brings that into the hearts of his people. What a change. What a change from serving the devil, following those wrong desires, being disobedient to God, to know the wonderful change that has occurred in our lives, in our hearts. A God-given gift. The gift of eternal life. Not something that fades away. Because what God gives is eternal. Just ponder that for a moment. Eternal. Forever and ever. God's free gift.

How wonderful and amazing it is to think that we have such a God who condescends to look upon such utterly unworthy sinners. It causes them to turn from their ways, to look to the Lord, to come to Him, to seek His face, to realise this great truth about God, who is rich in mercy. For his great love, wherewith he loved us. You and I come under one of two categories, either those who God has loved with everlasting love, or those who God has shown no mercy to at all, and we stand lost and ruined in the fall.

Well, what a mercy for us today to realize that this word is true for us, as the apostle tells us, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. There's only one way. Nothing you and I can do to justify this gift of eternal life. But the eternal life comes through Jesus Christ, our Lord. He is the one that has paid the price for our sin. He is the one that has drawn us to himself. And so we're told back to this fifth chapter.

And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift. For the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is on many offenses unto justification. It's very humbling, isn't it, to think that such a God condescends to justify us by His death. by His resurrection. And that's why the Apostle goes on and tells us, For if by one man's offence death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ.

It's good to absorb that great truth, isn't it? Go home and ponder it, this fifth chapter in the Romans. The Romans is very instructive for us in the great doctrines of the Word of God, and here we have a wonderful statement. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one, Adam in that garden of Eden, taken in by the devil, listened to the words of his wife as she recalled what the devil had said, My friends, we have a wonderful, a wonderful privilege today of realising that yes, Adam sinned and all by nature are under the curse because of that sin. But to have the revelation given to us as stated here, for if by one man's offence death reigned by one, so it did, much more.

They which receive abundance of grace remember the free unmerited favour of God. Nothing that you and I can work for, can justify ourselves, because we're sinners, we're undone, we're lost, we're ruined, For the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. We can't justify ourselves. We're justified by what Christ has done. did we not realise what a great and glorious saviour we had, who was so willing, we have rather, was so willing to come down into this sinful world with that one objective, to deliver us from the wrath to come, to save our souls, to pay the price for our redemption, to pay the price for our justification. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift. The judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

For if by one man's offence death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. What a glorious prospect there is to those who are redeemed by the great and glorious Saviour, to believe that through his death, that sin atoning death, which occurred on Calvary, He paid the price to justify us.

He paid the price to give us that glorious place in heaven. So this morning I hope we can really, really bless God for his wonderful favour, for his free gift to unworthy sinners and to thank him from the bottom of our heart. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Well, God knows whether such a statement as we read in 23rd verse has ever had an effect upon us if it's ever made us stop and consider and to wonder where we are and to wonder whether we've received that great and glorious free gift of eternal life well what a mercy if we have the evidence in our heart because these things And not that which you and I learn naturally, it's that which God implants in our heart, which God gives to us.

And those gifts bring honour and glory to his great and holy name. What a mercy then to have that. We come then down, don't we? to what the Apostle writes to the Ephesians. For by grace are you saved. The free unmerited favour of God. Come this morning, look into our hearts and thank and praise God for his grace. His grace is so comprehensive. It includes his amazing love. It includes His mercy. It includes His favour for such sinners on the earth.

And again, the Apostle elucidates this by saying, not of works lest any man should boast. If you and I had the ability to save ourselves, we would claim the glory, but we cannot Claim it because we're not able to save our souls. Grace, free grace, is the gift of the almighty God. Just think about that. The almighty God, the ruler of the universe, the king of kings and lord of lords. He looks upon individuals, individuals unworthy individuals, those who sin, perhaps against light and knowledge, and turn their back upon God, have said, I will not have this man to reign over me.

I'm going to enjoy the things of this world. I'm going to take and make the most of them. Well, what a blessing it is when God takes over and God comes and grants us that spiritual life and we realise, yes, it's not because of anything that I can do, anything that I've done, it's by his wonderful favour to such an unworthy sinner. It's wonderful when God sets us aside And as it were, we come aside and we stand and confess, as the Apostle Paul said, in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. In our flesh, there's no good thing. We come back and realise the wonderful depth of such a word as this, for by grace are you saved, Through faith, God gives faith. You and I can't produce it ourselves.

You can read through the 11th of Hebrews and recognize the great gift that was there to so many of God's saints. And they're not a work that any man should boast, for we are his workmanship. His workmanship. Has God worked in your heart and my heart? His workmanship. not because we've suddenly decided to turn over a new leaf, it's because God's workmanship has come into our hearts.

For we are his workmanship created, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore, remember. It's good to remember the great truths of God. And this is something that is good for you and me to remember as we are amongst those who have been blessed with this wonderful gift of eternal life.

Wherefore, remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called on circumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time you were without Christ. Without Christ. You see, you and I today are either in Christ or without Christ. And my friends, every one of us needs to know that we are in Christ. And that means that we have the evidence that the glorious Saviour has given His life to free us from the curse of our sin. He bore the punishment instead. But at that time, we were without Christ, being aliens, that means enemies, from the Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world.

Well, what a mercy if you and I have been there. If we've looked at ourselves and realised no hope in self I find. No hope in anything that you and I can achieve and do. But our hope, our only hope, is built, as the hymn writer says, on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. So he says that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Well, everybody has been in that place. The great question is whether we're still there. or whether God has blessed us, so we're not there. And the apostle tells us the blessing of his favor, God's favor. He comes and says, but now, but now. And we got in our heart a but now, an evidence there's been a change. But now, in Christ Jesus, Nowhere else, my friends, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, we were all far off, are we still far off?

Are made nigh, made nigh, not by any cleverness in ourselves, made nigh, how? By the blood of Christ. It's no wonder, is it, that the Apostle Peter speaks of the precious blood of Christ. It is indeed invaluable blood, and how we all need to be blessed with it and made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace. who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandments contained in ordinances.

Do you remember in your life when you were an enmity to God? When you weren't prepared to bow down before God and to acknowledge his right over us, right over each one of us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain one new man, so make in peace. Well, I wonder if you and I are a new creature, a new man, a new woman, a new boy, a new girl.

It's because of God's love. And it's because of God's mercy. And that's why the apostle who knew the grand truth so well himself, and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. Well, what a mercy if you and I may have stood guilty before a holy God with hatred in our heart perhaps, wanting to please ourselves, wanting to continue in this poor old world. Trying to find happiness as Solomon did so many years ago. What a blessing if you and I come to that conclusion as Solomon did. All is vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit. There's no true happiness. There's no true peace in the things of time. But there is happiness and there is peace in the things of God.

And that peace is to be found if you and I can recognise the great truth of this word. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. My friends, that's the only way that you and I receive that peace by the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. What a mercy then that we have such a kind and gracious God and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. I wonder, have we been brought, brought to the cross, the cross of Jesus, and to view the glorious Saviour by faith there? paying the price to take away our sin. Yes, He bore the punishment instead of us. Well, what a wonderful Saviour we have, how willing to have such a great and glorious God and to bless Him today for the wonderful gift of eternal life.

You see, that gift will never be taken away. Once you and I receive that gift, it's eternal. And because of it, we are eternally safe. And because of it, we shall be found in heaven with the Savior and with the whole family of God eternally. It won't fade away. It won't disappear.

Nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What a statement that is. How wonderful and how glorious it is to think that none less than the Lord Jesus Christ has loved us indeed with an everlasting love. An everlasting love. Wonderful to think of these great truths.

You know, the Apostle Peter, he knew it well. And he tells us in the first chapter of his first epistle, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That lively hope, that good hope, that spiritual hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

And what's the prospect? Peter lays it down. To an inheritance. We'd never work for an inheritance, do we? something that people leave us when they die to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved I think that's a wonderful word isn't it reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. This is a promise from Almighty God to have a place in heaven reserved for us.

Those who have been redeemed, those who come under this clause here, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Well, have we received that gift? Are we longing for that gift? Are we longing for the evidence to know that we are in Christ and that Christ gloriously died for us, he gave his life to take away our sin? Have we stood guilty before God and had to cry out in the words of the publican, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. You won't pray that in reality unless the Holy Spirit places it there. And you stand then before a holy God with nothing to bring, nothing in my hand I bring. simply to thy cross I cling.

Well, remember, the gift, the free gift of Almighty God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Word of God tells us, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. That's the glorious gospel. What a wonderful truth it is. And may we find out that in our hearts we have believed. God has given us that grace to believe on the law of Jesus Christ as our only way of salvation. The only true living God. who died upon the cross at Calvary to bring us safe home to glory.

And don't forget this statement, the gift of God is eternal life. People of God cannot lose this gift. It won't be taken away. It's an eternal gift. What a privilege and what a mercy to be blessed with this. We've all come under this condemnation. The wages of our sin is death. We all stand guilty before a holy God. But how glorious it is to know that we received his mercy. He's shown us his love. And he's revealed to us, given to us this gift of eternal life.

Well, my friends, we need to know this personally. Real religion is personal. You can't go to heaven on someone else's religion. You can't go to heaven on your parent's religion, on your friend's religion, on your brother's or sister's. You and I have to have a personal experience, a personal evidence that our souls are right with God.

And our souls are only right with God when we have the evidence that the glorious Saviour, the second person in the Trinity, has come into this sinful world. and died to take away our sins. It's a glorious revelation. What a blessing when God gives us faith, faith to believe such a wonderful favor and a wonderful truth. Well, meditate on this. We read two chapters this morning. Romans is a wonderful epistle. It's a wonderful book. It's very instructive, it's not always easy to understand, but pray over it, read it, and seek. The Lord will open your understanding so that you indeed may rejoice in the words it contains and praise God from whom all blessings flow. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Romans on the Gift of God

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Romans on the Gift of God

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