We Have Peace With God

I'm going to speak to you today
from a most familiar passage of Scripture, two verses found
in Romans chapter 5. Now the subject of my message
is peace with God. We have peace with God. And I believe if you are a child
of God, if you are a believer in Christ, that you're going
to find this message most comforting. I believe it'll encourage you.
I believe it'll strengthen your confidence and assurance and
your faith. And I hope you'll be led of the
Spirit of God to listen very carefully to this message. The
title, We Have Peace With God. Now here's the Scripture, Romans
5, verse 1. Paul writes to the church at
Rome and he said, Therefore, being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Now, this
scripture begins with an interesting word. It begins with the word,
therefore. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God. Now, I tell our folks at home
when a verse of scripture Our chapter begins with the word,
therefore. You have to go back a few verses
to see what is therefore. Now, you can remember that. If
you come up on a passage of Scripture and it starts this way, therefore,
like in this verse here, therefore, being justified by faith, we
have peace with God. Well, you've got to go back and
see what's written before to see what makes this statement
true. It's true because of what Paul has said before. Now, what
did he say before? Well, in the first three chapters,
first four chapters, actually, of the book of Romans, the theme
is justification by faith. That's the theme of chapter 1,
2, 3, and 4 of the book of Romans. Because Paul said in chapter
3, verse 28, therefore we conclude, having said all of this, we conclude
that a man is justified by faith, not by works, by faith. That's how we're justified. And
he uses Abraham as an example. You know, Abraham was called
the friend of God. God spoke to Abraham as a man
speaks to his friend. He called Abraham, my friend. Now, anything that's said about
Abraham, I'm very interested in it because he was a friend
of God. And not only that, but he's the
pattern of faith. He's the father of many nations,
the Scripture says, and he was a man who was accepted and beloved
and honored of God. And another thing, our Lord Jesus
said Lazarus was in Abraham's bosom. So that makes this very
important, what Paul says about Abraham. And he says in chapter
4, verse 1, now what shall we say? that Abraham, our father,
as pertaining to the flesh, hath found." What has he found? Was
he justified by works? Well, if he were justified by
works, he hath whereof to glory in himself, but not before God.
But what sayeth the Scriptures? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted to him for righteousness. In other words, Abraham was justified
before God by believing God. not by his works, not by his
obedience, but by faith. His works and obedience was the
result of his faith. He obeyed God because he believed
God. He labored and worked because
he believed God, but he was justified by faith. That's what the first
four chapters of Romans, that's the theme. We're justified before
God, not by works, not by deeds, not by law, not by morality,
but by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham believed God
and it was counted to him for righteousness. And then Paul
uses David as an example. These are perhaps two of the
most notable, well-known, famous men among the Jews, Abraham and
David. Abraham, the father of the nation,
and David, The King of Israel. And you know, David was called,
I think twice in scripture, a man after God's own heart. A man
after God's own heart. David was called the beloved
King of Israel. David actually was the man of
whom our Lord came as pertaining to the flesh. The Messiah was
the seed of David. So then Paul takes Abraham, says
he was justified by faith. And then he uses David as an
example and quotes David in Romans 4 verse 6. David describeth the
blessedness of the man to whom God will impute righteousness
without works. David describes this man to whom
God will charge, impute, reckon holiness, acceptance, and righteousness
by faith, not by works, by faith, saying, blessed is the man to
whom God will not charge sin. Oh, happy, favored, highly favored
is that man to whom God will not charge sin. but to whom God
will impute righteousness and holiness without works." If we
have righteousness, it'll have to be without works, because
our works are filthy rags. Our works are so incomplete,
so unworthy, so imperfect. They'd have to be without works.
So here, the Apostle Paul, when he's talking in Romans chapter
1, 2, 3, and 4 about how man's justified before God, Now our
faith is justified by works. James says, you show me your
faith by my works. But our souls are justified by
faith without works. And that's what it's all about.
Do you see what he's saying? We're justified before God by
faith in Jesus Christ, not by works. And to be justified, what
is it to be justified before God? Well, somebody said, To
be justified is to be forgiven. Well, that's true, but it's more
than that. To be justified is to be pardoned.
Well, that's true, but it's more than that. My friends, to be
justified is to be not guilty. To be justified is to be not
only pardoned and forgiven, but it's to be perfect. It's to be
holy. It's to be before God without
blame. Now, listen to the Scripture.
Let me read you a scripture. Ephesians 1.4 says this, He chose
us in Christ that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love. That's what it means to be justified.
It means more than to be forgiven or pardoned. It means to be holy.
It means to be without blame. It means to be perfect. It means
to be just as if I had never seen. Listen to Ephesians 5,
27. It talks about the Lord redeeming
His church and purchasing His church with His own blood. And
it says, His church is holy and without blemish. Without blemish. And Colossians 1, 22 says, in
the body of His flesh through death, He presents us, listen
now, listen to this. He presents us, in Christ, holy,
unblameable, unreprovable in God's sight. That's what it means
to be justified. And that's by faith. That's the
whole theme of Romans 1, 2, 3, and 4. We're justified in God's
sight, before God, in Christ, by faith, and in Christ we have
no sin. You say, how can this be? Well,
let me tell you. And I ask that question too,
and often. We look at God's holiness and
we cry with Isaiah, oh, I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell among
a people of unclean lips. I'm undone. When we look at God's
holiness, we just see our own sinfulness, don't we, in thought,
in word, in deed, in imagination. And then when we look at God's
justice, we cry with David, Lord, if you should mark sin, if you
should charge iniquity, who would stand? And then when we look
at God's law, we cry with the apostle Paul in Romans 7, O wretched
man that I am. He said, before the law came,
I was alive, but when the law came, I died. The law slew me. That which I thought to be life
proved to be death. When I got a good look at God's
law, he said, I died. I was a religious Pharisee and
a member of the Sanhedrin and depended on my morality and I
found out that God's law required more than outward conformity,
it required inward perfection and it killed me. Look at God's
judgment and I say with Job, don't bring me into judgment
with you. I look at my works and say with the prophet of old,
they're filthy rags. Man at his best state is altogether
vanity. Job said this, What is man that
he should be clean? He that's born of a woman that
he should be holy. Behold to the moon it shineth
not, the stars are not pure in God's sight. How much more abominable
and filthy is man who drinks iniquity like the water. How
can we call a man holy without blame, without blemish, unblameable,
unreprovable, not guilty before God? How can you do it? I'll
tell you how, one word. One word. One word. Substitution. Substitution. Somebody who's not guilty becomes
guilty in his place. And he who is guilty takes the
place of the not guilty one and becomes not guilty. It's a transference
of guilt. And that's what the scripture
is all about. When it talks about redemption in Christ, it's a
transference of guilt, substitution. You young people who play sports,
you know what a substitute is? It's someone who goes into the
game and takes the place of an active player. And when someone
goes in in his place, he comes out. They can't both be in there
at the same time. And sin can't be on me and on
my substitute. The guilt cannot be on me and
on my substitute. The responsibility cannot be
on me and on my substitute. If a man's in the game as my
substitute and he makes an error, it's not my responsibility, it's
his. He suffers. He's penalized for
his error. And that's what Christ is. He's
our substitute. He, listen to the scripture,
he was numbered with the transgressors and he bared the sin of many.
And he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him. By his stripes we're healed.
We can't both take the stripes. Payment God's justice cannot
trust the man. First at my bleeding shirt, his
hand, then again at mine. Listen to 1 Peter 2, 24. Who
his own self bear our sins, in his own body on the tree. That we, in him, being dead to
sin, should live under righteousness. By his stripes we're healed.
I've already gone to the gallows in Christ. I've already paid
the debt in Christ. The justice of God is satisfied
in Christ. The payment is paid in full.
In full, I said. Jesus paid it all all the debt
I owe sin left a crimson stain He washed it white as snow and
there is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus
First Peter 3 18 says this is the word substitution For Christ
also hath once suffered for seeing the just for the unjust That
he might bring us to God And this scripture, I had a friend
tell me years ago. He said, I struggle with works,
religion, good deeds, trying to make myself acceptable to
God Almighty for so long until I discovered one verse of scripture. In 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21,
and here we have the father, the son, and the sinner. It says,
for he, the father, hath made Him, the Son, to be seen for
us, the sinner, in our place, in our room, in our stead. In
order that we, the sinner, might be made the righteousness of
God the Father in Him. He, the Father, hath made Him,
the Son, to be seen for us, He knew no sin. He had no sin. We
had to sin. The sinner. Now, we sinners are
made righteous before God, holy, unblameable, unreprovable. Our
sins are gone. Did you hear what Jesus said
to me? They're all taken away. Your sins are pardoned, forgiven,
you're justified, you're free. They're all taken away. There's
a transference of guilt to my substitute on his head, in my
room instead, and I have no sin. We're holy, unblameable, unreprovable
in his sight. And Paul was so bold as to say,
who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that
justifies. And therefore, now watch, therefore,
You see why I dealt with that so strongly? Therefore, being
justified by faith, not by works, by faith, before God, we have
peace. You know, all my life, since I was a boy,
I've heard people use this phrase, peace with God. I hear people
say, well, have you made your peace with God? That's a good
question. But the second question would
be, if somebody asked you that, say, how can I make peace with
God? Can I make peace with God? Can I put sin away? Can I write
my name in the book of life? Can I put away my transgressions?
What I do, go to hell for them. They're not put away by hell.
How are you going to make peace with God? I heard people say,
when I was growing up, well, he was ready to God. He was ready
to die. He made his peace with his maker.
How did he do it? Did he join the church and that
made peace with God? Did he maybe get baptized and
that made peace with God? That's a strange God. You can't get off that light
when you break the laws of the land. Did he promise to do better? Why don't we have all the criminals
lined up and promise to do better and Give peace. No, listen, I'll
tell you how you have peace with God. Listen to me. Colossians
1, 19. Now listen to it. This is the only way to have
peace with God. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God. Here's why. For it pleased the
Father that in Christ should all fullness, holiness, righteousness,
grace, mercy, peace, love, life, heaven, forgiveness, that in
Christ should all fullness dwell. And having made peace through
the blood of His cross. That's how He made peace for
us with God, through the blood of His cross. By Him, I say,
by Christ, to reconcile. What is reconcile? To make friends.
to bring enemies together, to put away the enmity. By Christ,
he reconciled all things unto himself. Paul repeats it. He said, by Christ, I say, not
by your church membership. I tell you, joining the church
doesn't make you a Christian any more than owning a piano
makes you a musician. I got a piano at the house, but
I'm no musician. And you can have your name on
a church robe, but that doesn't give you peace with God. I say
whether they be things in earth or heaven, and you who were enemies
in your mind by your wicked works, hath Christ now reconciled in
the body of His flesh by the blood of His cross to present
you holy, unblameable, unreprovable. His side. Oh, I wish I could
shout that to the whole world It pleased the father that in
Christ should all fullness dwell and by Christ through the blood
of his cross To reconcile all things to himself God was in
Christ Reconciling the world unto himself therefore being
justified by faith We have peace with God Through our Lord Jesus Christ
and notice the next verse verse 2 We not only have peace with
God our peace is a particular blessing Peace is a particular
blessing peace gives us a rest and a quiet spirit and a comfort
and a confidence But he says we not only have peace with God,
but we have access to God We have access to Into this grace
wherein we stand and rejoice in our hope of the glory of God
Not only did I have peace with God You know, you can have peace
with a man he can forgive you and walk up and leave you alone
But I not only have peace with God and you have peace with God
But we have access to God access into all of his mercies and blessings
access into his presence Having made peace for us through the
blood of his cross. He says in Hebrews 10 now come
boldly before the throne of grace Come boldly into the presence
of Christ Call him father All blessings are yours of God. Are you in Christ Jesus who of
God is made unto us wisdom? righteousness sanctification
and redemption Let no man glory in me, and for all things are
yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world to come,
or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all
are yours, because you're His, and He's God's. Isn't that beautiful? Therefore being justified, holy,
unblameable, unreprovable, without blemish, in His sight. He is
able to present you faultless, faultless and without blame in
His presence with exceeding joy to the only wise God, our Savior,
be glory and majesty. And then Paul says, here we stand.
We have peace with God. We have access into His presence.
We have access into His grace and here we stand. and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God. Martin Luther said this. I love
the writings of Luther. He said, although by nature I'm
a sinner, yet I despair not. For Christ Jesus, who is my Redeemer,
and my righteousness, and my advocate, and my intercessor
liveth in the presence of God. And in Him, and because of His
death and precious blood, I have no sin. My sins are gone. They're put away. I have no fear. I have no sting of conscience.
I have no fear of judgment. I'm justified. I'm justified
in Christ, and there's therefore now no condemnation to them who
in Christ Jesus, who walk not after this flesh, but after the
Spirit. Justified. peace with God, access into the
presence of God, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Isn't that wonderful? There was a great preacher of
the past, Augustus Montague Toplady. You're familiar with him, though
you may not recognize his name. He wrote the song, Rock of Ages. Clap for me. Well, he wrote another
song. that most people have never heard. But it's called a debtor, a debtor
to mercy alone. And I want to read it to you.
Augustus Toplady said, I'm a debtor to mercy alone. Of covenant mercies
I sing, nor fear with his righteousness own my person, my praises to
bring. The terror of God's law with
me has nothing to do. My Savior's obedience and blood
hide all my sins from his view. And the work which his goodness
began, the arm of his strength will complete. His promise to
me is yes and amen and never has he forfeited one yet. things
future nor things that are now nor all things below or above
can make him his promise forego or sever my soul from his love
my name from the palms of his hands eternity will never erase
Impressed on his heart my name remains in marks of indelible
grace. Yes After the end shall endure
As sure as his promises given more happy But not more secure
are the glorified Saints Already in heaven That's mercy, that's
grace And that's the results and blessings of justification
in Christ, by Christ, through Christ, by faith. You see, look
at my text again as we close. Therefore, therefore, being justified,
not guilty, without sin, without blemish, holy, righteous in God's
presence, by faith, in Christ Jesus, not in your church, Not
in your experience, not in your profession, in Christ Jesus. Because He loved us and gave
Himself for us, we have peace with God. I didn't make it, He
did. It wasn't established on my obedience, it was established
on His obedience and His death. I have peace with God. Peace
with God, peace of heart, peace of conscience. I have access
through Christ to all the mercies and blessings of God. They're
ours in Christ. And we stand secure in hope of the very glory
of God someday. If you want this message, you
write to us. We'll send it to you. Send $2.
The message is we have peace with God. And one I'll bring
next week on where do you find faith. All right. Till next week,
God bless you.

We Have Peace With God

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We Have Peace With God

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