God s Victory Through Jesus Sovereignty Romans 5 6

Transcription

1 God s Victory Through Jesus Sovereignty Romans 5 6 In our last study we learned that God worked through the death and resurrection of Christ to reveal His personal righteousness. Paul began that passage focusing on the death of Christ (3:21-26), and he ended that passage focusing on the resurrection of Christ (4:24-26). Thus, the death and resurrection of Christ enclosed the entire section in which Paul elaborated on the righteousness of faith. Additionally, we learned that the work of Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection is the righteousness of Faith that saves us. And this work manifested God s righteousness as the Judge, Warrior, and Husband who saves His people and rescues His creation. In our passage of today we see the many ripple effects of God s work through Jesus Christ. The following outline demonstrates how chapters 5 6 can be understood as an entire unite. a Results of Justification: Peace, Perseverance, Character, Hope 5:1-4 b Jesus Death and Life Demonstrates God s Love (imagery of baptism) 5:5-11 c Grace Reigns Over Adam s Condemnation Through Jesus Righteousness 5:12-21 b Jesus Death and Life Identifies the Church (meaning of baptism) 6:1-11 a Fruits of Justification: Instruments and Slaves of Righteousness, Holiness, Eternal Life 6:1-23 As demonstrated in the overall outline earlier, this central passage (5:12-21) is not only the central theme of chapters 5-6, but also the central theme of All that Paul says funnels to and through this single section. For now, we will simply look at these two chapters. Surrounding this central section, Paul focuses on the death and resurrected life of Jesus in the b sections. As mentioned earlier, the death and life of Jesus began and ended the passage of 3:21 4:25. However, here in 5:5-11 (b) and 6:1-11 (b ), the death and resurrection of Jesus are held together. This one event of death and resurrection demonstrates the love of God and identifies His church. In the outer sections (a) Paul explains both the results and fruits of justification. He begins with the peace, hope, and boastful (see below) position we have through justification. Then he ends with the fruitful life that justification produces through us. I. The Sovereignty of Two Evil Kings A. The Personification of Evil If there was any doubt that the revealing of God s righteousness in 3:21-26 included a war-like, militaristic, invasion of Almighty God; then Paul makes it explicitly clear in 5: The great enemies that have invaded God s good creation, having corrupted it from its original condition, are sin and death. To understand what Paul is saying we should label these enemies as King Sin and King Death. This is emphatically what Paul says because these enemies reigned over creation before the time of Christ. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses (5:14); so that sin reigned in death (5:21). The word for reign is a kingly term referring to the sovereignty and lordship of the person who rules. And thus in this passage sin and death are personified

2 2 as kings who exercised an unlawful dominion over God s creation ever since the fall of man in Adam. The reign of King Sin and King Death brought the utter tragedy of condemnation upon God s creation. Under their sovereignty all of creation was subject to the condemnation of God s judgment and wrath. It was their tyrannical lordship that caused Israel to pollute the nations with their own sewage of sin. It was even under their lordship that God continually promised that He would one day reckon with the rule of Sin and Death. Nevertheless, throughout that entire time God was patient; because in His forbearance He passed over all those sins that were previously committed (3:25). B. The History of Offenses and Its Climax With all this said we can now understand why Paul says the justification in Christ came from many offenses (5:16). It had only been from the one offense of Adam that condemnation came upon all creation. After that initial and single offense, there were continual and multiple offenses that flowed throughout the course of history. And such was the entire over-arching story of Israel during the Old Testament. But that was not all; it got worse. The many offenses throughout Israel s history were only precursors to their greatest offense even the greatest offense of all humanity. Paul identifies this greatest offense by saying it was where sin abounded (5:20). This location of sin abounding can be found upon coordinates of space and time. Israel was the place where sin abounded. In addition to being the nation of God s covenants and promises, the nation was also the central focus for the reign of King Sin and King Death. Not only did sin abound in that place, we know where it abounded in the time-line of Israel s history. Their sin did not abound in the story of the Golden Calf, nor in the idolatries of Jeroboam, nor in the slavery instituted under Zedekiah (Jer.34). All their sins that led up to Babylonian exile paled in comparison to their most treacherous and idolatrous act. Their greatest offense where sin abounded the most was in their unlawful murder of Jesus Christ on the cross. It was certainly unlawful and explicitly murderous. To quibble over either of these terms betrays, and even slanders, Paul s point in Romans 5: The death of Jesus was, and forever will be, the greatest manifestation of the reign of King Sin and King Death. Jesus death exposed the utter limit to which their sovereignty ruled over creation. For not even the Son of God in flesh escaped the condemnation under their rule. Everything unlawful and murderous about the reign of Sin and Death came to a climax in the death of Christ. For this reason the two phrases from many offenses (v.16) and where sin abounded (v.20) are the two rudders that steer Paul s historical ship straight to the cross of Christ. The first is a summary point of Old Testament history that resulted from the one offense of Adam. The second is the final extremity and apex of Sin and Death s condemnation. For that climatic event on the cross was the time, and the location, where the reign of King Sin and King Death over God s creation was stopped and overturned.

3 3 II. The Sovereignty of Christ and His People A. The Righteousness of Jesus Lordship The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was one Man s righteous act through which God accomplished justification of life for His people (v.18). Through the work of His death and resurrection Christ accomplished lordship over creation by removing the reign of sin and death. Thus the reality of the world, in spite of all the evidence we see to the contrary, is that sin and death no longer reign over creation with their condemnation. Jesus now reigns with King Grace rendering justification to His people. even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (5:21). Jesus lordship and reign of grace was achieved through His resurrection. If Christ did not overthrow the sovereignty of sin and death, still suffering their condemnation in the grave, then He would have no righteousness to give us. For this reason His resurrected lordship is an inherent and essential aspect of His righteousness. Certainly Jesus righteousness and lordship are synonymous terms in regard to His vanquishing of sin, death, and their condemnation. Of course Paul's emphasis on lordship and resurrection does not imply that other aspects of Jesus' work are irrelevant. His incarnation, sinless life, and obedient death are all necessary components and events that led up to His resurrected kingship over creation. The resurrection was the one vindicating event which Jesus entire life and death anticipated. Now this equivalence of righteousness and lordship helps us to grasp what Paul means by the "gift of righteousness" that we have in Christ Jesus which enables us to "reign in life" (5:17). Notice that Jesus gift of righteousness gives us a position of lordship as well. His gift enables us to reign in life. Some have interpreted the future tense of this phrase to simply be a reference to the future resurrection. But Paul s gospel does not allow us to wait for our own resurrection to exert our present lordship in Christ. As Paul will explain in the surrounding passages, and later in chapters 12-15, God s justified people are most certainly called to reign in life now. Though we still sin, and will die, we nevertheless rule in the present time because of the abundance of grace and gift of righteousness that was given to us in Christ. So then our justification in Christ is nothing less than a resurrected and kingly position. And being in a position of lordship, we also have a justified position, because we are no longer under the condemnation of sin and death. The righteousness of Jesus present lordship also helps to explain why God justified His people before the time of Christ. Think of Abraham. Even though Abraham was justified by faith he still lived during the time when sin and death reigned over creation with condemnation. Therefore, how could God rightly justify him, and all those who had the faith of Abraham? The answer is that God only justified people with respect to, and in anticipation of, what Christ would do for them. Before the time of Christ, God's people anticipated the One who would deliver them from condemnation. After the time of Christ we can say with Paul, "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ (8:1). B. Identifying Jesus People Who Reign in Life In Roman 6: 1-11 Paul not only explains the basis for why God s New Covenant people exist, but he also articulates the reason for their justified position. God s New

4 Covenant people come into existence (see 4:17) solely because of the union they have in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They are the people who are united to the righteous act of Jesus death and resurrection (6:4). They are the people who now experience the position of a justified lordship over sin and death. Since death no longer has dominion over Jesus Christ (6:9), then His people now reign in life through His righteous lordship with is imputed them. Just as an earthly king marks out the territory and people who benefit from His rule, even so Paul is saying that King Jesus marks out the people who benefit from His righteous lordship. In verses 3-4 Paul explains the visible way that God initiates people into, and identities them as, His New Covenant people. There should be no doubt as to what Paul is clearly saying in these verses: God uses the sacrament of water baptism to unite His visible New Covenant people to the death and resurrection of Christ. This last statement is an emphatic statement on my part to articulate what Paul simply says in verses 3-4. Any denial of God using water, any denial of the union affected, any denial of an initiation into the visible New Covenant any denial of these emphasized subjects is simply a refusal to submit to what Paul is clearly writing. I am not trying to interpret what Paul means in verses 3-4, as much as I am simply acknowledging what the Apostle writes. Before any attempt is made to correct the abuses of baptism, by filtering Paul s words through qualifications, nuances, distinctions, and systematic categories, we should at least acknowledge the raw content of his words. First, by necessary implication, Paul is saying that God is the One doing the baptizing (I Cor.12:13). Second, concerning the sacramental use of water, Paul explains what it means to have that water administered upon a person. Third, unless we want to say that Paul is wrong in verse 4, we should at least acknowledge that the rite of baptism into death demonstrates, or engages a person, with a union in the death and resurrection of Christ. (Again, defining the nature of this union is not my point here. I m simply pointing out what Paul says.) Fourthly, if we reject baptism as the rite of initiation, then it makes no sense as to why Paul appeals to that initial time in which they were publicly shown to have been united to Christ. Finally, if we say Paul is not talking about the visible New Covenant people of God, then we severely fail to consider Paul s pastoral intention in this passage. He desires the church to visibly show what God has visibly demonstrated in their baptism. Their identity in the death and resurrection of Christ obligates them to live accordingly. Now then let me simply explain our duty as pastors and parents, considering the forceful clarity of Paul s language about baptism in Romans 6:3-4. First, our duty is to believe. We are to believe that when a person is baptized, they are being united to the death and resurrection of Jesus. We are to believe that God has actually engrafted a baptized person into the death and resurrection of Christ. If we do not believe what God is doing through water baptism, then we must admit we do not believe what Paul is saying in Romans 6:3-4. This is critical, because our battle of faith, and for the Faith, begins at baptism. If we do not believe the visible acts of God, then we will not believe the audible words of God declared from the pulpit on Sunday by the preaching of His word. Doubting the act of God in baptism teaches a person to doubt the word of God from the pulpit. Therefore, however we choose to qualify these words of Paul, seeking to correct the abusive acts and superstitious ideas of baptism, let all such godly endeavors 4

5 5 begin with believing in God s act through that sacrament, so that the church will be well trained to believe God s word when it is preached. Secondly, our duty is to act upon our belief. If Satan can get us to doubt what God does through baptism, the Satan will get us to neglect the continual use of baptism. This has nothing to do with re-baptisms. The proper continual use of baptism is demonstrated by what Paul is doing here in Romans 6. As a pastor, Paul is using baptism to remind the church of their identity and even their responsibilities. God has visibly marked them out as His justified people who are united to the righteous act of Jesus death and resurrection. And having this baptized identity, they are to live accordingly; by dying to sin and living unto righteousness. In short, they have now been called to reign in life through Jesus Christ. In this passage Paul demonstrates how we should use baptism to continually encourage and admonish our churches and children in their kingly justified position in Christ. They can not deny that God s love had been poured out upon them when He initiated them into the New Covenant. III. The Royal Boast and Abundance A. All-conquering Love As our former outline demonstrates, Paul explains the meaning of baptism in 6:1-11, which corresponds with the imagery of God baptizing us with His love in 5:5-11. God pours His love out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (5:5). This is the first time in the book of Romans where the love of God is mentioned. And from this passage we can see that it was God s love that motivated Him to demonstrate His righteousness in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Most certainly God s love and righteousness are inseparable just as much as Jesus lordship and righteousness. Yet, the extent of God s love is demonstrated in that He saves us, who were once His enemies. (v.10) We were the enemies of God, even the godly Jews during the Old Testament, because they were all under the condemnation of sin and death. Paul was considered blameless during the era of the Old Covenant (Phil 3:6), yet now he looks back during that time period and reckons that even then he was an enemy of God. This is not because he was a persecutor of the church. In 5:5-11 Paul is speaking about all humanity before the coming of Christ. The problem with Judaism, and all of history ever since Genesis 3, is that it was all under the reign of sin and death. All those under that lordship deserved the condemnation of God s wrath. All His saved people (Rom.2) during that time were justified in light of what Christ would accomplish. Therefore, the love of God is more clearly evident when we consider that even the most godly and humble Jew was at enmity with God before the time of Christ. God loved those who were His enemies. And no Jew or Gentile was ever reconciled to God in such a friendship that His wrath had been thoroughly appeased. God s love that restrained His wrath, is what unleashed His wrath upon His Son, in our place. B. The New Covenant Boast Since God s love through the death and resurrection of Christ has conquered the reign of sin and death, Paul encourages the church to boast in their New Covenant position. The words for rejoice (v.2,11) and glory (v.3) is the same word used for

6 6 boast in Romans 2:17,23; 3:27; 4:2. In those previous verses Paul explained how the Jew rightly boasted in God and in the Law that God gave them. This is a boast of celebration, not a boast of self-righteousness. However, with the coming of Christ, the Old Covenant position that the Jews boasted in, is now excluded and ruled out by the new Law of Faith (3:27). And if Abraham was justified by any of his works, or from the flesh, then a boastful celebration on his part would have been illegitimate before the presence of God (4:2). Yet, now that Christ has come, God s New Covenant people are called to boastfully celebrate their justified-lordship position in the Lord Jesus Christ. Having been justified by faith we are called to boast in hope of the glory of God (5:2) Not only that, but we are called to boast in tribulations (5:3). For the way in which Christ conquered the world, is how He will conquer through us. And since His resurrected life even more guarantees our salvation, we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through who we have now received the reconciliation (5:11) It is very helpful to use the word boast in these verses because it helps demonstrate that the boast in chapters 2 and 3 was not about Jewish self-righteousness, but about an Old Covenant position that has now been rendered out of date with the coming of Christ and the New Covenant. C. The New Covenant Duty Corresponding to our justification that produces the results of perseverance, character, and hope, Paul concludes these two chapters with the fruits of justification in 6: Our justified position in Christ obligates us to be fruitful in the production of righteousness and holiness. Christ did not save us to remove us from the world that was once ruled by sin and death. Christ saved us from that condemnation so that we may continue the conquest against the remnants of His defeated enemies. We are now under the reign of King Grace (6:14,15). The Old Covenant Law no longer threatens us with death, and the dominion of sin has been removed from creation. We are now that priestly people who are called to be fruitful unto righteousness for the sake of creation, demonstrating to everyone that we are the ones who have died and have been raised in the Lord Jesus Christ. When the church fails in this high and holy calling we merely repeat the evils of Israel that Paul mentioned in Romans 2. During that time they were also called to bring salvation to the world, but they polluted the world with their sin and rebellion. And now, since the church is the new Israel of God, we are also called to bring salvation to the world by calling them to the Faith, to be engrafted into the covenant. Yet when the church plagues itself by living contrary to the meaning of its baptism into Christ, then the world suffers as well. Yet for all those who have a living faith in the Lord Jesus, all that God promised them in baptism will truly come to pass. They will conquer in all their sufferings, even in death. They will reign with Christ in this life as kings and priests (Rev.1:6), anticipating the kingship when they will rule with an immortal body in the life of the world to come.