Justified Peace With God

Sunday June 15, 2014 Phone: 570.829.5216 Pastor David Miklas e-mail: pastormiklas@aol.com Message Romans Justification Text: Romans 5:1-11 Justified Peace With God Introduction: Turn with me to one of the great chapters of the Bible and follow as I read Romans 5: 1-8: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope: (5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (6) For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. (8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Notice the first word of this chapter is "therefore." It has been well said that Paul's use of the word "therefore" calls attention to important truths that fulfill a definite purpose. For example, in this book of Romans, Paul uses the word therefore a total of four times: There is the therefore of Judgment in Romans 3:1. There is the therefore of Justification in Romans 5:1. There is the therefore of Sanctification in Romans 8:1. There is the therefore of Service in Romans 12:1. This morning, let s look at the "therefore of Justification" found in Romans 5. Many people think that justification is being forgiven of their sins in the sight of God. These two words, justification and forgiveness, may appear to be one in the same as far as their meaning, however that is not true, as they are different in meaning. To be justified means to be seen by God as the word sounds - "just-as-i" with two words added, "never sinned." It means I am seen by God just as if I never sinned. If you have been saved and born again, God sees you just as if you had never sinned at all. That means God sees you the same as He sees Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ never sinned. As a parent you ll understand this experience. Have there not been numerous times when your child has disobeyed you? Probably in time, that child came to you and said, "I am sorry for what I have done, I didn't mean to do that." Now, you were able to forgive them, but you could never justify that child for disobeying you. Let me explain: You CAN T forgive someone to the degree that such a thing never, ever happened. No one has the capacity to forgive an act of sin or disobedience to the point that it s totally erased. That is actually beyond our human ability. Page 1

We have the capacity to forgive. We have the capacity to excuse. We have the capacity to pardon. We have the capacity to overlook. We have the capacity to dismiss. But we do not have the capacity to justify. Whatever we do in our lifetime becomes a part of our history. Sometimes that part comes back to haunt us, does it not? Remember in school that thing called a permanent record? I don t know about you, but just the mention of it used to put the fear of God into me. When we sin, or do something in violation of what is right, that sin goes down on our permanent record. We cannot erase it, like it never happened, but God can through justification. Justification means to erase that sin as if it never happened at all - ONLY GOD CAN DO THAT! Man can't do that. Only God can do that, and God does it when we receive Christ as our personal Saviour. He erases our PAST sins, our PRESENT sins, and our FUTURE sins as though they never happened at all. At this point in the sight of God, we are seen just-as-if-we-had never-sinned. In Romans 5:1 we read, "having been justified by faith..." I am justified this morning, as I'll be justified tomorrow. I'll be justified the day after, and I'll be justified until I am taken to heaven in death or until Jesus comes back for me. Certainly, I must be concerned about my daily sins as far as my walk with God is concerned. Those sins I need to confess to God, and He will forgive them. But as far as my standing before God is concerned, I am JUSTIFIED. Now to more deeply understand the word justified, let me point out six statements found in Scripture: FIRST: We are justified by GOD. In Romans 8:33 Paul asks, "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?" And the answer comes, "It is God who justifies." The source of our justification is God. The work is done by Him of whom Solomon writes in Ecclesiastics 3:14, "I know that whatsoever God does, it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it." SECOND: We are justified by GRACE. In Romans 3:23 we are told "For all have sinned..." Then in verse 24 we read, "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." That is gratis, for nothing, without a cause in us. This is the nature of God s heart; He is the God of all grace. THIRD: We are justified by BLOOD. In Romans 5:9 we read, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood..." The basis of our justification is the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary. FOURTH: We are justified by FAITH. The first three facts depend upon God alone; the fourth fact involves our part, our faith. God is the source, grace is the stream; Christ's blood is the ground. The means by which the great and free gift of eternal redemption is given to you is by our faith. Again Romans 5:1 declares "Therefore, having been justified by faith..." FIFTH: We are justified by OUR WORDS. This is found in Matthew 12:33-37 where we read, Page 2

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. (34) O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (35) A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. (36) But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Wow! What is justification by our words? The explanation is not in these verses, but rather in the whole of the Scripture, which teaches that the words we speak become the evidence of what is truly in our hearts. SIXTH: We are justified by OUR WORKS. This comes from the famous, often misquoted and misapplied passage in James 2:21-24. Here it tells us, that our works will prove that our justified faith is true. Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (22) Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? (23) And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. (24) Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Thus we are justified six-fold - by God through grace, in the blood of Christ on the ground of Calvary, received by faith, and demonstrated by our testimony in words and in works. Now please listen carefully. The avowed goal of our adversary, the Devil, is to distort this truth. You may be sitting here this morning saying, that sounds good but I am not sure that I believe it. I would assure you this morning that the seed of doubt sown in your heart comes from the Devil. That is his objective, not only to distort this truth but also to disclaim it all together. There was a time in church history when this great Biblical truth of justification by faith was practically destroyed under the false teaching of Romanism. In order to restore it, God in His grace began working in the heart of an Austrian monk in the 16th century by the name of Martin Luther. Martin Luther, having read and re-read the book of Romans, came to this 5th chapter of Romans and upon reading verse 1, "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ," he wrote in that big Bible that was chained to the wall of the church these two Latin words, "SOLES FINI" Which means FAITH ALONE. Man is seen justified in the sight of God as if he has never sinned by FAITH ALONE. Those words lit the fires of what became the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther affirmed the fact that this glorious experience of being justified in the eyes of God: Does not take place on the basis of works. Does not take place on the basis of church membership. Does not take place on the basis of water baptism. Does not take place on the basis of worship ritual. Page 3

Justification is accomplished solely on the basis of FAITH in Jesus Christ ALONE! Beginning in Romans 3 we are told that we are justified freely by grace and then in Romans 4 we are shown that: We cannot be justified by works, We cannot be justified by ordinances, and We cannot be justified by ritual. Then in Roman 5:1 Paul seems to explode with the words "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." Perhaps you have been patiently pondering these statements and now you question, saying "I believe that I have been justified in the sight of God by FAITH ALONE. But, Pastor, how does all this impact my life today?" After Paul tells us about being justified, he then talks about the blessing and benefits of this glorious Salvation in verses 1-11. Now, for the sake of time, let me call your attention to just two more truths. NUMBER 1: We have PEACE WITH GOD, verse 1. Notice it says here that we have "peace with God." Please hold your place here and turn with me to Philippians 4:6-7. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with `thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Here it says we have "the peace OF God," while in Romans 5:1 we have "peace WITH God." These two phrases sound similar, but they are entirely different. In Romans 5 "the peace of God" refers to our FELLOWSHIP with God. In Philippians 4 "peace with God" refers to our RELATIONSHIP with God. Someone said this "peace WITH God" is like a steel cable that can never be broken. Our relationship with God can never be broken. But "the peace OF God" is like a slender thread, and it can very easily be broken. If we are out of fellowship with God, then the peace of God cannot fill our heart and soul. But our "peace WITH God" through salvation cannot be taken away. How do we know that we are right with God? How do we know when we die we are going to go to heaven? How do we know? Please listen carefully. The moment I believe by FAITH ALONE in the finished work of Christ who died for my sins, and God declares me "just-as-i had never sinned" then I am eternally at peace with God as far as my relationship with Him is concerned. I do not have to worry ever again about my relationship with God, because the great Jehovah Shalom God has come into my soul. Have you ever thought about what might be the most sought after thing in the world? For some people the most sought after thing in the world is money, For others the most sought after thing in the world is power or prestige, and For still others the most sought after thing in the world is fame and success. Page 4

You may run the gamut of human effort and attainment, but it will always be the same story, it will always be beyond you. However the text tells us that the most sought after thing in the world, "peace WITH God," is yours the moment He declares you just-as-you had never sinned. What a great by product of your faith, "peace WITH God" in your soul. The refrain from the hymn "Wonderful Peace" tells us: Peace! Peace! wonderful peace, Coming down from the Father above; Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray, In fathomless billows of love." NUMBER 2: We have ACCESS TO GOD, verse 2. "By whom we also have access..." We can now approach God directly because of our new standing. Our standing refers to our position in heaven that never changes. This new standing now gives us that blessed privilege not experienced by either Jew or Gentile in the Old Testament. Consider in the Old Testament: A Gentile was barred at the gate of the temple. A Jewish woman was stopped at the women's court in the temple. A non-hebrew could not enter the inner court of the temple. The high Priest himself could only enter into the Holy of Holies once a year. But at Calvary, when the veil in the temple that separated God's glory from sinful man was rent (torn) in two, access to God's throne room became available to believers. There is a story told of a little boy who once stood outside of the gates to Buckingham Palace in London. He wanted to talk with the King, but he was sternly repulsed by the guards at the gate. The little boy was just about to leave when a well-dressed young man came by and asked the boy what his problem was. When the young man had heard the story, he smiled and said, "Here, hold my hand, I'll get you in. Just you never mind those soldiers." This little boy was led past the guards into Buckingham Palace right on into the throne room where the King of England sat. Here the boy spoke to the King about his problem, all because the well-dressed young man who had led him into the King was none other than the Prince of Wales, the King's son! Now again notice Romans 5:2, "By whom (that is Jesus Christ) we also have access..." That Greek word, translated "access," could also be translated "an introduction." We are not only privileged to be brought into the throne room of God, but we are INTRODUCED by Jesus Christ himself to Almighty God. Can you image this? Jesus saying, Father this is. At that moment, all the resources of heaven are then at our disposal as we come before God. Remember that wonderful song we sing that begins, "What a friend we have in Jesus." Jesus is not the Prince of Wales. He is the Prince of God, the very Son of God that brings us into God s throne room. The song goes on to say, "what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer." Now notice that latter part of verse 2, "and we should rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." The Greek word for rejoice means, to let out with a shout of triumph. We should let out with a shout of triumph: Over being justified, Over the peace we have with God Over the access to God that is given to us. Page 5

Because we stand in the midst of all this, there should be an explosion of rejoicing from the hearts of God s children. My friends, if we are saved this morning, we ought not to keep that to ourselves. We ought to give a shout-out to others. There ought to be: Shouts of Rejoicing, Shouts of Amen, Shouts of Glory to God, and Shouts of Praise the Lord, because of this so great salvation! I realize that it is hard for us to comprehend: Why God was so concerned that He sent His Son that we might be justified, that we might have peace in our hearts, and why God is so gracious unto us that we have access to His resources regardless of our needs. This is difficult for us to comprehend, but never-the-less worthy of explosion from the heart in a shout of Glory to God, for declaring us upon our FAITH ALONE, "Just-as-I had never sinned!" ************************************************************************** If God has spoken to your heart, after reading the sermon Justified Peace With God right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you. Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in Acts 16:31,...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved... Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation. If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please let me know. Send an e-mail to pdmikbbm@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life. The Weekly SERMON was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party. Copy write permission: Because the Weekly SERMON will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The Weekly SERMON in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the Weekly SERMON must set forth in full the heading that is given before each Weekly SERMON. Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikbbm@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216. Page 6