THE RESONANCE OF RECONCILIATION
Romans 5:1-11
The
world is at war. It has been for a long
time. In the past hundred years, we’ve
learned to number our world wars, but even prior to that time,
the world has been involved in a great war.
One aspect of our war is with ourselves. We fight and we argue and we strive. Someone once defined peace as that brief
moment in history when everyone pauses to reload.
Why
can’t we learn to live together in peace?
The answer is that the war in which we are embroiled transcends us. It is first a war with God.
The
good news of the gospel is called the Gospel of Peace. That is what the angels sang when they first announced the birth of Jesus to a group of humble
shepherds - peace on earth and good will toward men. It is why Jesus came — to bring about peace
and reconciliation between God and men.
PEACE
WITH GOD
Therefore,
having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction
by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory
of God. (Romans 5:1-2).
This
chapter opens with the word “therefore.”
This word “therefore” is there for a reason. It points to a conclusion based upon what has
been said in the previous chapter. What
was taught in the previous chapter? That we have been justified by faith.
In
chapter 3 we were presented with the fact of our justification - that we have
been declared to be righteous, not on the basis of our obedience or our ability
to keep the commandments, but through faith in Jesus Christ.
Chapter
4 showed us the examples of Abraham and David, that they were justified through
faith and apart from works of merit.
Now,
because of that justification described in the previous chapter, there is a
result. The result is PEACE. If we now have peace, this implies that there
was a time when we did not have peace.
There was a time when we were at war with God. We were His enemy and He was our enemy.
Back
in chapter 1, Paul said that "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18).
God’s revelation toward the sinner is characterized by the word
“wrath.” But in Christ we have peace.
|
Romans 1:17-31 |
Romans 5:1-11 |
|
The wrath of God is
directed against unrighteous men. |
The peace with God is the
result of men being declared righteous. |
|
Men are condemned by their
works. |
Men are justified through
their faith. |
It
is common to speak of one who is near death as having “made his peace with
God.” I would like to suggest that such
a phrase is incorrect. It is impossible
for a man to make peace with God. That
is why Christ came. He made peace for
us. In Him we have peace with God. Indeed, Christ not only MADE peace for us, He
IS our peace. This is reflected in the
fact that He is our PROPITIATION (Romans 3:24).
Propitiation
refers to the appeasing nature of Christ’s sacrifice. It is because Jesus is our propitiation that
we have peace.
|
Divine Point of View |
Human Point of View |
|
Propitiation |
Peace with God |
|
Jesus satisfied
the holy anger of God against sin. |
Jesus reunites
us with God from whom we had been separated. |
That
is not all.
|
Verse 2 is the last time we see
“faith” mentioned until chapter 9. |
In
Christ we also have our standing. It is
through Him that "also we have obtained our INTRODUCTION by faith into
this grace in which we stand" (Romans 5:2).
My
older brother has been over 30 years as a missionary in
When
you go to the Father, you have an introduction from your elder brother. His name is Jesus. You will find a welcome waiting for you. This introduction has brought us "into
this grace in which we stand" (Romans 5:2). Where we were once at war, now we are at
peace. Where we once stood under the
judgment of God, now we stand in grace.
What
is “grace?” It is unmerited favor. It is the Greek word charis. It is closely related to the Greek word
describing a gift. This is quite
different from MERCY. Mercy is when you
are relieved from the punishment which you justly deserve.
We
could illustrate it this way. A traffic
policeman pulls you over when you have been doing 50 in a 30 mile per hour
zone. But he merely speaks to you and
doesn't give you the ticket which you deserve - that’s MERCY.
Then
the police officer says, “I want you to come to my house where I will throw you
a party, adopt you into my family and give you a brand new car” — that’s GRACE.
Grace
involves giving. As such, you do not pay
for grace. Once you pay for a gift, it
is no longer a gift. It is a
purchase. And so, those who seek to work
for their salvation are denying the grace of God.
In
Greek usage, this described a gift that you gave or a favor that you performed
for a FRIEND. After all, you don't give
gifts and you don't do favors for enemies.
But the New Testament usage is quite different. In this chapter, we come to understand that
God granted grace to us when we were His ENEMIES.
Ephesians
2:8-9 say that we are saved by GRACE through faith, “not as a result of
works, that no one should BOAST.” That same word for “boasting” is used here in verse 2 when Paul
says that "we EXULT in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2). As Christians, we do have a ground of
boasting. But it is not in ourselves. It is in
hope of the glory of God.
These
first two verses picture the three tenses of our salvation.
|
Past Tense |
Having been justified |
|
Present Tense |
We have peace with God |
|
Future Tense |
We exult in hope of the
glory of God |
Our
justification is a completed action. We
can never become “more justified.” You
can take a man who has been a Christian for fifty years, who prays daily and
who is faithful in his service to the Lord and stand him next to a boy who has
just come to faith in Christ and you will find that the degree of their
justification is identical. Why is
this? It is because the degree of our
justification corresponds to the degree of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We have been credited with His perfect
righteousness. And the measure of our
justification accords with the measure of His righteousness.
BOASTING
IN TRIBULATIONS
And
not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation
brings about perseverance; 4 and
perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love
of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was
given to us. (Romans 5:3-5).
Notice
how this verse begins. “And not only
this...” This passage sounds a
little like one of those television commercials advertising a handy-dandy
thing-a-majig for the low price of $19.95. But not only do you get this handy-dandy
thing-a-majig, but if you also get these five other balli-wicks as well as a matching thing-a-mabob.
Paul
does the same thing here. He has already
outlined a reason that we ought to boast.
He said that we exult or boast in the glory to come. But that is not the only reason we exult or
boast. Our rejoicing isn’t limited to
the future by and by. We also have
rejoicing in the nasty here and now.
“We
also exult in our tribulations...” Notice what the passage doesn’t say. It doesn’t say that tribulation is fun. It isn’t.
And it doesn’t say that we rejoice or exult or boast BECAUSE OF our
tribulations. I don’t go around saying, “I
had more tribulations this week than you did and so that makes me more
spiritual than you!” No! We exult IN THE MIDST of our
tribulations. Not because tribulations
are fun or exalting, but because of what God produces in us THROUGH those
tribulations. Because
of the positive fruits of those tribulations. Because that short-term
tribulation brings about a long-term benefit.
1. Tribulation.
The word “tribulation” is translated from the Greek
word that was used in secular Greek to describe the squeezing of olives to
produce oil and the squeezing of grapes to produce wine. When pressure hits us, we get squeezed. And what comes out will depend upon what was
in us to begin with.
If you have bitterness within you, then pressure will
only cause that bitterness to grow and to fester within you. But if you have the fruit of the Spirit, then
that pressure will set up a spiritual chain reaction.
Tribulation brings about...
m Perseverance
m Proven character
m Hope
When I was a lot younger, I went through the
2. Perseverance.
This is the Greek word hupomone. It is a compound word.
• Hupo is “under.”
• Meno is “to
remain.”
Perseverance is the act of holding up under
pressure. The only way you can develop
the ability to hold up under pressure is by holding up under pressure. There isn’t any other way. There are no instant pressure pills that you
can take. No shortcuts.
3. Proven Character.
The Greek term is the single word dokime. It is alternately translated “proof”, “test”,
or “ordeal.” The point is that the way
you prove or test character is by submitting it to a test to see whether it
holds up.
When I was in the fire service, we would conduct
annual tests of every single one of our fire hoses. We did this by filling each hose with water
and then pumping it up to a specified pressure.
Then we waited. The test is to
see if it would hold up under pressure.
When it had held up, it had passed the test.
Now, I know that Christians are not merely a length of
fire hose. There are places where the
illustration breaks down. But the point
is that character is proven under pressure.
Winston Churchill was one of the great orators of the
20th century. He had been invited to
speak at Eaton and the students were filled with anticipation as to what he
might say. The day came and there was a
hushed expectancy as Churchill stepped up to the podium. He looked out at these students, representing
the future of the nation and he said, “Never, never, never quit!” And then he sat down. It was a lesson that was to take those
students throughout the rest of their lives.
It is a lesson which we need to take to heart.
4. Hope.
We have a basis of hope in the face of
tribulation. It is a hope based on the
fact that we know the end of the story.
I’m one of those people who, when I’m reading a novel,
sometimes turns to the last page to see how the book is going to end. We have the end of the story. Jesus wins.
And we are going to win with Him.
And
hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within
our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:5).
Notice that this hope “does not disappoint.” God has never broken any of His promises and
He isn’t going to start with you, especially when you consider what He has
already invested in you.
This hope is not based upon your own strength of
will. It is based upon...
|
The love of God |
Poured out within our
hearts |
|
The Holy Spirit |
Given to us |
Notice, the love of God hasn’t merely been sprinkled
or dribbled into our hearts. It has been
POURED OUT. The picture is of this love
pouring in and then overflowing. That is
exactly what it does. It goes into us
from God. And then it overflows to
everyone.
DYING
FOR THE UNGODLY
6 For while we
were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though
perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8).
Do
you ever find yourself questioning the love of God? Perhaps when things go bad? When you don’t feel good? When you don’t see your prayers answered and
you wonder if they are making it past the ceiling?
|
There have been instances when, in the midst of a battle, a soldier
would throw himself onto a hand grenade to give his life for his
friends. This a
measure of great love and self-sacrifice.
But what would you think of a man who threw himself on a hand grenade
to save the life of an enemy? This is
what Christ did for us. |
There is a promise here for you.
Verse
6 says we were helpless. But verse 8
goes beyond that. It says that while we
were SINNERS. It is bad enough to be
helpless. How much worse to be a sinner!
Notice,
it wasn’t merely while we were sinners.
It was while we were STILL sinners.
It was not while we were in the midst of repentance or attending church
or sitting in a Bible study or seeking the truth. It was while we were sinners in the midst of
our sin that Christ died for us.
|
Paul distinguishes between
a “righteous man” and a “good man.”
Perhaps the difference is that the “good man” is pictured without the
quality of “self‑righteousness.”
You might die for a good man, but few would die for the
self-righteous. |
Here
is a question. For whom would you
die? I would not expect you to have a
very long list. Even if a person were
righteous, you might think twice about giving up your own life for another —
though perhaps if it were a really good man, you just might trade your life for
his. But Christ died for us when we were
neither righteous nor good. We were
sinners. We were ungodly. We were set at enmity against God. And it was at such a time that Christ died
for us.
RECONCILED
AND SAVED
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His
blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to
God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall
be saved by His life.
(Romans 5:9-10).
We
have already seen that God saved us while we were...
• Helpless (5:6).
• Sinners (5:8).
Now
he adds that God saved us while we were ENEMIES. It is one thing to be helpless. It is much worse to be a sinner. But the worst possible condition would be
that of an enemy of God.
“If
we were enemies” (and we were). This is a first class condition. It assumes the condition stated to be a true
one. We were reconciled to God while we
were enemies. We were fighting Him and
He made peace with us through the death of His own Son.
This
is spectacular. Do you see the
imagery? The picture is of a war. We are seen fighting against the King. And one of the casualties of that war is the
King’s own Son. What will be His reaction? Will He increase His efforts to destroy those
who have brought about the death of His beloved Son? No!
Instead, He uses that death to bring about peace.
That
is not all. If the DEATH of the Son can
bring about peace (and it did), how much more shall be brought about by the
LIFE of the Son?
|
While we were Enemies |
Now that we are at
Peace |
|
Through the death of His Son |
By His life |
|
We were reconciled |
We shall be saved |
The
argument that Paul proposes is from the lesser to the greater. If God did the most for us when we were His
enemies, how much more will He do now that we are at peace? The answer - Much more than the most!
|
Great |
→ |
Greater |
|
What Jesus accomplished in
His death |
→ |
What a Living Savior is
able to accomplish |
BOASTING
IN GOD
And
not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through
whom we have now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5:11).
We
have already seen that we boast...
m In hope of the glory of God
(5:2).
m In our tribulations (5:3).
But
that is not all. There is an even
greater cause for boasting. We also
boast in GOD. Why? Because He is the
Peacemaker. And His Son is
rightfully called the “Prince of Peace.”
This is what Paul is speaking of when he refers to the “reconciliation.”
After
the War Between the States,
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