A Few Blessed Benefits Of Being Saved Series

1. Earlier, Paul reminded us by quoting the Psalms, that it is a blessing to have our sins forgiven. – Look at 4.5-8

• Oh How Happy is the one who has a personal relationship with Jesus and knows that he knows that his sins are forgiven.

Psalm 103:12 (NKJV) 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Micah 7:18-19 (NKJV) 18 Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. 19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.

THROUGHOUT CH4, Abraham is on display, the “Father of Faith”.

• How was he justified & saved? By religious duties? No.

• By works? No. By the Law? No. It was simply by faith.

Romans 4:3 (NKJV) 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

NOW FROM CHAPTER 5 THROUGH 8, we see a transition.

• Paul will begin to explain what a tremendous work it was for Jesus to die on the cross & rise again for u & me as believers.

• What Jesus did was enough for us because of the resurrection.

• We can’t add anything. We don’t need to!

NOW would be a good time to pause and look at the book as a whole by way of reminder!

Remember, Romans is quite possibly the most important spiritual document that has ever been written!

• It’s a letter of freedom & liberty & I believe God has used it and will continue to use it in a very mighty and special way.

• It will bring great grace & liberty to you personally.

• It will infuse grace & love in your homes, in your marriages, in your everyday lives.

• Romans is a powerful & revolutionary book! LIFE-CHANGING.

1. (CH 1-3) PROBLEM OF SIN & NEED FOR THE GOSPEL.

2. (CH 4-5) THE PROVISION OF THE GOSPEL!

NOW here are some things to expect in the coming chapters:

• CH5 – Our freedom from the CURSE OF ADAM.

• CH6 – Our Freedom from the POWER OF SIN.

• CH7 – Our Freedom from the LAW.

• CH8 - Our Freedom TO LIVE in Christ. (Begins with no condemnation and ends with no separation!)

OK… CH5 Opens with some of the blessed benefits of Knowing God personally, of being forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ.

• We’ll look at 4 of them today & focus in on the other next time.

I. (5:1-3) FAITH IN REAL LIFE

1. (1) Therefore.

a. The word ‘therefore’ is a blessed word that connects what we HAVE learned with what we WILL learn.

b. It could be translated, “Because of…”

c. So because of what Jesus did, dying for our sins, and rising again, and our simple faith in that truth… we have.

NOTICE: These are benefits WE HAVE. They are ours. By faith we live in the beauty of knowing these are ours in Jesus Christ.

#1 – (v1) PEACE WITH GOD! – The war is over.

• The Father has nothing against you, no records of any sin.

• Jesus blood has washed your sins & brought you near!

• No longer separated and fighting against God, we now have a tremendous & wonderful abiding peace WITH GOD!

Before we were justified by faith, we were at war with God, at enmity w/ Him. No peace. Always striving. Constantly wondering.

• We don’t really need the Bible to tell us that, we know it.

• Before U surrender to God, U don’t really feel at ease with Him.

• That’s why when you give a Bible away, or a tract, or invite someone to church, they are easily hesitant & restless.

• They have this natural sense they are separated from God!

• Our job in WINING A PERSON TO Jesus is to bridge that uneasiness with the gospel of Jesus, the Good News!

“God will accept you just as you are.”

• That’s the battle right there. Will a person believe that?

NOTE: Back in the Garden of Eden, Adam & Eve had it made.

• They had a sweet time of fellowship w/ God, until they sinned!

• After their sin there was this sense of condemnation & shame.

• They hid themselves from God & were separated from Him.

• That’s what sin does… It puts you at odds with God.

But by faith in Jesus, we have PEACE WITH GOD.

• Peace means to ‘bind together that which was separated.’

• What Jesus has done is bring us together.