Romans 5:1-11 February 8, 2009
The exile is over
Introduction – Rules and Relationship
You are not “saved” by behaving, but by believing
You are not given the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit because you behave well, but because you Believer in Jesus.
You are Free from the Law!
Don’t use your freedom to sin
What Paul does is take a relationship that is bound by rules, and presents a rule (love) that is bound by relationships
– God is not looking for a transactional relationship, where “we don’t break his rules and he gives us good stuff… and doesn’t kill us.” He wants a relationship of true love and affection. But that relationship is proved by our behaviour – we let the sinful nature die; we let the fruit of the Spirit grow.
God’s love language – Obedience
Switch to Romans – not a follow up letter, but a forerunner letter
Romans 5:1-11
The Problem – Estrangement with the Father
Talk about estrangement – with Fathers – David and Absalom – common story
Amnon & Tamar
David does nothing
Absalom bides his time, waits for the moment kills Amnon & flees
David banishes Absalom
Finally David allows Absalom back to Jerusalem, but he will not see him
Absalom conspires and rebels.
Picture of our relationship with God, except that God is never in the wrong like David was.
Justified to peace
Justified – declared to be “in the right” – not because we are, but because we believe.
Peace – the estrangement is over
Gained access by faith through grace – it is only going to get better
Boast in hope
- hope of the glory of God – future hope
Glory in the midst of suffering – (hope isn’t here yet)
Suffering-perseverance-character-hope (more hope!)
Hope does not disappoint
We can be sure of the hope because of God’s Love – poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Experience of God’s Love through the Spirit – we often point to the cross as a sign of God’s love for us – this is true, but he is also constantly reminding us of his love through his Holy Spirit.
Galatians 4:6-7 (Today’s New International Version)
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer slaves, but God’s children; and since you are his children, he has made you also heirs.
The Spirit gives us hope for the future.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
We can be sure of the love because of what Jesus did for us.
At just the right time
While we were powerless –
Video – Anna – Not only are we estranged from God, but we are powerless to come to him on our own
powerless to please God, powerless to step outside of our sinful heritage.
But he comes to us, blind and weak, and he loves us enough to die for us.
What does it mean to die for us?
Francis Gadginistek
Maximillian Colby Alpha 3:23:50 – 27:14
It’s an amazing story – it is an amazing thing that Maximillion Colby did, but if it was a real parallel to what Jesus did, it would be that one of the meanest guards in the concentration camp had done something that required the death penalty, and one of the prisoners steps forward to take his place – harder to believe in analogy, but it is what Jesus did – while we were sill sinners…
While we were enemies…
Reconciled through Jesus’ death
Saved through Jesus’ resurrection life.
We are not just allowed to live in the same city as God like Absalom and David – we are not just saved from the punishment for our sins – we are saved into the resurrection life – a life in the presence of God.
Atheist bus ad coming to Toronto:
“There’s Probably No God. - Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”
My response ad: “There is a God. I was talking to Him this morning. He said He loves you. - Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”
This description of where we have come from is not so that we walk around with our head down all the time – it is for us to see how much Gods loves us!
So that we walk around not as the guilty but forgiven, but as well loved children.
Rules and relationship
Reminder that God loves us, forgives us, not because we are good, but because he loves us.
