PARDONED AND PAROLED
Romans 5:1-5:5
PARDONED AND PAROLED
SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us. (Romans 5:1-5) (NIV).
If I Can,,,Let Me Tell You Of A Dream
I shook my head in disbelief. This couldn’t be the right place. After all, I couldn’t possibly be welcomed here.
I had been given an invitation several times, by several different people, and had finally decided to see what this place was all about. But, this just couldn’t be the right place. Quickly, I glanced down at the invitation that I clutched in my hand. I scanned past the words, "Come as you are. No jacket required." Had I found the location? Yes, I was at the right place. I peered through the window again and saw a room of people whose faces seemed to glow with joy. All were neatly dressed, adorned in fine garments and appeared strangely clean as they dined at this exquisite restaurant.
Ashamed, I looked down at my own tattered and torn clothing, covered in stains. I was dirty, in fact, filthy. A foul smell seemed to consume me and I couldn’t shake the grime that hung to my body. As I turned around to leave, the words from the invitation seemed to leap out at me..."Come as you are. No jacket required."
I decided to give it a shot. Mustering up every bit of courage I could find, I opened the door to this restaurant and walked up to a man standing behind a podium. "Your name, sir?" He asked me with a smile. "Johnathan Ivan Hester ," I mumbled without even looking up. Instantly, I thrust my hands deep into my pockets, hoping to conceal their stains. He didn’t seem to notice the filth that I was covered in and he continued, "Very good, sir. A table is reserved in your name. Would you like to be seated?" I couldn’t believe what I heard! A grin broke out on my face and I said, "Yes, of course!"
He lead me to a table and, sure enough, there was a place card with my name written on it in a deep, dark red. As I browsed over a menu, I saw many delightful items listed. There were things like, "peace," "joy," "blessings," "confidence," "assurance","hope," "love," "faith," and "mercy." I realized that this was no ordinary restaurant! I flipped the menu back to the front in order to see where I was ... "God’s Grace," was the name of this place!
The man returned and said, "I recommend the ’Special of the Day’. With it, you are entitled to heaping portions of everything on this menu." You’ve got to be kidding! I thought to myself. You mean, I can have ALL of this! "What is the ’Special of the Day" I asked, with excitement ringing in my voice. "Salvation," was his reply. "I’ll take it," I practically cried out.
A sick, painful ache jerked through my stomach and tears filled my eyes. Between my sobs I said "Mister, look at me. I’m dirty and nasty. I’m unclean and unworthy of such things. I’d love to have all of this, but, but, I just can’t afford it. Undaunted, the man smiled again. "Sir, your check has already been taken care of by that Gentleman over there," he said pointing to the front of the room. "His Name is Jesus."
Turning, I saw a man whose very presence seemed to light the room. He was almost too much to look at. I found myself walking towards Him and in a shaking voice I whispered, "Sir, I’ll wash the dishes or sweep the floors or take out the trash. I’ll do anything I can do to repay you for all of this." He opened His arms and said with a smile, "Son, all of this is yours if you just come unto me. Ask me to clean you up and I will. Ask me to take away the stains and it is done. Ask me to allow you to feast at my table and you will eat. Remember, the table is reserved in your name. All you must do is accept this gift that I offer you."
Astonished, I fell at his feet and said, "Please, Jesus. Please clean up my life. Please change me and sit me at your table and give me this new life." Immediately, I heard the words, "It is finished." I looked down and white robes adorned my squeaky clean body. Something strange and wonderful had happened. I felt new, like a weight had been lifted and I found myself seated at His table. "The ’Special of the Day’ has been served," the Lord said to me. "Salvation is yours."
We sat and talked for a great while and I so enjoyed the time that I spent with Him. He told me, me of all people, that He would like for me to come back as often as I liked for another helping from God’s Grace. He made it clear that He wanted me to spend as much time with Him as possible. As the time drew near for me to go back outside into the "real world," He whispered to me softly, "And Lo, I am with you always." And then, He said something to me that I will never forget. He said..."My child, do you see these empty tables throughout this room?" "Yes, Lord. I see them. What do they mean?" I replied. "These are reserved tables...but the individuals whose names are on each placard have not accepted their invitations to dine. Would you be so kind as to hand out these invitations to those who have not joined us yet?" Jesus asked. "Of course," I said with excitement as I picked up the invitations." "Go ye therefore into all nations," He said as I turned to leave.
I walked into God’s Grace dirty and hungry. Stained in sin. My righteousness as filthy rags. And Jesus cleaned me up. I walked out a brand new man...robed in white, His righteousness. And so, I’ll keep my promise to my Lord. I’ll go. I’ll spread the Word. I’ll share the Gospel... I’ll hand out the invitations. And I’ll start with you. Have you been to God’s Grace? There’s a table reserved in your name, and here’s your invitation... "Come as you are. No jacket required."
OPENING THE TEXT:
We have reached one of the mountain tops of Scripture and truth in these short five verses. By mountain tops of Scripture this writer means those verses that leave our minds astounded and our hearts pounding. John 1:1-4, Romans 8:1-4, Acts 2:38-47, Philippians chapter 3, Ephesians chapter 1 are just a few among so many that strum the cord strings of our hearts. Although it is difficult to place Scripture above Scripture as to importance, because all Scripture is inspired by God,,, most ardent students of God’s Word certainly have their favorite verses and chapters as contained in God’s Word.... But,,,for this writer, our text falls into that category. It may simply be that principle of "saying much with so little words" that makes our text for today so profound.
Paul uses the connective "therefore" as he begins this text, and it is as though he is saying, "I have said all that I have said in the past four chapters to say this, "...having been justified by faith we have..." (5:1). Then he goes on to say that since we have been pardoned, we are now paroled (set at liberty), to have peace with God, to access the presence of God, stand in the hope of the glory of God, glory in trials and sufferings, and drink in the love of God that has been poured into our hearts. Dear friend and reader, are you standing in awe with me? Is this not a mountain top of comfort and consolation, that can bring tears of thankfulness to both your eyes and to your heart?
Man is blessed by God through justification. He is blessed beyond all imagination, because he has been reckoned, credited and judged as righteous before the Majesty of all creation. Although, some may still question, "why does man need to be justified by God?"
Justification is necessary because of the sin and the alienation of man. Man has rebelled against God and has taken his life into his own hands. He has lived as he desires in the fulfilling of his sinful cravings, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does. He has clutched to everything in the world. As such, he has become sinful and ungodly, and he has stood before God as His enemy in riotous rebellion. He has pushed God out of his life, and has wanted little if anything to do with God.
Justification is necessary because the anger and wrath of God is aroused by man’s hostility, ungodliness and sin. In man’s sinful nature he has not made God the center of his life; man has broken his relationship with a holy God. In this way man is left with the greatest need in life in discovering the answer to the question, " how can the relationship between man and God be restored?"(ahh yall better pray with me)
Why does God justify a man? God justifies a man because of His son Jesus Christ. When one comes to believe in Jesus Christ, God takes that man’s faith and counts it as righteousness. The man is not righteous, but God considers and credits the man’s faith and counts it as righteousness. The man is certainly not righteous, but God in Christ considers the man’s faith as such. Still, there remains another question to be answered, "why is God willing to justify sinful man who comes to Him in faith?"
Well,,,,God is willing to justify man because He loves man just that much. God loves man so much that He sent His Son into the world, and sacrificed Him in order that His justice would be both served ,,, and satisfied. Now, God honors any man who honors His Son by believing on Him, and counts His faith as righteous and the sinner,,, fully, pardoned.
The Greek word for justify is (diakioun). It is a legal word taken from the courts. It pictures man on trial before God, and accused of the most heinous of crimes. Man stands guilty before God for rebellion, disobedience and the breaking of his relationship with God. Within human courts if a man is acquitted he is declared innocent, but this is not true within the Divine Court. When man appears before God, he is anything but innocent; he is utterly guilty and condemned accordingly.
When sinful man comes to God in faith he is not made innocent; he is treated by God as if he was innocent. Man is pardoned in his guilt based upon Christ’s sacrifice, when his faith is accounted as righteous.
There is a lot going on when a man comes to a holy God in faith. He is acknowledging God for who He is, and that is holy. He acknowledges that only holiness and perfect sinlessness can stand before divine perfection. He acknowledges that he is sinful, and incapable of even approaching God as stained in his sinful nature. He understands that Jesus lived a sinless life, and that the sinner secures the virtue of that righteous life by faith. Sinful man, when he comes to faith in Christ, steps into the righteousness of a righteous Savior, and is counted "right with God."
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER:
Abraham believed the Lord , and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Gen. 15:6)
Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39).
For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24).
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Romans 5:9).
But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (I Cor. 6:11).
Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. (Gal. 3:6).
So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. (Gal. 3:24).
And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. (Philip. 3:9).
BACK TO THE TEXT
The first result of justification is that the sinner has secured peace with God. It should be noted that this peace is not like worldly peace. It does not mean some quiet atmosphere or the absence of trouble. The peace that is secured by being justified, is having the sense and knowledge that man’s relationship with God has indeed been restored. Having been counted righteous by faith in Christ, man now knows that he is no longer alienated and separated from God; he is now accepted by the Father as a child. This peace with God includes being freed from fearing God’s wrath and judgment, knowing that as he continues in faith he remains pleasing to God.
The second result of justification is the blessing of having access into the grace of God. In this passage grace is looked upon as a place or a position. Grace is a place to which we are brought, a position into which we are placed. It is the place of God’s presence where we are positioned in Christ and His salvation. It is in that place of grace that we stand in the favor, privileges and all the promises of God.
The third result of justification is hope. The text says that "the hope of the believer is for the glory of God." When Scripture speaks of the believer’s hope, it does not mean what the world means by hope. The hope of the world is desire, expectation and want for whatever can be possessed. The hope of the believer is a guarantee; it is a perfect assurance, confidence and knowledge. Moreover, the believer’s hope is sustained as an inward possession by the presence of God’s Spirit who dwells within each true believer. The hope of glory is provided only by the Spirit of God, as He abides in the one who believes in Jesus Christ. The hope of glory will see the dying person take his last few breaths in this life with a smile of joy; he knows beyond any doubt that in the twinkling of an eye he will be present with the Lord upon his passing.
The fourth result of justification is to glory in trials and sufferings. When a man is truly justified, he is no longer defeated by trials and sufferings. Trials and sufferings no longer discourage and swamp him, no longer cast him down into the dungeon of despair and hopelessness. The very opposite is true. Trials and sufferings become purposeful and meaningful, in that the believer understands that they are allowed by God to refine faith and produce character. As the storm of any trial begins to rage, the believer remains confident that his life and welfare remain in God’s sovereign care and under His watchful eye. He continues to perceive the trial and testing as the means in which perseverance, character and hope are both sustained and strengthened.
Paul says in verse 5, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us." The justified man enjoys the continuous experience of God’s love through the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit pours out the love of God in our hearts; He matures us in the love of God, and increases our understanding of what God has done and is doing for us.
In My Closing:
Dear friend, please do not let this message fall on either deaf ears or a stony heart. God is holy, and only the man who has been pardoned and paroled into God’s manifold blessings and promises has the hope of eternity in God’s presence.
Are you still a rebel, convict, thief, liar, fornicator or drug addict who believes that this life is all that there is to hope in? Dear friend you are quite mistaken! Please search your heart, and the answer will come.....there is much much more.
How many times have you tried to alter the course direction of your life, to repeatedly fall into the quicksand of defeat, despair and utter failure? How many jails, prisons and broken relationships have you encountered upon your road to self-destruction, pain and misery? Jesus Christ is standing at the door of your heart right now, beckoning and pleading for your to accept His invitation to come to Him just as you are. He will receive you as you receive Him, and you will be robed in the righteousness of His perfection if you but believe in Him.
"Whosoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." Will you call upon Him now unto the salvation of your soul, and the renewing of your life. Eternal life begins at the moment you receive Him as Lord and Savior, and at that point all things will be made new, as you are made new in Him.
Would you have the "Special of the Day" as you sit down at His table in this special place of grace. Remember there is "No Jacket Required", although He will robe you in the garment of His righteousness, as the crimson stain of sin is forever washed away in the fountain of His blood. ( Oh what can make me hold today ,,,Nothing ...
Min. Johnathan Hester
