The Explosion Within
Pastor Dan Little
adfontes.djl@gmail.com
03-11-12
Romans 5:6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. (NLT)
Key Phrases
1. v6… we were utterly helpless.
2. v9 … we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ
3. v10 … saved through the life of his Son.
4. v11 … we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our
Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
These are Gospel (good news) words. They were given to the Apostle Paul by the Spirit of God and he put them to paper for out benefit around 58 AD.
There are lots of religions that are built around the teachings of a certain person. Why are the words and acts of Jesus characterized as “good news? Here is why!
Every other religion of the world says that you must be good so that God will love you. Only Jesus came saying; "It’s just the other way around. God has always loved you, and if you open yourself up to His love He makes you good."
That is what Paul means in saying that we were personally UTTERLY HELPLESS; “
• 9 “We have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ.
• 10 “our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies.”
• 11 “Our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”
Jesus gave us these gospel words; John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life
Eternal life given to whoever believes!
This is the utter simplicity of the Gospel as it was preached by the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
The message is simple; Stop running from God and trust yourself to the love that Jesus poured out on the cross and the power He showed when He walked out of the tomb on the third day.
Stop running FROM and turn TOWARD Him and you will be saved.
How is this turn made? Romans 10:10 tells you how.
With your whole being you believe that Jesus has set everything right between you and God and then you and then you say it, right out loud: "Through Christ God has set everything right between him and me!" (MsgB)
When you make that turn it sets off a spiritual (and very often an emotional explosion) as two worlds meet (more like collide) in you. God’s presence takes up residence in your life. The power of the explosion travels in all directions at once effecting every area of your life.
Jesus called this explosion NEW BIRTH.
John 3:3 “…unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Paul said describes the explosion as the collapse of the old way of life and the inrush of a new way of life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself …”
The explosion of salvation is instantaneous, but it also lasts a lifetime as the strong and continuing waves of Christ’s love work their way into every corner of your life. It is continually changing you, continually molding your life.
Let me enumerate 10 experiences reported over the centuries by millions of people from every age and ever conceivable culture who have first hand personal knowledge of this explosion.
I have boxed the first three together because they are often used in the same sentence—love, joy and peace as can be seen in Galatians 5:22.
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1. LOVE: You will feel a deep and flowing love in two directions. God’s love floods your senses with amazing grace. His love also overflows in you in a felt love for others.
2. JOY: You will have the sense that your life has just begun and there is a great sense of joy and a desire to find people who will celebrate with you.
3. PEACE: There is a sense of peace. Everything is right between you and God, you and others, and you and the rest of creation.
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4. CLEAN: You will feel clean, forgiven, new, like you just got out of jail. God’s love and forgiveness will release you from the guilt of sin as well as from the prison of bitterness and jealousy to where you are able to forgive those who have hurt you.
5. NEW LIFE STYLE: Your new life will be characterized by a desire to live like Jesus lived, walk like Jesus walked, talk like He talked and do the kinds of things He did. And because He has taken up residence in your life this will actually be possible.
6. VALUES: Your values will change. Possessions and money and power will fall in value so far as you are concerned. The value simplicity and quietness and people and relationships will dramatically rise in your estimation.
7. RISK: You will have the sense that you dare to do things that you never dared to do before. You are already loved with an unquenchable love. You are already accepted. You already have eternal life. Jesus sacrifice has made you a friend of God. You simply can’t lose! So long as you are trying to walk in step with Him you can live a life of risk and adventure and leave all the consequences up to Him. Jeremiah 29:11 I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. 12 "When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.
8. GOD’S WORD: The Bible is no longer a book to read or even just to study for concepts. For you it will become nourishment for your soul and water in which you bathe your mind regularly.
9. PRAYER: Prayer happens all the time because suddenly you know that prayer is you engaged in an ongoing conversation with Jesus who longs to hear the sound of your voice on any subject.
10. YOU ARE HIRED: What you have experienced and what you know makes you a first hand witness. Your story helps others along. Immediately you see yourself being full time employed by God. You don’t have to come up through the ranks. Immediately God has very important kingdom work for you to do—bringing others to Christ and growing your local church.
The kinds of things in this list of 10, these are part of the riches provided for us by Christ.
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
However, Jesus tells us that we have an enemy—a thief who is constantly looking for a way to rob us of love, joy, peace, etc., and to choke off the new life we have found in Christ.
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ESV
This is where the value of God’s Word and prayer and the rest of the Christian community become so important.
We will talk about this in the weeks ahead.
If you want this explosion to happen in you just follow Paul’s simple advice to the Philippian jailor. Acts 16:31 "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."
Anyone who believes will be saved—you, your household, your neighbors, absolutely anyone.
Say it right out loud. “Lord Jesus, I believe You love me. I believe in You. I’m through running. I open my whole self up to your presence.
