There are certain benefits you get from working at Fed Ex.
There are certain benefits that you get from being a Veteran.
There are certain benefits that you get from being an Athlete, a Politician, or a Policeman.
These benefits drive up the desire to be a part of these great organizations and institutions.
Our topic today is to further define the blessings & benefits of the Gospel from a biblical perspective.
I plan to outline from a biblical perspective these blessings & benefits of the Gospel.
These blessings & benefits are far greater than anything we can gain from an earthly perspective.
For Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17
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Title and Points:
“The Blessings & Benefits of the Gospel”
Point #1: We Have Peace
Point #2: We Have Access
Point #3: We Have Hope
Introduction of Text:
Romans 5:1-6 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
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Point #1: We Have Peace
The Blessings of Salvation in which faith, the faith, which is the doctrine of Jesus Christ justifies us through the relational covenant between man and Christ.
Justification cannot be obtained through the works of the Law but justification can be obtained by faith.
When you look at:
Romans 3:20a Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
We learn the laws purpose. We learn its limitations.
Let’s also look at:
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
To be justified is to be considered by the Lord as having never been guilty of sin.
The works of the law cannot satisfy this:
So what are the works of the law?
Keeping the Sabbath, being circumcised (the issue before the Galatian churches), eating “clean” foods, and other ceremonies are powerless to justify us in the sight of God.
Following the morality of the law (not murdering, not committing adultery, not stealing) is insufficient to make us right in God’s eyes. No act on the part of sinful creatures can result in God declaring them to be righteous in His sight.
But I haven’t killed anyone or anything like that. Good does mean that you are good enough.
The works of the law can never be done completely.
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
You can’t do it. It’s too hard.
There are over six hundred individual commandments in the Mosaic Law, and breaking just one of them one time renders a person guilty. No one but Jesus ever kept the law perfectly.
Second, the law was given to show us our sinfulness and to reveal the perfect holiness of the Lawgiver
Romans 3:20b …for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The law helped to define what sin is in our lives
Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
The Holy law of God identified it, so what is the solution?
Romans 3:21-25 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
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To this end we learn:
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
To be justified is to be considered by the Lord as having never been guilty of sin.
Having your record cleaned
Having your record expunged
Having the ability to hold your head high
Not lowered in shame
Having the peace of God.
Albeit being in a state of sin is being hostile toward God whether we realize it or not.
But if one faithfully obeys the gospel, he has peace with God
Paul brings to remembrance to the Christians at Ephesus what they were, the state they were in before they obeyed the gospel:
Ephesians 2:12-22 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
This peace is made possible by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ:
Peace is one of the blessings that Christians have.
Philipians 4:6,7,9 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
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Be spiritually mind to have peace:
Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Follow after the teachings of Christ for they make peace
Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with peace in believing
Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Live in peace and the God of peace will be with you
II Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Walk according to the teachings of Christ and you will have peace
Galatians 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
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Point #2: We Have Access
Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Instead enmity
Instead of hostility
Instead of variance
Instead of unanswered questions and doubt
Instead of spiritual death
We have access through the sacrifice & love and grace & mercy of Jesus Christ.
And without that grace:
The child of God would not be able to stand
There could not be any hope
With this access we understand that all Spiritual Blessings are housed in Christ
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
You can look for other places but you will not find them.
You can look on Amazon and any other ecommerce sites, you will not find it.
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Spiritual Blessing
We have God’s Grace through Christ
Spiritual Blessing
How do we gain access to these spiritual blessings in Christ? Baptism into Christ
Galatians 3:26-27 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
The Grace of God is available in Christ, therefore, we must be in Christ to obtain its benefits.
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Point #3: We Have Hope
Since faithful saints only can enjoy the blessings of God’s grace in Christ, we can rejoice in hope of the glory of God
Our past sins are forgiven
We walk in daily communion with our God (How)
By walking in the light of our Savior’s Word
I John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
The continual forgiveness of our omissions and commissions is our daily benefit
We live in constant realization that eternal life in heaven awaits us, and unending life amid the glory of God
We have good reason to rejoice
We have good reason to be happy
We have good reason to have HOPE
It does not matter what the world thinks of you and I. All that matters is what God thinks of us.
Being a child of God, we are thereby justified by our faith, our belief, our obedience to Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3:20-21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4
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Being in Christ we have a Lively Hope
I Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
This lively hope is depicted as a living hope. It is a living hope because it is based on the resurrection of our Lord from the dead.
Our Lord, though he was crucified, has been raised to life again—never to die any more:
Revelations 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Any faithful Christian can live his life daily with hopeful confidence—without the great anxieties that assail fearful souls—desiring and expecting to obtain the grand objects of his hope
The things we hope to receive are not in our possession now in this life, but are to be received in the eternal blessings of Heaven—these are “ready to be revealed in the last time”
A Confidence Building Hope
Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
An Invisible Hope
Romans 8:24-25 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
A Believing Hope
Romans 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
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Application:
When you are Approved and Accepted and Hired for a new Job, one of the things that is explained to you is the benefits package.
This is the package that you will receive as a benefit to being hired to a company.
These are the perks.
When I was hired on my job, they provided a computer, a phone, an expense card, travel points, and 3 weeks of vacation on day one, 401k, Stock options, sick days, holiday pay, and a volunteer day that I could use at my own discretion.
That was my benefits package.
This package helps you make the decision to take the job or not.
Jesus is sitting across the desk and He is asking us to trust him. He has laid his gospel message out in front of us to read and assess for ourselves.
He has given us the path toward a future
He has given us many references of people that have trusted Him and have taken the role prior to us.
He has shared their success stories.
The decision is ours. The decision is yours. You know what is good for you. You know what is good for your family.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, what is important? What is it that Paul, Peter, John, and the other Apostles stressed?
They stressed being a member of the Lord’s body, the Lord’s church.
And being a member of the Lord’s church comes with certain advantages and benefits.
To access them, you have to decide if having a home in heaven is worth giving up on tradition, giving up on personal preferences, giving up on what you have been told versus what you can read in this bible.
There is no justification outside of faith in Jesus Christ. We are made free in Christ Jesus.
To be made free in Christ Jesus, we must be a part of His body which is the church.
