18. ROMANS CHAPTER 5 VERSES 1- MESSAGES IN ROMANS – COUNTLESS BENEFITS AND BLESSINGS FLOW FROM JUSTIFICATION - MESSAGE 18
[A]. TAKING UP FROM THE END OF CHAPTER 4
{{Romans 4:25 He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”}}
It is with verse 25 that a whole new section begins. This is an example where the arbitrary chapter divisions have failed. The chapters have carried down from 1611 but here in Romans, this last verse of chapter 4 belongs in chapter 5.
Verse 25 is one of the most precise statements in the New Testament scriptures and one of the most important, and justification is a key New Testament word. It hones in on the gospel. Just a personal note here. I think it is a most sad move that so many churches have departed from sound doctrinal teaching, and lessons in theology. Doctrine and theology are the skeleton that holds faith upright so that it does not wander off or collapse. Paul wrote a doctrinal letter to the Ephesian church, as he did in Romans, and we must never shy away from the great teachings of scripture.
I think it is sad these days that so many churches have moved away from the sound doctrinal teaching into an experience theology, which is not really theology at all. This detracts from the settled assurance of the believer.
It was not merely the death of Christ that saves us, for that in isolation without the burial and the resurrection, would mean Christ was no more everlasting in the effectiveness of sacrifice than any of the animals slain on a Jewish altar. The resurrection was essential.
[A]. VERSES 1-2. WHERE WILL JUSTIFICATION NOW LEAD US?
{{Romans 5:1 “Therefore HAVING BEEN JUSTIFIED by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
Romans 5:2 through whom also WE HAVE OBTAINED our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we exult in HOPE of the glory of God.”}}
We pass from chapter 4 into 5 with a statement of confirmation, and with nothing “maybe” about it, but the strongest affirmation of the position of a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 1 there are three positional statements. The first is the FACT of justification; the second is the RESULT of justification; and the third is the AGENCY of justification.
THE FACT
In verse 1 the FACT of justification is “Having been justified,” which is a past tense in the Greek and there is no doubt there as to the prospect of acceptance that some say we can’t know until the end. It is sad that a number of people who are church goers hope (wishfully) that they will be alright in the end. I have had a few in my bible study group who could never have the assurance of salvation and they hope they will be received in heaven. I think some considered their lives “not too bad”.
“having been justified”. The verb form here is in the aorist tense while the “we have obtained” in verse 2 is in the perfect tense. I won’t spend time going deeper into this but I like the simple explanation found on Dr Google – [[“What is the difference between the aorist tense and the perfect tense? The aorist tense in Greek represents a single and complete action in the past. The perfect tense represents a past action which still affects the present - the aorist has no affect on the present.”]]
Thus we have been justified, a once only action. Case closed. The aorist is used here as well – {{1Corinthians 12:13 “for by one Spirit WE WERE ALL BAPTISED INTO ONE BODY, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit”}}. When we became believers we were ALL baptised into one Body, the Body of Christ. This is the aorist, a once for all operation not to be repeated. That is why I can not accept the second baptism, “being baptised in the Spirit” that some hold to with indefinable noises. There is no second baptism of the Spirit.
Paul does not want that and emphasises to the Romans the fact of justification. There is no maybe about this. We HAVE BEEN justified if we belong to Jesus. I desire ministers and pastors to know with the greatest certainty the great doctrines and the theology of the bible. Faith is built upon these doctrines. Why do you think Paul was so precise in Romans and Galatians as to our position in Christ? Once that is confirmed, our living faith pursues from that and has the solid basis on which to proceed.
We have been justified through faith. Believing faith seals the fact of justification. It is sometimes said, “Justified means just as if I’d never sinned.” It may be a bit on the simplistic side of things but I see the point. There are some great biblical words for coming into a right state with God, and among these we have salvation, redemption, reconciliation, justification, in one sense, eternal synonyms. They are wonderful statements taken singularly.
Some ministers are uncertain themselves of the great biblical truths. I have found this to be more so in denominations rather than in more faith based independent churches. It may have something to do with the seminaries and theological colleges. Nevertheless, do not ever think doctrinal matters are too difficult for the saints of God. Neglecting them is to make such weak bones that the skeleton we mentioned earlier, can not support the faith.
There follows on from justification, a peace with God, which we continue to have, for the two estranged parties, separated by the wickedness of man’s sin, have been united by Jesus Christ. The wrath of God revealed from heaven, spoken of earlier, no longer applies to a born again Christian, for the calm of settled peace now reigns. We will now look at this peace.
THE RESULT - PEACE
The second great truth from verse 1 is the RESULT of justification. That result is peace. Peace is a huge matter and is the precious outcome of a life founded on the Saviour. The Lord does not want us unsettled. Yes, in life we are unsettled, buffeted around by opposition and problems, but that won’t destroy the underlying peace we have with God; and peace we have from God.
{{John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me.”}}
{{John 14:27 “PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU. My peace I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”}}
Do you recall the time when the Lord was asleep in the boat and the storm came? He was at peace but the disciples were not and woke the Lord. Why do you think He was asleep in the boat? Was He tired? Yes I believe so, but there was another reason. It was to teach the disciples that with Jesus in the midst, no matter what rages against His own, He is calmly with His believers, in the boat with them, as it were.
Here is a telling passage – {{Isaiah 57:20-21 “The wicked are like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. THERE IS NO PEACE,” SAYS MY GOD, “FOR THE WICKED.”}}
We are human and cannot understand the hearts of those around. So many people keep up appearances, put on a public face, and pretend their lives are not what they are internally. They are well disguised. There are only two states people belong to – saved and unsaved. The unsaved are called “the wicked” though often that term in the Old Testament is confined to those “very wicked”. I believe with confidence we can say those all around us are as a restless, tossing sea, and without peace. Understand that peace I refer to, to be the contented peace of justification.
Having peace with God is like crossing over to the other side for salvation, that is, leaving Satan’s camp for the kingdom of God. In Romans 5:10 that we won’t do today, so I will not delve into it, we read this – {{Romans 5:10 “If WHILE WE WERE ENEMIES, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”}} We have passed from death unto life; from Satan to Christ; from darkness into light; from lost to being found; and from being enemies to friends of Jesus.
Peace must mean we were once enemies and that is true, for he who is not for Christ is against Him {{Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”}}. It means a whole new relationship, but it usually means one party made the initial move. That was God who loved the world that He gave . . . We would never have sought the Lord left to our own devices, and as God is NOT willing that ANY should perish, He came to seek and to save the lost.
Some of us are a lot more sensitive than others and feel things deeper and can be anxious and fearful and agitated. That can affect our composure; affect our peace. Right now I am feeling like that because of something a neighbour has done to me. That brings us to the practical aspect of peace, that being what we call the peace of God. We have looked at peace WITH God that comes by means of justification. Now we speak of the peace OF God, sometimes called the God of peace, and that is the quality that pertains to our daily living.
“The God of peace” is a common enough expression used by Paul in several of his epistles. I will list them because this is reassuring to know peace rests with the God of peace who provides for us.
(a). The term is used firstly by Paul in Romans – {{Romans 15:33 “Now THE GOD OF PEACE be with you all. Amen.”}} That closing statement is used near the end of the letter and is a general prayer for the Romans that God who dispenses peace, provides for the saints at Rome.
(b). {{Romans 16:20 “THE GOD OF PEACE will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”}} Again at the closing of the letter there is a truth that Satan will be crushed underfoot but this will happen when the devil is thrown into the lake of fire. In another sense, it can mean, I believe, that with God’s power and grace we can overcome Satan and his demons, and have victory over him, our enemy, but the real time is still to come.
(c). {{Philippians 4:9 “The things you have learned, and received, and heard and seen in me, practise these things, and THE GOD OF PEACE shall be with you.”}} This verse is a comment made by Paul that none of us would even dare to make. It enjoins his readers to copy him. By doing that the God of peace will be with them.
(d). {{1Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the GOD OF PEACE Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”}} I see this as sanctification leading to God’s peace, otherwise Paul would not have linked the expression with sanctification. I love the term “without blame” and in that we have peace because our sins are forgiven and God’s peace is ours. Paul is specific that the preservation be until the coming of the Lord. This is the rapture he speaks of a few times in the Thessalonians letter. The term is again used at the close of the letter.
(e). {{Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now THE GOD OF PEACE, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”}} Paul uses the expression again at the end of the letter as he has done every time he used “God of peace”. It was like a farewell greeting, but associated with a prayer for them. This in Hebrews is another proof Paul wrote Hebrews. It is the argument of consistency.
Peace was a most important word with Paul and he used it with grace in most of the introductions to his letters – {{2Thessalonians 1:2 “GRACE to you and PEACE from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”}}
We could devote several messages just to the subject of peace but we have limited time. However let us close with one of the great strategic passages about peace in the New Testament and I do so without comment – {{Ephesians 2:13-18 “but now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for He Himself is our PEACE, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall by abolishing in His flesh the enmity which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing PEACE, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. He came and preached PEACE to you who were far away, and PEACE to those who were near for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.”}}
THE AGENCY
Of course the agency in all this is the Lord Jesus Christ and Paul says that clearly at the end of verse 1. All we have is in the Lord. He has done everything so that nothing remains. The only thing required from us is a believing faith, a turning to God for salvation. It is all through faith.
Why don’t people want to believe? They love sin too much. They have no desire for heaven. Some say God is unjust or unfair not to let people into heaven but allow them to end in hell. The fact is sinners have no desire for heaven. God will not force them.
Way in the future God willing, we will deal with chapter 11 of Romans but this is a fitting passage to attach to THE AGENCY – {{Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! Who has known the mind of the Lord or who became His counsellor, or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? FROM HIM AND THROUGH HIM AND TO HIM ARE ALL THINGS. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”}}
[B]. FOUR GREAT BIBLICAL WORDS
We move to verse 2 so let us recall this verse –
Romans 5:2 through whom also WE HAVE OBTAINED our introduction by FAITH into this GRACE in which we stand, and we exult in HOPE of the GLORY of God.”}}
Paul is so great in his writing. He has the God-given ability to put so much in one sentence. Verse 2 is one such example. The four words to which I refer are FAITH, GRACE, HOPE and GLORY.
Again take note of the tense of “we have obtained”. As mentioned earlier, in verse 2 the past tense is in the perfect in Koine´ Greek. Having obtained the entry into faith through believing in the work of the Lord Jesus for us, then the great blessings of that continue right down to the present, and keep continuing.
There will be no time today to explore faith, grace, hope and glory and we will do that next time. I will end by pasting a paraphrase of mine I did on Romans 10 years ago, on each verse, and this is for verse 2:-
Jesus Christ is the One, who through faith placed in Him, has introduced us into the grace of God, and in that grace we stand. He has cleansed us, made us righteous, clothed with His holiness and brought us face to face with God’s grace. All that we have obtained, has been through Him by the agency of a God-given faith. All the results from that faith have flowed from that well of the unmerited favour of God. Consequently we now rejoice in the hope we have of one day knowing God’s glory in heaven.
