19. ROMANS CHAPTER 5 VERSE 2 - MESSAGES IN ROMANS – FOUR GREAT BIBLICAL WORDS – TODAY FAITH AND GRACE - MESSAGE 19
As we step into chapter 5 of Romans, it is like stepping into a whole new scene. So far in this magnificent book we began with the whole decline of the pagan world to the rock bottom, which is when peoples accept homosexuality and idolise it in “marriage” and enforced laws not permitting opposition to it. Then we looked at the failure of the Jews under the Law, and in chapter 3, Paul concludes that no one at all is good or righteous.
In chapter 4, Abraham is set forth as the great man of faith who obtained righteousness through unswerving belief in the promises of God. When we pass to chapter 5 a whole new world opens to us like justification and the enormous benefits that spring from justification. We take up that study today by looking, to begin with, at the four great words of the Christian vocabulary taken from the following 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.”}}
These four words are FAITH, GRACE, HOPE, GLORY.
[A]. FAITH
Paul associates faith here with the introduction of our Christian lives, and it must be so, and can be no other way. Faith must always be the initial step or there can be no relationship or understanding of God. The apostle made that very clear in Hebrews in giving so many examples to them of faith from the Old Testament – {{Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”}}
Man thinks he is very clever in his arrogance and humanism and these rationalists consider Christians as simple-minded people because they believe in God. What I would like to say without having actual bible support is that in our creation and make up, God has given an awareness of a Creator or Designer outside of ourselves; and that it is associated with the need for worship.
For that reason we see corrupted man move right away from the principles established with Adam to the inventions of his own mind to worship. Thus primitive man worships idols of wood and stone, gold and silver, while modern man worships his own intelligence and achievements, even sport.
The conclusion of all that is, that we say God has given that capacity of belief in the heart/soul/spirit of men and women. That is why the rationalist who claims Christians are simple-minded people expresses gross ignorance, for he himself has placed belief in his own god! All people have belief but their faith is placed in things of error for the majority of people.
Faith may be considered by some as being abstract, but in general, faith must have direction, an objective. Faith alone has no commitment and no outcome. The story is told of the great Charles Blondin, a marvel of balance. Here is a record from Encyclopedia Britannica – [[ “He crossed the gorge below Niagara Falls a number of times, first in 1859, often employing theatrical variations, including walking while blindfolded, in a sack, trundling a wheelbarrow, on stilts, and carrying a man on his back, as well as sitting down midway to cook an omelette. In 1861 he appeared in London at the Crystal Palace, turning somersaults on stilts on a rope stretched across the central transept, 170 feet (52 metres) above the floor. His final performance was given at Belfast, Ireland (now in Northern Ireland), in 1896. (He made 300 trips across the tightrope over the Falls.) ]]
Now this following part is mentioned many times in Christian examples of faith, and I think it is true though can’t verify it – “It was reported that once, after pushing a wheelbarrow across the Falls, he asked someone if that person believed he could push him in the wheelbarrow. “Yes,” the person said. Blondin then added, “Well get in.” The offer was never taken up by anyone.
What that example does is demonstrate faith in isolation, because such a thing does not exist. Alleged faith without a directive or commitment or an objective, is no faith at all.
Always in the bible, faith has a direction - faith in God - Abraham believed God; whoever believes in Me; and our current verse – introduction BY faith INTO this grace. Faith is our initial link with the Lord Jesus Christ and is our continuing link as we live for Him.
There are so many verses about faith in the bible, especially in the New Testament, and Romans is the key book of faith, with 26 or 27 mentions of faith up to the first two verses of Chapter 5. It would be a massive study of the word if done completely but I have only selected a few of the references for some comment.
(a). FAITH HAS ONE SOURCE FOR CHRISTIANS AND NON-CHRISTIANS
{{Romans 10:17 “Therefore faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ”}}
People respond to the preaching of the word of God as the convicting work of the Holy Spirit leads them to Christ. Hearing the gospel leads to belief in Christ; the faith that takes Jesus as Saviour. For the Christian it is just as important. The Holy Spirit will build us up in the faith and strengthens our belief as we are engrossed in the bible, so we can say along with Paul – {{2Timothy 1:12 “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed for I KNOW whom I have believed, and I AM CONVINCED that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”}} That is enduring faith.
(b). FAITH IS APPORTIONED IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD
{{Romans 12:3 “Through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think but to think so as to have sound judgment, as GOD HAS ALLOTTED TO EACH A MEASURE OF FAITH”}}
This verse is touching on the matter of pride and the sinister way some of us measure ourselves against others. There must be no such thing. Just because you are a preacher that is no reason whatever for you to think you are more blessed, more important, or higher up the scale than a member in the church who is quiet and may say little. It does mean you are going to be more accountable though. That quiet person in the church may have from the Lord a greater measure of faith and the ministry of that person is really important. God has apportioned to all His children various gifts and abilities and it is our serious responsibility to ensure we use that gifting humbly and with all our ability.
(c). FAITH IS ONE OF THE DISTRIBUTED GIFTS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
{{1Corinthians 12:9 “TO ANOTHER FAITH BY THE SAME SPIRIT, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,”}}
This is closely aligned with the previous one. It is a blessing for a church fellowship that there among them are people who have this ministry of faith and the gift of it, just as it is to have prayer warriors. It does not matter what the gift is; what matters is the way it was/is used. In the parable of the talents one was given 10, another 5 and another 1. The one with 10 was not more important that the one who got 1. What really counted was the use of the resources and the faithfulness in ministry. 10 from 10 and 5 from 5 means the same measure of faithfulness.
(d). THE SELECT ABIDING THREE
{{1Corinthians 13:13 “NOW ABIDE FAITH, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.”}}
In the conclusion of this love chapter Paul concludes with three qualities he wants to continue and two of them are the four we are dwelling on right now. Love of course is the greatest. The bible does not say that God is faith or that God is hope but it does say God is love. It is another confirmation of the importance of these words we are studying.
(e). FAITH IS JUST NOT INITIAL BELIEF BUT CONTINUING PRACTICE
{{2Corinthians 5:7 “for WE WALK BY FAITH, not by sight – “}}
Faith needs to be exercised right through life so that the walk and life of a Christian operates through faith, not by self-decision in isolation from God. It is a steady principle. We need the Lord all the time because the pitfalls are many and the deceptions are growing. Humble yourselves under the hand of God and walk accordingly.
(f). IN THE CHRISTIAN WALK DOUBT DOES NOT HAVE A PLACE
{{Romans 14:23 “but he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith and WHATEVER IS NOT FROM FAITH IS SIN.”}}
Paul would say that doubt and faith are opposed and when you think about it, that is the case. For example, if you were given a special cheque to be redeemed at a bank for $100 000 and you were told, “Be there in 15 minutes,” then what would you do? There are two scenarios. The first is that you believe what your benefactor told you and hurry along because you trust him from all your past experience.
The second scenario is that you start off but then you start thinking, “No one would do that for me not even my good friend.” You stop and think about it but you can’t decide. You think yourself maybe unworthy of such a gift. You doubt more and in next to no time 30 minutes have passed.
The Christian is to have a walk of faith, and if faith is failing then Paul would identify that as sin. That should make us a little concerned about our walk of faith, that it remains a strong walk of faith and not one where we stagger in doubt. We can recall a verse we had in a previous message speaking about Abraham – {{Romans 4:20 “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, BUT GREW STRONG IN FAITH, giving glory to God”}}
[B]. GRACE
The concept of grace is one of the most wonderful aspects of our God. We constantly speak about grace and the word is everywhere in the New Testament but you have to come right down to the book of Ezra before you first find the word “grace” in the bible (I am using the NASB) – {{Ezra 9:8 “but now for a brief moment GRACE has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage.”}} The setting for this is after the remnant has returned from the captivity in Babylon, so that is a long way from Adam.
However, the derivatives of grace are used and the first is two references in Genesis to “graciously”. Then you have the first reference from the Lord Himself here – {{Exodus 22:26-27 “If you ever take your neighbour’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, for that is his only covering. It is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? It shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, FOR I AM GRACIOUS.”}}
There are many definitions for grace that people have given, such as “Grace is the unmerited favour of God,” and from the LOGOS site there is a definition by Tony Evans - “the inexhaustible supply of God’s goodness whereby He does for us what we could never do for ourselves.”
D. L. Moody said, [[“A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough today to last him for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at once to sustain life for a week to come. We must draw upon God’s boundless stores of grace from day to day, as we need it.”]]
Others have used GRACE as an acronym - “G.R.A.C.E. is God’s Riches At Christ's Expense,” OR “G.R.A.C.E. is God’s Redemption At Christ's Expense.”
One of the most telling examples of grace in the bible is the account of David and Mephibosheth. The account began this way – {{2Samuel 9:2-4 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” and he said, “I am your servant.” The king said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?” and Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet,” so the king said to him, “Where is he?” and Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.”}}
David showed grace to Mephibosheth for the sake of Jonathan. Mephibosheth was in a ruined state crippled before God and living in a place of no pasture (Lo-debar). He was taken from there and made to eat at the king’s table – {{2Samuel 9:13 “Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king’s table regularly. Now he was lame in both feet.”}}
We were all crippled by sin before God but the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ has taken us from the place of poverty and sin, to clean us up and cause us to sit at the King’s table. What a spiritual transformation, but it all comes down to grace. I have the full account of Mephibosheth in a message on SermonCentral - https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/2-abounding-grace-mephibosheth-entered-into-the-kindness-of-grace-ron-ferguson-sermon-on-grace-267329
GRACE FROM A GALATIANS MESSAGE
I wish to copy part of one of my messages from Galatians dealing with grace as it is applicable here.
The Law is by works; faith is through Christ. We are justified by faith not by works. Works is human effort and certain failure. Faith is resting in the accomplished sacrifice of the Saviour. Now the way into God’s presence has been made available through faith but all that has a higher workmanship. Paul says clearly in Galatians as in other places that grace is the underlying thread woven through the whole work of Christ. It is God reaching out to you. Grace, that is God’s favour we did not merit, has rendered the Law inoperable. It is by grace we are saved.
Paul outlines this grace even more in a lot of his writing but I want to mention this verse – {{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, that you through His poverty might become rich.”}}
In all of Paul’s writings, he used the greeting, “grace and peace” and mentions grace over and over. It is one of Paul’s key words. Why? It was because of his own salvation. He knew such grace extended to him was special, but within the character of God to pour out His grace on all.
In his first letter, Peter wrote to the scattered Christians including those in Galatia (1Peter 1:1). Then he wrote the second letter to them and included an interesting passage – {{2Peter 3:14-18 “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand which the untaught and unstable distort to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest you FALL FROM YOUR OWN STEADFASTNESS, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”}}
In all probability Peter was well aware of the letter to the Galatians as it was one of the first books of the New Testament to be written. The expression in verse 17 – “FALL FROM YOUR OWN STEADFASTNESS” is the same Greek word Paul used in Galatians 5:4 – “FALLEN FROM GRACE”. Peter is supporting what Paul has been saying. I quote what one has said – [[“we see the great grace that is shown forth in Peter’s heart to commend especially to the Galatian Christians the very letter that shows so clearly his own failure.”]] (G.C.Willis, missionary to China).
In the great contrast between Law and Grace we find that the Law curses the one trying to do works for it; it brings death and condemnation; and it brings wrath. On the other hand the grace of God brings salvation and freedom and hope.
We have now 6 NOTS for the Christian and 6 DOS for the Christian, all about the matter of GRACE.
THE NOTS – THE CHRISTIAN IS NOT
[1]. To receive the grace of God in vain:- {{2Corinthians 6:1 “and working together with Him, we also urge you NOT TO RECEIVE THE GRACE OF GOD IN VAIN,”}}
[2]. To set aside the Grace of God:- {{Galatians 2:21 “I DO NOT NULLIFY THE GRACE OF GOD for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.}}
[3]. To insult the Spirit of grace:- {{Hebrews 10:29 “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF GRACE?}}
[4]. To fall away from grace:- {{Galatians 5:4 “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law. YOU HAVE FALLEN FROM GRACE.”}}
[5]. To fall short of the grace of God:- {{Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one comes SHORT OF THE GRACE OF GOD; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled,”}}
[6]. To turn the grace of God into licentiousness:- {{Jude 1:4 “for certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who TURN THE GRACE OF OUR GOD INTO LICENTIOUSNESS and deny Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.”}}
THE DOS – THE CHRISTIAN IS TO DO
[1]. To continue in the grace of God:- {{Acts 13:43 “Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to CONTINUE IN THE GRACE OF GOD.”}}
[2]. To stand in grace:- {{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.” 1Peter 5:12 “Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that THIS IS THE TRUE GRACE of God. Stand firm in it!”}}
[3]. To be strong in grace:- {{2Timothy 2:1 “You therefore, my son, BE STRONG IN THE GRACE that is in Christ Jesus,”}}
[4]. To draw near to the throne of grace:- {{Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore DRAW NEAR with confidence TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.”}}
[5]. To strengthen the heart by grace:- {{Hebrews 13:9 “Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to BE STRENGTHENED BY GRACE, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited.”}}
[6]. To grow in the grace of the Lord:- 2 Peter 3:18 “but GROW IN THE GRACE and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”}}
Next time we will do the two remaining words - HOPE and GLORY in two postings.
