A. INTRODUCTION
The title of this morning's message is the Anglo-Saxon word from which modern English has derived "gospel," the most common translation of the Greek noun euangelion, or "good tidings." The origins of the word itself are not of the church, but its rendering as "good tidings" or "good news" is uniquely Christian. The term was borrowed and re-cast by early Christian writers -- including the apostles -- to communicate the full impact of the truth -- the "good news" -- about Jesus Christ. Euangelion is certainly a favourite Pauline term, appearing 60 times in his epistles, included in all of them except the letter to Titus.
1. The essence of the message of this "good news" as preached in the early church is set forth with simple clarity in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5.
a. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas [ Simon Peter ], then by the twelve. [ NKJV ]
b. "For Paul, the euangelion is preeminently 'the gospel of God' ( Romans 1:1; 15-16;
2 Corinthians 11:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:2; 8:9 ). It proclaims the redemptive activity of God. This activity is bound up with the person and work of God's Son, Christ Jesus. Thus it is also 'the gospel of Christ' ( 1 Corinthians 9:12; 2 Corinthians 2:12; 9:13; 10:14; Galatians 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 3:2. Vss. 16 and 19 of Romans 15 indicate that these terms are interchangeable. ). This gospel is variously expressed as 'the gospel of our Lord Jesus' ( 1 Thessalonians 1:8 ), 'the gospel of the glory of the blessed God' ( 1 Timothy 1:ll ), 'the gospel of his Son' ( Romans 1:9 ), and 'the gospel of the glory of Christ' ( 2 Corinthians 4:4 ). It is a gospel of salvation ( Ephesians 1:13 ) and peace ( Ephesians 6:15 ). It proclaims the hope of eternal life ( Colossians 1:23 ). It is 'the word of truth' ( Colossians 1:5; Ephesians 1:13 ). Through this gospel, life and immortality are brought to light ( 2 Timothy 1:10 ). - R.H. Mounce: "Gospel." The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
2. The "glad news which tells about Jesus Christ" (Mark 1:1) has another dimension: its impact on the life of the one who by faith receives it. In today's text passage the apostle Paul lists "Seven Benefits of Justification." This breath of fresh air in Paul's heretofore serious and sobering teaching comes as blessed relief to his readers. It presents "the rest of the [gospel] story:" the "glad tidings" that the believer's transition from God's wrath ( 1:18 ) to His grace ( 3:21 ) has transformed both his/her status before God as one now justified ("called righteous") and his/her experience as one now sanctified ("being made righteous"). It is the best possible news.
B. TEXT: Romans 5:1-11
This passage resounds with victory. "In the whole Bible there is hardly another chapter which can equal this triumphant text," wrote Martin Luther. Having laboriously shown the need, the exact nature, and the Scriptural proof for the doctrine of Justification by Faith, Paul in these verses presents seven of its blessed consequences.
1. (v.1) We have p __ __ __ __ with God
a. This is the ultimate goal of any person who by any means would try to earn God's favour, but it is only authentic faith in Christ which has done what human effort to produce the works of the law has never been able to do; it has given the believer peace with God.
b. This is not related to the state of "bliss" sought by the Eastern religions which teach that intense meditation can transform the mind of the practitioner. Peace in the setting provided here by Paul means "h __ __ __ __ __ __" with God.
c. Christ's sacrificial death on the cross provides for mankind what the Scriptures call a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ -- a "suitable sacrifice" to God. The ancient understanding of this term taught that Christ's death has provided for mankind "at 'one-ment'" with God.
The vehicle for our atonement is the b __ __ __ __ of the Lamb of God.
Colossians 1:19-20 [ NKJV ]
For it pleased the Father that in [Christ] all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
d. "Peace with God, therefore, is neither anesthetic bliss nor the repose of a graveyard. The removal of sin, like the removal of an obstruction from one's windpipe, restores one's vital signs. The life of peace is not a life free from adversity; neither do adverse circumstances necessarily threaten the believer's peace with God. The life of faith may indeed create adversity, but adversity is not necessarily a sign of divine judgment or abandonment. In faith, adversity may be a sign of life, just as exercise brings sore muscles in a person who has been bedridden.
If justification produces release for the prisoner, peace is the life of freedom. If justification results from the crack of a gavel, peace results from the outstretched hand of a Father, drawing the estranged child into a new experience of freedom and hope." - James Edwards: Romans (Vol. 6, New International Biblical Commentary)
2. (v.2) We have a __ __ __ __ __ to God by His g __ __ __ __ in which we stand.
a. The KJV word "stand" in this verse is a translation of the Greek word which means "to stand firm." The access to God provided by justification is not a short-term, fair weather relationship; it is something firm and lasting.
"To stand in grace is to possess a footing and anchor from God which is able to withstand all opposition to the life of faith." - James Edwards, Op. cit.
b. The concept of "access to God" for the Jews had always been limited to the annual visit of the High Priest into the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle in the wilderness or the Temple at Jerusalem. It occurred on the Day of Atonement and had to be preceded by an elaborate cleaning and purifying ritual. No other person would dare even approach the great veil which separated that place from the rest of the Temple sanctuary.
But on the day Christ died on the cross -- at the precise moment of His physical death -- God provided a mighty object lesson to "prove" what Paul is teaching in Romans 5:2.
Matthew 27:50-51a
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom....
c. There are at least two practical ways by which this new access we have to God is revealed in the lives of believers.
(1) The possession of the Holy Spirit provides access to spiritual k __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ which is unavailable to those who are not "in the Spirit."
ref: 1 Corinthians 2:9-16
(2) The believer's immediate access to God allows him or her to p __ __ __ with freedom and confidence.
ref: Ephesians 3:8-12
Hebrews 4:16
Hebrews 10:16-22
So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive His mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need. [ TLB ]
3. (v.2) We r __ __ __ __ __ __ in h __ __ __ of the g __ __ __ __ of God.
a. The word translated as "rejoice" in the KJV is a very strong Greek term, carrying with it the idea of "confident boasting" or "exultant jubilation." It is pitched more toward a confident anticipation of future; it is not simple "relief" or even "gladness" that a past problem has been resolved.
b. This strong term is appropriate since our h __ __ __ is much more than a wispy wish. It is, the apostle Peter said, a "l __ __ __ __ __ hope" (1 Peter 1:3), resting on the source of our hope, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 1:1). This hope is transforming -- it causes us to live very differently -- and it can be observed by others.
ref: 2 Corinthians 4:5-6 [ NKJV ]
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 3:15 [ NKJV ]
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you....
c. And to what does our "living hope" look forward? The g __ __ __ __ of God. Although we will not possess it in its entirety until we are given our glorified bodies at the resurrection, it can indeed be reflected as we live our lives in obedience to God.
ref: 2 Corinthians 3:18
Philippians 3:20-21
Colossians 1:27
Exodus 24:29-35
"Moses is the illustration of this passage, in which God revealed His glory to Moses, and it caused his face to shine. The people were afraid of Him. So Moses veiled his face because he didn't want the people to see that the glory was fading (cf. 2 Cor. 3:13). In our human bodies the glory fades fast. The revelation of God's afterglow didn't last in Moses' case. But there will come a time when we will be lifted from one level of glory to another level of glory, until we reach the ultimate level of glory: when we become the image of Jesus Christ manifesting the full glory of God." - John MacArthur: Eternal Security
4. (v.3) We also glory in our t __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (!).
Romans 5:3-4 reveal how trials and temptations in this life can be used by God to reveal Himself to the believer and the non-believing observer of the believer's conduct in conflict.
a. Tribulation develops p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ("patience" in the KJV), the ability to carry on through pressure, but only when the believer sees the difficulties of life as means to abide more deeply in Christ instead of causes of discouragement and quitting.
"[Paul] is not suggesting that there is merit in developing a martyr complex, and he is certainly not advocating a kind of masochism. Rather, he is showing that we live in an environment where troubles are inevitable but not insurmountable. The Lord Jesus clearly taught His disciples, '...In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.' (John 16:33)
The word for 'tribulation' means 'pressure,' and while most people would testify to the unpleasantness of pressure, believers are able to rejoice in the unpleasantness. This is not because they flippantly ignore it or psychologically block it out with loud exclamations of 'Praise the Lord' but because they know what is going on the welcome it." - D. Stuart Briscoe: Romans (Vol. 6, The Communicator's Commentary)
b. Perseverance develops e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. The Greek word here is understood to mean "proven character."
c. Experience develops -- guess what? -- h __ __ __. We learned earlier that the "living hope" believers possess is used by God as a vehicle for evangelism. From these verses we learn that this "living hope" is at its most observable in pressure-filled times of difficulty and stress. We are called upon by God to be at our "best" when others are wilting under the pressure.
5. (v.6) We are possessed by -- and we ourselves possess -- the l __ __ __ of God.
a. It is made available to use by the H __ __ __ S __ __ __ __ __.
b. It is "shed abroad" (KJV) -- "poured out profusely, even lavishly."
John 7:37-38 [ NKJV ]
....Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
c. V.6-8 display God's incredible love in sharp contrast to our human deficiencies. His plan for our salvation was conceived, initiated and accomplished while we were:
(1) without s __ __ __ __ __ __ __,
(2) u __ __ __ __ __ __, and
(3) s __ __ __ __ __ __.
6. (v.9) We are saved from w __ __ __ __.
a. The same Greek word translated here as "wrath" is used in Romans 1:18, but Paul in v.9 is pointing to the "wrath to come," when God will execute His final judgment of the world. Christians use the terms "justification" and "salvation" interchangeably, as if they meant the same thing. They do not. Justification has a concise meaning throughout the New Testament, being provided for all who accept Christ as Saviour through faith by means of a single act -- the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. Salvation is actually a complex concept.
(1) "There is a sense in which we are saved, we are being saved, and we shall be saved, because the full complex of salvation covers the whole Christian experience. Justification occurs the moment I believe, and at that point I am brought into a state of salvation; but my salvation is still to be finished, still to be consummated, still to be fully realised through my sanctification and my glorification. I don't receive my ultimate salvation until I am in heaven. If I am justified, I will certainly receive that ultimate salvation in heaven." - R.C. Sproul: Romans
(2) ref: Romans 20:11-15
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
b. In v.10 Paul uses yet another strong term to identify those who will be subject to God's final wrath: e __ __ __ __ __ __. Even while we were His "enemies," God provided for our salvation. Now that we are no longer "enemies" of God, we shall be spared the execution of the "wrath to come" which will be executed on those whose relationship with Him has not been changed through the blood of Christ.
7. (v.10-11) We are r __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ to God.
a. To be reconciled is to be brought back into the good graces of someone, the restoration of a previously broken relationship. Sin has removed mankind from the good graces of God, but Christ's sacrifice has made reconciliation possible.
b. A beautiful Scriptural portrait of this concept is presented by Christ in Luke 15:11-32.
c. "Reconciliation is the act whereby God makes the sinner right with Himself, thus ushering the justified sinner into real participation in the life of the risen Christ, which is characterized by peace (v.1) and hope (v.2). The concept of reconciliation builds a bridge into chapters 6 and 7. Katalassein, 'to reconcile,' was rare, if not unknown, in Hellenistic usage, and consequently no more familiar to Paul's first readers than it may be to us. In writing to the Corinthians Paul used the term with reference to being a 'new creation,' meaning first to be reconciled to God, and second, the surrendering of self as an 'ambassador of reconciliation' (2 Cor. 5:16-21). Reconciliation thus carries the double significance of God's doing something for us and with us." - James Edwards: Op. cit.
C. APPLICATION
1. Colossians 1:20-23 is a splendid application text to all that Paul teaches in Romans 5:1-11. Four questions can be asked and answered from this passage.
a. HOW are we reconciled?
A: by the b __ __ __ __ of Christ (v.20)
b. WHAT has been reconciled by Christ's blood?
A: a __ __ t __ __ __ __ __ - everything that came under the curse of sin (v.20)
c. FOR WHAT PURPOSE have we been reconciled?
A: h __ __ __ __ __ __ __ - without blemish, unable to be improved upon (v.22)
d. WHAT PART DO I PLAY IN THE PROCESS?
A: steadfast o __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (v.23)
2. 2 Corinthians 5:14-20a completes the picture of God's intended application of these truths in the lives of believers: we have not only received through Christ the "gift" of reconciliation, we have been commissioned as "a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ for Christ" to exercise the "m __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of reconciliation" to the world we live in.
3. Believers have great cause to rejoice! We have peace with God, we have access by faith to His grace, we have "living" hope of the glory of God.
Believers also have an important task: to be ministers of reconciliation. We are "constrained by the love of Christ" to perform that task faithfully.
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. How is "peace with God" different from:
a. "peace of mind"
b. the "peace of God"
2. Does suffering through tribulation ("pressure situations") always produce patience ("perseverence")? Why, or why not?
a. Read James 1:2-4. What is the "perfect work" of the patience which is supposed to be producedthrough "various trials?"
b. Recount a personal "tribulation" experience (or series of experiences) which you have either learned or failed to learn "perseverence."
c. Read 1 Corinthians 10:12-13. Can you list three lessons taught (or implied) by these verses?
3. Read Leviticus 16:29-34 and Hebrews 10:11-22, then re-read both in a modern translation or paraphrase.
a. How has the role of the "High Priest" changed under the New Covenant?
b. Describe the difference this has made as regards the accessibility of God to His people.
c. What makes us "bold?"
4. Read Colossians 1:20-23, Ephesians 2:14-16, and 2 Corinthians 5:16-19. Suggest some realistic ways in which a believer can exercise the "ministry of reconciliation."
a. At home:
b. At work (assuming you work outside the home):
c. At church:
