Just if I Had Never Sinned
Romans 5:1-2
The great 16th Century German Reformer, Martin Luther, called it “the article upon which the church stands or falls.”
The article in question is that of justification by faith alone.
To Luther, whether this doctrine was believed and preached or not
was the basis by which we judge if it is a true church! A church ceases to be a church when it ceases to declare that sinners are reconciled to God by no other way than by faith.
The doctrine of justification by faith alone is essential to the gospel. The gospel ceases to be the ‘good news’ if it ceases to declare that Christ alone has accomplished our salvation.
Theologians have always understood that when we say we are justified by faith alone, we are really saying we are justified by the work of Christ alone. That’s why this doctrine is so important. If we contribute anything more to our salvation than simply believing what Christ has already done, we cheapen His work of grace and declare it insufficient.
· It’s not how many pews you jump
· It’s not how many people you feed with the food pantry
· It’s not how emotional you get during a service.
It’s simply the fact that Jesus Christ came and died and sealed the deal.
Eph. 2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
Read Romans 4:1-3 –
Abraham recognized God as his righteous judge. It wasn’t the works of Abraham but the fact that he believed in God.
Justification – the process by which sinful human beings are made acceptable to a holy God. It is when He looks down and sees us as being guilty until the blood of His Son has been applied.
So we realize in verse one of Romans 5 that all this is possible because of what Christ did for us on the cross.
According to these two verses, we have three things that have been given to us because of our faith in Jesus.
1. Peace with God – dealing with our past
Romans 5:10 – “while we were enemies of God”
Sin is the great divider. You do not have the peace of God with sin in your life. There is no way. God hates sin.
Eph. 2:4,5 – “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (v5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.”
How were we dead?
Eph. 1:1 – “you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”
You wander why nothing is going right in your life. Why do you continue to go backwards while everyone else if going forward?
SIN SIN SIN SIN!!!
This world and everyone in it is looking for peace. You might be one who is looking for this peace:
· In the bottle – But your problems are still there
· In the drug – But when come down, it’s the same
· In the world – They can’t offer you this type of peace
· In the church – We can’t give it to you
· In the Pastor – You can like me but I can’t give it to you
a. How do we get this peace? Accept Christ
Eph. 2:14 – “For He himself is our peace…”
Col. 1:20 – “He…having made peace through the blood of His cross…”
· Tell Christ you want that peace He talks about in John’s gospel. John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives…”
· Tell Christ you want the peace that passes all understanding that is talked about in Philippians 4:7
· Tell Christ you will take Him up on His promise of John 16:33 - “These things I have spoken unto you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
The only peace you can get in your life is found through God’s Son who came and died for your sins.
To remove sin – it takes blood! Blood that has already been given on your behalf. All you have to do is accept it!!!
b. How do we keep this peace? Grace
Grace – a reprieve. A favor rendered by one who need not do so.
You are and will always be a sinner. Except now you are considered a sinner saved by grace. You have to continue everyday in asking forgiveness and keeping the fellowship with God pure.
When we sin, we begin to withdraw away from God. As we continue to withdraw we start feeling like we are not a part of God’s family. We are not enjoying the great benefits that we once experienced. (ex. Daddy never kicked me out)
But God is gracious to forgive us of our sins. He just wants you to recognize that you have failed and you cannot make it without Him.
Galatians 5:1 – “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
Get rid of the sin in your life…to do so you must accept Christ!
2. Access to God –
Eph. 2:18 – “for through Him (Christ) we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father”
*(None of the kids can just go in and visit the President except Bobby, a friend of Jack Carter. President Jimmy Carter, 39th President)
You are not in the position to go before an almighty God. That is why you have to go through His Son.
John 16:23 – “…If you shall ask the Father for anything, He will give it to you in My name.”
John 15:16 – “…whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you.”
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.”
People will do anything to gain access: ebay
Concerts – Keith Urban $3,250 (tickets/backstage)
People will do anything to get noticed: Guinness World Records
· The longest recorded duration for balancing on one foot is 76 hr, 40 min
· A team of 20 Atlas Power Gym strongmen pulled a semi-trailer truck weighing 36,620 lb a record 3.43 miles
· David Huxley pulled a Boeing 747-400, weighing 184 tons, a distance of 298.5 ft in 1 minute and 27.7 seconds
· The best time for restoring a 3x3x3 Rubik’s cube in an official world championships was 16.53 seconds
· Kevin Cole of New Mexico holds the record for the longest spaghetti strand blown out of a nostril in a single blow (7 ½ inches)
As you can see, people will do anything to gain access – but Christ has already made that possible for his followers.
We no longer have to work our way in – we are there now! Once we know the Son, we have access to His Father!
3. Glorious Hope of our Future –
Through justification, we have the glorious hope of Heaven.
Home –
Matt 6:20 – “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal”
2nd Corinthians 5:8 – “…prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”
Father –
Matt. 5:16 – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Psalms 68:5 – He’s a “Father of the fatherless, and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely…”
Eph. 2:19 – “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.”
But all of this is not made available to us because of what we have done, but all in what was done by Jesus Christ.
Bottom Line: Acts 13:39
“and through Him everyone who believes is justified (freed) from all things…”
The justified in Christ are assured of God’s eternal approval through Christ. They do not have to work, beg or sacrifice to earn God’s favor any longer. They do not have to worry when they are accused as being worthless. Justification gives us an eternal sense of worth.
Many carnal and immature Christians live without an understanding of what it means to be justified by Christ.
It is extremely frustrating to have to live wondering if you have done enough. Through Christ we can live with the full confidence that we are full members of God’s family and possess His inheritance as justified children of God.
