The Source of Lasting Peace and Joy
The Good News of God Series
By Greg Johnson
www.LovingGodFellowship.org
Romans 5:1-11
Many today are looking for peace and joy. Some think it can be found in addictive substances. Some think peace and joy can be found in perverted and deranged sexual activity. Some think peace and joy can be found in a premarital or an extramarital sexual affair. Some think peace and joy can be found in acquiring wealth and material possessions. Some think peace and joy can be found in power, prestige and popularity.
These things may bring temporal peace and joy, but a day will come when that peace and joy will be shattered and lives will be destroyed as a result. There is only one source of lasting peace and joy; that is God. God gives peace that passes all understanding and He gives joy that is unspeakable and full of glory.
GOD GIVES US PEACE!
God’s Word says (Romans 5:1-2a NIV) "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, {2} through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand."
Sin is disobedience to God’s Word. Sin separates us from God and creates a gap or a void. God loves us so much, He wants to spend time in our presence. God sent Jesus to bridge the gap and to fill the void so that we can, by faith, stand on His grace and spend eternity in His presence.
God demonstrates His love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still yet sinners. God’s Word says (Romans 5:6-10 NIV) "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. {7} Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. {8} But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. {9} Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! {10} For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"
Praise the Lord beloved! God has made a way for us to have peace with Him through Jesus Christ. It’s all through Jesus!
Jesus has saved us from the guilt and penalty of sin! At the cross Jesus took our sin upon Himself. We are guilty and deserve a death sentence, but at the cross, Jesus took our guilt and paid our penalty.
Jesus is saving us from the power of sin in daily life! Jesus now imparts His life to us and sanctifies us. He sets us apart from this world for His use. We are no longer held captive to sin. We are no longer weighted under the burden of sin. We are no longer kept in the bondage of sin. Jesus has set us free! Jesus has broken the power of sin over us and has given us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us and empower us to live our life for Him!
Jesus will save us from the presence of sin for all eternity! Jesus is coming to save us from the presence of sin for all eternity. It’s our blessed hope of glory. We live in excited anticipation and expectation of the return of our Lord. It’s the very next big event on God’s agenda. It could happen today. Jesus could come today and air lift us out of the presence of sin for all eternity. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!
GOD FILLS US FULL OF JOY!
God’s Word says (Romans 5:2b NIV) “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." Biblical hope is not like worldly hope. Worldly hope wishes something to happen. Biblical hope anticipates and expects something to happen as a result of God fulfilling His promise. We rejoice in our hope of glory! We are on a journey with Jesus and He is taking us from earth to glory! We rejoice along the way knowing that glory is right around the bend.
God’s Word goes on to say (Romans 5:3-5 NIV) “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; {4} perseverance, character; and character, hope. {5} And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." You know you are at peace with God when you are able to rejoice in your sufferings.
We can rejoice in our sufferings knowing that God is doing something in our life. He is building our perseverance, character and hope on our journey from earth to Glory. Jesus counted it all joy to suffer for us. (Hebrews 12:2 NIV) "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
I have found that life is like training for a marathon. In training for my first Marathon, I do long runs on Saturdays. I’ve ran up to 20 miles on these long runs. When my muscles start to cramp and my legs are hurting and I don’t think I can go another mile, I remind myself that I am training my body to endure so that on marathon day, after 26.2 miles, I’m able to cross the finish line. I try to concentrate on the finish line. Do you know what is on the other side of the finish line? Rest. Sweet rest.
God uses sufferings to build endurance in us so that we can cross the finish line. On the other side of the finish line is glory. Rest. Sweet rest around the throne of God. Suffering will come to us on our journey from earth to glory. When suffering comes, stay focused on what’s on the other side of the cross; what is on the other side of the finish line. On the other side is glory; eternity around the throne of God!
Beloved, God gives us true peace and joy. It’s all through Jesus. (Romans 5:11 NIV) "Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." Jesus has reconciled us to God.
Jesus has reconciled us to God through the cross. He endured the suffering of the cross knowing that on the other side was glory. On the cross when Jesus said “it is finished”, His work on earth was done. He crossed the finish line. He knows how to finish this race. That’s why we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Jesus will take us from earth to glory and on the way, He will fill us full of supernatural peace and joy! Keep pressing toward the finish line!
