Expound: Romans 5-6:7 - Part A

Religion can save you ritual can save you affiliation can save you.

We would even say to the Christian baptism can't save you only Jesus can save you as an act of grace by dying for you and you believing that died for you that that was enough before God for you, then and only then can you be saved. Jesus sacrifice on the cross allowed us to be a close relationship with God today on connect with Skip Heitzig scriptures more about the benefits that you experienced because of what Christ did at first. Did you know that Skip has important updates and biblical encouragement on social media.

Just follow him on Facebook, twitter and Instagram to get the latest from him in this ministry that at Skip Heitzig at Skip HBI to CIG now. We're in Romans chapter 5 as we dive into her study with Skip Heitzig Peter talks about Paul talks about Paul's writings in the second Peter I he talks about our beloved brother Paul and he says about our beloved brother Paul that Paul wrote many things, some of which are difficult to understand. I'm grateful for that scripture because because Peter said that what Paul wrote was hard to understand.

I don't feel so bad when I come across sections I go to read that again and again and again. I find that some of the things up. All rights are just tough to unravel. And even though Romans is this incredible treatise on salvation. I think if you take an honest read about all of us come to place really man that's that's so deep that so heavy that I don't even understand a word he just wrote and it takes a little but of untangling for us. We have to keep in mind is that the original recipients. This is a letter this was not a doctrinal statement. Are they at first had no exposition of it like were doing tonight it was just a letter to the church at Rome and the letter was read and the recipients would grasp it would understand it, so we have a gap of a couple of thousand years and we have a gap of language of Greek language Aramaic language to English language. We have a gap of culture and so what exposition does what Bible study like this does is fill in the gaps so that we have the same aha moment that the original recipients of the letter have that they would understand. Well were in chapter 5 of the book of Romans we been covering a couple chapters a week for those of you who are new to our Wednesday night studies we have been doing this since we started the church.

In fact, this is how we started the church we started in a home Bible study that got to a an apartment complex and we discovered a chapter or two a week going to the Scriptures. Verse by verse chapter by chapter book by book every single book of the Bible. We've gone through. Now the whole Bible as a church together a few different times so it's a format that we are used to and I find it to be very beneficial to go through it in a manner where we just can spend as much time as we like, and then pick it up next time and just pick it up from there. We just stop wherever we stop in and pick it up and keep going until the book is done.

I even though I have grand designs in my mind I'm in a cover two or three chapters a week.

Sometimes it it's 1/2 a chapter or a chapter or chapter and 1/2, but again it doesn't matter. We just stop and pray and then come back again together and finish up next time so we happen to be in chapter 5. Now do you remember by now, the way the book is divided by now you are Bible experts. By now, at least you have a working knowledge of the book of Romans is divided. If you remember and how many sections 4 sections. Again, this is my outline, there are much better outline. This is just the Skip Heitzig Sigg easy garden-variety outline of the book. Romans four sections the first section of the book from the first chapter to chapter 3 verse 23 is all about the wrath of God popping to dark picture consigning all humanity to guilt, but we are in the second section, and after the wrath of God comes the grace of God. In chapter 3 verse 24 all the way to the end of chapter 8 that section number two, section number three is the plan of God for Jew and Gentile, and then finally the will of God that takes it from chapter 12 to the rest to the end of the book so that's how I've divided the book. If you remember in chapter 3 verse 23 that statement that we all know so well for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We've come short of God's standard. So Paul is saying no matter who you are, whether you are a Gentile you have no religious background whatsoever, or you're a Gentile and you have a false religious background or you're Jewish and you have a true religious background you're all guilty before God. Religion can save you ritual can save you affiliation can save you. We would even say to the Christian baptism can't save you only Jesus can save you as an act of grace by dying for you and you believing that he died for you that that was enough before God for you, then and only then can you be safe and when you are safe.

You are given a special status and that status if you remember, takes us to the very last word of chapter 4 it bears looking at the word justification and if you remember last time we were together. I explained what that means.

It means that God declares you to be righteous declares that you are right with him declares that you are just before him, even though you are not in and of yourself. He makes the declaration that you are not based on what you do but based on what Jesus did so, he declares you justified. He declares you right with him. Then he treats you.

That way he treats you just if I never send justified. He treats me like Jesus deserves to be treated because God treated Jesus like we deserve to be treated on the cross. That's the exchange that's the substitution so we are justified now with that new status comes benefits. Chapter 5 begins a list of those benefits, you know, sometimes a company when they want to attract and an employee or even a managerial position will list NFS… Salary but also besides the salary yearly benefits that the employee has to look forward to. Now if you think about it we belong to the greatest company in the world. The church of Jesus Christ. Think about what we have. First, while we have a product or product works universally. You can take the gospel into Argentina, Afghanistan, or America. Albuquerque the same message has the ability to transform a life is been doing that transformation for the past 2000 years in every conceivable culture around the world. So our company. We have a product that works universally.

Second, we have offices worldwide. Go to any country on earth and you will find some representation of the church in that culture, even if it's underground you will have believers everywhere.

Third, we have a pretty awesome benefits package, we have peace with joy. We have purpose in life we have a new community of believers that strengthen and encourage us and number four we have a retirement package that is second to none. Because when this life is all over. We have what it describes in this chapter is the hope in the glory of God.

So we belong to a pretty awesome company. Now, with that in mind we get into some of the benefits of justification so he begins chapter 5, verse one.

Therefore, having been justified by faith. He has spent a couple of chapters describing righteousness, justification, the comes by faith, even to Abraham and David gave those grand examples so that is an established fact.

Therefore, having been justified by faith we have here is the first benefit piece with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. A few weeks ago on a weekend. We discussed the meaning of this briefly in our series on give peace a chance and if you remember what he's talking about here is not the feeling of peace as much as the fact of peace. It's not a subjective piece that you feel inwardly as much as it is an object of peace.

That is a fact. Whether you feel it one day and don't feel it the next day. It doesn't matter. The fact is, at one time you were at war with God. Every bull, every unbeliever is every unbeliever is at war with God.

Every unbeliever, the Bible says is at enmity with God hostile toward God, the person hears and does well, wait a minute. I'm not a believer in Christ. I have nothing against God bless not the point.

God has something against you. The Bible says in Isaiah chapter 48. There is no peace, says the Lord, to the wicked. Soon we got a something against me.

I thought you I say God loves me, he does love you love you. He wants to remove that which is against you. The impediment he wants to cleanse you of your sin and justify you.

He wants to declare you righteous and treat you that way, but he can't unless you admit that the condition he says you have.

You say you have something people say why do I have to tell God I'm a sinner. Doesn't he know I'm a sinner. Yes he does believe me, he does what he wants to hear you say it. He wants you to confess when you admit it when you confess that that's the first step. You acknowledge the bad news.

And when you acknowledge the bad news. You are now open to receiving the good news the gospel so having been justified by faith we have peace with God. There's no more war with God. The peace treaty has been signed at the cross, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So again I remind you of chapter 1 verse 18 where Paul started taking this whole thing downhill in that verse chapter 1 verse 18 of Romans. He says for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, and then he paints a picture of that wrath. Now he's taking it back up to the grace of God, saying, opposed to the wrath and as opposed to the wrath of God are over against the wrath of God. You and I we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So that's that's the first benefit second benefit is in verse two, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God, the Lord access is a very important word it.

It means that you have the ability to come before God.

Even though God knows your natural condition as opposed to him. Are you. You are granted access to the holy one of the universe notes is an interesting word because of Kenneth Wiest was a Greek scholar said that it was a word used in ancient times of an individual who would introduce a person to a cane who would who would open up the door or grant an audience at the ability to grant an audience with the monarch with the king and and he would take a person into the king's presence, but he would first get the person ready prep the individual and give the individual the right clothing to wear you lack in the sample for a king and a T-shirt and blue jeans. You can stand before a king in proper attire and so this individual who would grant the access would ready, the individual would ready that person and give the person the right wardrobe, which is a perfectly fitting word for the word Jesus has done. We are clothed in his righteousness, God looks upon us as if we are like Jesus. He gives us access into his presence, not just one time, not just at the cross. Now he sees us as his children, but because we still have a sin nature. We need continual access so he gives us the card key into God's presence and I love the Scripture in Lamentations that says his mercies are new every morning.

I know that to be true because I use them all. Every morning I use whatever's there like good fresh batch that I need Lord forgive me, here I come again, and that's the interesting thing when you are related to the king, you can come before the king at any time. You don't just come once but you keep coming back and even though a son of the king got all dirty and muddy because he's the son of the king, he can go into the king's presence.

You're a child of the King.

You now have access not just the first time, but continually so that's why it says in Hebrews that we come boldly before the throne of grace, that we might receive mercy or obtain mercy and grace to help in our time of need. So we have peace with God. We have access to God and look at verse three and not only that, here's another benefit of justification, but we glory in tribulation. Now wait a minute Paul remained glory in tribulation. We endured tribulation. We put up with it. We will get through it, but we actually glory and it well. Why would he say that he says not only that, but we also glory in tribulation because we know something he said, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance. No translation says patients. How many times have you asked God for patients a lot.

If you ever done that anybody here on a show of aunt Deborah never prayed for patients. Okay, good. I thank you for the honest on a pole.

There now because you have prayed for patients. Don't be surprised if God answers your prayer by sending you what tribulation and you hear your standard never go wait a minute. Got it and asked for a trial.

I asked for patients well tribulation produces patients perseverance and perseverance, character, and character, hope. As I look back to on on on the trials in my early Christian walk compared my trials the last decade. If I would've had in the first year of my Christian experience. The trials that I've had in the last decade of my Christian experience in a white me out. I could made it but what those early trials did and all of the tribulation throughout my walk is give me a level of patients perseverance that developed within me character and ability to endure, and not just endure, but endure with hope and here's the hope if God is been faithful as I look back on my life and he has. I can count. Time after time I tremble.

God is just been so faithful I have hope because it must mean God's going to be faithful in the future, whatever comes, that's quite a benefit because what what it shows me is that far different from somebody who does not know the Lord yes I have trials. Yes, I have tribulation my trials my tribulations are productive trials and tribulations they produce something and he lists what they produce perseverance, character, hope. Verse five now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God is been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. This is why we always have to be careful when we say why would God allow bad bad thing to happen to meet a good person.

First of all, be careful when you call yourself a good person because Jesus said nobody is good but God so you need a new definition of good okay why would God allow that bad thing to happen to be one of God's children okay you are God's children.

Fair enough. But be careful when you call something bad because that I actually might be good for you. You remember Joseph all the trials he went through unfairness could've been very bitter when his brothers finally showed up and Joseph revealed himself to them in their freaking out because they think Joseph is going to kill us use this and he's brought us into his lair and I was gonna drop the hammer and he basically said relaxed Brose what you meant for evil God meant for good to save many people alive I'm I'm here by God's grace to come up with this plan to save the world from a famine now. Think back before that little revelation when Joseph's brothers first came to Joseph, not knowing it was Joseph in Egypt, he was the Prime Minister of Egypt is the time they did know it was Joseph.

They need grain.

He gives them grain sends him back, but then says when you come back if you come back again. Bring your other brother that you left at home, little Benjamin because they said well we have a guide Benjamin but dad will let him out of his sight because his other son Joseph got killed and so he won't let the entries will listen if you want grain again you bring Benjamin this time so they went back home. Told dad and dads. It will Benjamin's not going but the family got worse and worse and worse. Finally, dad said looking to work with you to sit here and die unless you go back and get grain in Egypt and I guess you have to bring Benjamin but then Jacob said something you said all things are against me.

Everything is against me.

Well Jacob you can say all things are against you because you just don't know all things and it's really not against you because even though he thinks the worst is happening to him. He thinks he's lost a son Joseph he thinks he's about to lose his son Benjamin and says all things are against me. This is horrible. He can imagine the good things God is prepared from he can't picture the day when Joseph is an essay I'm your boy and he'll be able to hug his son Joseph again and be reunited with the person he thought was dead and gone. So again, Romans 828 all things work together for good to those that love God, who are the called according to his purpose.

So yes we have trials. Yes, we have tribulation, but one of the benefits of justification is that those things are productive in our lives. I've always loved a little while. I've always loved the writings of Samuel Rutherford Samuel Rutherford if you've heard me talk about him was a Scottish pastor in and walked Scotland a very tiny little town, small congregation, but he was very faithful to the gospel, and thus outspoken for the gospel for Christ and in some cases against the government. It landed him in exile. He was exiled in Aberdeen and forbidden to do ministry, but he could write letters and he writes there's a whole book of the letters of Samuel Rutherford. I commend it to you if you want good wholesome correspondence of will edify you, but he writes this great little poem, though it's not.

It doesn't rhyme but it's it it's it's a little work that is talks about trials and he says this. Why should I tremble at the plow of my Lord that maketh deep furloughs in my soul. Can you picture it. Can you picture the analogy, here's a farmer digging deep furloughs in the soil to plant a seed.

Why should I tremble at the plow of my Lord that maketh deep furloughs in my soul and then Rutherford said, for he is no idle husbandman.

He purposes of crop. He's not some farmer who's just willy-nilly digging furloughs in the ground he's digging that for a deep disease and a plan.

Something awesome. He wants a crop to come out of this. He's prefacing something great. Some room to have rapturous give-and-take message series expound to share a great resource for sure soul with God's amazing trip joy in the midst of hardship is a hallmark of the Christian life. But is it really possible is when you hide sometimes. What starts out as the happy trail turns into a really daunting road and we have to figure out how to navigate. A lot of times God's purpose in allowing trials is to give us opportunities to grow to the point where we can genuinely experience joy in the midst of trial. Learn how to face trials with courage, wisdom is joy with Lenny's booklet happy trials when you get $20 or more today to help keep this Bible teaching ministry of the year will send you a special bond with three booklets by Linda happy trials don't tip me and speak no evil. Picture bundle three booklets for gift of $20 or more by calling 800-922-1888, or give online securely connectwithskip.com/offer that's critically skip.com/offer today and tomorrow escape height six years about the condition of your life before and after Jesus saw a person born into this world is born under the wrath of God separated from God.

God is at enmity with him. Person says I believe in Jesus is sufficient for God makes a relation you are right before him, just white