Post by arete on Jun 23, 2014 19:32:29 GMT
Introduction:
I have told the elders and I have preached from this pulpit that it is sometimes my desire that following the sermon, we feel bad. There are times that we must be led to repentance. This morning is not one of those times. Instead, this morning we will look at some facts of our faith that will frankly be nothing new to any of us that have been saved for long. Yet, it is important that we visit these truths not only to learn them (although learn them we must) but so that these truths may yield the fruit of joy and celebration in our lives. It is fitting that we celebrated the Lord’s Table this morning. For we are called by the Word to celebrate this morning the Good News of the salvation Jesus Christ alone provides…
Context:
Recently in Romans, Paul has explained the Law is limited in that it cannot save – it can only serve to convict or condemn. We should not look to the Law for salvation – but look to saving faith as seen in Abraham. Faith in God to keep his promise to save and in his power to save – now seen in the person and work of Jesus Christ. But Paul’s Good News is Good News for everyone – both Jew & Gentile can know God’s salvation. God’s salvation is not salvation from all trials and troubles. Rather, God uses hardship as a primary means to mold us and shape us into the image of Christ. Hardship helps us learn endurance. The act of enduring hardship reveals our character. Finally, as God cares for us and shapes us, we learn true hope – hope that our God will see us through everything on earth and deliver us safely to himself when we die. Paul next moves to expanding on our joy and wonder of God’s salvation as we look at Romans 5:6-11…
Body – Romans 5:6-11 – ESV
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Wretchedness vv. 6-7
As humans made in God’s image and yet fallen, we must deal with how truly wretched we are in ourselves.
God did not look down on us and think that we were son incredible and wonderful and righteous that he needed us and wanted us on his team and so recruited us to his cause.
Instead, it was when we were weak, that God saved us. This word weak is literally “powerless” it marks the suffering of a debilitating illness that is killing us. Such is sin
It was in the face of the powerlessness of all men against sin, that Jesus was called to die. The death of Christ occurred at precisely the right time – the time determined by the Father. It was no accident that Jesus died or how and when he died
Paul wants to drive a point home. Mankind does have a notion that one person might die for another. Parents often have died to save their children. Husbands have died defending their families. We might see a loved one or an innocent child in danger and risk our lives and the possibility of death. Still, when facing certain death, we might die for a great person – we might even be willing to risk death for a relatively good person or a stranger.
Illustration:
One of the warnings Jesus gave to the churches through John in Revelation was, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17.)
Application:
We have to be honest with ourselves. In the face of sin, left to our own devices, we are powerless. We cannot fight against our fallen nature. We are not sinners because we sin – we sin because we are sinners. Pursuit of sin and the death that accompanies sin is our nature. We are not good enough to earn God’s notice. We are not righteous enough to deserve God’s mercy. If left to ourselves, God must look on us as creatures deserving of wrath. That is bad news. Yet, Paul will not leave us to bad news alone. We will move to the Good News. But keep this in mind when sharing the Gospel – there can be no appreciation of the Good News without awareness of the Bad News. We cannot shy away from telling people that apart from God and his gift of salvation in Christ – there is only sin and death and hell.
Righteousness vv. 8-9
Paul left us with the cold, hard truth that in ourselves we are wretched – but that at the right time Christ died so that salvation was possible. Paul now moves to focus on Christ’s death
Christ’s death is proof positive of God’s love. That may sound strange that death is proof of love. Yet – again, we have the notion of being willing to die for our loved ones. Christ’s death highlights that God’s love is such that it is not a matter of words only – but of action.
While death for love may sound strange – stranger still – Christ died for us when we were enemies of God. This was not the case of dying for a friend – but dying for people that were rebels against the king of the universe. We deserve wrath, but the love of God provides a way to escape wrath and to live in love.
Also, death was necessary for God’s love to replace wrath. Sin requires death as payment. Since God killed animals to cover the nakedness brought by Adam’s sin and the sacrificial system God provided to alleviate the guilt of sin – blood is required. Therefore, blood was shed. Without the shedding of Christ’s blood – we would be lost and hell bound.
Furthermore, when we are saved by the blood of Christ – where we had no righteousness of our own, God applied Christ’s righteousness to our account and on our behalf – we are no longer objects of God’s wrath. We need not fear that wrath anymore.
Illustration:
My son and I spent two days in Chicago at museums. While there, we were confronted over and over with evolution. At one point, a worker even pointed out that bones supposedly tens of millions of years old had been found with marrow and viable DNA within. One would think that it would be obvious that viable marrow and DNA marked something much newer and fit the truth of the Bible. But such is the fear of the wrath of God, that man will convince himself of anything to avoid it.
Application:
There is a real need to fear God’s wrath. However, the answer to that fear is not to be found by crafting new gods for ourselves or by denying God altogether. Instead, God himself has provided a way to move from being objects of wrath to objects of love. Also, we need not fear to bring our daily sins before our God. He provided salvation for us while we were his enemies. He provides forgiveness for our sins now. Remember, it is not as if he knows our sin – but if we neglect to bring it before him, we have no peace. The God who saved us is also the God who is just and forgiving when we repent before him. The grace that saves us is the grace that forgives us. Do not deny yourself what God alone provides.
Reconciliation vv.10-11
Paul continues with reconciliation – his “if” in verse 10 is not meant to imply that our reconciliation is not true, but to help us understand more about reconciliation
1. We were reconciled to God. God has never been reconciled. He has no reason to reconcile. He did no wrong.
2. Our reconciliation is not powered by us. It is powered by God through the death of Jesus. We cannot reconcile ourselves. Instead God does it for us.
3. Reconciliation begins with salvation but does not end there. We are being sanctified – the Holy Spirit continues to mature us & lead us to further personal holiness. Eventually, we will enjoy the end result of Christ’s work by enjoying life with him forever.
So Paul wants us to understand that reconciliation affects us now as we enjoy a right relationship with God and it affects us throughout life until we come to live with Christ forever. Reconciliation includes justification – where God applies Christ’s righteousness to our account. Reconciliation also includes sanctification when we will be glorified in heaven with Christ forever.
The knowledge of what God has done is meant to stimulate a particular response in us. We are meant to rejoice – to celebrate – to experience the joy provided in Christ alone. Once we were enemies to God – now we are his children. Once we lived in fear of judgment – now we are reconciled. Once we were bound for hell – now we know our true home is in heaven. By God’s great grace and mercy – we have every reason this morning to REJOICE!
Illustration:
Some say that joy is the byproduct of obedience. There is some truth in that. However, the sum total of joy is the absolute knowledge of living in right relationship with our God.
Application:
Does the Good News fill our hearts with joy? If not, we must root out the cause of our joylessness. As children of God, we are meant for joy and love and mercy and grace. Whatever is the root of joylessness – confess it to our great God. Grasp firmly the truths of salvation. Quickly turn away from any sin. Know joy! Live in the reality of the reconciliation we have in Jesus Christ!
So What Do We Do With This Truth?
We cannot faithfully present the Good News when we leave out the bad news. People need to know that they need to be saved. People need to know that they cannot save themselves and that ignoring God does not work.
When the Good News is presented or celebrated, we must remember that we are/were powerless to help ourselves. Our salvation is 100% of God. We have no righteousness in ourselves. Our righteousness is in Christ alone and from Christ alone
Such salvation is worth celebrating. When we were enemies of God and helpless to save ourselves, deserving only wrath – God himself saw our great need and answered it in Jesus Christ. God reconciled us to himself through his one and only son.
We celebrate this great salvation durin Easter. But God forbid that we should only celebrate salvation in Christ one day a year. So today rejoice in the great salvation of Christ. Rejoice tomorrow and every day, knowing that the God who began this work of salvation in you will see you through to the very end – presenting you to himself made perfect to dwell in heaven forever.
Benediction
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:16–17.
I have told the elders and I have preached from this pulpit that it is sometimes my desire that following the sermon, we feel bad. There are times that we must be led to repentance. This morning is not one of those times. Instead, this morning we will look at some facts of our faith that will frankly be nothing new to any of us that have been saved for long. Yet, it is important that we visit these truths not only to learn them (although learn them we must) but so that these truths may yield the fruit of joy and celebration in our lives. It is fitting that we celebrated the Lord’s Table this morning. For we are called by the Word to celebrate this morning the Good News of the salvation Jesus Christ alone provides…
Context:
Recently in Romans, Paul has explained the Law is limited in that it cannot save – it can only serve to convict or condemn. We should not look to the Law for salvation – but look to saving faith as seen in Abraham. Faith in God to keep his promise to save and in his power to save – now seen in the person and work of Jesus Christ. But Paul’s Good News is Good News for everyone – both Jew & Gentile can know God’s salvation. God’s salvation is not salvation from all trials and troubles. Rather, God uses hardship as a primary means to mold us and shape us into the image of Christ. Hardship helps us learn endurance. The act of enduring hardship reveals our character. Finally, as God cares for us and shapes us, we learn true hope – hope that our God will see us through everything on earth and deliver us safely to himself when we die. Paul next moves to expanding on our joy and wonder of God’s salvation as we look at Romans 5:6-11…
Body – Romans 5:6-11 – ESV
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Wretchedness vv. 6-7
As humans made in God’s image and yet fallen, we must deal with how truly wretched we are in ourselves.
God did not look down on us and think that we were son incredible and wonderful and righteous that he needed us and wanted us on his team and so recruited us to his cause.
Instead, it was when we were weak, that God saved us. This word weak is literally “powerless” it marks the suffering of a debilitating illness that is killing us. Such is sin
It was in the face of the powerlessness of all men against sin, that Jesus was called to die. The death of Christ occurred at precisely the right time – the time determined by the Father. It was no accident that Jesus died or how and when he died
Paul wants to drive a point home. Mankind does have a notion that one person might die for another. Parents often have died to save their children. Husbands have died defending their families. We might see a loved one or an innocent child in danger and risk our lives and the possibility of death. Still, when facing certain death, we might die for a great person – we might even be willing to risk death for a relatively good person or a stranger.
Illustration:
One of the warnings Jesus gave to the churches through John in Revelation was, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17.)
Application:
We have to be honest with ourselves. In the face of sin, left to our own devices, we are powerless. We cannot fight against our fallen nature. We are not sinners because we sin – we sin because we are sinners. Pursuit of sin and the death that accompanies sin is our nature. We are not good enough to earn God’s notice. We are not righteous enough to deserve God’s mercy. If left to ourselves, God must look on us as creatures deserving of wrath. That is bad news. Yet, Paul will not leave us to bad news alone. We will move to the Good News. But keep this in mind when sharing the Gospel – there can be no appreciation of the Good News without awareness of the Bad News. We cannot shy away from telling people that apart from God and his gift of salvation in Christ – there is only sin and death and hell.
Righteousness vv. 8-9
Paul left us with the cold, hard truth that in ourselves we are wretched – but that at the right time Christ died so that salvation was possible. Paul now moves to focus on Christ’s death
Christ’s death is proof positive of God’s love. That may sound strange that death is proof of love. Yet – again, we have the notion of being willing to die for our loved ones. Christ’s death highlights that God’s love is such that it is not a matter of words only – but of action.
While death for love may sound strange – stranger still – Christ died for us when we were enemies of God. This was not the case of dying for a friend – but dying for people that were rebels against the king of the universe. We deserve wrath, but the love of God provides a way to escape wrath and to live in love.
Also, death was necessary for God’s love to replace wrath. Sin requires death as payment. Since God killed animals to cover the nakedness brought by Adam’s sin and the sacrificial system God provided to alleviate the guilt of sin – blood is required. Therefore, blood was shed. Without the shedding of Christ’s blood – we would be lost and hell bound.
Furthermore, when we are saved by the blood of Christ – where we had no righteousness of our own, God applied Christ’s righteousness to our account and on our behalf – we are no longer objects of God’s wrath. We need not fear that wrath anymore.
Illustration:
My son and I spent two days in Chicago at museums. While there, we were confronted over and over with evolution. At one point, a worker even pointed out that bones supposedly tens of millions of years old had been found with marrow and viable DNA within. One would think that it would be obvious that viable marrow and DNA marked something much newer and fit the truth of the Bible. But such is the fear of the wrath of God, that man will convince himself of anything to avoid it.
Application:
There is a real need to fear God’s wrath. However, the answer to that fear is not to be found by crafting new gods for ourselves or by denying God altogether. Instead, God himself has provided a way to move from being objects of wrath to objects of love. Also, we need not fear to bring our daily sins before our God. He provided salvation for us while we were his enemies. He provides forgiveness for our sins now. Remember, it is not as if he knows our sin – but if we neglect to bring it before him, we have no peace. The God who saved us is also the God who is just and forgiving when we repent before him. The grace that saves us is the grace that forgives us. Do not deny yourself what God alone provides.
Reconciliation vv.10-11
Paul continues with reconciliation – his “if” in verse 10 is not meant to imply that our reconciliation is not true, but to help us understand more about reconciliation
1. We were reconciled to God. God has never been reconciled. He has no reason to reconcile. He did no wrong.
2. Our reconciliation is not powered by us. It is powered by God through the death of Jesus. We cannot reconcile ourselves. Instead God does it for us.
3. Reconciliation begins with salvation but does not end there. We are being sanctified – the Holy Spirit continues to mature us & lead us to further personal holiness. Eventually, we will enjoy the end result of Christ’s work by enjoying life with him forever.
So Paul wants us to understand that reconciliation affects us now as we enjoy a right relationship with God and it affects us throughout life until we come to live with Christ forever. Reconciliation includes justification – where God applies Christ’s righteousness to our account. Reconciliation also includes sanctification when we will be glorified in heaven with Christ forever.
The knowledge of what God has done is meant to stimulate a particular response in us. We are meant to rejoice – to celebrate – to experience the joy provided in Christ alone. Once we were enemies to God – now we are his children. Once we lived in fear of judgment – now we are reconciled. Once we were bound for hell – now we know our true home is in heaven. By God’s great grace and mercy – we have every reason this morning to REJOICE!
Illustration:
Some say that joy is the byproduct of obedience. There is some truth in that. However, the sum total of joy is the absolute knowledge of living in right relationship with our God.
Application:
Does the Good News fill our hearts with joy? If not, we must root out the cause of our joylessness. As children of God, we are meant for joy and love and mercy and grace. Whatever is the root of joylessness – confess it to our great God. Grasp firmly the truths of salvation. Quickly turn away from any sin. Know joy! Live in the reality of the reconciliation we have in Jesus Christ!
So What Do We Do With This Truth?
We cannot faithfully present the Good News when we leave out the bad news. People need to know that they need to be saved. People need to know that they cannot save themselves and that ignoring God does not work.
When the Good News is presented or celebrated, we must remember that we are/were powerless to help ourselves. Our salvation is 100% of God. We have no righteousness in ourselves. Our righteousness is in Christ alone and from Christ alone
Such salvation is worth celebrating. When we were enemies of God and helpless to save ourselves, deserving only wrath – God himself saw our great need and answered it in Jesus Christ. God reconciled us to himself through his one and only son.
We celebrate this great salvation durin Easter. But God forbid that we should only celebrate salvation in Christ one day a year. So today rejoice in the great salvation of Christ. Rejoice tomorrow and every day, knowing that the God who began this work of salvation in you will see you through to the very end – presenting you to himself made perfect to dwell in heaven forever.
Benediction
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:16–17.