Romans5v1to11: THE PEACE OF GOD

Introduction. Read Rom5v1to11.

For me Roman's has been hard going up until this point. But here we have a passage that readily lends itself to straightforward treatment.

In the last chapter Paul dealt with the legalism of some Jewish Christians. In chapter five he probably sets out to encourage his persecuted brethren in Rome. He does so by describing seven things to exult in. They are:

(1) The Christian's peace with God. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. v1.

There are three grounds for our peace. We are:

  • Justified by his blood. v9.

  • Saved from God's wrath through him (Christ). v9.

  • Reconciled to him through the death of his Son. v10.

We have dealt with these great gospel truths in the earlier expositions on Romans.

It is horrible when people are in conflict. There is one kind of drama I cannot bear to watch on TV and that is domestic discord. I find it profoundly depressing to witness a marriage breaking apart: the rows, separation, divorce and bitterness.

I used to hate to be in conflict with pupils at school. Fortunately I did not teach many boys and girls who really hated me. However, when I was teaching on a temporary contract in Haverhill I had a class with which I was at war. It was terrible.

I love the story I have told before about the children's author, Rosemary Sutcliffe. In her beautifully written memoir, 'Blue Remembered Hills,' she describes her love affair with Rupert. Her parents did not approve because although Rupert was a young man of great charm they doubted his intentions. Sure enough Rupert became engaged to someone else. However, he wanted to remain friends with Rosemary who found it difficult to let him go. When Rupert sent her a book Rosemary's parents told her that she must of course send the book back and break with Rupert completely. This was not something that Rosemary wanted to do! Her intransigence made both parents unhappy. Rosemary's relationship with her father particularly suffered. He wanted what was best for his daughter!

In the end she could not take any more and sent back the book. I will describe the outcome in her own inimitable words: Then I had a reconciliation with my father. I sat on his knee like a little girl again, his arms round me; even wept a few difficult tears on his Harris tweed shoulder. It was so lovely not to have that silent barrier of ice between us any more. Such a relief to lay down my weapons, not that I had ever had many weapons - only my little wooden sword - and stop fighting. For the moment it almost outweighed all the rest.

Rosemary repented - sacrificed her book and friendship - to be at peace with her father.

We have a wonderful story in Luke's gospel about the wayward, spendthrift son and his estranged father. How unhappy the father was to lose his son; how unhappy the son became alone and destitute in the far country. What a glorious reconciliation took place.

The Christian is reconciled to God. Healing, harmony and concord replaces hate, antagonism and discord.

When the sinner believes in Jesus, God's attitude towards him changes. So does the sinner's attitude to God. God is no longer his enemy - but his dear, heavenly father whom he reveres and aims to please. The sinner is no longer at war with his Maker but at peace with him.

Furthermore Jesus sends his Spirit who imparts a sense of well being to the believer. The Saviour said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John14v27.

(2) The Christian's standing. We have gained access by faith into his grace in which we stand. v2.

I love the chorus:

          I am a new creation,
          no more condemnation,
          here in the grace of God I stand.

          My heart is overflowing,
          my love just keeps on growing,
          here in the grace of God I stand.

          And I will praise you, Lord,
          yes I will praise you, Lord,
          and I will sing of all that you have done;

          A joy that knows no limit,
          a lightness of the spirit -
          here in the grace of God I stand.

I am a citizen of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth - but I would be unlikely to gain an audience with her. I have little standing with the Queen. It is very different for Princes William and Harry. Elizabeth is their queen - but also their grandmother. They are family and as such are recipients of her grace.

Christians belong to a family too. We enter God's family through faith in Jesus. Make no mistake! We are in a highly privileged position. We became beneficiaries of grace when God accepted us into his family and as his adopted children we continue to benefit from his grace

The Prodigal Son was a beneficiary of grace. It was by the father's grace he went to the party bedecked in his new robe, shod in his new sandals and wearing a new ring. He owed his standing to the grace of his father.

What a joy to be able to sing, "Here in the grace of God I stand." Is there a better place to be? What a place! A safe place - safe from condemnation; a rewarding place - beneficiaries of the unsearchable riches of Christ; a glorious place. Moses face shone after his encounter with God on Mt Sinai. Our lives should reflect something of the amazing grace that saved us.

          Through many dangers, toils and snares,
          I have already come;
          Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
          And grace will lead me home.

(3) The Christian's hope. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Many, many people hope for this world's honours: Champion's League winner's medal, a knighthood, a Nobel prize, an Oscar, an honorary degree, the Military Cross, an Olympic gold medal. Even I was quite proud to be awarded my B.Sc. degree by the Queen Mother.

Christians hope to be honoured - or glorified - by God. In 1Cor9v24to27 Paul writes among other things: Run in such a way as to get the prize. He tells the Philippians: I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The prize I am looking forward to is described by the hymn writer: 'Just to be near the dear Lord I adore - will through the ages be glory for me.'

My mother always looked radiant and the tears sparkled in her eyes when she sang:

          The bride eyes not her garment,
          But her dear bridegroom's face;
          I will not gaze at glory,
          But on my King of grace,-
          Not at the crown He giveth,
          But on His pierced hand.
          The Lamb is all the glory
          Of Immanuel's land.

(4) The Christian's suffering. We also rejoice in suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character; and character hope. vs3and4.

Suffering or testing is important because it can produce and maintain hope. Paul describes a kind of chain reaction:

(a) Trials and tribulations can elicit a positive response. The Greek word translated perseverance means something like, 'rising to the challenge.' Alexander Solzhenitsyn in one of his books quotes an old Russian proverb: 'The horseradish hates to be grated but it will dance on the grater when it has to.' The horseradish will, at need, respond to the challenge. A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. It has to go through the white heat of the furnace to become porcelain. The Greek word probably means more than rising to the challenge; there is also a hint of thrilling at the challenge.

A young professional boxer beginning his career will be tested in the ring. His bouts will get progressively harder. The boxer does not shrink from challenges. He wants to be challenged. He wants to prove his worth. His whole attitude is, 'bring them on.'

There was an article in the Daily Telegraph this morning (July 18th 2012) about the forthcoming test series between South Africa and India. Jimmy Anderson, England's leading bowler, was quoted as saying: "In the past, the pressure might have got to me in particular and maybe a few other guys. But now its more exciting. You want to play in big games. You want to test yourself against the best in the world, which is going to happen in the next few weeks."

Some of the great heroes of faith in the Old Testament displayed this attitude. David, Jonathan, Joshua and Caleb loved a challenge and rose to it.

(b) If we respond positively to testing, if we rise to the challenge, it will result in 'character'. This is not a good translation either! The problem is that there is no English equivalent to the Greek word, 'dukime,' that Paul uses. It means, 'testedness'- a word not found in our dictionary.

'Dukime' was a word the Greeks used of iron that had been heated to red heat in the furnace and then hammered on the anvil to toughen and shape it. So it means something like: tough, durable, tempered or seasoned. It is a word that could be used of an experienced Test cricketer who has faced some of the greatest bowlers in the world - a seasoned pro.

It is a word that could be used of a rock climber that has tested himself on some of hardest climbs in existence or the mountaineer who has conquered the world's highest peaks.

I like this illustration taken from ChristianGlobe: In 1924, two climbers were part of an expedition that set out to conquer Mount Everest. As far as is known, they never reached the summit; and they never returned. Somewhere on that gigantic mountain they were overpowered by the elements and died. After the failure of the expedition, the rest of the party returned home. Addressing a meeting in London, one of those who returned described the ill-fated adventure. He then turned to a huge photograph of Everest, mounted on the wall behind him.

"Everest," he cried, "we tried to conquer you once, but you overpowered us. We tried to conquer you a second time, but again you were too much for us. But, Everest, I want you to know that we are going to conquer you, for you can't grow any bigger, and we can!"

(c) If you have experienced and surmounted many difficulties and become a seasoned campaigner hope steadily grows. Experience is the ally of hope.

This is true for the boxer. As his victories over tougher and tougher opponents mount up so his hope of one day being a World Champion increases. This hope feeds back into endurace and the boxer becomes more and more upbeat about the challenges.

David exemplified this attitude. God had helped him overcome the lion and the bear in the wilderness while watching over his father's sheep - and that same God would help him defeat the Philistine giant, Goliath. Moses after he had negotiated one problem after another while leading the Israelites in the desert must, in the end, have had the greatest hope that they would take possession of the Promised Land.

Hope is of vital importance to the Christian as this story illustrates: A number of years ago researchers performed an experiment to see the effect hope has on those undergoing hardship. Two sets of laboratory rats were placed in separate tubs of water. The researchers left one set in the water and found that within an hour they had all drowned. The other rats were periodically lifted out of the water and then returned. When that happened, the second set of rats swam for over 24 hours. Why? Not because they were given a rest, but because they suddenly had hope!

Those animals somehow hoped that if they could stay afloat just a little longer, someone would reach down and rescue them. If hope holds such power for unthinking rodents, how much greater should its effect be on our lives.

The great apostle Paul ended his life in hope. He wrote to Timothy: At my first defence, no-one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. 2Tim4vs16to18.

So my friends let us take hope in the promises of God. "No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." 1Cor2v9. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2Cor4v16to18.

(5) The Christian's gift of the Spirit. God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, when he was given to us. Rom5v5.

The Holy Spirit pours out God's love into our hearts in at least two ways:

(a) Some, especially those who have been very far from God and living lives of great depravity, can, on trusting in Jesus, be overwhelmed by a sense of warmth, well being and joy.

This can also happen after conversion. Shortly after his conversion Charles Finney described an experience he had in his lawyer's office: I returned to the front office, and found that the fire that I had made of large wood was nearly burned out. But as I turned and was about to take a seat by the fire, I received a mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost. Without any expectation of it, without ever having the thought in my mind that there was any such thing for me, without any recollection that I had ever heard the thing mentioned by any person in the world, the Holy Spirit descended upon me in a manner that seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression, like a wave of electricity, going through and through me. Indeed it seemed to come in waves and waves of liquid love, for I could not express it in any other way. It seemed like the very breath of God. I can recollect distinctly that it seemed to fan me, like immense wings.

In experiences like this the Spirit gives a down payment on the future bliss that all Christians will enjoy one day. However, it seems to me, that the Spirit pours out God's love so extravagantly as of need. Not all Christians experience such a baptism of the Spirit. Wave after wave of liquid love has never pulsed through my body and soul! Charles Finney had done nothing to deserve such an outpouring of love. He hadn't even asked for it. It was totally unexpected. He had never even heard of such a thing. He must have been in desperate need of it.

(b) Every Christian is given the Holy Spirit as a counsellor and advocate. He will support and reinforce our spirits in their steadfast conviction that, in spite of appearances to the contrary, God loves us.

A little boy if punished by his father might run in tears to his mother and blurt out, "Daddy doesn't love me!" Mother, a true advocate, will console her son and tell him that Daddy loves him very much."

I have taught pupils whom I have needed to admonish. I can imagine a girl who has had a good telling off going to her friend and saying, "That Mr Reed doesn't like me!" Let us hope the friend provides good counsel and points out the many signs that, indeed, Mr Reed is very fond of the girl he has punished."

The Holy Spirit is like a good friend bringing to our attention verses of Scripture that we need just at the right time - strong reminders of how much God cares for us. For example, This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1John4v9and10.

(6) The Christian's intercessor. 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! v10.

As so often in Paul's writing it is not certain what Paul meant by: shall we be saved through his life! v10.

Later in Romans the apostle writes: Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Rom8v34.

John wrote: My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence - Jesus Christ, the righteous one.

Sometimes it is highly important to have an intercessor - someone to plead your cause and fight your corner. Moses interceded for the Israelites when God threatened to destroy his people and raise up a new people from the descendents of Moses. See Numbers14. Esther was a wonderful intercessor when the Jews faced genocide in the reign of Xerxes, king of Persia and Media. Abigail interceded on behalf of her stupid husband, Nabal, and pacified the anger of David.

Even as Christians we need a powerful intercessor with God. We can be like the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness: lacking faith and gratitude, murmuring, complaining, grumbling and disobeying. We can be ungenerous, unforgiving, ungracious and unfaithful. The good news is we have a vigilant, committed, powerful and effective intercessor at the right hand of God - his Son and our Saviour.

          Before the throne of God above
          I have a strong, a perfect plea;
          A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
          Who ever lives and pleads for me.

          My name is graven on His hands,
          My name is written on His heart;
          I know that, while in heaven he stands,
          No tongue can bid me thence depart.

(7) The love of God. But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. v8.

God has always loved us. He has always been committed to the world of men.

Jesus didn't die so that good people could go to heaven. He didn't lay down his life to smooth the way to glory for the righteous. Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice on behalf of sinners who loved themselves more than their neighbour and a whole lot more than God. Jesus died for sinners who invariably put themselves first; rebel sinners at war with God. Jesus didn't die for us because we deserve it but because without his saving work we are lost.

God's love is unconditional, costly, extravagant and effective. It is effective because by Christ's sacrifice we are justified, saved and reconciled. By the Saviour's redeeming work we are adopted into God's family; by it we become joint heirs with Christ; by it we will enjoy eternal life.

          Oh love of God! Our shield and stay,
          Through all the perils of our way;
          Eternal love, in thee we rest
          For ever safe, forever blest.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are. 1Jon3v1.

ANY COMMENTS FOR JOHN REED: E-mail jfmreed@talktalk.net

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