Sermon 4— October 3, 2010
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God (peace) through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand; (position) And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (power) Rom 5:1-5 NIV
Having been justified through faith, this is a done deal. The believer, who has put their faith and trust in the finished work of Christ, has been justified in the sight of God. The enmity between God and man that existed because of sin has been satisfied so now we have the ability to have peace with God. The NT writers many times use the greeting grace and peace, as Paul writes to the Romans, to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom 1:7 This grace, this free gift of God in the giving of His son, results in peace with God and a changing of our very nature.
The one of the results of justification is the believer’s receiving a new nature. The Lord spoke to Ezekiel of a day in the future when He would put his spirit within men.
19“And I will give them one heart (an undivided heart), and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. Ezekiel 11:19,20
God says He is going to do a work in men which will enable then to walk in His ways. So God has a plan to put this new spirit within us as believers in order that we can walk in newness of life, walk in the Spirit.
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Rom 6:4
So let’s examine some of the results of justification, the results of having a renewed relationship with God and having the Spirit of God as our helper.
Peace With God
First, as we have already mentioned, we have peace with God. This is the result of our faith in the finished work of Christ on our behalf. The NT writers call believers saints, sanctus (Latin), hagios (Greek), holy. That means we are no more creatures of wrath but holy, saints, children of God. In Romans 8:1 Paul states there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, the believer. We believers are called holy because we are justified, we have been made right in God’s sight. Eph 1:4 states we are holy and blameless before Him.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6.
The angels that appeared to announce the birth of Jesus tell of this peace.“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14. God sent Jesus, His only begotten son to bring about peace, a truce, a sacrifice for sin, and the end of man’s estrangement from God. Peter says the word which God sent, Jesus, was to preach a gospel of peace, peace with God. In Peter’s words, “The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all). Acts 10:36
Another verse from Ephesians tells this whole story of our separation from God and then Him making peace through his Son. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.14 For He Himself is our peace. Ephesians 2:13,14.
We have peace with God through Jesus Christ. We are chosen to stand holy and blameless before Him; this is God’s plan for us. This is not just something we say and not something we have to wait for until we are in heaven. It is the result of the work of God in the life of the believer. The result of our being justified is that our standing before God has changed. We have peace with God.
Position in His Kingdom
This new relationship we have with God results in a whole, new identity for the believer. Our new position is filled with astonishing treasure. For example, we are no longer enemies of God, but have become the very children of the only true God. We are now seated with Christ in heavenly places. We are joint heirs with His Son Jesus, with our inheritance the whole earth. We are citizens of His Kingdom, the Bride of Christ who shall reign with Him eternally over all the kingdoms of this earth when He returns in glory. And all of this only partial list is the result of His work in us making us into His new creation, new creatures. We have metamorphized much in the same way that a caterpillar turns into butterfly; we are no longer what we were. This is not something the we are doing; it is a work that God is doing in us. He has reconciled us to Himself.
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation 2 Cor 5:17,18
This is the result of our new position, our new identity. Remember we were in Adam, the flesh, the old man and now we are in Christ. We enter into this relationship in which we have a new identity, which is in Christ. The Spirit of holy God is dwelling in us. Our Christian walk here and now is a matter of putting off (reckoning dead) the old self, the flesh, and putting on our new self which has been created in the likeness of God by the power of God. Paul refers to this process in his book to the Ephesians.
20But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self (put off your flesh life), which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Eph 4:20-24
Paul then goes into some practical examples of putting off the flesh and putting on instead the new self. But it is important to realize that these are not laws that we are to maintain by strength of our old man! We are putting on and existing in the new self, that has been created in the likeness of God, because we have this power from God to live pleasing to God, to become like Him. We have His power to resist sin. Our new creation selves look like God because they are created in His image, in righteousness and holiness of truth. Our new creation identities, our new selves, are good and righteous. We have been re-created in truth, and have the approval and acceptance of God, who is Himself called Truth. Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life.
Power in the Spirit
We are able to live this Christian life here and now as His new creations by the power of the spirit of God. Christians are the only ones who can truly live pleasing to God because we are the only ones with the Spirit of God living in us enabling us to live righteously. An electric drill that isn’t plugged into a power source is not a very good tool. You can use it as a hammer or as drill by spinning it around yourself with a bit in it but it is not functioning as it was designed. The Christian walk was designed to be lived by the Christian’s dependence upon the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead which is empowering our mortal bodies.
At the end of this list of actions the Christian is to put off and put on you find the phrase, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit”.
25Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Eph 4:25-30
9However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Rom 8:9-12
We are called to live by the Spirit, in the power of the Spirit of God that lives in us.
12So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Phil 2:12,13
So as believers we have Peace with God, a Position in His Kingdom and His Power of the Spirit of God within us enabling us to live godly lives. This is the birthright of the child of God who has entered into newness of life through the blood of Christ.
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