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| Beliefs - Bible Studies Is Christianity a Pie-in-the-sky, by-and-by religion? Oh No! |
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Romans 5:1-11
Many Liberals today say, “I do not believe in a religion of the hereafter; I believe
in a religion of the here and now.” Well, the good news the liberal may not
believe, but Christianity is not only the hope of heaven, but it also has benefits
right now. Ephesians 1:3 states that “we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ.”
That means right now. Then in Ephesians 6:14 we are told “stand therefore,
having your loins girt about with truth…”
How do we do this? We do it by remembering God’s promises and meditating on
His Word, and Romans 5 gives 8 blessings that Christians can appropriate right
now.
Admittedly not all Christians are appropriating these blessings, but never-the-
less, God has made them available to all Christians.
Let’s look at them and answer the question, “what about the here and now?”
Benefit #1: Peace
Verse 1: “Therefore being justified by faith, (This means that you accepted
Christ as your Savior. If you have not, these promises you cannot claim.) we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
When we were lost, we were enemies with God. This is a peace that comes to
the soul of one who has trusted Christ as Savior and knows that God no longer
has any charge against him, that he is no longer guilty. He knows that God, who
had to be against him in the past, is now for him. In others words, we can be
assured of our salvation.
This is the peace Paul speaks of here: knowing that our sins have been forgiven
and everything is right between you and God.
When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, not only did man run away from God
and find himself alienated from the life of God with no capacity for God and no
inclination to turn to Him, but God also had to turn away from man. Then, when
Christ died on the cross, God turned around so that a Holy God can say to a
lost sinner, “Come,” with his arms outstretched.
A lot of weary souls are laboring with a guilt complex and would love to go
somewhere to have that guilt removed. The only place you can have a guilt
complex removed is at the cross of Christ.
Benefit #2: Access
Verse 2: “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
What does access mean? It means that you and I as believers have access to
God in prayer. Isn’t it wonderful to have someone to go to and talk to about
yourself, your problems and your friends and loved ones?
Today, we as children of God have access to a heavenly Father who will listen
to us here and who does answer our prayer. Now that doesn’t mean He answers
it the way you want it answered, but He always hears you. He will answer
according to His will and the best interest for you.
Notice that we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.
Benefit #3: Hope
Verse 2b: “and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
What is this hope mentioned here?
Paul said to a young preacher named Titus in Titus 2:13, “looking for that
blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus
Christ”
A lot of people are looking for the tribulation, but that would be dread rather
than hope. Hope is looking for the Lord to come and take His church out of this
world. That’s a glorious hope, and it will take place at His appearing.
So, what does this mean. It means that we as believers have a future. We have
something to look forward to in the future.
Today, we live in an affluent society, but trouble is everywhere, and gloom and
despair are being predicted by many. The world is looking for a hope, a future.
This explains the restlessness throughout the world, and it probably explains
many of the movements of the present moment. Why are people driven to
alcohol and drug additions and down other dead end streets. Why?
Because they have lost hope for the future. The child of God has a hope, a
blessed hope. We need to be sharing this hope.
Benefit #4: Triumph in troubles
Verses 3 and 4: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”
We can have joy in troubles knowing that trouble works patience, (patience
doesn’t come automatically) and patience, experience; and experience, hope.
It takes trouble to bring out the best in the believer’s life. The only way God can
get fruit out of the life of a believer is by pruning the branches. Trouble
produces these fruits in our lives and makes us stronger Christians.
Benefit #5 and #6: Love of God and the Holy Spirit
Verse 5: “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
This love isn’t our love for God; no, it’s much more wonderful than that. It is God’
s loves for us. And how is that love made real? That’s the 6th benefit, the Holy
Spirit. This is the first time in Romans the ministry of the Holy Spirit is mentioned.
(See Romans 8 for a great lesson on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.) But here,
we are simply told that the Holy Spirit is given to every believer, not to some
believers but to all believers.
Paul called the Corinthian believers carnal as babes in Christ. But even to these
weak Christians Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “What? Know ye not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own.”
From the weakest to the strongest believer, they have the Holy Spirit of God.
That’s wonderful. I’m glad that when I came to Christ, I got everything God offers
in salvation. Some try to tell me that I can get a second and third work of the
Holy Spirit. Oh no! We got it all when we accepted Christ as our Savior.
We need to be conscious and assured of the fact that God loves us. Only the
Spirit of God can make God’s love real.
Now, notice how God explains His love.
Verse 6: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly.”
People like to think they are not too bad, that they are pretty good boys and
girls. On no. You and I were numbered at one time with the ungodly. Jesus died
for His enemies. Those who hated Him crucified Him, and when they were
crucifying Him, He said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
God demonstrated His love for you, my friend, in that He gave His son to die for
you.
Verse 7: “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a
good man some would even dare to die.”
Can you raise one finger counting the number of people you know who would
die for you? You and I can raise at least one. Jesus was willing to come and die
in our place. And He proved it!
Verse 8: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.”
He died for you and I. That is where God revealed His love. Of course, God
doesn’t save us by Love. He saves us by grace because the penalty of sin has
been paid by the death of Christ, and God holds out his arms and saves today.
Benefit #7: Deliverance from wrath
Verse 9: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through him.”
What’s this wrath mentioned here? I believe it is what the Lord Jesus called the
Great Tribulation. Paul tells believers that we shall be saved from wrath. We
have been saved from the penalty of sin. He is constantly saving us today from
the power of sin, and He is going to save us in the future from the presence of
sin.
I believe that every believer will leave this earth at the rapture. We will escape
the that day of wrath, not because we are worthy, but because we have been
saved by the grace of God.
We have been saved by Grace, we live by the grace of God and millions and
millions of years from today we will still be in heaven by the grace of God.
Verse 10: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the
death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
Christ died down here to save us; He lives up yonder to keep us saved.
Benefit #8: Joy
Verse 11: “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”
This means that right now, wherever you are, whatever your problems, you can
rejoice in God. Just think of it. You can rejoice that He lives and that He is who
He is.
You can rejoice because He is willing to save sinners and bring us into His
presence someday. He has worked a plan to save us because of His love for
us. Isn’t that enough to make you rejoice. The child of God should have joy in
his heart.
These are eight wonderful benefits of salvation. My prayer is that when you go
through the trials and problems we all have, that you will remember all these
blessings and use them for encouragement.
- Roy Patterson
May 2003
Many Liberals today say, “I do not believe in a religion of the hereafter; I believe
in a religion of the here and now.” Well, the good news the liberal may not
believe, but Christianity is not only the hope of heaven, but it also has benefits
right now. Ephesians 1:3 states that “we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ.”
That means right now. Then in Ephesians 6:14 we are told “stand therefore,
having your loins girt about with truth…”
How do we do this? We do it by remembering God’s promises and meditating on
His Word, and Romans 5 gives 8 blessings that Christians can appropriate right
now.
Admittedly not all Christians are appropriating these blessings, but never-the-
less, God has made them available to all Christians.
Let’s look at them and answer the question, “what about the here and now?”
Benefit #1: Peace
Verse 1: “Therefore being justified by faith, (This means that you accepted
Christ as your Savior. If you have not, these promises you cannot claim.) we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
When we were lost, we were enemies with God. This is a peace that comes to
the soul of one who has trusted Christ as Savior and knows that God no longer
has any charge against him, that he is no longer guilty. He knows that God, who
had to be against him in the past, is now for him. In others words, we can be
assured of our salvation.
This is the peace Paul speaks of here: knowing that our sins have been forgiven
and everything is right between you and God.
When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, not only did man run away from God
and find himself alienated from the life of God with no capacity for God and no
inclination to turn to Him, but God also had to turn away from man. Then, when
Christ died on the cross, God turned around so that a Holy God can say to a
lost sinner, “Come,” with his arms outstretched.
A lot of weary souls are laboring with a guilt complex and would love to go
somewhere to have that guilt removed. The only place you can have a guilt
complex removed is at the cross of Christ.
Benefit #2: Access
Verse 2: “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
What does access mean? It means that you and I as believers have access to
God in prayer. Isn’t it wonderful to have someone to go to and talk to about
yourself, your problems and your friends and loved ones?
Today, we as children of God have access to a heavenly Father who will listen
to us here and who does answer our prayer. Now that doesn’t mean He answers
it the way you want it answered, but He always hears you. He will answer
according to His will and the best interest for you.
Notice that we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.
Benefit #3: Hope
Verse 2b: “and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
What is this hope mentioned here?
Paul said to a young preacher named Titus in Titus 2:13, “looking for that
blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus
Christ”
A lot of people are looking for the tribulation, but that would be dread rather
than hope. Hope is looking for the Lord to come and take His church out of this
world. That’s a glorious hope, and it will take place at His appearing.
So, what does this mean. It means that we as believers have a future. We have
something to look forward to in the future.
Today, we live in an affluent society, but trouble is everywhere, and gloom and
despair are being predicted by many. The world is looking for a hope, a future.
This explains the restlessness throughout the world, and it probably explains
many of the movements of the present moment. Why are people driven to
alcohol and drug additions and down other dead end streets. Why?
Because they have lost hope for the future. The child of God has a hope, a
blessed hope. We need to be sharing this hope.
Benefit #4: Triumph in troubles
Verses 3 and 4: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”
We can have joy in troubles knowing that trouble works patience, (patience
doesn’t come automatically) and patience, experience; and experience, hope.
It takes trouble to bring out the best in the believer’s life. The only way God can
get fruit out of the life of a believer is by pruning the branches. Trouble
produces these fruits in our lives and makes us stronger Christians.
Benefit #5 and #6: Love of God and the Holy Spirit
Verse 5: “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
This love isn’t our love for God; no, it’s much more wonderful than that. It is God’
s loves for us. And how is that love made real? That’s the 6th benefit, the Holy
Spirit. This is the first time in Romans the ministry of the Holy Spirit is mentioned.
(See Romans 8 for a great lesson on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.) But here,
we are simply told that the Holy Spirit is given to every believer, not to some
believers but to all believers.
Paul called the Corinthian believers carnal as babes in Christ. But even to these
weak Christians Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “What? Know ye not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own.”
From the weakest to the strongest believer, they have the Holy Spirit of God.
That’s wonderful. I’m glad that when I came to Christ, I got everything God offers
in salvation. Some try to tell me that I can get a second and third work of the
Holy Spirit. Oh no! We got it all when we accepted Christ as our Savior.
We need to be conscious and assured of the fact that God loves us. Only the
Spirit of God can make God’s love real.
Now, notice how God explains His love.
Verse 6: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly.”
People like to think they are not too bad, that they are pretty good boys and
girls. On no. You and I were numbered at one time with the ungodly. Jesus died
for His enemies. Those who hated Him crucified Him, and when they were
crucifying Him, He said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
God demonstrated His love for you, my friend, in that He gave His son to die for
you.
Verse 7: “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a
good man some would even dare to die.”
Can you raise one finger counting the number of people you know who would
die for you? You and I can raise at least one. Jesus was willing to come and die
in our place. And He proved it!
Verse 8: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.”
He died for you and I. That is where God revealed His love. Of course, God
doesn’t save us by Love. He saves us by grace because the penalty of sin has
been paid by the death of Christ, and God holds out his arms and saves today.
Benefit #7: Deliverance from wrath
Verse 9: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through him.”
What’s this wrath mentioned here? I believe it is what the Lord Jesus called the
Great Tribulation. Paul tells believers that we shall be saved from wrath. We
have been saved from the penalty of sin. He is constantly saving us today from
the power of sin, and He is going to save us in the future from the presence of
sin.
I believe that every believer will leave this earth at the rapture. We will escape
the that day of wrath, not because we are worthy, but because we have been
saved by the grace of God.
We have been saved by Grace, we live by the grace of God and millions and
millions of years from today we will still be in heaven by the grace of God.
Verse 10: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the
death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
Christ died down here to save us; He lives up yonder to keep us saved.
Benefit #8: Joy
Verse 11: “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”
This means that right now, wherever you are, whatever your problems, you can
rejoice in God. Just think of it. You can rejoice that He lives and that He is who
He is.
You can rejoice because He is willing to save sinners and bring us into His
presence someday. He has worked a plan to save us because of His love for
us. Isn’t that enough to make you rejoice. The child of God should have joy in
his heart.
These are eight wonderful benefits of salvation. My prayer is that when you go
through the trials and problems we all have, that you will remember all these
blessings and use them for encouragement.
- Roy Patterson
May 2003