Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Romans chapter 5 as we continue our study through Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. We are currently in a portion of this letter that deals with justification or how the righteousness of God has been revealed from Heaven apart from the works of the Law. You see, because of the shed blood of Christ, the finished work, all our sins are cast away, there is no record of any of them. All we must do to obtain this justification is to receive the grace of God by faith in Christ! This section covers Romans 3:21 through Romans 5:21.
So far we looked at the DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, then the ILLUSTRATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS and this morning we are in part 2 of our study on the BENEFITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. Last week we covered the first three benefits of righteousness found in Romans 5:1-2. We looked at the first benefit, that we have PEACE WITH GOD. Folks, that is only found in Jesus Christ, apart from Him in our lives we are at war with God. You see, because I am justified by faith in the work of Christ, which satisfied the justice of God, and He brought me into peace with God and that lasts forever! That is a great benefit or blessing!
The second benefit we looked at is that since we are at peace with God through Jesus Christ we now have ACCESS TO GOD, and again, that is only found in Jesus! And since this standing is based upon grace, it is a standing that is permanent for us, a permanent possession! Again, a great benefit or blessing for us.
And lastly we looked at how we REJOICE IN THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD. In other words, God will take us to glory one day and this is so sure, so secure because it is based upon His finished work and not ours, thus, we are already glorified in His eyes! That is how certain it is and another great benefit or blessing we have.
And we concluded last time with this thought of these benefits:
“Peace with God” takes care of the past: He will no longer hold our sins against us.
“Access to God” takes care of the present: we can come to Him at any time for the help we need.
“Hope of the glory of God” takes care of the future: one day we shall share in His glory!
This morning we are going to look at the next three of the eight benefits or blessings we have as we come to Christ and receive His righteousness into our lives. But first, let me share this story with you. We are told:
It was in 1972 that the last Imperial Japanese soldier was discovered on a South Sea island. Because he was living in complete isolation, he hadn’t heard the news that World War II was over. So there he was – still building fortification, ready to hold off the American invasion of his little atoll [island].
“What a waste,” you say. “He could have been enjoying the Japanese economic boom, but instead he was stuck on an island, fighting malaria – all because he didn’t hear that a peace treaty had been signed.”
- Jon Courson, Application Commentary New Testament, p. 912
Folks, as we have seen, the war with God is over through Christ and yet how many people are missing out on the blessings of righteousness. And for Christians, many refuse to listen, to see the wonderful benefits, the blessings and it does weaken their faith. That is why we are going through this section slowly. With that said, let’s begin reading in Romans chapter 5, starting in verse 1 and see what the Lord has for us as we look at the BENEFITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!
This morning we will focus on the following three benefits of righteousness. First we will look at how we are to GLORY IN (NOT “FOR”) TRIBULATION and that is found in Romans 5:3-4. Then we will focus on how the LOVE OF GOD IS POURED OUT IN OUR HEARTS and that is found in Romans 5:5-8. And we will finish up looking at how we are SAVED FROM WRATH and that is found in Romans 5:9. So let’s look at these next three benefits of righteousness and see what the Lord has for us this morning.
VERSES 3-4
The fourth benefit we have because of the righteousness we have in Christ is that we GLORY IN (NOT “FOR”) TRIBULATION. Now I can understand Paul saying that we should rejoice in the fact that we can have peace with God; we can rejoice that we have access into His grace by faith, but I don’t know about rejoicing in tribulation!
The word that Paul uses for “tribulation” THLIPSIS (thlip’-sis) in the Greek, is not speaking of someone making fun of you but it speaks of being under pressure, like the squeezing of olives in the olive press or to press down upon a grape to produce grape juice! Paul lived that kind of life, one filled with many tribulations as he served the Lord and yet he was able to say, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” II Corinthians 4:16-18. You see, these things are going to happen. The important issue is how are we going to respond to these things, these tribulations, these pressures? Are we going to let them make us strong or sour? Are we going to let them make us bold or bitter?
And please understand that the tribulation that Paul is speaking of here is not related to those troubles that are common to all mankind. He is speaking of those troubles we as Christians face as we suffer for the Lord. Some people take this to an unbiblical conclusion and say that they are suffering for the Lord when in reality they are suffering because of their behavior, what they are doing and not because of their Christian faith.
Case in point. I remember some 20 years ago or more when I was calling this prophecy hotline. And this gentleman that ran it spoke of Bible prophecy of course and how it related to world events. Then, one day when I called he was complaining that he was being persecuted for his Christian faith at work. In fact, he was fired because he was sharing his faith at work and thus, he was suffering for Christ in this tribulation or so he thought!
As soon as I heard that a red flag went up. He wasn’t fired because of his faith, but because his boss hired him to work and instead of working, he was sharing his faith. He was not being a witness for Christ but he was bringing dishonor to God by his actions. That is not what Paul is speaking of here. Jesus tells us the correct reason for persecution in Matthew 5:10-12 we are told, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Folks, the bottom line is this. If you are serving the Lord, standing up for righteousness, doing the work of God, influencing the lives of others for Christ, you will face persecution. Paul reminds us of this in II Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” And it is not that we “might” face persecution, but we “will” face persecution because the darkness will try to put out or extinguish the light! In fact, Jesus tells us, “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20.
Some Christians feel that persecution is not part of the Christian life; it is the result of a lack of faith! I totally disagree with that line of reasoning. It is not Scriptural. First of all we just looked at a few Scriptures that tell us that persecution is just a part of this life we live in Christ. And look at the apostle Paul, he was no stranger to persecution and he was a man of faith.
In II Corinthians 11:22-28a he tells us of some of the things he went through for his faith as he wrote, “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? — I speak as a fool — I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness — besides the other things, what comes upon me daily. . .”
Paul knew what persecution was all about and this persecution was all because of his faith in Jesus Christ and yet, he was able to say, as we have already seen, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” II Corinthians 4:17-18.
I realize that some people may argue with Paul because of what they are going through, but folks, did you listen to all that Paul endured for his faith! You see, these afflictions, these persecutions are light when compared with eternity. Yes, you may suffer every day of your life but when compared with eternity, it amounts to nothing. These afflictions can produced anger, bitterness, hardness or glory that will be eternal. You see, if we can sing with joy in our hearts when we are persecuted, who knows whom God will touch through it!
Now please don’t go around singing, “I lost my job, by dog ran away, my wife left town, and my pick-up truck bit the dust, praise the LORD!” Paul is not saying that our rejoicing should be like a country and western song! No, you don’t do that but you rest in Him, and people will see the peace that you have in the midst of these storms. That you can praise God through these storms!
And please understand that God does not just allow this persecution for persecutions sake. There is a reason He allows this in our lives and Paul tells us the secret that Christians have in regards to their rejoicing in persecution. What is that secret? Paul says that “knowing” and the idea is this. We know that these things are working in us, doing things in our lives that will help us to grow, help us mature in the Lord. We know that and thus, we can endure, we can rejoice!
You see, Paul is telling us that pressures in our life are working in us for something good if we allow them to. In a sense, it is a picture of Christian maturity, sanctification or it can be a picture of Christian immaturity and a hardness of heart to what God is doing in our lives! How are you going to respond to these things in your life? God has a plan but He will not force you to grow, you must give your life to Him so that He can mold you and shape you into the man or woman that He wants you to be. And you know what? He knows what He is doing and it is far better to place your life in His hands, no matter how intense the persecution may be, than to try and do things on our own! What is God showing us, what is He going to do? Again, this is important for us to understand for “knowing” is truly the key or the secret to what Paul says in this sentence, to why we can rejoice in the persecutions we face.
Let me explain it like this with this true story. We are told:
A famous evangelist told the following incident: I have a friend who in a time of business recession lost his job, a sizeable fortune, and his beautiful home. To add to his sorrow, his precious wife died; yet he tenaciously held to his faith – the only thing he had left. One day when he was out walking in search of employment, he stopped to watch some men who were doing stonework on a large church. One of them was chiseling a triangular piece of rock. “Where are you going to put that?” he asked. The workman said, “Do you see that little opening up there near the spire? Well, I’m shaping this stone down here so that it will fit in up there.” Tears filled my friend’s eyes as he walked away, for the Lord had spoken to him through that laborer whose words gave new meaning to his troubled situation.
- Our Daily Bread
Folks, that is what God is doing in us and through us. And knowing this helps us to endure the things we face in this life for Christ. It is not easy, but it is worth it and God will see us through to the finished product. And here in Romans Paul makes four points beginning with tribulation and what it produces and then the following ones grow out of this tribulation, each one helping us to grow in the Lord. So lets look at these four points so we can “know” the reason for our rejoicing in suffering!
We already spoke about this word, “tribulation” and that it comes from the Greek word THLIPSIS, (thilp’-sis) and it carries with it the idea of being under pressure or squeezed. But let me take this a little farther. Our English word, “tribulation” comes from a Latin word, “tribulum”. That may not sound too important to you but please understand that in Paul’s day the tribulum was a heavy piece of timber that had spikes in it and this was used for threshing grain. This tribulum was drawn over the grain and it separated the wheat from the chaff!
And here Paul is saying that is what happens to us as Christians. Yes, that does not seem too good but think about it like this. As we go through these tribulations, as this tribulum comes down upon our lives, the trials will purify us and help us to get rid of that chaff as we learn to depend on God’s grace to see us through! We are reminded of this in Job 23:10 as we are told, “But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”
And in I Peter 1:6-7 Peter tells us, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” You see, God is working, He is removing the chaff or that garbage in our lives and as we go through these fiery trials, we will come forth as gold, pure gold!
It is out of this tribulation then, that God is producing “perseverance” or “patience” in our lives. It is the Greek word HUPOMONE (hoop-om-on-ay’) that speaks of cheerful endurance, consistency. This word also means to “live under something.” And thus, the idea would be that as we go through these difficult times that we don’t try to wiggle our way out but we stay right in the middle and learn what God is showing us, that we can persevere through these times.
Obviously this is not easy but it does show who is mature in the faith and who is immature in the faith. Think about when you first got saved; didn’t you try to avoid trials, sufferings in your life? I did! I thought that as a Christian we could kind of tip toe through the tulips you might say, but it was not tulips that I was tip toeing through, as I quickly learned! You see, a mature Christian, being a soldier in the Lord’s army, does not run away when he is under fire, he does not leave his post, but he perseveres!
You see, we need to look at the big picture, we need to know what God is doing and that will help us as we go through these times. Listen to this story and you will see what I mean.
A small girl had been promised the privilege of climbing to a nearby hilltop where her brother enjoyed playing. But when she came within sight of the steep, rough path, she drew back in dismay. “Why, there isn't a smooth spot anywhere. It's all bumpy and stony!” she exclaimed.
“Yes,” said her more experienced older brother, “but how else would we ever climb to the top if it wasn't? The stones and bumps are what we step on to get there.”
- Source Unknown
Now it does not end there. You see, as tribulation produces perseverance in our lives, that perseverance is building in us character, experience, we are maturing. The Greek word for “character” is DOKIME and it has its roots in the word DOKIMOS and it means that something is “tested” or it is “approved.” It was a term that was used as precious metals were tested for their purity in the fire, such as sliver or gold. The heat causes the impurities to rise to the surface and they are then removed to make the metals pure and the Lord uses the heat, the pressure of tribulations to cleanse us of our impurities.
Here’s the thing. When we as Christians experience tribulations that demand perseverance, that perseverance will then produce in us a proven spiritual character! William Carey shows this as we are told of this incident that happened in his life. We are told:
After William Carey was well established in his pioneer missionary work in India, his supporters in England sent a printer to assist him. Soon the two men were turning out portions of the Bible for distribution. Carey had spent many years learning the language so that he could produce the scripture in the local dialect. He had also prepared dictionaries and grammars for the use of his successors. One day while Carey was away, a fire broke out and completely destroyed the building, the presses, many Bibles, and the precious manuscripts, dictionaries, and grammars. When he returned and was told of the tragic loss, he showed no sign of despair or impatience. Instead, he knelt and thanked God that he still had the strength to do the work over again. He started immediately, not wasting a moment in self-pity. Before his death, he had duplicated and even improved on his earlier achievements.
- Source Unknown
Do you see how that tribulation produced perseverance in this man and then out of that we see his Christian character standing strong! And folks, it is out of all this we are learning to trust in the Lord more and more which gives us hope; we know He won’t fail us!
You see, we know that He is working in our lives, we see the affect that He has made in our lives and that gives us great hope to continue on, not to give up because what God has begun in us, He will complete!
If you are struggling in this area, always snapping at people, it is your way or the highway, angry, pouting, and mad at God, losing hope; you need to surrender to God’s Spirit and allow Him to work in you and you will produce fruit in your life. I love olive oil, to me bread and olive oil is a meal! But if there was no pressure upon the olives then there would be no olive oil to partake of. If we fight against tribulations, these pressures, there won’t be fruit in our lives for others to partake of and that maturing process will be on hold until we submit and surrender our lives to the Master Potter, to God!
It is as A. B. Simpson wrote, “You will have no test of faith that will not fit you to be a blessing if you are obedient to the Lord. I never had a trial but when I got out of the deep river I found some poor pilgrim on the bank that I was able to help by that very experience.”
I may not always understand the how’s and why’s of God as I am going through tribulations, but this I do know, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Or as The Amplified Bible puts it, “We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.” Romans 8:28. My hope is in Him!
VERSES 5-8
The fifth benefit we have because of the righteousness we have in Christ is that the LOVE OF GOD IS POURED OUT IN OUR HEARTS. And notice Paul’s point here. He speaks of this hope not disappointing us. That is important. You see, if we hope in something and then find out we are never going to get it, then our hope would be put to shame, we would be disappointed!
But Paul says that this hope does not disappoint us. What is he speaking of? I believe he is speaking of our salvation. We will not be disappointed because we put our faith in something that was false, something that was not real. Look at the many people who place their hope in a god of their own imagination and in the end, their hope tragically will be put to shame, they will be disappointed!
But we put our faith in something that is sure but how do we know it is sure? Because God has poured out His love, His AGAPE love into our hearts and it is that unconditional love that can only come from God. He has placed it there and thus, we can be assured of our salvation, that we have security in our salvation, that it is an eternal gift and we will look at this more next time as we look at the seventh benefit of being in Christ. You see, it is this love that is sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit that makes this hope certain for us. Paul put it like this in Ephesians 1:13-14, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
And folks, this AGAPE love is never used for man’s love of God, for man can never fully love that way. It is speaking of God’s love for us and as you look at verses 6 through 8 here in Romans chapter 5 you will see that. And here in verse 6, when it says that “Christ died for the ungodly” the Greek word “for” is HUPER. It is a word that speaks of “for the sake of, in behalf of, instead of.” We see this in John 11:50 where we are told, “nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” The word “for” here is the Greek word HUPER. Also, in Galatians 3:13 Paul tells us, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’),” And again, HUPER is used here. He took our place, instead of us He did this and only He could!
Now, who are these undeserving people that Christ died for? They are the ones that Paul was speaking of in Romans 1:18 through Romans 3:20 and drove home the point in Romans 3:23 when he said, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It is sinful man! Now man is in that condition and impotent to do anything about it, he is sick, he is without strength. Then God steps in at the appointed time or the proper time, the perfect time to pay the penalty for our sins, for the ungodly, you and me! Listen to how Spurgeon put it: “If Christ died for the ungodly, this fact leaves the ungodly no excuse if they do not come to him, and believe in him unto salvation. Had it been otherwise they might have pleaded, ‘We are not fit to come.’ But you are ungodly, and Christ died for the ungodly, why not for you?” You see, there is no excuse!
And here is God’s love for us. He didn’t die for the good, the lovely, the likable, but God died for sinful, fallen, rebellious mankind and it is illustrated for us in a powerful way as Jesus said in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
This truly is God’s ultimate proof of His love for us. You see, Paul tells us that a person may sacrifice his life for the “right kind” of person but God didn’t die for a good person, someone who deserved it, a righteous person, but for sinners and thus, His death on the cross of Calvary is a demonstration of His rich love for us, it is the ultimate proof because we surely don’t deserve it! Again, we have read this verse often, but it is powerful as it shows us what God has done for us. Paul said in II Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” That is God’s love for us!
Now back to verse 5 for a minute. God’s love does not just trickle into our lives, but the Greek word EKCHEO, (ek-kheh’-o) speaks of gushing out, spilling over and we can know this because the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to this truth of God’s love in us and for us! Jesus said regarding the Holy Spirit in John chapter 7, “ . . . ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37b-38.
For that to take place you must be filled with the Holy Spirit and then He will overflow in your life as you surrender to Him, allow Him to be in control of your life. The Holy Spirit is the Divine agent who exposes to the believer the love of God!
As I have said, the ultimate proof of God’s love for us is that He died for those who didn’t deserve it, those who were at war with Him! And thus, as this love of God is poured out into our lives, overflowing our lives, it will touch the lives of others as this story tells us. And keep in mind that this is a love that can only come from God, natural man does not have the ability to do these things. We are told:
During the Revolutionary War there was a faithful preacher of the gospel by the name of Peter Miller. He lived near a fellow who hated him intensely for his Christian life and testimony. In fact, this man violently opposed him and ridiculed his followers. One day the unbeliever was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.
Hearing about this, Peter Miller set out on foot to intercede for the man’s life before George Washington. The General listened to the minister’s earnest pleas, but told him he didn’t feel he should pardon his friend. “My friend! He is not my friend,” answered Miller. “In fact, he’s my worst living enemy.” “What!” said Washington. “You have walked 60 miles to save the life of your enemy? That, in my judgment, puts the matter in a different light. I will grant your request.”
With pardon in hand, Miller hastened to the place where his neighbor was to be executed, and arrived just as the prisoner was walking to the scaffold. When the traitor saw Miller, he exclaimed, “Old Peter Miller has come to have his revenge by watching me hang!” But he was astonished as he watched the minister step out of the crowd and produce the pardon which spared his life.
- Daily Bread
Folks, as unbelievable as that is, it is just a shadow of what God has done for us. You see, Jesus did not only produce the pardon for us, but He died to produce a pardon for us! And thus, as Paul said in Romans chapter 8, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35, 38-39. That is the love of God for us and that hope we have in Him will never disappoint us. May we not forget that, the depth of God’s love, the richness of God’s love for us that can never be taken away. He can’t love us anymore than He already does nor can He love us any less!
VERSE 9
The sixth benefit we have because of the righteousness we have in Christ is that we are SAVED FROM WRATH. And here in Romans 5:9 and also in verse 10 as we will see next time, Paul is using an argument that the Rabbis call KAL WAHOMER. What this means is this. “Light and heavy” and Paul is showing us the heavier to the lighter here in these verses. In other words, if the greater point is true, then obviously the lesser point must also be true!
Let me give you an example to show you what I mean. In Matthew 7:11 Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” In this section it goes from the lesser, man to the greater, God. You see, if we give gifts to our children because we love them and yet we are evil compared to God, how much more will our Heavenly Father give us, bless us!
Here in Romans chapter 5 the point is simple. If God already did the greater work, if He already saved us when we were stiff-necked, rebellious, wretched sinners, people who were at war with God, then obviously He can do the lesser or save us from the wrath that is to come because we are His children. That just makes sense to me and I hope it does to you.
But, if Jesus could not redeem sinful man, if His shed blood and death did not cleanse us, then He won’t be able to save us from the wrath that is to come! Obviously that is not true because Jesus did save us and because of that, or as Paul says, “much more” we will not experience the wrath that is coming upon a Christ rejecting world.
And folks, make no mistake about it. There is a “wrath to come” but no true believer will experience it, none of it. Why is that? Because as Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:1-10, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Folks, we are no longer children of wrath, that is what Paul is telling us here, because we are in Christ and it is God who has done this, it is a free gift that we receive by faith. That is the difference and that is the reason we are saved from the wrath that is to come! I know that some people believe that we will go through all or part of the Tribulation Period, but the Scriptures don’t support that at all! In I Thessalonians 1:10 Paul tells us, “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” And again in I Thessalonians 5:9-10 Paul tells us, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” I think that is very clear, He saved us, pardoned our sins and He is more than able, much more than able to deliver us from the wrath that is to come!
As I close this morning I hope you have clearly seen these other three benefits or blessings that we have in Christ. We have seen that tribulation is working in our lives to help us to grow and mature in the Lord and thus we glory in but not for tribulation. We have seen the love of God, that unconditional love poured out into our lives when we truly did not deserve it. And we have seen that since God has saved us, the greater work, He is more than able to save us from the wrath that is to come, the lesser work!
Let me leave you with this to think about. We are told:
A certain medieval monk announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on “The Love of God.” As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered. In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the crucifix. First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound. In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel. There was nothing else to say.
- Source Unknown
Folks, don’t miss out on the blessings that God has for you!