Take Note Podcast

In Due Time

Romans 5:1-10

- Today we'll be talking about justification by faith
- Peace with God
- Standing in grace
- Rejoicing in hope
- These are concepts, for the believer in Christ, that are familiar

- But we'll also talk about tribulations
- And our perspective in tribulations
- What tribulations do

- These themes, which relate to us
- Come about only because Christ came and died in our place
- "In Due Time"
- And that's our topic of the day, from Romans 5:1-10

- We find a lot of key things here that can help us navigate the Christian life
- Items that are theological in nature
- And items of common, practical purpose
- Things we believe, and things that we carry out because we believe

- Let's read the entire passage
- Then we'll come back and look at individual verses…

Romans 5:1-10

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
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.
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
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.

- This passage is speaking to those who believe in Christ
- It begins this way…

Romans 5:1

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

- We do not live in a state of peace with God before Christ
- Christ and His work are the means by which peace with God is obtained
- We have been made right with God, by Him
- That's what justification is: to declare or to pronounce one to be just or righteous
- Not through law-keeping, not through good works, not through membership in any organization, but through Christ and Him alone

- We should go on…

Romans 5:2

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

- The wording of the ERV may help us talk about this one
- It says…

"Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are very happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory."

- We had no hope of being with God for all eternity, without Christ
- We believed in Him and He saved us
- So many other passages tell us how this works
- John 3:14-18 is one of my favorites…

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

- We are looking ahead, rejoicing in hope if we know Him
- But we are not just rejoicing in select, positive circumstances
- Our rejoicing is deeper…

Romans 5:3

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

- Rejoicing is possible - because of salvation through Christ - in the midst of tribulation
- This literally means pressing, pressure, pressing together
- It can also be called oppression, affliction, distress
- Christ makes all the difference in the middle of this pressing
- And the pressing is useful
- Patience is often squeezed out…

Romans 5:4-5

4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
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 is the unquestionable usefulness of tribulation
- It changes us for the better
- It provides opportunity for us to experience His love to an even greater extent
- The ERV wording may help us here too…

"And this patience is proof that we are strong. [I would say proof that He is strong in us.] And this proof gives us hope. And this hope will never disappoint us. We know this because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts through the Holy Spirit he gave us."

- This means confronting affliction and distress, for the believer in Christ, is quite different
- The next verse goes on to explain why…

Romans 5:6

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

- When we were unable to help ourselves, Christ died to help us
- We were ungodly, separated eternally from Him, and it was at that time that He died
- This is simply extraordinary, as the next couple of verses relate…

Romans 5:7-8

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

- This is not something we have a lot of precedent for
- We understand why someone may consider dying for a good man
- But Christ died for sinners
- We are the sinners!
- This reveals the manner of His love for us
- It's an "out of this world" kind of love
- The kind of love that has no equal

Romans 5:9-10

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
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.

- The wrath that we deserved has been laid upon Him
- We are no longer obligated to pay the penalty for our own sins
- He has paid it
- He came to do this when we were God's enemies
- And He reconciled us through His own death
- Now allowing us to live in times of ease and hardship for Him
- To have victory because of who we are in Him and who He is in us