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1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. 11 And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation (Romans 5.1-11).[1] Memory Verse: But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5.8). So, yesterday we discussed how we needed to rejoice in suffering because as we go through spiritual suffering it will produce perseverance or endurance, which will produce character, spiritual character. Our spiritual character must be strengthened through these kinds of sufferings or trials, hence, we can count them all joy when they come, because they will build us up and make us who God wants us to be. It would be great if God would have stopped there with the lessons and adding to our qualities. However, as always, He knows what is best for us and we can be thankful to Him that He did not stop there. Because spiritual character produces hope in us. Yes, that is correct, when we gain spiritual character in our lives, when we learn to rely on God and not ourselves. When we learn to trust Him, believe in Him and know He will keep His promise, then our hope in Him will increase. This hope in God is found through Jesus Christ our Brother and Savior. His sacrifice on the cross is more than we can understand, but it is because of Him we are able to have hope in God, and His promises. It is through this hope we can enter the throne room of glory boldly (Hebrews 10.19); it is because of this hope we can share the gospel of Jesus Christ without being ashamed (Romans 1.16). Because of this hope we know we have eternal life in Christ and one day we will see Him again as He said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14.3, ESV).[2] Spiritual character builds hope in us, and hope will never put us to shame because our hope is a Living Hope (I Peter 1.3) which is grounded in God’s love through His Son Jesus Christ. This love of God has been shown to us in so many ways; by Christ’s death on the cross (just look in the Gospels, Matthew 26.36-28.10; Mark 14.32-16.13; Luke 22.39-24.35; John 17.1-20.18; John 3.16-18; Philippians 2.8; I John 3.16, 4.9-10). But Christ also came to take away the sins of the world. John said of Christ, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1.29, HCSB; Also see II Corinthians 5.21; I John 2.2).[3] Finally, God demonstrated His amazing love toward us when He sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (I John 4.10). What do we mean by Christ was the Propitiation for our sins? That is a great question, the word ‘propitiation’ means “appeasement,” or “satisfaction.” Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross satisfied the demands of God’s justice, thus appeasing His holy wrath against believers’ sins.”[4] By God’s own design the law gave us the picture of how the lamb must look to take away sins for anyone, even the whole world. Jesus Christ is the only person who fulfilled this requirement as it was laid out in the law, He was righteous (Isaiah 53.11), Holy (Revelation 3.7), Innocent (John 8.46, 18.37-38), Undefiled (Hebrews 7.26), He was not the agent of our propitiation; He was the propitiation. The Prophet Isaiah said it best when he wrote, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment, he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53.5-10).[5] This love of God is poured into us and maintained in us by the Holy Spirit. God does not come and go; He is always with us wanting to help us each and every day. Ephesians 1.13 says, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (ESV).[6] The Holy Spirit is our promise, sealing us until we can take hold of the promise of God’s glory in paradise. Also, by God’s love, he has chosen us, because His gospel did not come to us in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full assurance” (I Thessalonians 1.4-5, CSB, emphasis added).[7] One final thing about the Holy Spirit, He also testified to us about what Christ did as He sanctified us forever by His one and only sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 10.9-18). Application
Prayer My dear Heavenly Father, I thank You today for Your undying love for me. I know You could have chosen to pour out Your wrath on me, but instead You poured it out on Your Son. How hard that must have been, to watch Your Son be punished for me. Thank You Lord. Help me to serve You as a grateful child of the Heavenly King, and to be a witness to all I come into contact with today. May my actions, attitude and conversations be pleasing in Your sight today. All this I pray in Your Son Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen. [1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 5:1–11). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 14:3). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [3] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jn 1:29). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers. [4] MacArthur, J. (2007). 1, 2, 3 John (p. 46). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers. [5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Is 53:5–10). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [6] Ibid., (Eph 1:13–14). [7] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Th 1:4–5). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers. You Can Download This Blog Here - October 29 - Rom. 5.1-11 Pt4
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