Reading through Romans-Reconciliation through Jesus!

Romans 5:10-11 "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God: If God showed such dramatic love to us when we were enemies, think of the blessings we will enjoy once we are reconciled to God! If God does this much for His enemies, how much more will He do for His friends!

Saved from wrath through Him … we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son … rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus … through whom we have now received the reconciliation: The point is clearly emphasized. What matters is what we have through Jesus. What we have through our own works doesn't matter and can't help us. It's all through Jesus.

Dear Holy God, I rejoice in the reconciliation you gave me through Jesus!

Reading through Romans-Saved from wrath

Romans 5:9 "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." 

Much more then, having now been justified His blood, we shall be saved from wrath: If we are justified by the work of Jesus, we can be assured that we are also saved from wrath through Him. The wrath of God that was revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Romans 1:18) was placed on Jesus as a substitute in the place of the believer.

By nature, some are inclined to preface these great promises of God with "much less then" regarding themselves. God wants them to see it plain and clear: Much more then is the love and goodness of God given to us and much more then can we have confidence in Him.

Saved from wrath: Whose wrath? God's righteous wrath. It is true that we must be saved from the world, the flesh and the devil but most of all we must be rescued from the righteous wrath of God.

Thank you Dear God for saving me from your deserved wrath!

Reading through Romans-God died for the ungodly

Romans 5:6-8 "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

When we were still without strength: Who are these people? Who are the ungodly and wicked people Jesus died for? Paul spent the first two-and-a-half chapters of the Book of Romans telling us that we all are those people.

Therefore, to genuinely say "Jesus died for me" you must also say "I have no strength to save myself. I am ungodly. I am a sinner." Jesus died to save and transform these.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: God's love is a love beyond even the best love among humans. A good man might die a noble martyrdom for the "right kind" of person - such as a righteous man or a good man. But Jesus died for those who were neither righteous nor good.

But God demonstrates His own love: "It would be easy to see the cross as demonstrating the indifference of God, a God who let the innocent Jesus be taken by wicked men, tortured, and crucified while he did nothing … Unless there is a sense in which the Father and Christ are one, it is not the love of God that the cross shows." (Morris)

The demonstration of God's love isn't so much in that Jesus died, but in whom Jesus died for - undeserving sinners and rebels against Him.

Dear God, your love for me is so beautiful...it tells of your glory that you love those who are unrighteous...praise to your Holy name!

Reading through Romans-Tribulation

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope."

A runner must be stressed to gain endurance. Sailors must go to sea. Soldiers go to battle. For the Christian, tribulation is just part of our Christian life. We should not desire or hope for a tribulation-free Christian life, especially because:

- God uses tribulation wonderfully in our life

- God knows how much tribulation we can take, and He carefully measures the tribulation we face

- Those who are not Christians face tribulation also

"Whatever virtues tribulation finds us in, it develops more fully. If anyone is carnal, weak, blind, wicked, irascible, haughty, and so forth, tribulation will make him more carnal, weak, blind, wicked and irritable. On the other hand, if one is spiritual, strong, wise, pious, gentle and humble, he will become more spiritual, powerful, wise, pious, gentle and humble." (Martin Luther)

I would rather have God just sprinkle perseverance and character and hope on me as I sleep. I could wake up a much better Christian! But that isn't God's plan for me or for any Christian.

Therefore we say - soberly, reverently - we say about tribulation, "Lord, bring it on. I know you love me and carefully measure every trial and have a loving purpose to accomplish in every tribulation. Lord, I won't seek trials and search out tribulation, but I won't despise them or lose hope when they come. I trust Your love in everything You allow."

Dear Lord, I humbly (and somewhat hesitatingly ) say...bring on your trials for me.  I know you love me!

Reading through Romans-Peace with God

Romans 5:1-2 "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

Therefore, having been justified by faith: To this point in the Book of Romans, Paul has convinced us all that the only way of salvation is to be justified by grace, through faith. Now he will tell us what the practical benefits of this are, explaining that it is more than an interesting idea.

Justified by faith speaks of a legal decree. Romans 1:18-3:20 found us guilty before the courts of God's law, God's glory, and our own conscience. Then Paul explained how because of what Jesus did for us, the righteousness of God is given to all who believe. The guilty sentence is transformed into a sentence of justified, and justified by faith.

First, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because the price has been paid in full by the work of Jesus on the cross, God's justice towards us is eternally satisfied.

This is not the peace of God spoken of in other places (such as Philippians 4:7). This is peace with God; the battle between God and us is finished - and He won, winning us. Some never knew they were out of peace with God, but they were like drivers ignoring the red lights of a police car in their rear-view mirror - they are in trouble even if they don't know it, and it will soon catch up to them.

This peace can only come through our Lord Jesus Christ. He and His work is our entire ground for peace. In fact, Jesus is our peace. (Ephesians 2:14)

Remember that the Bible doesn't say we have peace with the devil, peace with the world, peace with the flesh, or peace with sin. Life is still a battle for the Christian but it is no longer a battle against God, it is fighting for Him. Some Christians are tempted to believe the battle against God was almost a better place to be, and that is a dangerous and damnable lie.

Into this grace in which we stand: Second, we have a standing in grace - in God's unmerited favor. This grace is given through Jesus and gained by faith.

Grace (God's undeserved favor towards us) is not only the means by which we are saved, it is also a description of our present standing before God. It is not only the beginning principle of the Christian life it is also the continuing principle of the Christian life. "We stand translates a perfect tense, used in this sense of the present, and with the thought of a continuing attitude." (Morris)

Many Christians begin in grace, but then think that they will go on to perfection and maturity by dealing with God on the principle of law - on the ideas of earning and deserving. Paul spoke against this very point in Galatians 3:2-3 and Galatians 5:1-4.

Standing in grace means that:

- I don't have to prove I am worthy of God's love

- God is my friend

- The door of access is permanently open to Him

- I am free from the "score sheet" - the account is settled in Jesus

- I spend more time praising God and less time hating myself

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!!  Dear Lord you grace is good enough for me!!!!

Reading through Romans-Imputed Righteousness

"Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification."

It was not written for his sake alone: It wasn't only for Abraham's benefit that God declared him righteous through faith; he is an example that we are invited to follow - it is also for us. Paul's confidence is glorious: It shall be imputed to us who believe; this wasn't just for Abraham, but for us also.

Who believe in Him who raised up Jesus: When we talk about faith and saving faith in Jesus, it is important to emphasize that we mean believing that His work on the cross (delivered up because of our offenses) and triumph over sin and death (raised because of our justification) is what saves us. There are many false-faiths that can never save, and only faith in what Jesus accomplished on the cross and through empty tomb can save us.

- Faith in the historical events of the life of Jesus will not save

- Faith in the beauty of Jesus' life will not save

- Faith in the accuracy or goodness of Jesus' teaching will not save

- Faith in the deity of Jesus, and in His Lordship will not save

Jesus died because of our offenses, but was raised up because of our justification. The resurrection has an essential place in our redemption because it demonstrates God the Father's perfect satisfaction with the Son's work on the cross, proving that it was in fact a perfect sacrifice made by One who remained perfect, even though bearing the sin of the world.

"Christ did meritoriously work our justification and salvation by his death and passion, but the efficacy and perfection thereof with respect to us depend on his resurrection … This one verse is an abridgement of the whole gospel." (Poole)

d. In this chapter, Paul has clearly demonstrated that in no way does the Old Testament contradict the gospel of salvation by grace through faith. Instead it is in fulfillment of the Old Testament, and Abraham, justified through faith, is our pattern.

Dear Holy and Loving God, thank you for the truth and beauty of your gospel of grace through the sacrifice of Jesus!

Reading through Romans

"Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all"

 It is of faith that it might be according to grace: Faith is related to grace in the same way works is related to law. Grace and law are the principles, and faith and works are the means by which we pursue those principles for our relationship with God.

 To speak technically, we are not saved by faith. We are saved by God's grace, and grace is appropriated by faith

It is of faith: Salvation is of faith, and nothing else. We can only receive salvation by the principle of grace through faith.Grace cannot be obtained through works, whether they be past, present, or promised because by definition grace is given without regard to anything in the one who receives it.

"Grace and faith are congruous, and will draw together in the same chariot, but grace and merit are contrary the one to the other and pull opposite ways, and therefore God has not chosen to yoke them together. He will not build with incongruous materials, or daub with untempered mortar. He will not make an image partly of gold and partly of clay, nor weave a linsey-woolsey garment: his work is all of a piece and all of grace." (Spurgeon)

So that the promise might be sure to all the seed: The promise can only be sure if it is according to grace. If law was the basis of our salvation, then our salvation would depend on our performance in keeping the law - and no one can keep the law good enough to be saved by it. A law-promise of salvation can never be sure.

 If the promise "were of the law, it would be unsure and uncertain, because of man's weakness, who is not able to perform it." (Poole)

But also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all: If our relationship with God is according to grace (not circumcision or law-keeping), then that relationship is for those who are of the faith of Abraham, even if they are not of his lineage.

A Gentile could say, "I am not a Jew, I am not of the law; but I am of the faith of Abraham," and he would be just as saved as a Jewish believer in Jesus would be.

The father of us all: The fulfillment of the promise inGenesis 17:4-5 is found not only in Abraham's descendants through Isaac, but especially in his role as being the father of us all who believe - and those believers come from every nation under heaven.