Do You Know How Good You Have It?

 By

Rev. John C. Orlando, Jr.

Incirlik Air Base, Turkey

October 2003

Text:  Romans 5:1-5

Background:  Paul’s letter to the Romans gives the most comprehensive, systematic statement of the Christian faith in the Bible.  After describing how all have sinned against God and as such face the sure prospect of the wrath of God and condemnation, Paul, beginning in verse 21 of Chapter 3 and into chapter 4, announces the Good News that God has come to us in the Person of His Son, who died on the cross to pay the full penalty for sins, and was raised bodily from the grave and that complete forgiveness of sins is now available to every single person who repents and places faith in Christ alone to be saved. Having proclaimed that Good News, Paul now begins to tell us just how good the news really is, as he draws our attention to the amazing benefits we enjoy as a result of being made right with God.

Intro

I am sad to say, that far more often then I care to admit, I allow the circumstances in my life to get the best of me.  I begin to focus in on the things that I perceive to be the negative things in my life, and I dwell on those things so much that I just lose sight of how good I really have it.  I’m sure many of you can relate to what I’m saying.  We’ve all been there!  There have been times in our lives when we get so caught up in the day-to-day struggle that we forget to reflect on all the blessings that we really have.  We get to the point sometimes where we wallow in our own self-inflicted "misery."  We have a pity party and we want to invite the whole world!  "Look at me!  Look at how bad things really are!"  But then we are brought back to our senses with a strong dose of reality.    

I believe that sometimes as Christians we really don’t have a clear understanding of just how good we have it in Christ, and as we turn our attention to our passage, the Apostle Paul is about to bring us back to our senses with a strong dose of reality, as he enumerates some of the awesome blessings that those who have been justified by faith enjoy.  In short, he is about to tell us just how good we really have it as Christians.

It is my hope that this sermon will serve as an encouragement for us as we explore the many blessings we have as Christians as a result of our justification, and that by focusing on these things we will be able to develop a Christ-centered and Christ-glorifying perspective as we go through life’s many challenges. 

Before moving into discussing the blessings of our justification, we must first understand what justification is.  In his Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem states, “Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which He (1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness belonging to us, and (2)  declares us to be righteous in His sight.”

Justification is itself an incredible blessing, and the way the individual enters into this justified state is by God grace alone, through faith alone, because of the perfect works and merits of Christ alone.

That’s the definition of justification, and Paul moves on to describe some of the blessings resulting from being justified. 

I.  Verse 1 - First Paul says that we “have peace wwith God…”  

A.  Two Groups of People:  The Bible speaks of two groups of people.  The first group I want to talk about is those who are the children of God.  Contrary to what we hear from many people, to include preachers, all people are not the children of God.  And there are some “do-good” organizations” who talk about the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man.  I want to declare to you today on the authority of God’s Word that that is simply not true.  To be a child of God is a Divine privilege that is bestowed only by the sheer grace of God upon those who turn from their sins and place their trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. The Apostle John puts it this way in John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” To be considered a child of God is not a physical birthright, but a spiritual birthright. 

 The other group of people referred to in Scripture is the children of wrath.  Every person who is not in Christ is a child of wrath, not a child of God.  Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:3, “…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.” The hard truth of the matter is that all those who are not in Christ are children of wrath.  The primary disposition of God toward the unbeliever is not a disposition of favor, but one of a holy and righteous indignation, and God’s wrath burns hot against them.  As a matter of fact, with each passing day the unbeliever’s plight in the face of an absolutely Holy God only grows worse as he is only storing up more and more wrath for the day of judgment, as Paul says in Rom 2:5, “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God…” James also tells us, “whoever therefore makes himself a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). They are not only shut out from the presence of God, but are enemies of God, a fact that most seem to be completely blind to today, even the majority of Christians.   

I belabor all of this because in order to understand just how good we have it, we must understand just how bad we had it!  Prior to placing faith in Christ, we were at enmity with God, and as such we were by nature objects of God’s wrath, not objects of God’s love.   We were His sworn enemies.

How is it that mankind finds himself in such a dilemma?  It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden where our first parents Adam and Eve sinned.  Adam was our representative in the garden, and when he sinned, we all sinned in Adam (see Rom 5:12-21).  The guilt from that first sin was imputed to all of humanity, and we inherited a corrupted sin nature.  As a result, not only are we guilty for that first sin in the Garden, but we also are incapable of not sinning ourselves, and prior to the regenerating grace of God, the only thing we can do is that which is opposed to the spiritual good.  Thus, we sinned in Adam, and we sin personally on a daily basis in word, thought and deed.  We are all rebels against the sovereign King of the universe who has mandated that we obey His laws perfectly, and He has declared the death penalty to all those who do not (Rom 6:23). 

B.  Our Greatest Need:  The greatest need we have in the face of all of this is to be reconciled to God, and one of the benefits we receive in justification is that peace is declared.  But how? 

C.  The Instrument of Our Peace:  The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!  By His death on the cross, Jesus has brought these two warring parties together and made peace.  The wrath that was upon us was borne by Jesus on the cross.  As Isaiah says, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed…” What is being spoken of there is the substitutionary work of atonement of Christ, and the healing spoken of is our healing from the horrible, ravaging disease that has caused the death of us all:  sin! 

In order for us to have peace, Jesus Himself had to bear the chastisement for our peace.  And it is only by His shed blood that we can be reconciled to God.  Paul expounds on this very point in Rom 5:9-10 when he says that now that we who have been justified by His blood we are, “saved from wrath through Him.  For if when you 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.”  Peace is declared because peace has been paid for!  Peace is declared because peace had been won!  If you have embraced the One who paid the full price for this peace, then you can have assurance that God is not angry with you anymore.  God’s wrath has been turned away from you, because Christ has taken those things upon Himself in your place!  For those of us in Christ, there is no more condemnation!  That is not to say we do not grieve the Spirit.  We do.  However, God deals with us as His children now, not as His enemies, and there is a world of difference in that! 

Not only has peace been declared; we also discover that Jesus Christ Himself is our peace.  In Eph 2:14-16 Paul says, “But now you who were afar off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For He Himself is our peace…”  Everything pertaining to that peace, to include my ability to enter into and appropriate that peace is wholly owing to the grace of God in Christ.

II.  Verse 2 - Paul then tells us that we “have access by faith into this grace…”

A.  The Mountain Top Theory:  The common view that people have is that it is like God is at top of the mountain, and all roads lead to Him (there are some “do-good” organizations that refer to God as the Supreme Architect of the Universe.  God is the architect of the universe, but He is not found in Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, or any other false World Religion!).  For people with this view, it doesn’t matter what you believe, just as long as you are sincere.  Jesus is just one way among many other ways.  As a matter fact, you don’t even have to sincerely believe in anything outside of yourself--just believe in yourself. Just live a good life, and if your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds, then you’re in. 

Nothing could be further from the truth!  Since the fall of Adam and Eve, access to God has been barred, and the only way one can gain access to God is through the provision that He Himself provides.  That provision is nothing less than the precious blood of Christ!  We don’t dictate to God, God dictates to us.  He tells us what is required to enter into His Holy presence, and not the other way around.  He tells us what He deems to be acceptable worship--we don’t just approach God the way we feel we should!  We don’t tell God, He tells us, and He has told us that Jesus Christ is the Only Way, the Only Truth, and the Only Life!  He has told us that He, and He alone is the Door!  He has told us that there is no other name given among men by which we must be saved!  When we embrace Christ by faith, we are then covered by the Blood of Christ, and it is then, and only then, that we are granted access to the throne of grace.

B.  Holy of Holies:  You see beloved, God is a Holy God, and no one can stand in the presence of a Holy God.  This was pictured for us in the Old Testament.  There, we discover that the Temple had a veil that separated the holy place from the Most Holy Place.  The Ark of the Covenant was kept in the Most Holy Place, which represented the immediate presence of God, and only the High Priest could go into the Most Holy Place.  The High Priest could only do that just once a year in order to make atonement for his sin and the sins of the people, and he had to enter that place with blood; the blood of animals. 

Illustration 1:  If you notice behind me, there is a huge curtain. Behind that curtain would be the Most Holy Place, and we who are out here in this part of the sanctuary are not allowed in there.  The Scriptures tell us though that during Christ’s crucifixion, after He had breathed His last, the veil in the Temple that separated the Holy place from the Most Holy Place was torn from top to bottom (Matt 27:51). (Note:  As I am saying this, I walk back to the curtain behind me, and pull it back).  Now, because of that, we have access to the Holy of Holies:  we have direct access to the throne room of God!  And now we can approach the throne of grace, not timidly, but boldly!   The writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh…” (Heb 10:19-21).  It is because of Jesus Christ alone, our Great High Priest, that we are now able to abide in the presence of an absolutely Holy God, not on the basis of our own righteousness, which is and always will be like filthy rags, but through the veil: the shed Blood and perfect righteousness of Christ which has been imputed to us!  Without that, a person cannot gain access to God.

            Illustration 2:  We all can relate to how difficult it can be to gain access to the country of Turkey.  It isn’t enough to merely have orders that say you are to be stationed there.  You orders must also be stamped with a red seal.  No red seal, no entry!  It’s the same for Heaven!  We must be stamped or sealed, if you will, in the Blood of Christ.  No Blood of Christ, no entry!  It’s that simple.

 C.  It Is All By Grace Alone!  Lest we should boast in our own abilities, Paul says we have access “into this grace.” Paul points us to the grace of God, because it is only by God’s grace that everything, including our ability to exercise the kind of faith that results in justification, could ever occur.  Earlier I quoted from Ephesians 2:3 where Paul highlighted our terrible plight prior to saving faith in Christ.

The story doesn’t end there though!  Beginning in verse 4, Paul brings us to the Good News, “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)…” 

Notice the words “But God…”  We are all rebels against the sovereign King of the universe who has mandated that we obey His laws perfectly, and He has declared the death penalty to all those who do not (Rom 6:23)…But God! … Who is rich in mercy! … Makes us alive!  Though our plight was the same as every other person in the world, God did something on our behalf.   It doesn’t say, But you… because of the power of your “free will,” or you, because of all of the good works and deeds you had done.  No!  It says But God!  And this, beloved, is the difference between Biblical Christianity and every other man-made religion and philosophy in the world.  

In short, the human heart as it relates to spiritual matters is blind, deaf, and hard. We will not come to Christ because we cannot come to Christ in and of ourselves (Rom 8:7; 1Cor 2:14). What must take place in order to bring a person to Christ is nothing short of a miraculous intervention of sovereign grace inwardly bestowed.  In other words, we must have heart transplants, and the only "doctor" capable of performing the operation is the Holy Spirit.  He does this through His mighty work of regeneration, whereby He breathes spiritual life into spiritually dead souls, raising them from spiritual death to spiritual life. Thus, the very act of saving faith that I make is a gift bestowed upon me by the Grace of God. 

Illustration:  It is as if we were in a boat that was at sail in the deepest ocean.  Suddenly our boat was capsized and sank, and none of us escaped.  We all drowned and sank to the bottom of the ocean floor.  But God dives in after us, pulls us up to dry land, tilts our head back, and breathes life into us!  And when He breathes that life into us, our eyes are opened, and we cry out to God, “Lord, save me!  Lord Jesus, I give my life to you!”

He made me alive and gave me the gift the faith, and it is all wholly owing to the grace of God, as Paul says, “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.” Everything pertaining to salvation, to include my ability to believe, is a gift bestowed upon me by the sovereign grace of God; it is all of grace!   But God…makes us alive!  …. We were dead and Christ makes us alive! 

Notice, we discovered in the first blessing of our justification that Jesus is our peace, and here we discover that the veil is Jesus, that is, our access is Jesus, and, in point of fact, it is because of Jesus that we are even able to believe!  He isn’t merely the object of my faith, He is the author of my faith.  And it is precisely because of this that we can have…assurance…

III.  Verses 3-4 - Assurance:  Another blessing of our justification is the assurance that we have from God.  Paul says, “and not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope…” 

A.  Glory in Tribulations:  Contrary to what modern-day prosperity preachers would have us believe, Christians do, and will, go through difficult circumstances in their lives.  The promise from God isn’t the removal of those difficulties.  On the contrary, it is that God has ordained that we will endure those things, and that He will be with us in the middle of those things, and that those things are ultimately purposeful. 

So profound is that truth that Paul says that the Christian can actually glory in tribulations.  The Greek word for “glory” used here is “kauchomai.”  A.T. Robertson comments, “Kauchomai is more than “rejoice,” rather “glory,” “exult.”  These three volitive subjunctives (echomen, kauchometha, twice) hold up the high ideal for the Christian after, and because of, his being set right with God.  It is one thing to submit to our endure tribulations without complaint, but it is another to find ground of glorying in the midst of them as Paul exhorts here.” 

It isn’t that we just grin and bear it, it’s that Christ actually gives us the ability to glory in the tribulation. 

B.  How?  That all sounds good, but if we’re honest, I think we will agree that what is described there is a tall order indeed!  I believe that the only way we will have any hope of glorying in tribulations is if we hold unswervingly to the sovereignty of God, and realize that He is in control, and has ordained all things that come to pass.  The Christian can glory in tribulations because he knows that whatever God allows to come into His life is purposeful. 

Paul really elaborates more in-depth on this very point in Romans 8:18-39, where we actually find the same concepts of tribulations (Rom 8:18, 35-39), perseverance (Rom 8:25, 37), character (Rom 8:29), and hope (Rom 8:24) articulated. Paul says that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed because we are saved in the hope of the resurrection, and because of that we eagerly wait for that time with perseverance (Rom 8:18 – 25).  He then says that all things (even those “sufferings”) work together for good to those who love God (Rom 8:28). 

What is the “good” that these things are working together for?  Paul says it is for conformity to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29)--this is the character that is being developed within us!  Ultimately then, as Paul says, we need not fear tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword, because we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (and justified us!), and there is nothing in all of creation that can ever separate us from His incredible love! (Rom 8:35-39).  We have more than we could ever possibly need:  a relationship with the King of kings and the Lord of lords!  We have Jesus, and when we go through life’s difficulties, He is all we need. 

C.  We’re not alone!  When we encounter tribulations, we know that Jesus is there for us, and He will be give us the power to not only endure tribulations, but to glory in them.  Because of our justification in Christ, not only do we have assurance of our future destiny, a real hope that does not disappoint, but we also have assurance concerning our present reality.

D.  Real Faith:  This is what Biblical faith; i.e., the kind of faith that results in justification, is really all about.  The person with this kind of assurance and faith trusts God absolutely, no matter what is going around him.  He trusts both in God’s awesome power and ability to do anything, and also in God’s omniscience, goodness, wisdom, direction, and providence, and thus has absolute assurance in the fact that God knows best, and God will do what is best in the long run on his behalf.  He doesn’t just quote “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God…” but he clings to that promise as his very lifeline and blessed assurance.  It is in this aspect of faith where we acknowledge that we are not in the driver’s seat, and we acknowledge that God is God, and we are not.  It is in this aspect of faith that we are forced to lay down all of our carnal weapons of warfare, all of our horses and chariots, and all of our nets of safety, and throw ourselves completely at the foot of the cross, where, having emptied our hands of those things we previously trusted in for our deliverance, we pick up our cross and carry it, having full assurance that God will carry us through every trial, every test, and every tribulation that we ever go through. 

Now I move on to the 4th blessing of justification …

IV.  Verse 5 - Being indwelt by God.  Paul writes, “…the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

A.  The extravagance of God’s grace!  Imagine!  We who were once shut out from the presence of God, utterly alienated from Him and objects of His wrath, have not only been given access to God, but God Himself makes His abode within us and, “pours His love into our hearts!”  

            1.  Love –  The Greek word for love used here is agape.  I’ve heard many people try to convey precisely what that is, and I have to confess that I have been left more than a bit confused.  Some call it the God-kind of love.  That is all well and good, but just what precisely does that mean?  Well, I believe Paul gives us a great illustration of what agape is in his great “love” chapter, 1 Cor 13. 

In 1 Cor 13, the word for love that is used is the Greek word agape.  And Paul begins to lists several distinct characteristics of that kind of love.  We could summarize all of this by saying that the God-kind of love is one that is willing to go to the most extravagant measures imaginable to ensure that the unlovable and undeserving might experience the best of all true blessings.  This is kind of love that God has shed abroad in our hearts, and it is because of this that God gives us the ability to both love Him and love our neighbor as ourselves. 

            2.  Poured – Paul says that this love has been “poured” into our hearts. This love isn’t just given in small doses.  It isn’t “trickled” into us a small drop at a time!  Rather it is, as the KJV puts it, “shed abroad in our hearts.”   It is because of this that our hope “does not disappoint.” (v. 5a).  Paul says this is all wrought “…by the Holy Spirit who was given to us…” Wayne Grudem, in commenting on the indwelling presence of Christ states, “It is not only true that we are in Christ; He is also in us, to give us power to live the Christian life.” God sovereignly changes our hard hearts into hearts of flesh, and then indwells the believer.  Talk about peace!  Talk about access!  Talk about assurance!  God isn’t afar off, but He is near…so near in fact that it is said that He indwells us.   

B.  Because of the love of God that has been shed abroad in our hearts, and that fact that He actually indwells us, and doesn’t leave us to ourselves, we are now able to reflect the image of Christ to a lost world.  We are able now to love God and man.  Because of this indwelling presence of the Spirit, we are kept with a feeling of dependence and confidence in this One who has done such incredible things on our behalf!  To say that we have it good now as believers is surely a tremendous understatement!  Is it any wonder the hymn writers wrote, “O for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer’s praise, The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of His grace!” and,  “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.”

VI.  Conclusion

I’ve asked the question, “Do You Know How Good You It?”  If you have been justified by God, you have it good indeed.  

However, if you haven’t been justified by God, the question I would ask you is “Do You Know Just How Bad You Have It?”    Instead of peace with God, you are at enmity with God.  Instead of access to God, the gates of Heaven are barred to you.  Instead of hope, the only thing that the future holds in store for you is the sure judgment and wrath of God that will forever abide upon you.  Flee to the cross!  Flee to the only One who has the power to save you, and give you peace, and give you access, and give you hope.  Flee to Christ!

Christian, be encouraged by what God has done for you.  Christian, rejoice with where God has placed you.  Christian, glory in the King of kings and the Lord of lords who pursued you with His love and has given you peace, and access, and hope, and love, and the indwelling presence of His Spirit to empower to do all things through Him!  Christian, when you begin to set your eyes on your circumstances, set your eyes on Christ, the author and finisher of your faith!  

Amen.