ROMANS: RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH FROM START TO FINISH

V. God’s Righteousness Applied By Justification, Romans 3:21-5:21

C. The Edifying Benefits Of Justification

(Romans 5:1-11)

I. Introduction

A. The theme of the epistle to the Romans is that God’s righteousness is available to man by faith from start to finish (Romans 1:16-17; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 441).

B. This belief is often not accepted in Christendom: Some claim that one must have faith plus works to be justified, and others say that though we are justified by faith, we cannot righteously live a godly life by faith.

C. Having explained the doctrine of justification in Romans 3:21-4:25, Paul addressed the edifying benefits of justification in Romans 5:1-11. We thus view this passage for our insight, application, and edification:

II. The Edifying Benefits Of Justification, Romans 5:1-11.

A. First, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1. Positionally, we are no longer objects of God’s wrath since Christ is our Propitiation, the complete release of God’s wrath against us and our sin by way of His substitutionary atonement on the cross, Romans 3:24-25a.

B. Second, through Christ, we who have been justified by God have access, the “privilege of approach” (prosagogen) to God Who is high in rank by faith into this position of grace in which we now stand, Romans 5:2a. We have access to God spiritually by prayer now and physically by the rapture to come, Ibid., p. 456.

C. Third, through being pronounced just by God through Christ, we rejoice in the hope of participating in the glory of God when we are taken to heaven at the rapture, Romans 5:2b.

D. Fourth, while we live in this earthly life where we experience “afflictions, distresses, pressures” (thlipsesin), we can still rejoice in them because that suffering produces perseverance (hupomonen), “the ability to remain under difficulties without giving in,” Romans 5:3; Ibid.

E. Fifth, such perseverance in turn develops “proven character” (dimimen), Romans 5:4a; Ibid.

F. Sixth, such character in turn produces the hope that God will see us through our trials, Romans 5:4b; Ibid.

G. Seventh, hope, being centered in God and His promises, does not “‘put to shame because of disappointment’ in unfulfilled promises,” Romans 5:5a; Ibid.

H. Eighth, the reason this hope does not put us to shame is that God’s Holy Spirit sheds abroad an awareness of God’s infinite love for us, Romans 5:5b. The Holy Spirit causes us to realize that God demonstrated infinite love for us in sending His righteous Son Jesus Christ to die for us when we were without spiritual strength and ungodly so that we can be confident that since we have been justified by faith through His death in our behalf, we shall be saved from God’s wrath in the future, Romans 5:6-9.

I. Ninth, this deliverance involves not only salvation from the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15), but that we shall be saved from God’s wrath to be expressed in the future Great Tribulation Period, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9.

J. Tenth, we know that if we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son through faith in Him, much more will we be saved by Christ’s post-resurrection life by which He ministers as our intercessor with the Father in heaven, Romans 5:10 with Hebrews 7:25-28. “Because Christians, God’s reconciled ones, share in Christ’s life, they will be saved” as to their “future salvation” at the rapture and eternity after that, Ibid., p. 457. Accordingly, we rejoice in God through Christ for the manifold blessings of His atonement via justification.

Lesson: The edifying benefits we enjoy because we have been justified by God through faith in Christ are (1) peace with God, (2) the privilege of approach to God by prayer now and in the future by the rapture, (3) rejoicing in the hope of sharing in the glory of God at the rapture, (4) seeing our present sufferings produce perseverance (5) that in turn produces proven character (6) that in turn produces confidence that God will see us through life’s trials, (7) our hope does not put us to shame because God fulfills His promises (8) since the Holy Spirit makes us realize God’s infinite love for us as demonstrated in His work to save us, (9) we have assurance of deliverance from God’s wrath in the lake of fire and the Great Tribulation and (10) we have joyful assurance that if God saved us through His Son’s death, much more will He save us through His post-resurrection life in the rapture and eternity to come.

Application: (1) May we rejoice in the edifying benefits of our justification status before God. (2) May we also rejoice in the assurance of our salvation as evidenced by the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts to assure us of God’s infinite love for us and (3) may we rejoice in the evident deliverance we enjoy from all and every expression of God’s wrath, be it the facing of the future Great Tribulation Period or facing an eternity in the lake of fire.