Romans Chapter 5 Verses 1 to 5: 'Life's Problems'
vs 1: "therefore" - old preachers used to say: "wherever you see a 'therefore' ask what is it 'therefore'?
It is a conjunction of course - joins us to what has gone before
Back to justification: here is another deep doctrine with very practical consequences: Relationship:
- Relationship Established by Faith (5:1)
- Relationship Evidenced by Peace (5:1)
- Relationship Enjoyed in Grace (5:2)
- Relationship Experienced in the Problems of Life (5:3-5)
Recall as we worked through together Justification by Faith we traced the beginnings of the doctrine in OT:
- Justification by Faith is Nothing New
Righteousness (3:21) apart from the law - saw that in Lots rescue from Sodom and Gomorrah and in the rescue of Rahab from Jericho
Redemption (3:24) - could trace the origins of redemption back to the nation of Israels release from Egypt in Exodus 12, under the blood of the passover lamb and following the death of the firstborn.
Propitiation (3:25) - we were able to see pictures of this great truth back in the great day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 and perhaps even further back in the covering for Noah's Ark, pitched within and without with pitch - Justification by Faith is Faith in a Person:
Those justified in OT days did not have the knowledge of spiritual truths that we do:
"For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things]which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." (Matt13:17)
"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;" (Heb2:3) - Justification by Faith is a Full Salvation:
Righteousness Credited (4:1-5)
Sin Cleansed (4:6-8) - Justification by Faith is by Faith Alone
Abraham: no strength
Abraham: no circumcision
Abraham: no covenant - Justification by Faith is the Beginning not the End
Past Promises
Present Power
Future Prospect
Justification by faith looks forward
That salvation experience which for some began many years ago was the beginning of an experience of God that lasts into eternity
The world has a saying: 'Today is the first day of the rest of your life'
For the believer: Justification by faith is the beginning of the rest of eternity!
It has a purpose it has a goal:
- Relationship Established in Faith (5:1)
- Relationship Evidenced by Peace (5:1)
Peace established between the soul and God
Sin forgiven and cleansed
"perfect love casteth out fear" (1John4:18)
The troubled conscience is satisfied with Gods solution (Rom4:6-9)
A soul who enjoys experientially:
The 4 X blessedness
The 3 X Forgiveness
The 2 X Negative
The single justification
By that we have "peace"
By that one sacrifice God is satisfied:
Propitiation:
God satisfied
Man Justified
by Christ Crucified
So I have peace with God
Justification by faith is different from:
meditation (peace with self)
intoxication
medication
isolation
They may give a transient sense of peace but not with God
Now that peace has broken out there is a relationship with God to be enjoyed
Relationship Enjoyed in Grace
"The grace wherein we stand"
There are 4 rivers out of Eden
"There is a river the streams thereof make glad the city of God" (Psalm 46)
Our position: the gospel of the grace of God
God has had His streams of Grace in the past:
Grace to David (Rom4:7-8)
Grace to Abraham (Rom4)
Grace in Jobs day (Job 9:2; 25:4)
Grace to the child (Rom5:18; Matt 18, Matt 19, Luke 18)
Gods Glory - everything that He is
Everything that makes God to be God
2 Co3:18 - A Glory Reflected
1 Jo 3:2 - A Glory Perfected - Relationship Experienced in Problems:
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;" (Rom5:3)
Before we look at this section there are 3 questions we should be clear about:
- Who is it that can rejoice in tribulations?
- What are the tribulations?
- Do all tribulations always and inevitably bring about patience, experience and hope?
Who is it that can rejoice in tribulations?
We notice that this section does not present general truth for all people
It is not stated here as an inevitability that in the life of all people tribulation and difficulty always brings about patience and experience and hope.
There are many people who experience difficulties and disappointments in life and just become hard, cold, bitter, resentful and cynical about life.
This section begins with justification by faith in verse 1 and ends with the Spirit indwelling in verse 5 and so this section and the truth of this section can really only be claimed by the believer.
What are the tribulations?
Some would note that tribulation in the NT usually has to to do with persecution for our faith in Christ
Do these truths then only apply to those problems of life that arise because of our faith in Christ?
I think not!
The God who is in control of tribulations and trial that comes because of our faith in Christ is the God who is also in control of every aspect of our life!
We need not restrict Gods sovereignty and Gods purpose to those adversities that come about as a direct result of following Christ.
One of the examples we will look at of Gods dealing in Grace in adversity with His people is that of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo in the fiery furnace, that testing, due to their faith in and faithfulness to Christ was used by God for the good and for His Glory!
But we could equally consider the example of Jonah, not in the furnace but in the water, his trial was not because of faithfulness to God but nonetheless in the Sovereign hand of God that trial ultimately was for his good, for Gods Glory and for the blessing of others!
Be wary about attempting to restrict the grace of God in His purposes in your life!
Do all tribulations always and inevitably bring about patience, experience and hope?
I was asked this question recently after speaking on this section of Romans.
The questioner had in mind Heb 12:11 "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."
Indeed we would have to recognise that whilst "tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope" that this is not the inevitable result of all trial and testing
I can harden my heart against the chastening hand of the Lord, as the people of Israel did long ago in the wilderness and adamantly refused to be softened and moulded by Gods hand in my life.
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;" (Rom5:3)
That is: the soul who is able to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God is able to rejoice in tribulations also!
How can the soul who rejoices in the "hope of the Glory of God" also rejoice in tribulations?
Here is the totally amazing truth:
Tribulation in the life of the believer is under the sovereign hand of God!
Tribulation in the life of the believer works to the same end as his justification!
Tribulation / trial / trouble / difficulty all bring the believer closer to his hope (5:4,5)
That which is promised in justification is proven in tribulation!
God promises me Himself, His Glory and His a relationship with Him eternally
God promises me resemblance to His Son eternally!
These are the bold promises of Justification by Faith
In Tribulation the reality of that relationship which I depend upon eternally is experienced in time!
How do I know that I can depend upon Him for eternity?
Because I have just depended upon Him to get me through this day and He hasn't let me down!
Justification allows me to Rejoice in Hope
Tribulation, in part allows me to Realise that Hope
What is:
Promised in Trust
is
Proven in Trial
How do I know that salvation actually works?
Is it just pie in the sky when I die?
Do I need to wait until eternity to see if all of this is actually real? If all of this actually works?
No! Because in the practical problems of life God draws me into the experience of His Glory that awaits me in eternity!
"The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts" (5:5)
"Hope maketh not ashamed" (5:5)
I trusted Him for time and for eternity and He has not disappointed me!
I experienced His grace and His love and a little foretaste of His Glory and that in the trials of life!
We've put this to the test and it has worked!
"patience, experience; and experience, hope"
"experience": character / proof - from the word for testing
Through the temporary and transient testing of tribulation the value and reality of our eternal hope is proven and established as real and dependable!
"tribulation worketh patience;" (Rom5:3)
Oh great that is just what I need - patience!
- I'm a really impatient person
- Terrible at waiting in queues
- I get really irritated when the bus is late
- Hate to be left hanging on
Sorry to disappoint but these verses are not really thinking so much about patience as a general personality trait but rather:
- Patience with a Purpose
- Patience with a Cause
- Patience to wait on the Glory of God
- Patience to bear up under the pressures and problems of life knowing that because of the experience of God which I am enjoying the fulfilment of my hope is certain
- This is endurance that flows out of the enjoyment of the special help and presence of God in the difficulties of the Christian experience
The bus doesn't turn up, you get fed up and go home
If someone tells you - ah the bus is running late today - it will be in 15 mins - well you wait, you hang on
Why? Because you have hope, the hope that it will come, delayed it may be but you have a token that the bus will soon appear around the corner
You now have a reason to be patient
This is patience with a purpose, patience with a prospect, patience with a hope.
“And patience, experience; and experience, hope:” (Rom 5:4)
“experience”: “δοκιμή” : proof, trial, test
Proof of what?
- Proof that I am real? Not in doubt in this section which opens with the assumption that we are dealing with genuine believers (5:1) and clses with the same (5:5)
- Proof that God is real? Hardly in question here
- Proof that salvation by justification by faith does actually work? It is this later issue that Paul has been busy defending in chp 4 against the Jewish critic.
These trials are proof that salvation does actually work!
Consider the experience of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo in Daniel chp 3. What did this experience in the fiery furnace prove?
That they were real? They wouldn't have been in the furnace if they weren't!
That God was real? That wasn't in doubt – that was why they had taken the stand!
That salvation actually worked? That God rewarded and honoured the simple trusting faith of the believer who rested in obedience in His promises no mater what the cost? (Dan 3:25)
“Hope” : because we have had a foretaste of Gods Glory in our experience!
Posts
