Holy Trinity Sunday – May 30, 2010

Romans 5:1-5 - Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

It was the book of Romans that Martin Luther was talking about when he once said,

It is worthy not only that every Christian should know [this epistle] word for word, by heart, but also that he should occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. We can never read it or ponder over it too much; for the more we deal with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes. (Luther’s Words, Vol. 35 – page 365)

I think that it is safe to say that Martin Luther felt this way about the book of Romans not only because it’s God’s Word, but also because it so clearly sets forth, in simple and plain language, the very heart of the Bible – salvation in Jesus Christ alone. This letter was written to Christians who needed more instruction in regard to the teaching that we are declared not guilty by faith in Jesus as our Savior: or in other terms - the teaching of justification. And who of us couldn’t use more instruction in that teaching as well? We can never hear the story of our salvation too often! We can never know it too well! It can never mean too much to us in our lives. Therefore, we study God’s Word recorded in the book of Romans this morning to help us see just how wonderful it is to be justified!

To be justified means to be declared not guilty. It is a court-room term that announces a one-time verdict on someone. But it would be insufficient to think of being justified as simply “getting off” unpunished. It’s more than that! It’s also blessings that we enjoy here and now! And Jesus pictured this very thing when he told the parable of the lost son (who is a picture of us sinners) returning to his father (who is a picture of God) - remember that story. The youngest son asked for his share of the inheritance, and upon receiving it he went off and squandered it in wild living. Soon he was broke, homeless and hungry, so he went to work for a pig farmer where he longed to eat the slop fed to the pigs. Finally, it dawned on him that he should go home and ask to work as a servant in his father’s house, so off he went. Yet, while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and ran to him. And what did the son receive: a life of servitude? A life of bleak existence? No, although that was all he could hope for, he received a return to full sonship. It meant a warm embrace, a father’s kiss, a ring, a robe, feasting, music and dancing. So too for us, justified by faith we enjoy blessings here and now.

The first blessing that Paul tells us is ours because we are justified is peace. And he’s not just talking about a feel good kind of emotion in the heart of the believer. No, this is the equivalent to the warmth and love of the father’s welcome for the returning son in Jesus’ parable. Look ahead a few verses and we see why this peace is so special. In the verses after our text, Paul describes us in our natural condition as “powerless,” “ungodly,” “sinners” and “God’s enemies.” By nature we wanted nothing to do with God. We were at war with him. It was impossible for us to obey his law or fulfill his will. Our situation was hopeless. As a result God’s declaration on us was condemnation.

So how then can Paul say we have peace? Here’s the answer: “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We didn’t change our feelings about God; God changed the relationship between him and us through his Son. You see, our sin and its guilt put us at war with God. Because we cannot obey God’s law or fulfill God’s will the law can condemn us. We cannot stand before God because of his all-consuming holiness and our utter lack of perfection. But in Jesus all that changed. Jesus provided the answer to our lack of perfection by being perfect for us. Then, the problem of our sin and guilt was settled when God declared Jesus guilty of it and punished him on the cross like he should have punished us. When Jesus died, the penalty for sin was paid. With the perfect blood he shed, the stain of guilt was removed. Then, rising victorious from the grave God declares guilty sinners not guilty. And this declaration becomes our personal possession by the faith worked when God poured out the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The result is peace.

We are no longer threatened by God’s wrath. The war is over. Instead of fear and anxiety, there is peace. Things between God and us are as they ought to be. As justified sinners we can stand in the presence of God, guiltless and un-condemned and righteous in a righteousness which God accepts, the righteousness of our Lord Jesus.

This peace now fills the present. It means we have access to God. Right now! At anytime! We can come to God’s throne of grace with every request and every petition and every prayer and every need. And he will listen! He will listen because of our connection with Christ. He will listen because we have been justified by faith. And he will answer! Now, every promise God makes is ours. He will work all things for the good of those who love him! He will be with us always and never leave us or forsake us! He will give us the strength to handle everything that comes our way! He will keep temptations from us! He will deliver us from evil! He will graciously give us all that we need! Having access to God means we have been brought into a force-field of grace in which we can stand and play our part in history according to the will of God.

Still, that’s not all. Being justified by faith also opens up the future. “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” That is a reference to heaven. And it’s interesting to note that the word translated “rejoice” literally means “to boast.” As sinners, there is nothing to boast about, because we fall short of the glory of God. But in Christ, we boast in his righteousness and glory. We boast in the wonderful salvation God has given us in Christ.

You see, peace with God takes care of the past: He will no longer hold our sins against us. “Access to God” takes care of the present: we can come to him at any time for the help we need. “Hope of the glory of God” takes care of the future: one day we will share in his glory. How wonderful it is to be justified! Especially when you take a moment to look at you! It’s the last thing we deserve. Even on our best days our lives look more like the lost son’s wild living than obedient children. But God is our Father who stands with arms wide open welcoming us back when we return to him in repentant faith. How wonderful it is to be justified! Especially when you take a moment to look at what we deal with in this life! The suffering, the sorrow, the pain, the spiritual battles - but now we have security; now there is assurance. And this makes all the difference for us – and not just on Sunday’s!

The fact that we have peace with God, access to his throne and the certainty of a future home in heaven because we have been justified by faith through the working of Father, Son and Holy Spirit gives us the safety and security we need for this life. It’s like, for example, the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. For the first part of the construction of the bridge no safety devices were used, and 23 men fell to their deaths. But for the last part of the project a large net which cost $100,000 was employed. At least 10 men fell into it and were saved. And 25% more work was accomplished because the men were assured of their safety!

The assurance of our security with God and the glorious prospect of heaven make it possible for us to endure the inevitable difficulties that come into our Christian lives. That’s why Paul could write, “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Justification is no escape from the trials of life. We still face the pressure to maintain the true faith in this evil world. We still suffer as a direct result of being Christians. We still must fight against Satan’s continual barrage of accusations against God’s love and power to help those he loves. But this shouldn’t surprise us, Jesus warned, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). And it almost sounds ridiculous to hear Paul say that we rejoice, literally boast, in our suffering. But for us believers, these trials work for us, not against us. God uses them to draw believers closer to himself and work perseverance in us. As Christians we trust in God’s Word for everything. As times get tough, Christians stand on God’s word of promise and their faith in God becomes stronger. Therefore, we rejoice, in fact boast in suffering because they drive us back to God’s Word, which gives us courage to live on without weakening, remembering that no amount of suffering can separate us from the Lord.

Then, learning and experiencing the reality that God always maneuvers us through difficulties and causes them to work for our good we become seasoned Christians. We know from the outset that the Lord will find a way. So we dare to trust him even more. We dare to do things for him we would never have considered before. Our character grows. And Christians with character live in a state of perpetual hope – that is certainty. And that hope, since it is centered in God and his promises; since it has as its foundation God’s love in Christ; since it has been sealed by the work of the Holy Spirit - does not disappoint us. Our faith, our trust, our certainty, our hope in God and his promise of forgiveness and glory is not misplaced and will not fail. How wonderful it is to be justified. Amen.