God Demonstrates His Love Towards Us

Series: One Gospel

October 18, 2020 | Dr. Jamie Dew
Passage: Romans 5:1-11

How do we know that God loves us?

*Perhaps at times, we might fear that it is a wishful thought.

*In this passage, we are given proof of God’s love for us.

*But chapter 5 is incredibly rich. Along the way, we learn much about the grace of Jesus.

Christ Justifies Us and Gives us Peace.

In vs. 1-2, Paul shows us that Jesus justifies us by our faith, and as a result, gives us peace with God. He says, “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 the hope of the glory of God.” Two important lessons for us here about Jesus’s work for us:

Peace with God. Once again, Paul reminds us that we have been justified by faith. And now, as a result of that, we have peace with God. Our sin broke our relationship with God and brought hostility. But now, through the death of Jesus and faith in Him, that hostility is gone, and peace reigns in our lives with God.

Access to Grace. Paul goes on to say that we also access to grace through Jesus Christ. We all stumble and fail in various ways. We need grace, not just initially when we first come to faith, but continually as we continually fall short of His glory. Paul tells us clearly here that, indeed, that Grace is available and that we have access to it through Christ.

Ephesians 2: 14-18. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him, we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

If you are His child, you should rest in His peace. 

Christ Gives Us Hope in Trials & Grows Our Character.

In vs. 3-5, Paul notes how tribulations can be used by God to produce character in us and give us hope. He says, “And not only that but we also glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Paul notes here that because of what we have in Christ, we no longer have to despair when tribulations come—and they are sure to come. Paul notes here that our God is gracious to us in that He works through the difficulties of our lives to give us peace and to develop character in us in the process. He says:

Tribulations > Perseverance > Character > Hope 

Aren’t we grateful that God doesn’t just bring us peace by eliminating our stress. Instead, he bolsters us through it, teaches us to persevere, and develops godliness and character in the process.

Weight Training.

James 1:2-4. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

When we face trials, we need to trust Christ and persevere.

 

Christ Proves His Love for Us by Dying for Us.

In vs. 6-8, Paul reminds us that God proves His love for us by sending Jesus to die for us. He says, “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.” Should there ever be any question whether or not God loves us, we only need to look to the cross. There Jesus proves His and the Father’s love for us by yielding His life in death for our sake.

Paul rightly notes how strange this really is. Seldom, if ever, is anyone willing to die for even a good person. But in our case, we weren’t good and yet Christ dies for us. The take away from this for us is simple: God knows you, warts and all, and He loves you anyway. And not only does He love you, but he also dies for you. Your sin does not surprise Him. He knows it fully and yet loves you anyway.

John 10:11. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

John 15:12-13. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Romans 4:25. “[He] was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”

Philippians 2:4-8. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. . . Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, [who] made Himself of no reputation. . . And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

If you ever question whether or not you are loved, consider the cross of Jesus.

 

Christ Saves Us with His Blood from Wrath to Come.

In vs. 9-11, Paul teaches us that we are saved from God’s wrath in the day of judgment because of the blood of Jesus. He says, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 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.” Again, we are reminded that we are justified by Christ, this time specifically through His blood. And because we are justified by Him, we are also saved from God's wrath against our sin.

Hebrews 9:11-14. “But Christ came as high Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Thus, we thank God that He has saved us from the wrath to come.

 

Christ Gives us Life & Makes Us Righteous.

In vs. 12-20, Paul reminds us that just as death came to us all through Adam, life and righteousness come to us through Jesus Christ. He says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned . . .For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience, many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience, many will be made righteous.” Again, the point here is simple. As Adam sinned and the curse came to us all. Jesus was spotless, lived a perfect life, and atoned for our sins.

I Corinthians 15:21-22. “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive.”

Thus, we are given life by Christ.

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