(Text Only)
Title: The Great Transition
v1. “Therefore, having been justified by faith..”
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, this may well be one of the most important transitional phrases in the entire letter. As we well know, Paul devotes the entirety of chapter four to proving the idea of justification by faith alone, and now we will begin to see a great transition from the state of fallen man, as Paul describes in Chapters 1-4, to the state of saved man, as Paul will now begin to outline.
Here is a quick overview of the transition that we are studying today:
1. From wrath (1:18) to grace (3:21)
Those who know Jesus Christ are now set to experience God’s grace instead of God’s wrath, those who do not know him are still set to experience God’s wrath.
Application:
This does not make God contradictory to himself. He is wrath to those who anger him, he is love to those who know him and love him. The world wants to tell you these two things cannot co-exist. The world wants to preach a sermon where God is always just love. We can never, ever, ever replace the whole character of God with one aspect of God’s character. This is the greatest flaw of Churches today, they don’t preach the full gospel. Part of the Gospel is that there is eternal life through Jesus Christ for those who would confess and believe He is the Son of God. And part of the gospel is that sin is real, and without forgivence for that sin a person is doomed to Hell for eternity.
2. From estrangement (3:10-17) to peace (5:1)
All of that brilliant quoting from Paul in Chapter three from the O.T. about how we are all wicked, and no one seeks God, is replaced by the knowledge of God himself, as He has revealed his will to us through Jesus, the son. We are no longer separates from God, we are at peace with Him.
Application:
We are called to live as creatures who understand what peace really is. You know what peace is not? Peace is not an end to wars. Peace is not an end to violence in our schools. Peace isn’t an end to the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Peace is not an end to persecution of missionaries in Muslim countries. These things are all temporary. Peace is being loved and protected by God forever. That is what that bumper sticker means when it proclaims :
“No Jesus? No Peace. Know Jesus. Know Peace.”
3. From falling short (3:23) to hope of glory (5:2)
On our own, we are destined to continue sinning. On our own we have no hope in a better promise. Through Christ we not only have a real, legitimate hope for a better today, but for a better eternity with Him.
Application:
One must pay very close attention when we see two different authors from the Bible make the same theological claim. Compare what Paul says in v.1-5 with what James says in James 1:1-9. (Read that)
Both of these authors arrive at the same conclusion: trials are good things. They force us to depend on God, and He develops our patience and our hope, that what we hope in, what we wait for, is not some fairy tale ending, but a reality, that no one can take from you. Paul says clearly in verse five that hope does not disappoint, because it’s not our hope, it’s God’s love put inside us, literally “poured out” into us by the gift of the spirit.
For us, those called according to His purpose, those bought by the price of the son’s blood, those confessing, repentant, unperfect, struggling, humble creatures of God’s own image, with a love and desire for His Son and His Son’s kingdom the answers are two:
1. We will personally witness Christ’s return in the flesh
or
2. We will die, be accepted into heaven, and return with him to this place, on that appointed day.
Not a bad way to spend eternity, eh?