Jubilee Community Church
Sunday Service
  • Reigning
  • Names Of God
  • Rescue Story
  • All of a Sudden
  • You Love Me Anyway
  • You Are Holy (Isaiah 6)
  • How He Loves
  • God I'm Just Grateful

  • PEACE WITH GOD — STANDING IN GRACE

    PRIMARY SCRIPTURE READING
    Text: Romans 5:1–11
    Romans 5:1–11 ESV
    1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

    INTRODUCTION — WHAT CHANGED WHEN JESUS SAVED YOU?

    There are some things we understand about salvation.
    We know Jesus forgives our sins.
    We know Jesus died on the cross.
    We know Jesus rose again.
    We know we are saved by grace through faith.
    But sometimes I wonder whether we really understand how radically our position before God has changed.
    Because Romans 5 does not describe salvation as a small adjustment to our lives.
    It describes a complete change of position.
    Paul says there was a time when we were:
    Without strength.
    Ungodly.
    Sinners.
    Enemies.
    But now we are:
    Justified.
    At peace with God.
    Standing in grace.
    Filled with hope.
    Experiencing the love of God through the Holy Ghost.
    Reconciled to God.
    And waiting for glory.
    That is not behavior modification.
    That is not religion.
    That is not turning over a new leaf.
    That is reconciliation with Almighty God through Jesus Christ.
    And Paul begins Romans 5 with one word:
    “Therefore…”
    Whenever you see “therefore,” you need to ask:
    What is it there for?
    Paul has spent the previous chapters establishing that mankind cannot make himself righteous before God.
    Abraham was not justified because he performed enough religious works.
    Romans 4:3 says:
    “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
    Then Romans 4 ends by speaking about Jesus:
    “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
    And then Romans 5 begins:
    “Therefore being justified by faith…”
    In other words:
    Because Jesus died.
    Because Jesus rose again.
    Because righteousness cannot be earned.
    Because justification comes through faith.
    Paul says:
    Let me tell you what you have now.

    JUSTIFIED — YOUR POSITION HAS CHANGED

    Romans 5:1:
    “Therefore being justified by faith…”
    The Greek word translated “justified” is dikaioō — Strong’s G1344.
    It means:
    to declare righteous, to pronounce righteous, to acquit, to vindicate.
    This is courtroom language.
    Imagine standing before a judge.
    The evidence has been presented.
    The charges are legitimate.
    You are guilty.
    You cannot argue your innocence.
    You cannot produce enough good works to erase the crime.
    And then something happens.
    Someone steps forward on your behalf.
    Someone takes your judgment.
    Someone satisfies the debt.
    And because the debt has been satisfied, the Judge declares you righteous.
    Church, justification doesn’t mean you never sinned.
    It means Jesus dealt with your sin.
    The gospel isn’t:
    “I finally became good enough for God.”
    The gospel is:
    “Jesus Christ was good enough when I could never be.”
    Somebody ought to thank God that your standing before Him is not based upon your ability to impress Him.
    You have been:
    JUSTIFIED BY FAITH!

    WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD

    Paul continues:
    “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
    Notice Paul doesn’t say:
    “We have peaceful circumstances.”
    He doesn’t say:
    “Nothing difficult will ever happen.”
    He doesn’t even say:
    “You’ll always feel peaceful.”
    He says:
    “We have peace WITH GOD.”
    There is a difference between:
    the peace OF God
    and
    peace WITH God.
    The peace of God is what guards your heart during trouble.
    But peace with God means:
    The hostility between the sinner and God has been dealt with.
    Romans 8:7 says:
    “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God…”
    Sin created alienation.
    Sin separated humanity from God.
    Sin put mankind into opposition against the holiness of God.
    But Jesus stepped between sinful humanity and a holy God.
    Isaiah 53:5 says:
    “The chastisement of our peace was upon him…”
    Jesus took what disturbed the peace so that we could have peace with God.
    The cross wasn’t just about making you feel better.
    The cross reconciled you to God.

    JESUS DIDN’T JUST GIVE YOU PEACE — HE GAVE YOU ACCESS

    Romans 5:2:
    “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand…”
    I love the word “access.”
    The Greek word is prosagōgē — Strong’s G4318.
    It means:
    access, approach, introduction, admission into someone’s presence.
    In the ancient world, you didn’t casually walk into the presence of a king.
    You needed access.
    Someone authorized had to bring you before the king.
    And Paul says:
    Jesus gave us access.
    Hebrews 4:16 says:
    “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace…”
    Think about that.
    The sinner who once stood alienated from God is now invited to approach God.
    The one who once ran from God can now run to God.
    The one who once hid from His presence can now enter His presence.
    Why?
    Jesus gave us access.

    THIS GRACE WHEREIN WE STAND

    Paul doesn’t say we occasionally visit grace.
    He says:
    “This grace wherein we stand.”
    Grace is not just the door through which you entered salvation.
    Grace is where you stand.
    Some Christians understand that they were saved by grace, but then they begin trying to live as though everything depends upon their own strength.
    But Paul says:
    You entered through grace, and now you stand in grace.
    When you stumble:
    Grace.
    When you’re weak:
    Grace.
    When you’re learning:
    Grace.
    When God is correcting you:
    Grace.
    When God is transforming you:
    Grace.
    Grace does not give us permission to remain in sin.
    Paul will destroy that argument in Romans 6.
    But grace gives us a place to stand while God transforms us.

    FROM FALLING SHORT OF GLORY TO HOPING FOR GLORY

    Romans 5:2 continues:
    “…and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
    This is powerful when you connect it with Romans 3.
    Romans 3:23:
    “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
    But Romans 5:2 says:
    “Rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
    Did you see it?
    In Romans 3:
    We fell short of glory.
    In Romans 5:
    We have hope of glory.
    What sin caused us to fall short of, Jesus has now given us hope of experiencing.
    That means your story doesn’t end with what you lost.
    Your story doesn’t end with where you failed.
    Your story doesn’t end with what sin did to you.
    There is glory ahead!

    BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TROUBLE I’M GOING THROUGH?

    Then Paul makes a strange turn.
    Romans 5:3:
    “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also…”
    Wait a minute, Paul.
    I understand rejoicing about glory.
    But you want me to rejoice in tribulation?
    The Greek word translated “tribulation” is thlipsis — Strong’s G2347.
    It describes:
    pressure, affliction, distress, compression.
    It carries the picture of something being squeezed.
    Anybody ever felt squeezed?
    Pressure at home.
    Pressure financially.
    Pressure physically.
    Pressure emotionally.
    Pressure spiritually.
    Pressure in relationships.
    Pressure in ministry.
    And sometimes when pressure comes, we immediately ask:
    “God, what did I do wrong?”
    But Paul says:
    “Knowing that tribulation worketh patience.”
    Notice the word:
    KNOWING.
    Your understanding changes how you interpret your suffering.
    If I don’t understand what God can do through pressure, I’ll interpret every difficulty as abandonment.
    But Paul says:
    There is something you need to KNOW while you’re hurting.

    THE PRESSURE IS PRODUCING SOMETHING

    Paul gives us a progression:

    TRIBULATION → PATIENCE

    PATIENCE → EXPERIENCE

    EXPERIENCE → HOPE

    Tribulation produces patience.
    The Greek word for patience is hypomonē — Strong’s G5281.
    It means:
    steadfastness, endurance, remaining under pressure.
    Biblical patience isn’t sitting around doing nothing.
    It means:
    “I’m still standing.”
    I cried—
    but I’m still standing.
    I didn’t understand—
    but I’m still standing.
    People walked away—
    but I’m still standing.
    My prayers weren’t answered when I expected—
    but I’m still standing.
    Hell fought me—
    but I’m still standing!
    And every time you remain faithful under pressure, something is developing inside you.

    PATIENCE PRODUCES EXPERIENCE

    Romans 5:4:
    “And patience, experience…”
    The Greek word is dokimē — Strong’s G1382.
    It means proven character or the quality of something that has survived testing.
    Paul isn’t just saying:
    “You’ll have more life experiences.”
    He’s saying:
    “The test proves something about what is inside you.”
    Before the trial, you said:
    “I trust God.”
    After the trial:
    You know you trust God.
    Before the fire, you said:
    “God will keep me.”
    After the fire:
    You’ve experienced Him keeping you.
    Before the valley, you quoted:
    “Yea, though I walk through the valley…”
    After the valley, you can testify:
    “I’ve been through the valley, and the Shepherd never left me!”
    There are some things about God that you learn in Scripture.
    And there are some things you learn when Scripture becomes your experience.

    EXPERIENCE PRODUCES HOPE

    Once you’ve watched God carry you before, you approach the next battle differently.
    David could stand before Goliath because David remembered the lion and the bear.
    Yesterday’s deliverance became today’s confidence.
    You begin saying:
    “I’ve seen this God work before.”
    “I’ve seen Him provide.”
    “I’ve seen Him heal.”
    “I’ve seen Him restore.”
    “I’ve seen Him make a way.”
    “I’ve seen Him carry me through something I thought would destroy me.”
    “So if He brought me through THAT…”
    “He can bring me through THIS!”
    That’s hope.

    HOPE MAKETH NOT ASHAMED

    Romans 5:5:
    “And hope maketh not ashamed…”
    In other words:
    This hope will not ultimately disappoint you.
    Why?
    “Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
    The Greek word translated “shed abroad” is ekcheō — Strong’s G1632.
    It means:
    to pour out.
    God doesn’t give you a teaspoon of His love.
    He pours His love into your heart through the Holy Ghost.
    And this is where Christianity becomes more than theology written on paper.
    There is something God allows you to experience.
    The Holy Ghost makes the love of God real within the believer.
    You don’t just know:
    “God loves people.”
    Something happens within you where you realize:
    “GOD LOVES ME.”

    CHRIST DIDN’T WAIT UNTIL YOU WERE STRONG

    Romans 5:6:
    “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
    “Without strength” comes from the Greek word asthenēs — Strong’s G772.
    It means:
    weak, powerless, helpless.
    Here’s the gospel.
    Jesus didn’t wait until you got strong enough.
    He came when you were weak.
    He didn’t wait until you became righteous.
    He died for the ungodly.
    He didn’t wait until you had everything figured out.
    He came looking for you when you couldn’t save yourself.
    Religion says:
    “Get yourself together and come to God.”
    The gospel says:
    “You couldn’t get yourself together, so God came after you.”

    WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS

    Romans 5:8:
    “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
    That may be one of the greatest statements ever written.
    “While we were yet sinners…”
    Not after we became perfect.
    Not after we cleaned ourselves up.
    Not after we fixed every problem.
    Not after we understood everything.
    WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS.
    Christ died for us.
    The Greek behind “commendeth” carries the idea of demonstrating or proving.
    God didn’t just tell you He loved you.
    He demonstrated it.
    You want to know how much God loves you?
    Look at Calvary.
    Look at the nails.
    Look at the crown.
    Look at the blood.
    Look at the cross.
    God demonstrated His love:
    “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

    YOU DON’T REPENT TO MAKE GOD LOVE YOU

    This is important.
    Sometimes people think:
    “If I repent enough, maybe God will love me.”
    No.
    You repent because the love of God has confronted you with the reality of your sin and is calling you home.
    Romans 2:4 says:
    “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.”
    Repentance is not convincing an angry God to reluctantly love you.
    Calvary already demonstrated His love.
    Repentance is turning from sin toward the God who loved you enough to die for you.

    MUCH MORE THEN

    Now Paul changes gears again.
    Romans 5:9:
    “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
    Watch Paul’s argument.
    If Jesus loved you enough to die for you when you were His enemy, what will He do now that you’ve been reconciled?
    Paul says:
    “MUCH MORE.”
    If He loved you when you were running away—
    much more.
    If He died for you while you were a sinner—
    much more.
    If He reached you while you were lost—
    much more.
    If He sought you when you didn’t seek Him—
    much more!
    Sometimes we believe God loved us enough to save us, but we struggle to believe He loves us enough to keep working in us.
    Paul says:
    MUCH MORE!

    JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD

    Verse 1 said:
    “Justified by faith.”
    Verse 9 says:
    “Justified by his blood.”
    There is no contradiction.
    The blood is the basis.
    Faith receives what Christ accomplished.
    Your faith didn’t shed blood for you.
    Your faith didn’t hang on the cross.
    Your faith didn’t pay the price.
    Jesus did.
    Faith reaches out and receives what Jesus accomplished.

    SAVED FROM WRATH

    Paul says:
    “We shall be saved from wrath through him.”
    Notice the future tense:
    “shall be saved.”
    Salvation is bigger than something that happened years ago when you prayed at an altar.
    There is a past dimension.
    There is a present reality.
    And there is a future hope.
    I can look backward and say:
    Christ died for me.
    I can look around me and say:
    I stand in grace.
    And I can look forward and say:
    There is glory ahead.

    WE WERE ENEMIES — NOW WE ARE RECONCILED

    Romans 5:10:
    “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son…”
    Here is another Greek word worth understanding.
    Katallassō — Strong’s G2644.
    It means:
    to reconcile, restore to favor, change from hostility into relationship.
    Justification is courtroom language.
    Reconciliation is relationship language.
    Justification says:
    “The guilty one has been declared righteous.”
    Reconciliation says:
    “The enemy has been brought home.”
    And God wanted more than clearing your record.
    HE WANTED YOU.
    He didn’t just want to forgive your sin.
    He wanted relationship with you.
    He didn’t just want to cancel your debt.
    He wanted you in His presence.
    He didn’t just want your name written in a book.
    He wanted your heart.

    SAVED BY HIS LIFE

    Romans 5:10 continues:
    “…much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
    We preach the cross—and we should.
    But our Savior isn’t still hanging on the cross.
    HE IS ALIVE!
    The One who died for you lives.
    The One who shed His blood lives.
    The One who reconciled you lives.
    Romans 8:34 says:
    “It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again…”
    Our hope is not built upon a dead religious teacher.
    JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE.
    And because He lives:
    You have hope.
    Because He lives:
    Death doesn’t get the final word.
    Because He lives:
    The grave doesn’t get the final word.
    Because He lives:
    Your failure doesn’t get the final word.
    Because He lives:
    Your past doesn’t get the final word.
    JESUS GETS THE FINAL WORD!

    AND WE JOY IN GOD

    Then Paul reaches the destination.
    Romans 5:11:
    “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ…”
    Don’t miss this.
    What is the greatest gift of salvation?
    Heaven?
    Forgiveness?
    Eternal life?
    Peace?
    Grace?
    Those are wonderful.
    But Paul finishes here:
    “WE JOY IN GOD.”
    The greatest gift of reconciliation is not what God gives you.
    It is God Himself.
    Salvation brings us back into relationship with our Creator.
    The prodigal doesn’t just get another robe.
    He gets the Father.
    He doesn’t just get another ring.
    He gets the Father.
    He doesn’t just get another meal.
    He gets the Father.
    And when Jesus reconciles us:
    WE GET GOD.

    LOOK AT WHERE GRACE FOUND US

    Church, look at Paul’s description:
    Verse 6:
    WITHOUT STRENGTH.
    Verse 6:
    UNGODLY.
    Verse 8:
    SINNERS.
    Verse 10:
    ENEMIES.
    That is where grace found us.
    But look at where grace brought us:
    JUSTIFIED.
    AT PEACE WITH GOD.
    ACCESS TO GOD.
    STANDING IN GRACE.
    HOPE OF GLORY.
    FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
    LOVED BY GOD.
    RECONCILED.
    ALIVE IN CHRIST.
    What a transformation!

    THE CROSS CHANGED YOUR POSITION

    You were:
    GUILTY.
    Now:
    JUSTIFIED.
    You were:
    AN ENEMY.
    Now:
    RECONCILED.
    You were:
    FAR AWAY.
    Now:
    YOU HAVE ACCESS.
    You were:
    WITHOUT STRENGTH.
    Now:
    YOU STAND IN GRACE.
    You were:
    COMING SHORT OF GLORY.
    Now:
    YOU REJOICE IN HOPE OF GLORY.
    You were:
    UNDER WRATH.
    Now:
    YOU HAVE PEACE WITH GOD.
    That is what Jesus did!

    APPLICATION — STOP LIVING LIKE YOU’RE STILL AN ENEMY

    Here is where this becomes practical.
    Some people have been reconciled to God, but mentally they still approach Him like an enemy.
    They pray like God doesn’t want to hear them.
    They worship like they don’t belong in His presence.
    They allow their past to convince them that they have no access.
    They live constantly expecting God to reject them.
    But Paul says:
    “We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.”
    If you have repented and come to Christ, stop standing outside a door that Jesus opened.
    COME BOLDLY.
    Pray.
    Worship.
    Seek Him.
    Open His Word.
    Call upon His name.
    Walk with Him.
    Not arrogantly.
    Not presumptuously.
    But confidently because:
    JESUS GAVE YOU ACCESS.

    DON’T MISINTERPRET YOUR PRESSURE

    And somebody tomorrow may be going through pressure.
    You are being squeezed.
    And you’ve interpreted the pressure as evidence that God has abandoned you.
    Romans 5 says:
    Don’t misinterpret the pressure.
    Tribulation can produce patience.
    Patience can produce proven character.
    Proven character can produce hope.
    And hope does not make ashamed.
    The trial isn’t necessarily proof that God has left you.
    Sometimes the trial becomes the environment where God proves what He has put inside you.
    You may be in the:
    TRIBULATION STAGE.
    But God sees the:
    HOPE STAGE.
    You see pressure.
    God sees endurance being formed.
    You see the battle.
    God sees character being proven.
    You see what you’re going through.
    God sees who you’re becoming while you’re going through it.

    PROPHETIC INSIGHT — THERE IS GLORY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PRESSURE

    I believe somebody needs to understand:
    YOUR PRESSURE DOES NOT CANCEL YOUR PROMISE.
    Romans 5 puts tribulation right between grace and glory.
    Think about that.
    Verse 2:
    WE STAND IN GRACE.
    Verse 2:
    WE HOPE FOR GLORY.
    Verse 3:
    WE EXPERIENCE TRIBULATION.
    So apparently you can be:
    standing in grace,
    going through trouble,
    and still:
    headed toward glory.
    Trouble doesn’t mean you stepped outside grace.
    Pressure doesn’t mean God changed His mind.
    The storm doesn’t mean Jesus left the boat.
    YOU CAN BE IN TRIBULATION AND STILL BE STANDING IN GRACE.
    Somebody needs to hear that.
    You haven’t lost everything because you’re hurting.
    You haven’t missed God because you’re under pressure.
    Don’t let the difficulty of this season make you question the faithfulness of the God who brought you this far.

    CALL TO ACTION — COME HOME TO GOD

    Maybe someone listening has never experienced this reconciliation.
    You’re religious.
    You know church.
    You know Scripture.
    You know Christian language.
    But you don’t have peace with God.
    The invitation of Romans 5 is not:
    “Try harder.”
    It is:
    “Come to Jesus.”
    Christ died for you while you were still a sinner.
    You don’t have to clean yourself up before you come.
    Come broken.
    Come guilty.
    Come weak.
    Come confused.
    Come ashamed.
    Come with your past.
    Come with your failures.
    BUT COME TO JESUS.
    And when His goodness confronts your heart:
    REPENT.
    Turn away from sin.
    Turn toward God.
    Call upon the name of the Lord.
    Put your faith in Jesus Christ.
    Let Him wash you.
    Let Him fill you with the Holy Ghost.
    Let Him transform you.
    Let Him reconcile you to Himself.
    Because the message of Romans 5 is:
    THE ENEMY CAN COME HOME.

    CLOSING

    Church, tomorrow morning when you wake up, remind yourself:
    I STAND IN GRACE.
    When the enemy reminds you of your past:
    I STAND IN GRACE.
    When you’re under pressure:
    I STAND IN GRACE.
    When you don’t understand what God is doing:
    I STAND IN GRACE.
    When you’re waiting on the promise:
    I STAND IN GRACE.
    And because I stand in grace:
    I HAVE PEACE WITH GOD.
    I HAVE ACCESS TO GOD.
    I HAVE HOPE IN GOD.
    I HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD POURED INTO MY HEART BY THE HOLY GHOST.
    I HAVE BEEN RECONCILED TO GOD.
    And when the pressure comes:
    I WILL KEEP STANDING.
    Because Jesus didn’t die just to change my destination.
    HE DIED TO CHANGE MY POSITION.
    I was an enemy.
    NOW I AM RECONCILED.
    I was guilty.
    NOW I AM JUSTIFIED.
    I was far away.
    NOW I HAVE ACCESS.
    I was without strength.
    NOW I STAND IN GRACE.
    And I was falling short of His glory—
    BUT NOW I REJOICE IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD!
    THE CROSS DEALT WITH MY PAST.
    GRACE HOLDS ME IN MY PRESENT.
    AND GLORY IS WAITING IN MY FUTURE.
    I HAVE PEACE WITH GOD.
    I HAVE ACCESS TO GOD.
    AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD—

    I AM STILL STANDING.

    “Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon.”— John Piper

      • Romans 5:1–11ESV

Jubilee Community Church
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