Bulletins - Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church (Enola, PA)

Review
Turn to Romans chapter five
Abraham was a man who exercised faith in God and he showed it by living a righteous life.
Last week we saw that Abraham’s faith was reasonable because the object of his faith was God. Now it was crazy for a 100 year old man to trust God for a son, but Abraham concluded that it was reasonable because of the God that made the promise.
Secondly, we saw that Abraham’s faith was hopeful because the object of his faith was God. He became joyful and confident that the promise would be kept even when the circumstances didn’t warrant joy or confidence.
He showed us what a strong faith looks like.
Introduction
I’d like to start this morning by taking you back to Medieval England.
Imagine with me that we are in London. A man sits in the London Tower and has been sentenced to death. His situation is hopeless. The only thing standing between him and the carrying out of his sentence is only a short passage of time.
The next morning the prison warden enters his cell. The prisoner braces for the worst, but instead, he is greeted with astonishing news: "The king has purged your record. He wishes to see you in a few days.”
The man’s chains are removed. The prison doors open, and he walks out a free man.
That alone would be incredible, would it not?
But the story doesn’t end there. Several days later, the man meets the king and the king informs him, "You're not just free. Your record has been cleared and furthermore, you are being awarded the highest honors of our land. I am adopting you as my own son. You will wear my colors now. You are going to come live here. You’re going to sit at my table and from now on, you have unrestricted access to me whenever you wish."
The king removed the criminal’s guilt, but he went a step far beyond that.
He extended an invitation and created a relationship.
That's exactly what Paul is saying.
Justification isn't merely God saying, "You're no longer guilty."
It is God saying, "Now you bear Christ’s righteousness. Now you can come near. Now you are at peace with Me and you have continual access into My presence. Son, daughter, come close. Welcome home!”
Can it get any better than that?!
In Romans chapter five, Paul moves us from the courtroom to the king’s palace. It shows exactly how justification by faith is superior to justification by works. It shows us exactly how being declared righteous by God is far superior to working for righteousness with God!
Read Romans 5:1-2
How is justification by faith superior to justification by works?
Next slide here:
We have peace with God - Romans 5:1
Read slowly:
When a person becomes righteous God’s way, there is a guaranteed outcome: peace with God!
At the end of chapter four, Paul has just finished arguing that people today must be justified - declared righteous by God - the same way that Abraham was - by faith in God. Today, a person must decide to put their faith in God through Jesus Christ.
Read Romans 4:23-25
So Paul brings us to this wonderful conclusion. Once a person is justified by faith through Jesus Christ, we have peace with God!
Most people want peace. Not everyone, but most do. People long for it, but they don’t have it, because we are born with a sin nature and that steals our peace. It only leaves noise or chaos in our souls.
People will try all kinds of things to have peace. They’ll go to great lengths to escape the noise they feel in their souls and the chaos that sin brings into their lives.
Some will try for the brief euphoria of drugs - over and over and over again.
Some will turn to another drug - alcohol - to escape the turmoil they live in.
Some will throw themselves into a career. The more they work, the less time they have to think about the problems in their lives - problems that only God can solve.
Some will travel. They will travel for the purpose of immersing themselves in the diverse cultures, peoples, and religions of mankind. They will experience the incredible landscapes of the world! And although they might not even realize it, they’re simply trying to run away from that anxiety in their hearts.
Some will binge watch TV or play video games for hours on end.
Some will endlessly scroll social media.
Some will turn to pornography.
Some will compulsively eat.
Some will compulsively shop so they can experience that emotional high of trying something new.
Some will become obsessed with fitness and exercise.
Some will fill their schedule with entertainment and novelties - concerts, hobbies, or constantly seeking the next exciting experience simply to avoid facing reality.
Some will get a medication.
“Pastor Tim, people get prescription medications for their mental health for all different kinds of reasons.”
I completely agree. People do get those medications for all kinds of reasons and in some cases they are necessary.
Mental health is a real crisis in our country that requires genuine, compassionate care. If you have used medication for your mental health, I am not speaking to your specific situation. I can’t presume to know why you used it, and I think no less of you.
But I want you to see the big picture of what is happening in our country. According to a CDC national health survey, in 2020, 16.5% of American adults had used a prescription medication for a mental health need in the last 12 months. By 2024, that number increased to 19.3%. That’s almost 1 in 5 Americans!
As a pastor, that deeply concerns me. Something’s wrong!
There are multiple factors that are driving this growing usage of medication. I’m not suggesting that every person that uses medication or that does any of the other things does it to run from the noise in their souls, but many do. It is a very real part of the problem.
Human beings naturally seek relief from their problems, but many forms of relief only numb the symptoms.
Listen to me: the starting point for being healthy in body, in mind, and in spirit, is peace with God.
You can have the right diet, you can have the right amount of sleep, you can minimize stress, you can have strong familial relationships, you can be hormonally and nutritionally balanced, and you can get sunshine and exercise, but if you neglect the spiritual part of you, you’re missing what matters most.
You must have peace with God through Jesus Christ.
Being justified by faith through Jesus Christ does not solve all of your problems on earth - God never intended it to - but it does something radically different than everything else that people try. Rather than mere distraction, salvation brings reconciliation with God, forgiveness, peace, and lasting hope. The gospel doesn't simply help us forget our greatest problem; it removes it.
Isaiah 57:1–2 KJV 1900
1 …the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. 2 He shall enter into peace: They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness.
Isaiah 57:20–21 KJV 1900
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
How do you have peace with God? Only by the Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 KJV 1900
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Jesus offers us peace with God.
Acts 10:36 KJV 1900
36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
Ephesians 2:14 KJV 1900
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
John 14:27 KJV 1900
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:33 KJV 1900
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Application: Do you have peace with God? You won’t have it by working to be righteous with God.
Being justified by faith is superior not only because we have peace with God, but secondly because…
Next slide here:
We have access into God’s grace - Romans 5:2
Read Romans 5:2
We have: perfect tense. It is something that happened in the past with the results continuing into the present. In other words, “this access has been ours and continues to be ours.” - Dr. Qurollo, Notes On Romans, page 60.
If you’ve ever driven to Reagan National Airport, you may remember that in order to get there you had to drive on the highway right past the Pentagon. I’ve done that a few times over the last year and I’ve always been careful to avoid the lane that goes into the Pentagon because I did not want to find out what happened if I accidentally ended up there.
Well, if memory serves me right, there was one time where we didn’t avoid the Pentagon, we headed straight for it and the reason why was because someone was going to take us on a tour of the place.
Being in the Pentagon was a surreal experience, but there is one part that I remember vividly. We were walking a hallway when we were stopped and told that we were not authorized to be in that area. I’m not sure what the situation was, but we had to leave immediately. Suddenly, where we thought we had permission to go, we learned that we did not.
Listen, through Jesus Christ you gain access into the grace of God, and you’ll never lose that! You’ll never be kicked out! You’ll never be removed from the realm of God’s grace - His enabling - working in your life!
Christian, yes, there is hope for you! Just as you were saved by faith, so likewise by faith you have access to God’s grace for daily living!
It is by God’s grace we stand and persist in walking with God!
It is by God’s grace that we rejoice!
It is by God’s grace that we rejoice even in trials!
You do have access to this grace! So take hold of it by faith like the text says!
“Lord, I need your grace for this trial in my life! Lord, I need your grace to say, ‘no’ to this temptation today! Lord, I need your grace to go to work today when I feel like staying at home! Lord, I need your grace to endure the pain I feel today! So Lord, I’m going do right, believing that you will give me the grace to live for you today!”
Yes, Christian, you do have access into God’s marvelous grace. He says it is sufficient for every need, so you can be sure that it is!
And how is this possible?
It’s all possible through Christ alone, therefore we live for Christ alone.
Conclusion
A lot of Americans prefer employment that comes with benefits. It didn’t used to be that way. You would get a job and you would get paid. It was that simple. Now employers compete for employees by offering benefits like health insurance - if they can afford it! Especially in our day, people are looking for employment that comes with benefits.
Today we’ve seen the reasons why justification by faith is superior to justification by works. There are no benefits to justification by works. No peace with God. No access into God’s grace.
Have you been justified by faith? And Christian, are you living in that grace that is yours to have?
Invitation

Review

Introduction

Conclusion

Invitation