Sermon Central
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10 Assets Of Justification
Contributed by Ed Mcneely on May 15, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: There are at least 10 assets that we receive at the moment of salvation.
SOME TREASURES OF SALVATION
10 assets of justification
1-20-02
Up to this point in his letter to the Roman Church … Paul has been building God’s case against those who refuse to accept Jesus as their Christ.
He also has clearly stated what God has done to provide salvation … or justification by faith.
In Chapter 5 …he turns to us – the believers.
Now that we have accepted Jesus as our Christ, what can we expect?
What, exactly is the value of salvation?
1. First of all: It is just the beginning of A great adventure.
2. Next, it’s a new relationship with the creator of the entire universe.
3. Finally, it’s a life with sites … scenes … and scents that we have never experienced before – a life on a brand new level of existence … another dimension: the Spiritual dimension.
When we were first born into this world… we had needs of the flesh.
Mom, Dad, and family supplied those needs.
Now that we have been born again – born of the Spirit – we have Spiritual needs.
God fulfils the new needs.
In these first 6 verses, Paul lists 10 benefits of our salvation.
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
1. We now have PEACE with God.
Why do we need peace with God?
Because verses 8 & 10 are going to tell us that we were sinners and enemies with him before we trusted in Jesus as our Christ.
Jesus on the cross took away the sin.
If we are willing … to place our full faith and trust in him, God sees us as though we have never sinned.
When we trust Jesus as our Christ … we find peace with God.
He pursued us in our sin … to save us from ourselves, and from eternal separation from him.
When we surrender our will – quit running … quit resisting – and accept Jesus as our Christ … we have peace with God.
This simply means that we no longer are at odds with God – the battle is over.
There is another level of peace available to us: The peace of God.
Peace with God puts us on his side.
That’s salvation.
The peace of God equips us with an indestructible joy … regardless of the circumstances of life.
That’s Spiritual maturity.
It’s a depth and strength of faith that allows us to rest in God … knowing that he is in charge.
He is our Shepherd.
He is our king.
He is in control … of everything – any circumstance that can interfere … interrupt …or dislodge us …from the protective arms of God.
Such a peace…opens another door:
Verse 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Actually, this verse list three assets:
Access … Grace … and Rejoicing in Hope.
2. Our second is: ACCESS to God.
Just imagine …
. We are never out of his reach.
. We’re just a prayer away.
And since he takes up residence within us … it’s always a local call.
By faith … trusting in the person of … and completed work of … Jesus as our Christ gives us direct access to God the Father.
. No reason to feel left out … or
. No reason to be lonely!
The whole family of God surrounds us.
And, we have him to talk to all the time.
3. And then we have GRACE.
Into this grace we stand …
Grace is that unmerited favor of God.
We don’t deserve to be in the family of God.
We don’t deserve to be in the Body of Christ,
But, God used his grace to transfer our sins to Jesus on the cross.
That same grace transferred his righteousness to us.
This is the grace that God looks through to see us as acceptable to him –
. Worthy to be numbered among his family…
. Worthy to be in the Body of Christ.
It is God’s Grace that keeps us alive.
It is Grace that allows us to grow in Christ.
It is Grace that allows us to recover…
. When we stray.
. When we fail.
GRACE is the greatest motivator that we believers have.
Notice the verse, GRACE is something that we stand in.
And it is an introduction to God’s greater grace that we can grow into.
Greater grace – or spiritual maturity – prepares us for God’s surpassing grace … that carries us through the transition of life … from the temporary … to the eternal.
4. And that’s why we can Rejoice in Hope.
Life can become rough … painful … threatening … even terminal.
