Last night I had the privilege of leading our Sunday evening service at PBC. I 
have had this ‘sermonette’ on Romans 5:1-11 brewing in my mind and taking shape on paper for a few weeks. In the sermon from Sunday morning, Pastor Rick mentioned rejoicing that our eyes had been opened to the idolatry we were once engulfed in, before being rescued by Christ. Picking up on the idea of rejoicing, I thought I’d share the below with the body at the evening service in hopes that they would be compelled, encouraged and challenged by God’s truth to always be rejoicing as they walk with Christ.
Rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God, Rejoicing also in our sufferings and Rejoicing in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Looking back to the past:
“…Since we have been justified through faith…”
Rejoicing in the present: (“Rejoice” means take confidence in or boast)
- “…we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God…” (v.2)
- Why does God do all things? For His own glory!
- There is great hope in knowing God will keep all His promises to the end.
- What He has begun, in justification, He will complete in sanctification.
2. “…we also rejoice in our sufferings…” (v.3)
- Not “rejoice for our sufferings”.
- We spend billions on medications to relieve suffering.
- We rejoice because of what sufferings produce (perseverance, character, hope – which does not disappoint).
3. “…we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus…” (v.11)
- God is the one from whom all blessings flow. Even if He had never done anything, it would be right* for us to rejoice in Him.
- “Are we finding meaning in the things of this world or finding meaning in God alone?” (from this morning’s message)
- “We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!” E. Peterson
Looking forward to the future:
- Hope is mentioned repetitively in this passage! (v. 2, 4, 5)
- …how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through [Christ]!
- …how much more…shall we be saved through his life!
At least one practical application from all this rejoicing: Next time someone asks you, ‘how’s it going?’ Answer with “I’m rejoicing!”
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*Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him. Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the LORD is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love (Psalm 33:1-5, NIV).
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Did he say anything about Romans 5:10??
“For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled,”
What is the “much more we will be saved in His life” if we’ve already been reconciled to God and saved? Are we saved twice? I’d love to hear if he said anything about that or what your thoughts are on that.
Hello Clark! Thanks for stopping by and starting a great discussion! I actually was the one teaching and I didn’t spend too much time on verse 10. I did talk about Justification from verse 1 and did say a bit about God being faithful to continue and finish the work he has begun in us as saints. My understanding on verse 10 is that Paul is talking about the accomplishments of both the death and the life of Christ. The death of Christ pays the price (death) that sin deserves. The life of Christ gives us the righteousness we need to approach God. His passive obedience sent him to the cross to die. His active obedience obeyed God’s law perfectly, making him completely innocent and able to stand before God (not “making” as if he was ever not able to stand before God). I think Paul is arguing, by the Spirit, from the greater to the lesser. IF, he says, God was willing to give his son to die…how much MORE will we be rescued once and for all, through the life that very son lived in perfect righteousness and obedience to every command of God.
Remember that salvation is mentioned as past, present and future in Scripture. “You have been saved” – Ephesians 2:8(ESV). “You are being saved” – 1 Corinthians 1:18 and 15:2(ESV). “You will be saved.” – 1 Corinthians 3:15. So we’re only saved, once. But God begins it, sustains it and completes it. If we’re careful not to mix these “phases” of our salvation, then it seems to make the best sense of the NT.
There is a sense in which we have been, are being and will saved. God’s work, beginning to end! Praise Him!
K, I gotta go. I have a blog to check out: clarkruss.wordpress.com.
Grace to you!
paul
I should have read closer to see you were the speaker! Sorry.
Amen to your comment by the way. Those are a great set of verses there. Eph 2:8, 1 Cor 1:18, and 1 Cor 3:15. Its amazing to see in the word that salvation is a process. That reminds me of that verse in 1 Peter about the end of your faith being the salvation of your soul. I don’t remember where it is exactly.
So I’ve got a follow-up question to your comment. So salvation is a process and we are being saved right now, so to speak. What do you think Paul means by the phrase “in His life”. We’re being saved in His life. How do you read that? If I was writing it, I’d write it like this: “much more, we are being saved in our lives.” That would make more sense, right?
Hi Clark. Good question. I’m assuming you mean the phrase in Romans 5:10: “Through his life”(NIV), “by his life” ESV, KJV? I take Paul to mean that both the death and the life of Christ having a role in the salvation of those who believe. Without the shedding of blood (death) there is no forgiveness of sins. But, equally so, without a righteous life, there is no righteousness for Christ to clothe us in so that we can stand before God, justified. Just dying in our place, only gives us 1/2 of what we need (not at all to belittle the death of Christ!). We stand then, only forgiven. But it’s not just forgiven people who get into heaven, it’s forgive and righteous people (Rev 7:9) !
I don’t think it would make more sense if Paul had written “in our lives” as I think he’s talking about Christ and his merit, not us and our experience of salvation. I hope that helps. (love the dialogue and study of the Word!) -paul
This is really getting interesting. I can see where you’re coming from with your point about being saved through/by/in His life referring to Christ’s righteousness.
I agree with you that we need righteousness as well as forgiveness. The verse you referenced makes that clear, I think. White robes.
But what about all those verses you quoted about how salvation is a process? In Romans 5:10, It says “will be saved.” It seems to me that the “saved” here referrs to that process of salvation and our experience of it.
Otherwise, it should say “much more we have been saved through/by/in His life” because Christ’s righteousness is already accomplished.
What do you think? How do you read it?
Hi Clark! i think the confusion comes when we try to lock in a statement Paul makes (or any biblical writer makes) and try to make it fit into one of the “Being” “are” or “will be” saved buckets.
Paul could say that the saints were saved, are being saved and would one day be saved all at the same time and to the same group. It’s all a matter of perspective. What I mean is that in one sense (God’s perspective), we are saved. Done deal. It is finished. TODAY, you will be with me in paradise. But from another perspective (ours) we live in time and space. So even though we can say, “I’m saved”, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t more to our salvation that our position. There’s also our progression and one day our perfection ( at death or Christ’s return). So we are saved (This is our position if we are in Christ), we are being saved (this is our progression toward greater Christ likeness as we make progress, by the power of the Spirit and by God’s grace to sin less and love God more. And we will one day be saved, when the very presence of sin will be gone and we will be “made perfect” or glorified (Rom 8:28-29). All of this, from beginning to end is from the Lord and not from us. Salvation is of the Lord.
Does that help at all?