Pastor's Sermon Notes: Five Words You Must Understand (series), Part Thirty-one: “We have peace with God.” (Romans 5:1)

Sermon Series:  

Five Words You Must Understand

1 Corinthians 14:19

Yet in the church I had rather speak 

five words with my understanding,

that by my voice I might teach others also,

than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Part Thirty-one: Romans 5:1

“We have peace with God.”

[Audio file from Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/Romans51_718.]

Introduction:

This sermon series was initiated on 20 MAR 2011. Five sermons in this series were from the book of Revelation. These were preached during the period from MAY 2012 to APR 2013. The last sermon of the 35 already preached in this series — other than the 5 from Revelation — was Part 30, “We have found the Messias” (Jn. 1:41), which was preached on 16 OCT 2016.

On the old Daniels and Webster program on ROCK107 we often heard from one Walter Nepasky.  He would begin his commentary with either, “I'm Walter Nepasky and today I wanna talk about three things.”, or “Hi. My name is Walter Nepasky. How you doin? Today I want to talk to you about tree tings.”

What if we had a modern Christian radio station —The Rock of Ages 316 — with a program that began, “Hi, I’m Paul of Tarsus, and today I want to talk about five words.”

The Apostle Paul wrote: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding,

that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.[1]

Paul follows up his introduction on The Rock of Ages 316 with his personal example — an extreme preference framed as a mathematical proportion: 5 versus 10,000. This is Paul’s “druthers”!  This is when 5 is better than 10,000!

If Paul were here, and you could pin him down to a literal selection of five words, what do you think he would choose?  “Gimme Five Paul!”

Before we get to a selected list of five word Scripture passages that might be in Paul’s “in box” we should also consider how Charles Haddon Spurgeon went even beyond Paul, perhaps due to “spiritual inflation” in the intervening centuries!

“But the seed, though very small, was a living thing. There is a great difference between a mustard seed and a piece of wax of the same size. Life slumbers in that seed. What life is we cannot tell. Even if you take a microscope you cannot spy it out. It is a mystery, but it is essential to a seed. The Gospel has a something in it not readily discoverable by the philosophical inquirer, if, indeed, he can perceive it at all. Take a maxim of Socrates or of Plato, and inquire whether a nation or a tribe has ever been transformed by it from barbarism to culture. A maxim of a philosopher may have measurably influenced a person in some right direction, but who has ever heard of a someone's whole character being transformed by any observation of Confucius or Socrates? I confess I never have. Human teachings are barren. But within the Gospel, with all its triteness and simplicity, there is a divine life and that life makes all the difference. The human can never rival the divine, for it lacks the life-fire. It is better to preach five words of God's Word than five million words of human wisdom. Human words may seem to be the wiser and the more attractive, but there is no heavenly life in them. Within God's Word, however simple it may be, there dwells an omnipotence like that of God from whose lips it came.”

— Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Mustard Seed: A Sermon for the Sabbath-School Teacher” (Lk. 13:18-19), Sermon No. 2110, delivered 20 OCT 1889, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, U.K.; in Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 35 (1889), pp. 565ff.; in Charles H. Spurgeon, The Parables of Our Lord (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2003), pg. 707; and on The Spurgeon Archive at http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/2110.htm [accessed 23 DEC 2014]. (Highlighting mine.)

This “spiritual inflation” continued from Spurgeon’s day into our own century as illustrated in the following from Dr. Steven J. Lawson.

“God is the one Source and sole Author of truth. Sin is whatever God says it is. Judgment is whatever God says it is. Salvation is what God says it is. Heaven and hell are what God says they are. It matters not what man says but simply what God says. One word of what God says is worth more than ten thousand libraries of what man says. “Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar” (Romans 3:4).” Steven J. Lawson, in sermon titled, “What is Truth?”

— Steven J. Lawson, “What is Truth?,” Tabletalk Magazine (1 SEP 2010), on Ligonier Ministries at http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/what-is-truth/ [accessed 3 MAY 2016]. (Highlighting mine.)

And most recently David Murray has emphasized this in his blog post, “The Gospel Goes Viral” (3 MAY 2016), on HeadHeartHand Blog at http://headhearthand.org/blog/2016/05/03/the-gospel-goes-viral/ [accessed 3 MAY 2016]. (Highlighting mine.)

“Simple Message
Although corporations often think that the more information they pack into a video, the more successful it will be, viral marketers emphasize the need for a short and simple message, ideally with a human touch. That’s exactly what we see here.

Five words: Behold the lamb of God (36)
Five words: We have found the Messiah (41)
Two words: Follow me (43)
Six words: We have found the predicted Messiah (45)
Three words: Come and see (46)
Note how short, how simple, and how personal the messages are. All of them are so focused on Jesus.

Challenge: Are you excusing yourself from witnessing because you don’t know all the arguments, or can’t speak eloquently and persuasively? Look at how short, simple, personal, and effective the Gospel message can be!”

Now for some possibilities from Paul’s “in box.”

Note: The five word statements from Scripture included in this series may not actually be five word statements in either the Hebrew or Greek originals, nor are they necessarily complete sentences or verses in English language translations from the Hebrew and Greek, including the King James Version which is the source translation for the statements. Nevertheless, they were selected for the fundamental truths and span of doctrine that they present.  This list of 38 examples is not intended to be comprehensive, and may easily be expanded or consolidated.

The 38 passages of Scripture included in this series list thus far are categorized under the following four headings:

1. The Person of Christ — The Redeemer

2. The Work of Christ (as Prophet, Priest and King) — Redemption Accomplished

3. The Salvation of Christ — Redemption Applied
4. The Return of Christ — Redemption Revealed

This one is under heading 3. The Salvation of Christ — Redemption Applied, and is Part 31 (of 38) in this Five Word Sermon Series.

Here are “Five Words” that you need to understand!

“We have peace with God.” (Rom. 5:1)

Transition:

Previous presentations of this subject:

John T. Jeffery, Justification, Sanctification and Reconciliation: A Conference Introducing Three of the Great Doctrines Concerning the Salvation of Sinners, Session 3:  Reconciliation (26 FEB 2014) at Faith Baptist Fellowship Church (Lake Ariel, PA).

John T. Jeffery, Peace On Earth? Where? An Incarnational Apologetic (Luke 2:14); sermon preached 25 DEC 2011 at Wayside Gospel Chapel (Greentown, PA).

John T. Jeffery, “Peace I leave with you” (John 14:27), Sermon Series: Five Words You Must Understand, Part twenty-three; sermon preached 19 JUL 2015 at Wayside Gospel Chapel (Greentown, PA).

Outline:

I. The Prerequisite of Peace with God

II. The Present Reality of Peace with God

III. The Personal Nature of Peace with God

I. The Prerequisite of Peace with God

“We”

Who is the “we”?

The justified. Believers. Justified believers. Those who have been justified by faith. The justified ungodly ones who believe that God is just, and the Justifier of the ungodly. The justified enemies of the Justifier.

“Therefore being justified by faith…”

3:19-31 — ¹⁹ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. ²¹ But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; ²² Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: ²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ²⁴ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ²⁵ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; ²⁶ To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. ²⁷ Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. ²⁸ Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. ²⁹ Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: ³⁰ Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. ³¹ Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

4:23-5:11 — ²³ Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; ²⁴ But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; ²⁵ Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

¹ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: ² By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; ⁴ And patience, experience; and experience, hope: ⁵ And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. ⁶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. ⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. ¹⁰ For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. ¹¹ And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

II. The Present Reality of Peace with God

“Have”

There is a difference between “have” and “will have.”

Our possession of this peace does not await some “future justification” on judgment day as the "New Perspective on Paul" proponents would have us believe.

See especially John Piper, Counted Righteous in Christ: Should We Abandon the Imputation of Christ’s Righteousness (Wheaton: Crossway, 2002).

Rom. 3:24 — Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Rom. 5:9 — Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

1 Cor. 6:11 — And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

III. The Personal Nature of Peace with God

“peace with God”

“The first result of justification is peace (εἰρήνη, eirēnē). The idea of peace reoccurs in verse 10 with the word “reconciliation”...”

— T. R. Schreiner, Romans (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), pg. 253.

“The first consequence of justification is “peace with God.” Peace is a word rich with meaning. It speaks of the new relationship that exists between God and those who turn to him in faith (cf. Eph 2:14–15; Col 1:21–22). As Paul used the term, it does not primarily depict a state of inner tranquility. It is external and objective. To have “peace with God” means to be in a relationship with God in which all the hostility caused by sin has been removed. It is to exist no longer under the wrath of God. It is not necessary, however, in the interests of literary precision to remove all psychological connotations from the term. Peace is also the joyful experience of those who live in harmony with God, other people, and themselves.”

— R. H. Mounce, Romans (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995), pg. 133.

The nature of the peace is determined by the One who made it.

“…through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Conclusion:

Here are “Five Words” that you need to understand!

“We have peace with God.” (Rom. 5:1)

Here are “Five Words” that you need to understand!

[Sermon preached 30 OCT 2016 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA.]

Complete Outline:

I. The Prerequisite of Peace with God

II. The Present Reality of Peace with God

III. The Personal Nature of Peace with God

Bibliography on Romans 5:1

J. Brown, An Exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans (Edinburgh: David Paterson, 1766), pp. 165-168.

ESV Study Bible (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008).

E. H. Gifford, The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans: Commentary (London: John Murray, 1886), pp. 109-110, 122.

John MacArthur, MacArthur Study Bible, rev. ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997).

R. H. Mounce, Romans (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995), pp. 132-134.

J. Murray, The Epistle to the Romans, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1968), 1:158-159.

Matthew Poole, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, n.d.; 1975 reprint of 1963 ed., from 1695 1st ed.).

Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman, 1932).

T. R. Schreiner, Romans (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), pp. 253-254, 258.

M. A. Seifrid, “Romans,” in Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament, eds. G. K. Beale, and D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), pg. 628.

M. R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887).

Bibliography on “Peace”

The New Bible Dictionary, 1st ed., eds. J. D. Douglas, F. F. Bruce, R. V. G. Tasker, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1962).

The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, 5 vols., eds. J. Orr, J. L. Nuelsen, E. Y. Mullins, and M. O. Evans (Chicago: Howard-Severance, 1915); on International Standard Bible Encyclopedia at http://www.internationalstandardbible.com/  [accessed 14 OCT 2016].

New Bible Dictionary, 3rd ed., eds. D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996).

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, electronic ed., eds. G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, and G. Friedrich; trans. G. W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964-1976).

The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, 13 vols., ed. Samuel Macauley Jackson (New York: Funk and Wagnalls Co., 1909; Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953); on  Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/ [accessed 14 OCT 2016].

Hartmut Beck and Colin Brown, “Peace,” in The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, gen. ed. Colin Brown, English ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978; trans. from Germ. original, Theologisches Begriffslexikon Zum Neuen Testament, 1971 by Theologischer Verlag Rolf Brockhaus, Wuppertal), 2:781-782.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, eds. W. A. Elwell, and B. J. Beitzel (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988).

A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, eds. J. Hastings, J. A. Selbie, A. B. Davidson, S. R. Driver, and H. B. Swete (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1911–1912).

Baker’s Dictionary of Theology, eds. Everett F. Harrison, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Carl F. H. Henry (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1960).

Compiled by:

John T. “Jack” Jeffery

Pastor, Wayside Gospel Chapel

Greentown, PA

25 OCT 2016

Revised:

26 OCT 2016

29 OCT 2016