Wholly Holy MADE HOLY

Romans 5:1-11 (ESV) 1Therefore, 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.

Romans 5:1-11 (ESV) 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.

Romans 5:1-11 (ESV) 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.

Romans 5:1-11 (ESV) 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.

Romans 5:1-11 (ESV) 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

GOD’S DILEMMA God is love and wants a people for himself God is holy and cannot coexist with sin God is just and must punish sin Man is fallen and deserving of God’s judgement All efforts by man to reconcile with God are futile

1. PEACE WITH GOD Romans 5:1

Isaiah 53:5 (HCSB) But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.

Isaiah 53:10 (NKJV) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin

The cross shows us the measure of God’s wrath. TERRY VIRGO

Romans 8:1 (ESV) 1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

“To condemn is not merely to punish, but to declare the accused guilty or worthy of punishment; and justification is not merely to remit that punishment, but to declare that punishment cannot be justly inflicted… CHARLES HODGE

…Pardon and justification therefore are essentially distinct …Pardon and justification therefore are essentially distinct. The one is the remission of punishment the other is a declaration that no ground for infliction of punishment exists” CHARLES HODGE

Because the sinless Saviour died, My sinful soul is counted free; For God the Just is satisfied To look on Him and pardon me C.L. BANCROFT

2. GRACE OF GOD Romans 5:2

Romans 5:2 (NASB) through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

1 Timothy 6:15-16 (ESV) …He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.

John 7:3 (ESV) And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent

You stand in grace; you do not slink into it; you do not creep into it; you do not crawl into it! Christ justifies us and we walk into this grace, and we stand in it. DR MARTIN LLOYD-JONES

Our holiness is not so much a matter of what we achieve as it is the grace our God provides. Grace is God’s willingness to look at us from the perspective that sees his holy Son in our place….As a consequence he loves and treasures us as much as if we had never sinned. BRYAN CHAPPEL

3. GLORY OF GOD Romans 5:2

1 John 3:1-2 (ESV) Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! .... Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is

4. PERSPECTIVE OF GOD Romans 5:3-5

Romans 8:28 NASB And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Metamorphosis

5. LOVE OF GOD Romans 5:5-10

Romans 5:5 (ESV) 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.

Romans 5:6-8 (ESV) 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.

‘“Under the vivid metaphor of a cloudburst on a parched countryside” (Dunn), what the Holy Spirit does is make us deeply and refreshingly aware that God loves us.’ JOHN STOTT

‘The verb “pour out” connotes an abundant, “extravagant”, effusion.’ DOUGLAS MOO

The only thing we could be said to contribute to our justification is the sin God so graciously forgives. We are justified by grace alone ALISTER MCGRATH

1 Peter 1:5 (HCSB) You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 1 Peter 1:23 (NKJV)

6. REJOICE IN GOD Romans 5:11

In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song; This cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My comforter, may all in all – Here in the love of Christ I stand. STUART TOWNEND

No guilt in life, no fear in death – This is the power of Christ in me; From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from his hand; Till he returns or calls me home – Here in the power of Christ I stand STUART TOWNEND

Jude 24-25 (NASB) Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.