Saved by Death (Part A)

Come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. That is available to everyone who hears the gospel. It is available. It's not like, well, you're not good enough, or you're not born into this race or that, or whatever.

No, this is for anyone. You can come to the throne of God, and you can come without timidity. Boldly come, understanding that God has paved this way just for sinners who are ready to submit to Him.

To hear more information about Cross Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. And now here's Pastor Rick with a new study in the book of Romans chapter 5 verse 1 with today's edition of Cross Reference Radio. Romans chapter 5.

If you have your Bibles, please turn there. Romans chapter 5 verses 1 and then 8 through 10. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 8. God demonstrates His own love toward us, and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. How many never consider peace with God or just take it for granted? Just assume God and I are okay.

Nothing to worry about here. I think it's a good question to ask, folks. Certainly not someone you know to be born again. But here in this fifth chapter are some of the most profound words on salvation given to man. When I think of Paul's letter to the Romans, I tend to almost, as much as I can recall, immediately think of Romans 5 verses 1 and verse 8. Peace with God demonstrated love while still a sinner. They just are profound thoughts that come through Paul given to him by God. Looking at the first verse, therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now to give this a contextual interpretive rendering, we were just thinking about justified.

What does that mean? Well, the Greek is acquitted and the meaning is salvation. It has to do with salvation. So if we understand that Paul in this first verse is joining this first verse with what he had previously said in chapter 4, look with me at verse 25. I'm going to take verses 25 and then the first verse of chapter 5 and I'm going to swap out the word, give it an interpretive rendering for justified.

So it reads this way. This is the meaning, doing no harm to what is being said. Romans 4, 25, who was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our salvation. Therefore, having been saved by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So you kind of lose the idea of salvation when we don't use the word justified in its theological sense often. We don't even use it in its regular sense too much. You know, maybe who ate the last cookie?

I did, but I'm justified because I baked it or whatever. But so, you know, you can't lose the punch, the punch line that therefore having been saved by faith, that's what that first verse is telling us. Paul has been talking about faith. He's been going out of his way to say there's not something you're born into unless you're born again into it.

This is not something that you deserve. This is not something that excludes everybody who you don't like. This is made available by the death of Christ. You can be saved because of Christ no matter who you are. And so having made a big deal about salvation by faith, having made points on the importance of faith, here now is the big deal about the death of Jesus to give us that salvation that he's been talking about.

Saved by death, and it is a big deal. Point of faith is to have peace with God. And to have peace with God is to find salvation.

And that requires trusting in what Christ has done. It sounds so simple because it is. However, why isn't making things complicated more complicated? It's too easy to complicate things. And it just seems that there are a lot of folks, you know, if you want to say to them, do you love God's word? Is it sufficient?

Or are you always snooping around for something else to add to it? Unfortunately, that's one way heresies creep into the church. To be in love with what God has said is quite an achievement. Probably not the right word, achievement, but it's a gain for sure. We're never more saved than the moment we put our trust in Christ. It's not like, well, you know, I now trust him. I'm more saved than you now because of, you know, I do this or I do that or I've been walking longer than you.

No. It's once we're saved that we're in. However, there are rewards to be gained and that comes through hard work. We are never accepted because of who we are. We have every reason to not be accepted because of who we are. We are accepted by God because of what Christ has done and who God is. Well, who is God? God is love. Yeah, what's that?

What does that mean? Well, that's what the Bible, one of the grand things about the Bible is that it explains this, God who is love. Jesus said, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father.

If you've seen me, you've seen God. And just looking at the life of Jesus, how he has compassion, how he had compassion on the multitudes, how he allowed sinners to love on him, it just speaks volumes. We have peace with God, he says here in verse 1. And this is what the Bible is about, peace with God.

What is the alternative? War. War with God.

How would you like a dose of that? It took the violent death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ to finally deal with man's sin. And you who are very familiar with Scripture and love God's Word, don't let these truths become dull to you.

Because when the pressure is on, you're going to need all of it. There is no higher peace in existence. There's no equal peace in existence than peace with God. And how many, unfortunately, only want a peace of God and not the peace with God?

It's a big deal. There are those that just want what God has to offer, but they're really not interested in what God wants from them. And sin is the culprit. Sin disrupts this peace.

It has ruined the rhythm. When God finishes creative work on the sixth day, on the sixth day, this is what the Bible says. This is a commentary on God's creation before sin entered. Then God saw everything that he made, and indeed it was very good.

Well, the rhythm was there, but it's about to be lost. Sin entered through man's failure to trust what God said. Man knew what God said, but failed to trust it and did not think out the consequences.

And look what it has done. Death, disease, divorce, disaster, all these things by a single act. Sin is a very powerful thing.

It is a very big deal. And the antidote has blood all over it, and it's the blood of God. And all believers, we have peace with God, but we don't all have the peace of God.

That one you're going to have to fight for. Christ gives us peace with God when we receive him. Paul wrote to the Colossians, and he said, let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Well, why would he even have to say that if it was automatic?

It's not automatic. And it is what we want. We want that peace that surpasses understanding.

That's an unnatural, it's a supernatural peace, and it only comes from abiding in Christ. And even then, it comes through hard work by the sweat of your brow. But it is worth it.

It is very much worth it. And these words, incidentally, spoken by a man who was often persecuted for Christ, who knew something about those who wanted a piece of his flesh, and never mind the peace of God. So there is the trusting of God, that peace for my salvation. And that's what this first verse is talking about. But then as I referenced in Colossians, there is the peace of trusting in my salvation, the life that I live based on my salvation, the outflow of my salvation, working it out.

Not working for my salvation, but working it out, doing something with it. The unbeliever has neither peace with God, nor the peace of God. Unbelievers, in one sense, can be decent enough without being holy, without having righteousness, without knowing it, an unbeliever can be compliant with the second table of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments is broken up in, well I don't want to say broken, that's probably a broken table, that wouldn't be right.

It's divided into two sections. The first four verses deal with man and God. The second, the next part, the remaining six verses deal with man's behavior towards man in the presence of God.

God is involved in both of them. And so the first table is, you know, you should have no other gods before me. Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy, you know, don't take my name in vain. But then the second table comes along and it's dealing with, don't kill, don't lie, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't bear false witness, stop coveting. So again, an unbeliever can be compliant with that last section. You can say, I don't kill, I don't lie, I don't steal, relative to human behavior.

Not the ideal of perfection, of course, none of us can achieve that, we're all sinners. And they can do this without caring for a relationship with God as found in the beginning of those commandments. Have no other gods before me. Now they're non-compliant with the Ten Commandments. And there is no peace with God. There can be no peace with God if the first portion of the Ten Commandments are disrupted.

Of course, the New Testament Sabbath is in Christ now and not on the last day of the week as it was for the Jews. So the result is peace with man. If you are a decent enough person, but you're not saved, you may have peace with man, relatively speaking. You can get along with your neighbors and be a decent person. But you still don't have peace with God.

And that's what he's talking about. He's talking about here, therefore having been saved by faith, we have peace with God. And if you're not saved by faith, regardless of how you feel, you have not this peace. You are an enemy of God. And that's what we stood and read when we got to verse 9. Moreover, then having now been justified, pardon me, not in verse 9, verse 10. For if we, for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God. Meaning before this reconciliation, before this peace with God, we were his enemies.

We were in opposition to him. That cannot benefit anybody. To live and to die in that state is a disaster. It is a catastrophic event.

Your eternal state would be sealed and it ain't going to be good. When Solomon wrote, there is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way of death. He wasn't telling a joke.

He's being very serious about that. Knowing and loving God are imperatives. When Jesus was asked, what's the first commandment? His answer was that you shall love the Lord your God. Because the first part of that Ten Commandments cannot be executed without love for God. You have to love the Lord.

And the New Testament upholds this in a drastic way, in a dramatic way. 1 Corinthians 16, if anyone does not love the Lord Jesus, let him be accursed. That means let him go to hell then. Now who wants to take that out of the Bible? Who thinks that, oh that's so mean. You think that's mean. You wait to see the finished product of Satan.

And you'll find out what mean is. God is not apologizing, he's telling us like it is. Galatians chapter 1, but even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. That's a death sentence on the soul. This is the Holy Spirit saying to humanity, I want peace with you on my terms.

And my terms involve you facing facts about me and about you at the same time and then pursuing compliance. Is that too much to ask? Is it too much for a divine being who is holy and pure, is it too much for him to ask for our allegiance to what he has said, what he has revealed? How would I know what God wants unless I know what he says? And this is the big deal of the scripture. Jesus said to Mary about Mary, she has chosen that good thing and it will not be taken from her. That was she'd sit under the word and not be distracted by being busy with other things.

There's a time to be busy with things, but then there's a time to sit under the word. Peace with God is by his blood. It costs great blood, divine blood to attain this peace and it is not going to be matched. You're not going to have God have his son go to the cross and say, well, you know, there are some other ways you can do this too.

He would have opted for those. And so when Paul writes again to the Corinthians, he says, you were bought at a price. You were bought with the precious blood of Christ. Let's live like we believe that. So the unsaved, they can pursue peace with others and even themselves without pursuing peace with God.

It happens all the time. They want to get along with everybody. They want to feel good about themselves. Where does God factor into any of this? Well, for many of them, not at all. Or worse, probably worse, they make up things about God. They're liable on God.

So, since man is born in iniquity from God's standpoint, from God's standpoint, we are born enemies, thus the need to be born again. Don't feel like you've got to apologize for these facts to people who are uncomfortable with them. Don't feel like because somebody wants to, you know, feel good about themselves and you're telling them the truth that you've got to back down from the truth.

Not at all. I'm trying to clobber them in their head. But, you know, the truth is cold when you're against it.

And if they don't like it, that's going to be on them. So, man is at war with God. And as I mentioned, this is overcome by being born again. Romans chapter 8, verse 7, because the carnal mind is enmity against God. Nothing peaceful about that. For it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

There it is. God is saying the natural person, a person just born one time, has a disposition that doesn't get along with heaven, that does not get along with the kingdom of God, that is in opposition to the Savior, that stands against everything he died for. Because the carnal mind is at enmity against God. For it is not subject.

He is not. The lordship of Christ, you have to come under this lordship. I love this stuff. I love God's word.

And I don't want to ever lose sight of how much I love it. And one reason why I love it, not only because I benefit from it, because it's true. In a world where there's so many things that are just a big fat lie, and people are getting away with it.

But we have to back up, I do have to back up a little bit. And the biblical definition of the wicked, it's important, I think. Biblically, what God is saying is those outside of his Son are the wicked. Now there are degrees of wickedness, of course, but those outside of peace with God are classified as the wicked. Man classifies the wicked in terms of crimes against man. And it can be Hamas. That's wicked incarnate. If Satan could become human and do some of the things he'd like to do, it would be Hamas. People like that.

And they're advocates. Flunkies would go around supporting this kind of wickedness. I don't feel any need to apologize for calling wickedness out. If you're guilty, then repent.

Guilty will always be offended until they repent. Well, God classifies the wicked as those against him first and mankind second. Man defines wickedness, again, crimes against man. And God goes beyond that. Those outside of his son's lordship are biblically defined as the wicked. And again, there are levels of wickedness, but either way, you're going to land you in hell. Isaiah 55, 7, I'm not going to take time to read it, but you can reference that where God points out who the wicked are and then offers them an opportunity to be forgiven, to receive mercy. And the Bible is loaded with teachings on mercy. So you can't say to God, you're not fair.

Who do you think you are? Calling out people and saying this is the standard of wickedness and right. Well, that's what we're seeing in the world right now. People trying to redefine the definitions of decency and morality and goodness. Calling evil good and good evil, as the prophet Isaiah also pointed out. Through our Lord Jesus Christ and no other. I love Acts 4, 12. Nor is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. There is no other way. And there are people that are offended by this because they still have the world's standards.

And they don't even keep those. You know, you want to be truly a communist, truly a socialist? Then what's in your wallet belongs in my wallet. I mean, we really want to carry this out. Let's be honest about the whole thing. Well, in verse 2 he continues, through whom also we have access by faith into his grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Well, he's talking now through whom we have access into heaven.

It's what it's all about. What would it profit you if you obeyed Christ all your life and didn't get to go to heaven? Heaven is the prize.

And it is glorious. Hebrews, and this is, you know, access into heaven, Hebrews 4.16, Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. He's talking in this lifetime. We don't have to get an appointment to meet with God. Nor, nor do you have to be good enough to meet with God. Because, of course, you would not, you wouldn't make it. Sorry, sir. You can't make an appointment for you. You're not good enough. Can you imagine?

I cannot. You know, in the days of Christ, a self-righteous Jew, and not all of them were, but some were, many were as a matter of fact, fought themselves secure. After all, they put up a wall between the court of the Gentiles and the court of the men of the Jews of Israel. And they were smug about this whole thing without realizing that God had put up a barrier between them, the veil in the temple, between the holy place and the holiest of holies. It's almost as though God had been saying to them, I've gotten to you too. You too are not worthy.

You mock others or you belittle them. Luke chapter 23 at the crucifixion, we read, the veil of the temple was torn in two, access to God. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. That is available to everyone who hears the gospel. It is available. It's not like, well, you're not good enough, well, you're not born into this race or that, or whatever.

No, this is for anyone. You can come to the throne of God and you can come without timidity. Boldly come, understanding that God has paved this way just for sinners who are ready to submit to Him. And so by faith into His grace, unearned, that's what grace is, theologically speaking, grace is unearned, in which we stand. Well, it would be unmovable in our faith, unshaken. So if I turn my back to Jesus, by default, am I facing the devil?

Yeah. He who's not with me is against me. That's a good thing to remember. Lord, may I not turn my back on you. Even when I'm doing wrong, I'm not turning my back on the Lord.

I am like, Lord, this is messed up. Why can't people just stay at home or walk to work? Why do they have to use my road? Anyway, Acts 26, verse 20.

Maybe I should help you. God doesn't want you to be patient when you're driving. He wants you to be long-suffering.

And that is a theological fact. Patience is for things. Long-suffering is for people. And once you do it one time, you realize, you know that's right. I am suffering, and it seems like it's a long time.

It's because of this guy here. Sometime when trouble comes, you know what you've got. Oh, man, it's going to be a long ride. Thanks for joining us for today's teaching on Cross-Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia.

We're currently going through the book of Romans. If you're in need of hearing this message again or want to listen to others like it, head over to crossreferenceradio.com. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast, too, so you'll never miss another edition of Cross-Reference Radio. Just go to your favorite podcast app to subscribe. On our website, you'll be able to learn a little more about the ministry of Cross-Reference Radio, so make a note of it, crossreferenceradio.com. That's all we have time for today, but thanks so much for listening. Pastor Rick will be back next time in the book of Romans, here on Cross-Reference Radio.