He's talking about the forming of Christ's likeness within us to resist our own carnality and we all have it.
Here's a question. Is the Holy Spirit inoperative within me because I refuse to love someone? Because I have edited something in God's Word?
We can't afford to ignore that question. Is the Holy Spirit inoperative within me because I refuse to love? This is Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Romans.
Please stay with us after today's message 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 as he continues teaching through the book of Romans chapter five on this edition of Cross Reference Radio. 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 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 in 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 then the advocates, the flunkies that 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.
The 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 of 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'd make it.
Sorry sir, you can't make an appointment for you. You're not good enough. Can you imagine?
I cannot. You know that 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. 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, 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 is 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, you know, 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.
And it's because of this guy here. Sometimes when trouble comes, you know what you've got. Oh, man, it's going to be a long ride. Anyway, Acts 26, verse 22. That was the case of Rebecca, Isaac and Rebecca, right, when Esau married those Arab women.
Oh, man, they were such an irritant. It was a long haul for them. Acts 26, verse 22, is Paul talking about his salvation. And the point I want to draw out of this is by faith into this grace in which we stand. Therefore, he said, having obtained help from God, Paul giving his testimony about his conversion, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come. I preach the word of God, and I stand there. I don't move away from that. And he continues here in verse 2, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Well, this is a comprehensive coverage of my eternal state. This kind of hope is not the hope that is one with elements of anxiety. Boy, I sure hope this happens.
I hope this bridge doesn't fall underneath me. That's not the kind of hope that's being spoken of here. This is the hope, and the Greek bears that out, that is desires, anticipation with eagerness.
It's a done deal. I'm not being anxious about this kind of hope. When Abraham hoped in the Lord, it wasn't that, well, I sure, I'm hoping he can pull this off.
No, it was like, boy, I can't wait. Peace with God. That reconciles my past with him.
That fixes the things that I broke. Access by faith. That takes care of right here, right now, the present. I have access. I can boldly go to Christ. After this service, you can boldly go to Christ and say, Lord, that was a good sermon. You can do that.
I'll be checking. Anyway, the hope of the glory of God. Now we're talking about the future, the glory, the radiance, the fulfillment, the power of God. That takes care of my future. And so when we put it all together, the faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Why? Because I got peace with God.
How did it get there? Because of Christ. He did this for me. And I was not foolish.
I received it. Now there's more to it. Verse, now we go to verse three of Romans chapter five.
And not only that, there's more. But we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance. Now this is high speech, glory in tribulation, not because of them. So Paul, in a situation where he's being persecuted, looks for a solution, theologically, in his understanding of God. What is Paul, speaking to himself, what is my role here? My role is to make sure I glorify the Lord and I take what's coming and I don't back down from my faith. And in that is glory. And Satan hates every bit of that. Again, so we can't lose sight of who's writing this. And by this time, by the time he writes this Roman letter, he has taken quite a few beatings.
He's already written the Galatian letter where he says, I bear on my body the marks of Christ. I have had my back plowed enough by the scourges of man to be able to sit here and tell you that my faith works. And if it didn't work, I wouldn't be sitting here telling you. I would have turned my back on Christ long ago, but I did not. I turned my back on my persecutors and they scourged me. I'll come back to that quote if things go as planned. So verse three, and not only that, but we also glory in tribulation. Salvation, this side of heaven, is no escape of tribulation, but through it.
And we're supposed to shine in the dark. I don't like this either. I just want to go to heaven and just be left alone. But that, well, not really, because I'm sure when you get to heaven, you'll never feel like an outsider. There are so many things that won't be happening in heaven. In heaven, carbs are good for you. Sugar promotes healthy teeth. I mean, it's just gonna be Rock Candy Mountain.
I mean, it's just... Anyway, the tribulation part, opportunity to shine in the dark. Second, Philippians chapter two, written from jail. Children of God without fault in the, who we're supposed to be, supposed to be children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world. That's the tribulation, the glorying and tribulation that he's talking about. Fine, I'm in jail. I'm in chains, but the gospel's not chained.
I can still preach the gospel. So he's looking for solutions, and the solutions are always to glorify God no matter what's going on. They're just so, you know, they're just those tribulations that come our way.
They're just very hateful things. They're the very things we don't want, but in that is always opportunity to stand, as Paul said, both in Acts and his testimony, and therefore take up the armor of God that you may be able to withstand and having all to withstand, stand. Well, I'll quote that in a minute again. He says, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance. Well, that's the problem. Perseverance is time. It's, you know, it's not a flash, you know, it's not like I just pricked my finger.
This is, oh, it's stuck in the vice. This is ongoing, and God uses hardship to develop our faith. Consider this. Talk about things different in heaven, right? Lessons on faith that we get here could never be learned in heaven. You cannot learn about temptation in heaven. You cannot learn so much of your faith except here, and God uses that. And if you say, well, what's the benefit?
That Christianity is still here and preaching is the benefit, and souls are still getting saved, that heaven is still being populated, that we still pursue love of enemies. Trouble is inescapable. Will it be wasted on me and I become shallow and bitter? Many do. Many churchgoers become shallow and bitter over just things in the church. Or will I become scarred and better? Well, that's what Paul was talking about to the Galatians. I bear on my body the marks of Christ, and he did physically and spiritually also. How many times was Paul's heart broken?
What do you think? Was there not a sob when he said, Demas has forsaken me? He'd come to love Demas. He was one of the group. He was in Paul's letters. Demas is here. Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has gone on to Thessalonica.
He's left. He had many of those kinds of experiences. You don't just get one of those in a position that Paul had. You get many of them, and you can either look at people as time bombs, or you can just focus on what Christ is doing with you and them the time you're doing it. So Paul, he lists tribulation among the things that cannot separate us from God, from Christ. In chapter 8, in verse 35, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, negativeness, peril, or sword? None of those things are going to separate me from Christ. That's what he's talking about here. Why? I have peace with God.
The main thing stays the main thing, and the minors can do whatever they want. In verse 4, and perseverance, character, and character, hope. You say, well, now he's lecturing them.
So what's the problem with that? We need to be lectured from time to time. We need to be preached to. You say, well, pastor, who do you get preached by at this stage? In earlier years, I got to sit under a lot of teachings, but now it's in my preparation time. I read sermons. I love them.
I like them more than the commentaries. But anyway, here in verse 4, perseverance, time under pressure. We don't persevere.
A little kid is not persevering through a chocolate bar. It's when the pressure is on, and it's going to stay. That's when perseverance kicks in. I'd rather work in there.
Now, you're not going to like this, some of you, but I can't resist it. I'd rather work in there than hang in there. I mean, again, just hanging in there implies you're not doing anything but just getting beaten on. But working in there is, yeah, I know I'm getting beaten at this time, but I can still pray for the guy while he's beating me. Well, where do we have an example of that in Scripture? Father, forgive them.
They don't know what they're doing, nailing him to the cross. Christ was notorious for giving examples. So in John 13, I'm going to wash your feet. He's giving.
He said, I'm doing this to give you an example, what I'm looking for, service without a tip. Ephesians 6, therefore, take up the entire armor of God, because you're going to need it, that you may be able to withstand in the ease of your sins, that you may be able to stand in the evil day, that is when it's your turn to persevere. And having done all to stand, stand.
Perseverance buys time in the midst of hardship, and that forms character. I gotta ask, so Lord, if I live to be 90, do I still need my character formed? I mean, aren't we like done with that part? No. Why? Because others are watching you.
That's why. You're still a witness. Even if you become unconscious, you're still a witness. Your life is a witness.
And the proof of that is when you finally flatline, it impacts those left behind. Character, how we behave overall due to influence. What he's talking about in verse 5, we'll get to that later. What would I be without character shaped by the Holy Spirit? What would I be if Christ did not put his hands on me, if I were untouched by God?
This is a character point now. I would be clay in the earth, clay in the earth, not in the potter's hands. And we like, you know, to be singing, you know, as, you know, I got confused between the deer panting for the water and somehow the potter's wheel.
But anyway, I'm gonna try to fix that one. I am the potter, you are the clay. That's how the song goes. And yeah, well, then let him push on you and spin you around and soak you, because that's what it's going to take to get the job done. Verse, you know, one thing you learn about construction, whatever kind, whether you're in home construction, industrial, is you show up to a job and there are things that are required to get the job done. This is true in all fields, but some is where a plumber, you know, hey, my bathroom stopped up. Well, he's gonna have to do what the job calls for and we are to be no different.
What does the job call for? Verse 5, now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has given to us. Well, I wish he'd pour a little bit more love into some of the other hearts, but sometimes, right, it feels that way. This again, the hope, when he says now hope does not disappoint, this is the hope of anticipation. It is the anti-anxiety or anti-anxious hope. This is a hope that says, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna doubt. I'm gonna be excited about what's coming and I'm not gonna doubt. I'm gonna stand my ground in my faith. What others do, that's what they're doing, but I know what I'm supposed to do. I know what my role on the ship is and I'm going to carry it out. Imagine if you, imagine an aircraft carrier full of a crew of several thousand people and nobody knows what their role is.
It would soon be a sanctuary for fish. Anyway, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has given to us. This is the first mention of love directly in Romans and the first explicit mention of the Holy Spirit, but everything he's been saying and everything he will say is based on this foundation of love and the Holy Spirit. This forming now, he's talking about the forming of Christ's likeness within us to resist our own carnality and we all have it. Here's a question, is the Holy Spirit inoperative within me because I refuse to love someone? Because I have edited something in God's Word? We can't afford to ignore that question. Is the Holy Spirit inoperative within me because I refuse to love? Ananias, I want you to go to Paul.
He's on a street called Straight. Lord, this guy's been persecuting us, but in the end, Ananias goes. 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. 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, we'll be back next time in the book of Romans here on Cross Reference Radio.
