The endurance is not produced by ease, but by pressure. And the result of that, says Paul, is character, tested character. In Romans chapter 5, the apostle Paul talks about our justification and how it leads to peace with God. It provides access to God through faith. It allows us to rejoice in hope, even in the midst of our suffering, because that suffering is actually producing endurance. Today on Redoing Your Mind, we're pleased to feature a message that Ligonier teaching fellow, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, delivered originally for our ministry partners.
And we'd like to share it with you. It's titled, Rejoicing in the Gospel. When the Ligonier staff suggested to me I might record a special message of the month for the ministry partners, I thought this was really a great idea because when you speak, when you're a preacher, you're always speaking to the people who are there and not to people who may hear a recording. And so from a personal point of view, it's actually very helpful to me to be thinking about you as I bring this message today, because this is a message for the ministry partners as well as a message for myself. And I want to reflect with you on a passage that's been much on my mind recently from Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 5 and verses 1 through 11.
Let me read it. Therefore, since Paul, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 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. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 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. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die. But God shows His love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since therefore we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. 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.
More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Our Christian forefathers in the Reformed tradition often used to speak about the danger of living below our privileges, and by that they meant that we have a great gospel and we believe that gospel, but often we don't taste that gospel the way we should, and our lives don't reflect the savour and the power and the grace of the gospel. And I think many of us are very conscious of this. We may sit under preaching that exalts Christ, and yet we feel that our lives do not match the privilege that we have in hearing about Christ and in knowing Christ. I don't think that is just a 21st century issue in the church. It seems to me from the New Testament that that's always been an issue, and so the New Testament is punctuated by passages that hold out to us the wonder of our privileges, so that we may taste them, so that we may grow in them, so that our stature as Christians may begin to match the privileges that are ours in Christ. And certainly Romans 5, 1 through 11 is one of those passages, and it's held together by an expression, a phrase, a verb that Paul uses three times. He uses it first of all in verse 2, and again in verse 3, and again he uses it in verse 11. Because we've been justified by faith and of peace with God, we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. In verse 3, more than that, we rejoice in our sufferings. And then finally in verse 11, even more than that, we also rejoice in God himself through our Lord Jesus Christ. What is masked in most translations, perfectly understandably, is that this is a verb that Paul has already used several times in Romans, although ordinarily it's been differently translated.
He uses it four times, I think, in chapter 2 verse 17 and 23, in chapter 3 verse 27, and in chapter 4 verse 2. And in each of these occasions, it's usually translated boast, but it's bad boasting. And what Paul has been demonstrating in these early chapters is that we actually have nothing to boast about before God. Religious people have boasted in their works. The Jewish people have boasted in their possession of the law.
And we do that by nature, don't we? We boast in our own accomplishments. And Paul's argument from chapter 1 verse 18 through to chapter 3 verse 20 is intended to silence our boasting. Indeed, he says towards the end of that argument, I'm reasoning this way from the Word of God so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may be held guilty before God. And he goes on to say, even Abraham, if Abraham had accomplished something, he would have had something to boast in, but not before God. Even Abraham had nothing to boast in.
So this is his position. By nature, as we stand before God, our mouths are shut, we have nothing to boast in. That is to say, we have nothing in ourselves that we can rejoice in before God.
But then comes the gospel. Christ, the propitiation for our sins. Christ, in whom we have redemption. Christ, in whom we have justification. And our mouths are opened and we begin to boast, to exalt, to rejoice.
But not in ourselves. We rejoice in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he's saying that we do this in three ways.
Actually, it almost seems as though he's walking with us up three steps. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We rejoice in our sufferings. We rejoice in God himself. So first of all, we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
An interesting glory is also a term that's been used earlier on in Romans and in a rather parallel way. Remember how in chapter one, he had said, we've actually exchanged the glory of God for creation. We worship creatures rather than the glorious Lord. And then later on in a very famous statement, he says, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I think if I were finishing that sentence in Romans 3.23, I would have been inclined to say we've all sinned and broken the law of God. And that's the evil of our sin. But Paul wants us to understand the tragedy of our sin. The tragedy of our sin is we were made for the glory of God. We were made to live for that glory and to reflect that glory and ultimately to live in that glory.
And we have sold that inheritance for nothing. And so he says, this is the wonder of the gospel, that when we are justified, we have this hope of the glory of God. And I'm sure you know that in the New Testament, hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is not saying, well, I hope it's going to be a good day tomorrow because then I can go and play golf.
No, in the New Testament, hope is an assurance of something we haven't fully yet experienced. Think of it this way, there's a grandson in your family or perhaps even your own young son and he's looking forward to Christmas and he looks through the curtains one night and he sees you bringing something into the house that seems to have very strange things sticking out of it and two round things, one at one end and one at the other. And it's all covered up and you don't know that he's seen you. And then perhaps someone in the family says to him, John, what are you wanting for Christmas? And he says, I'm hoping to get a new bicycle. That's not wishful thinking.
He knows the bicycle is already hidden in the garage. That's his assurance that he is going to experience what is coming at Christmas because he's already tasted it. And that's the point Paul is making here. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God because we have this wonderful assurance that Jesus Christ, who has saved us now, will keep us to the end because he's justified us. And that means, and this is the wonderful truth of the gospel, that because the righteousness that is imputed to us is Christ's righteousness, there is a sense in which we can say we are now before the judgment seat of God as righteous as Jesus Christ himself. And that righteousness can never fail. No wonder Paul says we have peace with God and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
But then you'll notice he takes a step up. I think even an unbeliever can respect the assurance that Christians have and perhaps even see it as enviable. But now what Paul speaks about is something that the unbeliever finds remarkable. We not only rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, he says we rejoice in our sufferings. Now, Paul did not rejoice in pain. What he says is he rejoiced in productivity.
And you'll notice that's the way he puts it. We rejoice in our sufferings not because of what we feel, but because of what we know, knowing that suffering produces. And what it produces is endurance. The word he uses here is hupomone, and it is the ability to remain under pressure. I always think of these Olympic weightlifters every four years. They come onto the desk, they put the chalk on their hands, and then they lift these massive weights above their heads. You can see their knees and their legs almost buckling.
And then I think a green light goes on, and the weight comes down like a ton of bricks. Now, how are they able to do that? It's not because they eat their oatmeal in the morning.
It's because over the months and the years, the pressure that has been placed upon them, the stretching of their bodies, the endurance tests that they've been through, the increasing weights that have been placed on them, it's that the pressure has produced the endurance. And this is what Paul is saying. You know, sometimes I wonder if you know a Christian who kind of gives the impression they've got it all together, and you're with them, and suddenly they lose the plot, and they're embarrassed, and they turn to you and say, I don't know what came over me. I'm usually a very patient person. That's what Paul is speaking about here. I'm usually a very patient person.
And the truth is, they're actually a very impatient person whose impatience has never really been tested, because endurance is not produced by ease, but by pressure. And the result of that, says Paul, is character, tested character. But then you notice what he goes on to say. He says, this character produces hope. Hope of what? Actually, it's the hope of glory.
And you see how his doctrine and his experience have now united. The truth of justification leads me to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. But the work of God in my life as he produces endurance and endurance produces tested character, actually then begins to work that hope deeply into my soul. And then he adds, and this hope does not put us to shame. Or in the older translations, this hope doesn't disappoint us.
It doesn't let us down. Now, how do we know that? How do we know that in our experience? Well, he answers our question, because God's love has already been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. I wonder if you've ever read that sermon of Jonathan Edwards entitled, Heaven a World of Love. Heaven is a world of love.
And perhaps we can picture it this way. When the Lord Jesus sends his Holy Spirit into our hearts, it is as though in order to get into our hearts, he punctures a hole in the floor of heaven. And as he comes down to us, that love which is the atmosphere of heaven comes down with us and floods our hearts. That perfect sense of the love of the Lord Jesus that the saints in glory now comes down in measure into our hearts. And the reason we have this hope within us is because we've already begun to taste the reality for which we hope. I remember words that were spoken describing Richard Sibbes, the great Puritan pastor and theologian of that blessed man, let this just praise be given that heaven was in him before he was in heaven.
But you know, that's true of every Christian believer. The love of God poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. But then fast forward for a minute to chapter 5 and verse 11. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We rejoice in our sufferings. And then I think even more remarkably, I think this is actually beyond the unbeliever's understanding. We rejoice in God himself. Now, that statement is, of course, the conclusion of the reasoning that Paul has worked out from verse 5 right through to verse 10.
And his reasoning is this. Why is it that we rejoice in God himself for himself? And the answer is because we know the kind of God he is.
He is the God of infinite love for his people. He loved us from the first of time, and he will love us to the last. How do we measure love? Well, we usually measure love by the dignity of the lover, don't we? And the one who has loved us is the one who has eternal dignity, our Heavenly Father, the blessed Holy Spirit, our Savior, Jesus Christ. And then we measure love by the distance, the gulf between the lover and the loved one. And you notice how Paul describes the loved one here?
He uses a variety of vocabulary to tell us who we really are. We are the ungodly. We are sinners.
We are enemies. That's the people he has loved. And then we measure love by what the loved one is willing to receive from the lover because of what the lover is willing to do for the loved one. And if I can retranslate or reformulate what Paul says here, I think you will get the point he makes.
Here is what he says literally. While we were still weak at the right time for the ungodly, Christ died. For one, for a righteous person, will scarcely die, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die. But God shows His love for us and that while we were still sinners, for us Christ died.
Every statement he makes emphasizes the word died. That's the measure of His love. It's not just that He came from heaven to seek us. It's that with His own precious blood He bought us. That's why we are able to rejoice in God because there is nothing in Him unlike the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus manifests the love of the Heavenly Father and we are therefore able to bask in that love.
And not only do we bask in that love, but we know that that love will secure us to the end. He says now that we are reconciled through His love, would we ever doubt that we will be saved by His life? Remember how He puts it in Romans 8.32? If God didn't spare His own Son for us but gave Him up for us all, we wouldn't ever doubt that He would give us everything we need to get to heaven, would we? And this is why, says the Apostle, that we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation.
I wonder if, like me, you sometimes feel you're living below the level of your privileges. And Paul is saying here, Christian, are your privileges. Or if you're not a Christian yet, here are the privileges that you will find in Jesus Christ.
I think my favorite illustration in Pilgrim's Progress comes in the second book when the pilgrim's wife, Christiana, is making her way to the heavenly city and in Interpreter's house she's shown this picture of a man who is standing with a muck rake in his hand and he's raking about in the muck looking for treasure. And he hasn't lifted up his eyes to see that there's someone standing in front of him holding a crown of gold. That could be a picture of someone who's not yet a Christian.
You're looking in the wrong place. But Jesus Christ has a crown of gold to offer you. And perhaps as a Christian you've taken your eyes off him and you need to lift them up again to him and enjoy the crown of gold he wants to put on your head. And then you will know what it is to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, even to rejoice in your sufferings and especially to rejoice in God himself. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the riches of your grace to us in Jesus Christ. I pray for myself, for friends who hear this message that together our lives may reflect the privileges that are ours and that those privileges may through our witness be extended to others who will join us in loving you and trusting you. Be with us today, we pray. Forgive our sins and strengthen us wherever we are to serve you for your glory. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen. That message of hope comes from our good friend and Ligonier Teaching Fellow, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson. He took the time to record this message from his home to be an encouragement to our ministry partners here at Ligonier, and we thought it would be helpful for you, our Renewing Your Mind listeners. At a time when so many are feeling anxiety over things that are happening here and around the world, we want to bring the power of God's Word to bear. You know, it was more than 30 years ago that I first heard teaching like this from Dr. Ferguson and our founder, Dr. R.C.
Sproul. A common refrain of mine was, I've never heard this before. It helped me to connect the dots of my Christian faith. And it's not hyperbole to say it was life-changing for me. Life-changing, too, for one of our listeners named Brian when he first heard R.C.
teach. He was talking about what no one else was daring to talk about, which was predestination or election. It was incredible. And it sparked an interest in me. I started reading Romans, particularly Romans 9 and Ephesians 1, and I started reading things like A.W. Pink and all these other formed theologians, and he ignited a passion in me, and he helped me understand the historical context why Protestants separated from Catholicism, R.C. Sproul, and his teaching, his theology. No one else was teaching theology. I mean, everyone else teaches the Bible and goes through the Bible and so on, but no one was teaching systematic theology.
No one was telling you what to believe and why and apologetics. It was as if the Bible college and seminary came through the airwaves and reached me even though I never went. And I've been eating his material up ever since, and I still tune in.
I still purchase material. And it really keeps me rooted and grounded and passionate in my faith, keeping me growing so that then I can disciple those around me. And Brian's story is possible only because of the financial gifts of listeners like you. The devotionals and sermons we're hearing this week are part of a large library of exclusive messages reserved for Ligonier's ministry partners. That's a good example of the expert discipleship resources available to those who commit to support Ligonier's gospel outreach on a monthly basis. Their steady, dependable giving means this teaching continues to expand and reach more people year after year. And as a way of saying thank you, we provide these resources to our partners each month, including the messages you're hearing this week. In this, our 50th year of ministry, would you consider committing to a monthly gift of $25 or more? These messages will be immediately available in your learning library online along with the entire ministry partner library.
That includes exclusive monthly messages. You'll also receive Table Talk magazine every month, discounts to attend Ligonier conferences and events, exclusive resource offers, and a copy of the Reformation Study Bible. You can sign up to become a ministry partner when you go to renewingyourmind.org slash partner, or you can call us here at Ligonier Ministries.
Our number is 800-435-4343. Well, in these challenging days, among the things we need most is wisdom. We all know that the more complex life becomes and the more complicated situations we face, all the more urgent is our need for wisdom. And now we can go back to James 1-5. If any of you lacks wisdom. Dr. Stephen Nichols will be our teacher tomorrow, and we hope you'll join us for Renewing Your Mind. Thank you.
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