Listen to the Sermon or the Entire Service
May 26th:
Really? Really! Call: Proverbs 8: 4, 32 Text: Romans 5: 1-5 Read: W&S #80 Some have suggested that the first eight chapters of Paul's letter to the Romans Make up the finest treatise on Christianity ever written. I offer no opinion on that. In fact, even as I present that suggestion to you I have to admit that there are parts of Romans that Are either dense or proof that I am dense. However, almost exactly in the middle of those first eight chapters Are the first five verses of chapter five Five useful, meaningful, and informative verses That fascinate, inspire, and reassure me. Those verse begin immediately after Paul has just made it clear that we are saved or justified by faith rather than by a strict adherence to the law. Paul writes in the first two of our verses:, "Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. In other words Since we understand that our relationship with God Comes through our faith in Jesus Christ and not through narrow legalistic obedience we have peace; and we have the Christ given access to the grace that enables us to boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. This sounds great! It is comforting. In is inspiring. You and I - with all our faults and failures - Can - remarkably enough - have the hope of sharing God's glory Not because we deserve it But because of our faith in Christ And our willingness to trust in His grace. Doesn't it make you feel like you can sit back in an expensive leather arm chair well positioned in a room decorated with signs of success while wearing a silk smoking jacket and lighting a Cuban cigar. And thinking, "I am somebody!" Of course, this And by this I mean sharing the glory of God Not the arm chair, room, smoking jacket, and Cuban cigar Is available to everyone Everyone who has faith in Christ and trusts in His grace. This is when we want to ask, "Really?" And those two verses answer back, "Really." Then Paul followed those two verses by beginning the next three with, "And not only that, ..." This is starting to sound like a television commercial for something we would be encouraged to order. "And not only that But the first 115 people to call 1-800-ROM-ANS8 will also get two extra pairs of micro fiber dishtowels and dishcloths" "Wow! All that in addition to sharing God's glory!" Our reaction changes, however, as we hear how Paul proceeds with that next sentence, "And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings." And we respond, "Wait a second! I didn't sign up for any suffering. And if I get any, I am sure as anything That I am not going to boast about them!" "I want the micro fiber items instead." Since none of us are masochists, we want to challenge Paul. "Paul, did you say we are to boast in our sufferings?" "Really?" And Paul answers, "Really!" explaining to us as he explained to the Romans, That we can do so because we know "That suffering produces endurance That endurance produces character And that character produces hope." "And further, that hope does not disappoint us Because God's love has been poured into our hearts Through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." Part of our problem with the idea of boasting in our sufferings comes from the word "boast" itself. It is an English word. Paul, however, wrote in Greek. We get a better idea of what Paul is saying if we replace "boast in" With "maintain confidence in." Paul is telling us that We can maintain confidence that we will share God's glory Even as we suffer And we do so by recognizing that our faith will enable us To endure our sufferings And that that endurance will strengthen and develop our character And finally that through that character we will experience hope That hope is not going to disappoint us or betray us For God's love has been poured into us Through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We can maintain our confidence that we will share God's glory Even as we experience our human suffering ? We ask "Really?" and Paul answers, "Really!" In fact he tells us that our faith will be strengthened as we endure those sufferings. And he is right. I know that. This is one of two passages to which I frequently turn Whenever I am discouraged or downcast Especially when that condition results from my own failures What I need on those occasions is hope And this passage reminds me that because of my faith I should remain confident That enduring the suffering Will strengthen my character And that in doing so I will retain the hope that I need. There is an additional reason that this passage helps so much is that these five modest sized verses not only give instruction and advice but also present the image of God as a team. For in this passage we experience all three parts of the Trinity for we have peace with God [the father, parent, or creator] through our Lord Jesus Christ [the son, savior, and sacrifice] God's love has been poured into our hearts through the HS [the empowerer, or advocate] The father, the son, and the Holy Spirit are all parts of the one true God. And thus this scripture sends an a powerful message: that all bases are covered And that we am in good hands My hope is built on nothing less. Really.