Leckie, Albert: Standing Before God In Glory ~ Rom 5

Shall we read together in the Epistle to the Romans and chapter five? The Epistle to the Romans, chapter five, and reading at verse one. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet whereadventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. I think we're all aware that the Epistle to the Romans divides itself into three sections. From chapter one to chapter eight, we have the doctrinal section. Chapters nine, ten, and eleven, we have the dispensational section dealing with Jew and Gentile. Then from chapter twelve to the end, we have the practical section. The first section, doctrinal in its character, from chapter one to chapter eight, divides itself into two. And the two sections here are just this. From chapter one to chapter five and verse eleven, the apostle is dealing with the question of sins. But from verse twelve of chapter five up to the end of chapter eight, the apostle is dealing with the great question of sin. And thus we have read today the verses of wi- with which the apostle brings to its conclusion his teaching with regard to how our sins have been dealt with. We discover in the verses that we've read together that there is one word which occurs three times. Unfortunately, in our authorized version, this word on each occasion is rendered somewhat differently. And around these three words, there is a summation of what the apostle has in his mind in the verses that we've read together. And the three expressions upon which I want to speak are these. Verse uh two, the apostle says, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Then verse 3, we glory in tribulations also. And verse eleven, we joy in God. Now I want you to notice that this word rejoice in verse two glory in verse 3, and joy in verse eleven is one and the same word. And it might be better rendered, we exalt or we, we joy. And thus the three expressions of these. We exult in hope. We exult in tribulations also, and we exult in God. And for a little while, I want you to think with me, with regard to what is meant by this, that we exult in hope, we exult in tribulations, and we exult in God. We begin by thinking of the first statement, we exult in hope. And I would like you to notice that in verses one and two of Revelation of Romans chapter five, the apostle brings before us the past, the present, and the future of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He speaks of his past guilt. He speaks of his present grace, and he speaks of his future glory. And that's true of each one of us here today. Our past guilt has been dealt with. We have a standing now in the grace of God. We have present grace, and we have future glory, and in this we exult. Now let us think of that just for a few moments. With regard to our past guilt, verse one tells us that that has been entirely taken into account, and I have a standing justified before God. And thus, said the writer, therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God. My past guilt has been dealt with. I'm justified. And no doubt the opening of chapter five stems from the closing verses of chapter four, where the apostle says, who was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. And here's the basis of it all. Our Savior was delivered for our offenses, and he was raised again for, or on account of our justification. The one is negative and the other is positive. He was delivered on account of our offenses. By his death on the cross, our offenses have been put away, and that forever. But by reason of his resurrection, I stand justified in virtue of the fact that the man who died for me has been raised from the dead, I have a standing now in the presence of God, acquitted entirely of all guilt, of all the guilt that could be associated with me. And my dear brethren, let's rejoice in this today, that as far as our guilt is concerned, the righteous demands of God's throne have been eternally satisfied, and here we are today. We stand completely acquitted of all our guilt in the presence of the God of heaven, so that those of us saved by God's grace in this room today, we have this assurance that judicially there is absolutely nothing between us and the God of heaven. Now, let me repeat that. What a joy to know that having put our trust in Christ judicially, there's absolutely nothing between us and the God of heaven. And that says the apostle through our Lord Jesus Christ. But he says that for being justified by faith, it has become ours through faith. This, of course, is not faith in an abstract way. It's not just faith in everything that God reveals. It's much more than faith in Jesus' existence. It's faith in his person and in his work. As the apostle puts it in chapter three, that God might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. It's faith in Jesus, his person and his word that has brought to us this justification. And being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Some render this, let us have peace with God, and there's come some considerable weight of authority behind such a statement, let us have peace with God. When we accept it that way, we must remember the apostle is not saying, let us acquire this peace with God, having been justified by faith. Oh no, what he would mean is this, let us enjoy this peace that we now have through having been justified by faith in Christ. Now our past guilt has been dealt with. We're justified. We stand entirely and absolutely acquitted before the bar of God in heaven. What about our present grace? Says the writer in verse two, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. We move from the thought of peace to that of grace, and remember thou that we have a standing in the grace of God. Into this grace we have been introduced. Into this grace we have been freely admitted, and that's the thought. Peace of verse one is a blessing which is general in its, is particular in its character, whereas grace is a blessing which is general in character. And thus we remind our hearts of this, that here is our present grace. Today we stand before God in the enjoyment of undeserved merit, undeserved favor, of undeserved acceptance in the presence of God. We do not stand before the God of heaven as a hired servant. We were standing in his grace. The ring is in our hand, the shoes are on our feet, and we're clothed in the best robe. This is our present standing. We were standing in the grace of God. But what of our future glory? Well, says the writer, we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. How delightful. Thus, the apostle would say this: the grace that has blotted out my guilty past, the grace that has given me a place of standing in divine favor, makes me now to exult in hope of the glory of God. What does the apostle mean when he speaks here of the glory of God? He's certainly not thinking of God's own glory. While we would res- while we would rejoice in God's own glory, when the apostle here speaks of the glory of God, that's not in his mind. It's not God's own glory, but it's the glory which God will yet bestow upon us. When God shall crown his work of grace in his people with eternal glory. And in this today, we ought to be rejoicing. The apostle speaks of this in Ephesians chapter three when he writes, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, unto all generation of the age, of the age of the ages, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. We have a glimpse of this in Revelation chapter twenty one, when John saw the holy city Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And that city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, but the glory of God did lighten it. And I trust that all of us today are rejoicing in hope of such glory. Well, has the hymn writer penned the words? When by the gift of his infinite grace, I am accorded in heaven a place, just to be there and to look on his face, that will be glory, be glory for me. Thus my past guilt has been dealt with. I have a standing in present grace, and I'm rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. But here we have something which is a bit more difficult to understand at first, says the apostle in verse three, and not only so, but we glory, we exult in tribulations also. You say, I can understand how that I ought to rejoice in hope of the glory of God. But how is it that the believer is to exult in tribulations also? You will remember the language of Hebrews chapter twelve, where the writer says, no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Hebrews twelve says that chastening seems to be grievous. That would almost make a contradiction in terms. Hebrews twelve, chastening seemeth to be grievous, but here in Romans chapter five, we exult in tribulations also. What does that mean? When you turn to chapter eight, the apostle says, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine and so on? Chapter eight, we learn that not even can tribulation separate us from the love of Christ. And is it because of that we exult in tribulation, knowing that tribulation can never separate us from the love of Christ? I know that's not the reason why we exult in tribulation. We exult in tribulations, not in what they are in themselves, but what they affect in our lives. What these tribulations are designed of God to produce in our lives, and knowing this, we're enabled to exult in tribulations also. James throws a little light on this matter. If the Apostle Paul says in Romans five and verse 3, knowing that tribulation worketh or effecteth patience, James says in his epistle in chapter one, the trial of your faith worketh patience, says Paul. Tribulation worketh patience, says James. It's the trial of your faith worketh patience. And bringing both together, I went to appreciate that tribulation, which worketh patience, is but the trial of our faith. For the trial of our faith is working patience as well. And thus I'm made to appreciate that my tribulation now is just the trying of my faith. And tribulation worketh patience. Patience is to be considered in two different ways. It can be considered in relation to present trial. It can be considered in relation to future blessing. Patience is needed when that present trial that I'm experience- experiencing, I'm deeply longing for its removal. Patience because of present trial. Trial that I would so much desire would be removed from me. Then patience is needed in relation to promised blessing, when the blessing I so much desire might be delayed. Did not the apostles say in chapter eight of this same epistle, but if we hope for that we see not, we do with patience wait for it. Thus, tribulation working patience simply means this, that if trials that I'm now experiencing are not speedily removed, and the blessings for which I'm longing are delayed, I learn to submit without complaint to the will of God. And thus these tribulations, they work patience. Thus we rejoice in tribulations, for these tribulations are intended to produce in us patience. But the writer goes on to say, in verse four, patience experience. This word experience is an interesting word. It's the word. Patience effective proof. It's the same word that the Apostle Paul uses in second Corinthians chapter two when he speaks of the excommunicated brother. There he writes, for to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. It's the same word. It's the same word as the apostle uses of Timothy in Philippians chapter two, where he says, and ye know the proof of him, how that as a son with the Father he hath labored with me in the gospel. Thus, this word experience is just the word proof. Now, says the apostle, my patience. I want you to listen to this, dear brethren, today. My patience in tribulation is just the experimental evidence, the experimental proof of the reality of my faith. Let me repeat that. My patience in tribulation is the experimental evidence. It's the proof of the reality of my faith. You remember the language of the Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter thirteen when he speaks of the seed that fell on rocky ground. Yet hath he no root in himself, but dureth for a while. For when tribulations or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. And thus the Lord Jesus would make it clear that the lack of patience in tribulation, that detects the hypocrite, that makes clear when faith isn't real. But patience through tribulation is the greatest proof of the reality of my faith, and thus I rejoice in tribulation because it produces in me patience, and this patience is experimental proof of the reality of my faith. But verse four, experience hope. Now, this is the second time we have hope in these, within the compass of these few verses. Verse two, we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Now, verse four, experience hope, Experience worketh hope. What is the difference? In verse two, it's hope objectively, that hope which is the result of my faith in Christ. But in verse four, it's hope subjectively. It's hope that is produced by my experience. What then does this mean? I grasp this, my brother, my sister, this afternoon. Verse two is the hope that I received the moment I put my trust in Christ. Hope of the glory of God. Verse four is that hope made real to me, made good to me in my experience by reason of my tribulation. And it's one thing to have hope objectively and to rejoice in it because of my faith in Christ. It's quite another thing to have that hope wrought in me subjectively, made good to me through my tribulation. Tribulation working experience, tribulation working patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. Now, says the writer, and this hope it maketh not ashamed, verse five. In other words, this hope will never be disappointed. This hope will never cause me to be put to shame. Thus, we exult in tribulations because they have produced patience by submitting to God's will. And this patience is the proof of the reality of my faith, and it works in me subjectively the hope which faith has given me. And this hope will never be disappointed, nor can it ever put me to shame by reason of these present tribulations. But we ask ourselves this question, why does this hope never put with a share? As is the writer in verse five, there is added to us the gracious work of the Holy Spirit of God. My dear brethren, it's interesting to observe that between verse 1 and five we're made to appreciate that the work and interest of the Godhead is centered towards God's people. How wonderful to think that each one of us here today is the object of the work and the interest of the Godhead. Verse one to two, we have the work of Christ. Verse five, we have the love of God. Verse five, we have the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Verse one to two, we have the work of Christ for me. Verse five, we have the love of God toward me. And in verse five, we have the ministry of the Holy Spirit of God in me. In verse one to two, we have the work of Christ for me, for through our Lord Jesus Christ, we have peace, and by our Lord Jesus Christ, we have access into this grace wherein we stand. That's the work of Christ for me. Now, in verse five, we have the love of God toward me, because the love of God is shed abroad in my heart. That's the love of God toward me. And now we have the minister of the Holy Spirit in me, for this love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit. What an amazing thing to appreciate, that here we are today, objects of divine and sovereign mercy, the subject of the work and interest of the Godhead, the work of Christ for me, the love of God toward me, and the gracious ministry of the Holy Spirit of God within me. Verse five tells me this, that the Holy Spirit of God pours in rich supply into my heart a deep appreciation of the love of God toward me. Hear the language of the verse. Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto me. And this word shed abroad is a most interesting word. It's the same word that we have in John chapter seven: uh Out of his inward shall flow rivers of water, rivers of living water. It's the same word as the apostle employs in Titus chapter three where he speaks of the Holy Spirit, which is shed on us abundantly through our Lord Jesus Christ. My dear brethren, I want us to grasp today that what the apostle Paul in fact means is this, that the Holy Spirit of God, he would drench my heart. That's the word. He would drench our hearts with the love of God, until these hearts of ours are saturated with that love to the point of overflowing. Oh, the gracious ministry of the Spirit of God. He would drench our hearts with God's love, until these hearts of ours are saturated with God's love, saturated to the very point of overflowing. The gracious ministry of the Spirit of God. But what love is this? Verse eight: but God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. I wonder if you noticed how the Revised Version makes this verse to read, and it's correct here, absolutely. Why says this verse, but God commendeth his own love toward us. Not just his love, but it's most emphatic. God commendeth his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And in the context, the apostle explains to us what is meant by God's own love. It's a love which was toward me despite my dreadful state, but God commendeth his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners. In other words, it's God's own love toward me despite my dreadful state. Verse six amplifies this, for in verse six says the apostle, for when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Notice these two expressions, without strength and ungodly, and this embraces all mankind. I suggest that when the apostle here speaks of a people without strength, he's thinking of the Jew to whom God gave the law, but they hadn't the strength to keep it. Without strength. Beautiful picture of that in John chapter five, The impotent man by the pool. The waters troubled by the angel speaks of the law given by the disposition of angels, and there was healing for that man if he could get into the water when the water was troubled. But he was without strength. He hadn't the strength to avail himself of the blessing of the troubled waters, and that was the condition of the Jew. Given God's law, but without the strength to keep it. Then not only is it in relation to those who are without strength, but the ungodly, and this would embrace the Gentile. Not so much without power to keep God's law, but having absolutely no desire to keep God's law. An ungodly people. And yet to Gen- yet to Jews without strength, to Gentiles without desire, God has commended his own love toward us. His love toward us, despite our dreadful state and condition. But secondly, God's own love in the context is presented as a love that is superior to man's best. God's own love is superior to man's best. Thus says the writer in verse 7, in rare instances, for a righteous man will one die, yet for a good man some might venture to die. That's man's love at its best, but God's love is infinitely superior to man's love. God's love, it surpasses. It's infinitely superior to man's best. It's a love that's toward the Jew who couldn't keep his law, a love toward the Gentile who had no desire to keep it. Such was God's love. Despite our dreadful state and the love that was infinitely superior to man's love at his best, God commendeth his own love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us despite our terrible state and our terrible condition. I want you to notice that in verses nine and ten, twice over we have the expression much more. In fact, if you study this chapter in its entirety, you discover that the word much more, the expression much more, occurs five times. Verse 9, verse 10, verse 15, verse 17, and verse 20. But within the section we have read together, we discover that it occurs twice over, and this is most precious. In each instance, it's a comparison. In verse nine, it's a comparison between his blood and himself. In verse ten, it's a comparison between his death and his life, and this demands a little consideration. Why says the apostle in verse nine, verse nine, Much more than, being now justified by his blood. There's his blood. We shall be saved from wrath, not through his blood, but we shall be saved from wrath through him. Thus, the much more of verse nine is a comparison between his blood and himself. What then does the apostle say? Much more than, being now justified by his blood. In verse two of verse one, we have the means of our justification, justified by faith. That's the means by which we received it. But verse nine, it's the basis of our justification. It's his precious blood. We have been justified by his blood. The blood is always Godward. It stands in relation to the demands of the divine throne. We praise God for precious blood that has satisfied the demand of God's throne and given us a standing of justification in the sight of God. Much more than being now justified by his blood, says the apostle, we shall be saved from wrath, not through his blood, but we shall be saved from wrath through him. I wonder what this means. Just this, dear brethren, through him, a man in the glory, the man of Calvary at God's right hand, still bearing on his body the marks of Calvary. Through him we shall be saved from wrath. That man in the glory, bearing on his body the marks of Calvary, is the assurance of future salvation. We shall be saved from wrath through him. But what is this wrath? I want to say this, dear brethren, and you can study this for yourself if you haven't already done it. Whenever you have wrath in the scriptures, you can be sure of this, that the sphere of that wrath is always the earth. And the subjects of such wrath, always living men, not connected with the great white throne, not connected with the lake of fire. Each time you have wrath in God's war, the sphere is always the earth, and the subjects are living men. Now, what does the apostle say? Could that one who shed his blood at Calvary to secure my acquittal remain unmoved at God's right hand when God pours down his wrath from heaven upon living men and living women? Why, he says, that's impossible. My dear brethren, here we have one of the texts, the greatest proof of the pre-tribulation rapture, that Jesus must come before the day of God's wrath. The one who shed his blood at Calvary that I might be justified now lives in God's ri- at God's right hand, and the fact that he lives there is proof that I must be saved from the wrath of God through him. I repeat it. Could that blessed one who shed his precious blood at the place called Calvary to secure my justification, and who now lives at God's right hand, could he remain unmoved? If I were down here, when God pours his righteous wrath and indignation upon living men on the earth, it's impossible to think of it, friend. And we shall be saved because he lives at God's right hand, the man who died to save us. He must come for us ere the great day of the wrath of God commences. And thus, says the apostle, the much more of this verse is just this. His blood is the basis of our justification. Himself, a man alive at God's right hand, is the assurance of my future salvation, salvation from the wrath of God. Then the next much more in verse ten is the comparison between his death and his life. Now, says the apostle in verse ten, for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Reconciled by his death, much more saved by his life. Now it's necessary, of course, in your study of God's word, to distinguish between his death and his blood. The expressions, of course, are not synonymous. The blood is always connected with God's throne and its demands against my sin. It was shed in order to secure my acquittal, but his death has not so much to do with my sins. His death here has more to do with the distance that there was between me and God. His death here has to do with my enmity. The fact that there was no love in my heart toward God, and my back was toward God. The blood is God worth. That is always so in God's word. His death is man worth. And the idea of death involves the thought of removal. It involves substitution. By reason of his death, the enmity has been removed. How wonderful, dear brethren, to think that our Savior on the cross took upon him everything about me that was offensive to God and created the distance, and in death he removed them and has made it gloriously possible for me to be reconciled to God. My back is no longer toward him. My face is now toward him, and I enjoy divine peace, and I enjoy divine love. By reason of his death, when I was an enemy, I've been reconciled to God. But now, says the apostle, much more, if that was accomplished by his death, much more being reconciled, that is by his death, we shall be saved by his blood. I wonder what Paul's logic is. Brethren, it's just this, all that we could grasp it today. If God's son was prepared to die for me while I was an enemy. How much more is he prepared to live for me, who am no longer an enemy, but have been reconciled to God? Ah, this involves much more than his intercession. It's everything that God has secured for me in my savior alive at God's right hand. And I repeat, dear brethren, if he was prepared to die for me when I was an enemy, how much more is he going to live for me at God's right hand now that I've been brought back to God and I'm no longer an enemy? And this all stems from the original statement, we exult in tribulations also, and the fact that we shall never be put to shame. Now, in closing, the last statement, which is the grand triumphant note with which the apostle brings to its conclusion this delightful section. Why he says in verse eleven, um and not only so, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom now we have received the atonement, or as it should read, the reconciliation. We exult in God. How amazing. You will remember the language of chapter three, verse nineteen. Every mouth is stopped, and the whole world is guilty before God. And there I was before the bar of God in chapter three. My guilt and my shame closed my mouth. My mouth was stopped, but now by divine grace, my mouth has been opened. My mouth has been opened wide to exalt in God. Today, I'm sure every one of us, the recipients of divine grace, would agree that we have a reason why that our minds should be open and loud our praise and joy ought to be in God himself. Now, says the apostle, summing up, those who were weak, without strength, those who were ungodly, without fear, those who were sinners, verse eight, without merit. Those who were enemies, verse ten, without love. Now this was our condition. Without strength means we were weak, verse six. Without fear means, verse six, we were ungodly. We were sinners, verse six, we had no merit without. Verse uh ten, we were enemies without love. But though that was our condition, now we enjoy peace with God. We were standing in the grace of God, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Our hearts have been drenched with the love of God by the Spirit of God. Thus, we not only exalt in hope of the glory of God, in the hope of a glory that God will yet give us. Not only do we exalt in tribulation also, in tribulation that God allows, but greater still, we exalt in God himself. And we would take on our lips, as we bring this meeting to its conclusion, Psalm thirty four, where the psalmist says, my soul shall make her boast in the Lord. Zephaniah, or Habakkuk rather, chapter three, read these words. Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. Yet will I rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. Not I will joy in my salvation, but I will joy in the God of my salvation. And again, we think of the words of the psalmist in the psalm to which I've just returned, Psalm thirty four: Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. Such a God we exalt in God also. Let us pray.