Peace with God: 3 Exultations and 4 Kings (Romans 5)

[To watch this on YouTube when it was first given live on Zoom, click https://youtu.be/bdbG2xNaBFc ]

The general theme of Romans: How to be right with God.

Today’s topic: Rejoicing in the God of grace!    [The biblical text is at the end of this blog]

Welcome to those of you who are new to our class in this the 6^th lesson, as we take up Paul’s comments recorded in chapter 5 of The Book of Romans. If you are watching this video on YouTube long after our class ended today, then please pause the recording and read the 5^th chapter. It will only take 3 minutes. OK, welcome back.  

Verse one starts with the word “Therefore.” It’s not the last time we will see that, certainly throughout Paul’s writings. Some preachers say that when you see a ‘therefore’ you should look back and see what it’s there for. This word is the conjunction to the previous conclusions, found in chapters 3 and 4. It’s as if we are hearing the apostle say, “In light of everything I’ve taught you the last couple weeks, that you were painfully distant from God’s love, worthy of the wrath of the judgments of the Almighty, and yet your faith was directed to God and his grace, THEREFORE you have benefits. And you have reason to celebrate.” 

Paul in verse one highlights the reality and the result. The reality? We are justified, that is, counted as right with God, acquitted of the crimes he earlier listed, and of the sin of rejecting God. As a result, we have peace with God. Ponder that for a moment, will you? Today we are still in the midst of the war against COVID-19. Over 3.7 million cases worldwide, over 250,000 deaths. The battle is far from over. One day we anticipate a vaccine will be discovered and will be fully available globally. The war will be over. And some think that this is the meaning of ‘peace.’ In a way they are right, but biblically, peace (Hebrew: shalom; Greek: Eirene) is much deeper. It means a contentment, a confidence, a rest. It’s when we won’t have to socially distance ourselves. It’s when we will hug each other without worry. To be sure, the ‘new normal’ for a while will still be without peace. But there will be a day when peace will define us after this corona-time. 

That’s what Paul is hinting at.

Imagine that you have come to the realization that your attitude and your actions were both bad, that you lived for yourself, that you had made yourself into a god, but then someone challenged you. They told you about Jesus and redemption and forgiveness of sins. You considered it; and made a decision that the real God is better than all other gods. Anxiety hit you for a moment, and then you professed faith, however much you had, and pointed your heart towards the Lord. You believed God, you trusted Jesus as Lord, you confessed him as your Saviour. 

Paul says, “THEREFORE… you have peace with God.” Dear friends, there is nothing more important in your life than to submit to God and to have peace with him. Real peace. Not only the absence of conflict, but a deep heartfelt contentment. That’s the result of real faith.  Or as we titled it last week, “Getting right with God.”  Back in Paul’s day, no one would have considered peace as anything other than a stillness of discord between fellows. Peace with neighbours and peace among nations. But Paul makes it vertical. “Peace with God!” outrageous.

The Jewish people had been awaiting this peace since King David and Isaiah proclaimed it: Isa 32:17, 54.10, Psalm 72:1–7 and 85:8–13. Even Ezekiel announced a covenant of peace: Ezek 34:25–31 and 37:26— 

By the way, this chapter is odd because Paul does not directly quote from the Tenach. In fact he won’t do so again until chapter 8.  

Some of you may think, “I’ll just go directly to God. I’m Jewish; I’m automatically related to God.” The chosenness of the Jewish people is not in question, at least, not until chapters 9 through 11, but the key to our gaining peace with God is found in verse 1 and 2, “through Jesus the Messiah.” Paul will spend much time in some of his letters talking about the Jewish connection he has and putting it in perspective. Here, his point is clear. He has access (or introduction) to God because of Yeshua. And not because of any other key or learning or special knowledge or genealogical privilege. We are at peace with God because of our faith in Jesus. Full stop. 

Verse 2: Paul says that as a result of the grace, the faith, and Jesus, that we exult in hope of the glory of God. That’s a mouthful, but to put it simply, we REJOICE in the hope of a future with God making himself visible even near me. What a hope! What a joy to consider and to celebrate. This is the first of three exultations, three celebrations that the apostle highlights. If you will, rejoicing like here in our future hope, and in present trials and tribulations (verse 3) and finally, rejoicing in God himself. (verse 11)

This is a way of thinking that’s different to what I would employ. I would think: God is my saviour and I’m grateful and I will rejoice in that. Hallelujah. Then that means my present circumstances are in his hands, so even today I will rejoice. Finally I would have a perspective on my future that the glory that belongs to God would come my way, and all the mess I’ve made of my life will end, and I will be like him. That’s how I would progress with this triad. Paul on the other hand, sees the justification by faith, which gives him peace today as a down-payment of eternity. He sees God as the One who holds the future and thus the glory that belongs to God will actually be mine. I will be changed. If he has done all this so far, then NOTHING can stop his accomplishments. He will conquer Satan in my life. He will dominate over my failings. My glory is a sure thing. 

Verse 5: Paul says this hope is not going to be dashed. You know of this type of hope, don’t you? I hope my horse will win at the Melbourne Cup. I hope I get a pay rise at my work. I hope that girl likes me. But many of those hopes are not real hope at all, Paul says. Real hope does not disappoint. Because of the lavish love of God, poured out (ekchunno) in our hearts by Holy Spirit, given to us. Like Psalm 23 “My cup runneth over.”  Gift upon gift, grace upon grace, or as in chapter 1, faith to faith. All these benefits of real hope because of the Holy Spirit anointing us, communally and individually. That brings real hope.

If that be so, then what I’m experiencing today, in my dismal life, there in Rome, or here in Sydney, or wherever you live and work and have your being… all the drudgery and pain, all the loss and difficulty, all the trials and persecutions… I rejoice in those! Not because of those, but because God is Immanuel. He is God with us. Now. Today. In my life. It’s not a pie-in-the-sky reality that one day my life will be good. God is present in this transitory life and thus my life is worthy of shouting ‘Hallelujah’ no matter what else is happening. I’m walking with the God of the universe. He knows where I live; he knows me. And his grace is sufficient for me. And for you. Today. Now. 

There is no doubt what those tribulations might be: (Romans 8.35-39, 1 Cor. 4.9-13, 2 Cor. 1.4-10, etc)

Verse 8: Paul assures us that when we were lost, Messiah died for the ungodly.  And those ungodly includes me! All our fears and failures are summed up in loss, but even though most of us would scarcely die for a good man, Messiah died for us in our failings. Think of those health-care workers who are working tirelessly in New York or Italy, and who are basically giving their lives for us in this season of COVID-19. For others they are giving their lives. Paul says not many would do that, and usually only for the good people. We have a spiritual inheritance that outweighs all our frustrations and difficulties of life. 

Then in summary, Paul says he rejoices or exults in God. (v. 11) This is the high point of his praises (and he will have other shouts of ‘hallelujah’ later in the letter). It’s not only the benefits that God extends that makes me delight in him; it’s our relationship! Paul had plenty of reasons to talk about God and rules and obligations and satisfactions of legal requirements. He’s not rejoicing because he’s Jewish. He’s not rejoicing because of some stuff he has received. He’s rejoicing because he can finally know the living God and be personally related to him. He also has peace with God, and that’s a comprehensive cushion to his life of struggles.

Verse 12 introduces a new section. How does it begin? “Therefore.” On the basis of the justification we have with the God who has made us right with him, our reconciliation does not prevent the reality of sin and death in the world. These two global considerations, sin and death, are inherent in the human race. No one is taken out of the world to avoid them. Each person sins, each person will die. If you will, Adam initiated or rather was part of the beginning of these realities. Because he sinned, sin exists. Little babies don’t sin; they live in a world marked by sin. Gentiles who don’t have Torah don’t sin in the same way as Jews, but the world is marked by sin. Adam caused that to happen, but he is not the cause, that is, there is no need to blame him for my own personal sin.  (Adam is the cause in five phrases: .15-19)

I believe verses 12 and following are in Paul’s mind the conditions of the world into which God’s Holy Spirit is poured and thus magnifies God’s grace that much more. By the way four times in chapter 5, Paul uses this phrase, ‘much more’. And he only uses it here and twice in chapter 11 in all of Romans. It’s the Jewish mechanism of biblical interpretation called “Kal v’chomer” meaning “from the lesser to the greater” a device that Jesus often used. In modern Borscht Belt thinking a comedian might say, “"If one day with her mother-in-law was too much, kal v'chomer a weekend will be!" (Lawyers use the Latin a fortiori argument for the same purpose, but with much less humor)

The inescapable reality of sin and death reigned from Adam, he says, until Moses. 

Verse 15: Then in contrast Paul says, “THE FREE GIFT is not like the offense.” The offense of Adam caused death to blanket the earth for all time. But the charisma of justification, of being made right with God came via another man, Yeshua our righteous messiah. (see .17)

Verse 18: Another ‘therefore’, which really is a reiteration of Paul’s previous one caused much argument. I’m not sure why he’s repetitive, and I am not going to mark him down on his grades, but it does seem a tautology. 

Even so, verse 20: Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. There is no place where darkness dwells, where darkness abounds, where evil exists and seems to dominate that the Lord of heaven and earth, by grace, and by the power of the Resurrection cannot make his power, his love, his overcoming, not only to come alongside, but to dominate. Sin reigned (.21), death reigned (.14), Grace regins (.21), and we shall reign (.17). 

Yes, you and I will reign in life, now, due to the hope we have. Not the hope of the end of COVID-19, although that surely should be one of our prayers. Not the hope of Menachem asking you out on a date, not the hope of your boss giving you a raise at work… the hope of glory, God’s grace ruling in your life, today and throughout your days.  We will reign in life through Yeshua the Messiah.

We are supposed to win; we’re supposed to conquer; we’re supposed to have victory! What is that victory? The apostle John said it, “Faith is the victory!” (1 John 5.4) This hearkens back to all that Paul has been saying throughout Romans (so far). We are justified by faith. He quotes Habakkuk (2.4) “The just shall live by faith.” That’s how we are victors. Faith, not in our own capacity. Faith in Yeshua because he has done it all. He gave me his grace. 

Listen to verse 21, “as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Grace gives us right standing with God, not only in heaven, but today. Thanks be to God, amen?

NEXT WEEK and the week following, we will look at the question of sin in the life of a believer and its relation to grace and being right with God.

We have much more to get through in this letter, and I’m delighted to be able to read and help us understand it each Friday here from my lockdown in Sydney. 

The actual text:

Rom. 5:1   Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; ⁵ and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Rom. 5:6   For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. ¹⁰ For if while 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. ¹¹ And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Rom. 5:12   Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned — ¹³ for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Rom. 5:15   But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. ¹⁶ The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from onetransgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. ¹⁷ For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Rom. 5:18   So then as through one transgression ¹there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. ¹⁹ For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. ²⁰ The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Shalom: What is it? Who gets it?

Given at Wintonbury Church

15 September 2019

Introduction

Shalom. That’s my usual greeting when I begin a sermon, but unusually today that’s actually the theme of my sermon. Peace. Thank you to Andre and Tom, Felicia, and all those involved in my coming today, and Ruth and Tim and so many over the years who have cheered me on, either as a champion or as faithful supporters of my work with Jews for Jesus. I’ve been with the organization for 40 years serving in NYC and DC, and then in 1998 moved to launch our work in Sydney Australia. 

What is Shalom?

Shalom. It can mean ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ because often we Jews don’t know if we are coming or going. But the main translation of Shalom is ‘wholeness’ and ‘peace.’ Two days from now in Israel another election will take place with almost as many candidates as the Democrats are running here in the US for the 2020 national election. And peace is a major issue to the Israelis. You cannot imagine, unless you have lived through a war, or served in one, or been part of visiting Belfast in the 1970s or Bosnia in 1990, or as I’ve done for many years in a row, standing in Israel when the sound of a siren brings quick responses and worry to tourists. The siren goes off and we rush to panic or safe rooms or down the stairwells until the Iron Dome anti-missile system catches yet one more scud missile.

What is that feeling in the pit of your stomach, that can be titled worry or angst, stress or utter fear… what is that? It’s an admission of being out of control, that is, I’m not the one holding a grenade or sending pilots overhead with a missile. I’m not the one who can prevent such a missile from landing. We are powerless. That is our admission. And it’s the admission ticket to much more. 

Back in the 1960s, our fingers in the air in the shape of a “V” was a different symbol than it had been 20 years before. When Churchill raised his hand with the “V” sign, it had to do with a military victory over the Nazis. Victory in the “V” sign. 

But when all good hippies raised their “V” sign it was a declaration of “Peace” and almost in direct opposition to the Allies in WW2, it was a symbol of pacifism.  Peace, man. 

It certainly is a longing in the hearts of people, not only for us hippies 50 years ago gathered at Max Yasgur’s Farm in Woodstock for those three days; it’s a longing in the hearts of people in Connecticut and Sydney, in Tokyo and Buenos Aires. It’s one of those universals. It’s a deep-seated longing of all of us. Or so the sociologists declare. So Aristophanes wrote in Eirene, and since then the playwrights also declare. And I join in their declaration. 

I live in Australia and for the last few years international monitoring of the US certainly as relates to national politics and international relations, is taking up more of our news coverage. And the missing word in most conversations about Europe or Hong Kong just now is peace. People cannot speak kindly to each other; arguments and secondary boycotts are ever-present in government and civility is out the window. Why? Peace doesn’t exist. But I’m here to tell you that peace DOES exist and is available and it’s not about stomping in our neighbour’s rice paddock or keeping “those people” out of our neighbourhood. It’s not only the absence of war; it’s about something internal, and our messiah knew it well. Listen to what Yeshua said to Jewish people in his day. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14.27)

Peace is a matter of surrender. 

I have four grandsons, the latest born 2 months ago. And one by one, each will at times call me by title “saba” (at least that’s what I think they call me) and raise their hands for me to pick them up. That hand-raising is a symbol of surrender and of relationship. In the Torah, God told Moses“When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace. If it agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labour and shall serve you.  However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.” 

In other words, the offer of peace was an offer of surrender. If the Hittites or the Jebusites wanted to have peace, all they had to do was surrender to the Jewish people as they entered the Land. (Deut. 20:10-12)

In the same way today, if I want peace with God, if I want peace in my life, if I want peace in human situations, then surrender (or what many in the church call “trust”) is the key. I trust God; I believe in God; I leave things in God’s hands. We sing the old hymn “I surrender all…I will ever love and trust Him. I surrender all.”

When I meet up with Jewish men and women who are prompted by God to investigate the claims of Yeshua, who are motivated by something or someone to find out if Jesus really is the messiah, I’m ever amazed at their openness. I’m delighted that Jewish people in Jerusalem, in Sydney, in New York City, and maybe even here in Connecticut are considering our message. Maybe you are here and Jewish and considering what I’m saying. Or listening online. And they ask me what they will get if they believe this, or they might ask, what did I find missing in my life when I converted. By the way, that’s their term, not mine. Seriously I have pondered what was missing, and my answer is deep: I wanted forgiveness and as a result peace with God. And I never felt it. I left the late afternoon prayers of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, every autumn, after spending the evening before and the day in serious prayer and fasting. If you took an exit poll of the synagogue attendees that day, asking “Do you feel forgiven?” 99% would say something like, “I hope so; wouldn’t it be nice; not sure” and the like. There is always a Question Mark? But if you ask a messianic Jew, that is, a Jew like me who believes in Jesus, who has admitted his own powerlessness to amend all of life, and who has surrendered his life to the Living One, the question mark is eliminated and an exclamation mark stands in its place. Forgiven? We shout “FORGIVEN!!”

And as a result of forgiveness, we have peace with God. That’s how this works. 

I remember the story of David, a Jewish man in Australia whom I met a few months before Yom Kippur that year. His Asian-born wife was a born-again Christian and had wanted her husband to find Jesus. She brought him along to our meetings and his curiosity was heightened. When he came to our service he was listening and God opened his heart to the message. I prayed with him that evening to receive Yeshua as his Messiah and afterwards, one of us asked him, “How do you feel?” His answer: “I’m at peace.” Wow, that’s an immediate testimony to the reality about which I’m speaking. The world was the same outside that room. Their children still were whoever they were, same age in school, etc, but David’s perspective was radically changed. Why? Because he was forgiven.

Same thing two years ago in Sydney at another of our High holiday gatherings. Justin was raised in a Christian home but had walked away from it all. Then one day when he was about 23 he found out his birth father was Jewish. He was adopted. Now he had to find out what it meant to be a Jew. He moved quickly towards Orthodox Judaism, with official black and white garb, and thinking in black and white terms. Christianity was evil; Judaism was right. And on and on his determination grew to be the best Jew he could be. He listened to rabbinic podcasts and saturated himself with things and issues Jewish. 

Someone told Justin about Jews for Jesus and he wondered – could this be real? He came along to our book shop as so many do. 

In fact, since 2005, every week Jewish people who don’t believe in Jesus (yet) come into our shop, some to argue, some to ask questions, some to buy products. And we are available to them. So Justin came to a meeting we conducted and sat apart, in Orthodox garb, in borderline hostility, but still, he was present. And the welcome we extended was real. 

After a few weeks of attending our weekly Bible studies, he attended the holiday service this time of year, and when I gave the invitation, inviting anyone to profess faith in Messiah Jesus, to be forgiven, to have real peace, Justin raised his hand. We prayed publicly. The service soon ended.  And Justin didn’t move from his seat. He sat and cried and cried. Reality had struck him, Jesus had become Lord of his life, and one of our ladies approached him. “What’s wrong?” she queried. “Nothing is wrong,” he said. He told her he was ‘at peace’ for the first time in a long time. 

Shalom is more than an idea or a philosophy. Shalom is a transaction and a state. Shalom begins with God making His way to us, and then finally into us in a real and positive way. 

I admit my need for Him.

I come to believe that He has something to say to me. 

I surrender my life to Him. 

That’s how this works. 

That’s how this worked for David, and for Justin, and for so many Jewish people. And some of you Gentiles as well. 

When Jesus said “My peace I leave with you, NOT AS THE WORLD GIVES” He meant that the peace we would experience is on another level. It’s not about treaties and handshakes. It’s not Chamberlain’s “peace in our time.” It’s deep peace, in knowing you are forgiven. 

Yesterday I was out on the streets in New York City. Our Jews for Jesus teams were going out to the park near NYU to evangelise. I met a pair of Jewish men, a father and son, walking in the neighbourhood. Mark, the son, lives in another nearby state and was the first to speak with me. After the initial answers to the “What is Jews for Jesus?” question, I asked him about his beliefs and who he thought Jesus was. We had quite a good 15-minute conversation, and at the end, he gave me his contact details so I could send him more literature and information. God is opening hearts. God wants to give His people peace. (Psalm 29.11)

The Psalmist and I both encourage you to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122). Yes, that might involve the putting down of scud missiles and real honest dialogue between the parties. Yes, it might involve the UN, although I don’t know how that might work. But I’ll tell you that the peace of Jerusalem must include the One whose title is Prince of Peace, Sar Shalom, the One who was predicted not only in the passage of Isaiah where that phrase is first used but in dozens of other biblical passages as well. Without Jesus, the Prince of Peace, there is no real peace. There is no lasting peace. There is no significant internal peace. 

In two weeks, the Jewish high holidays will begin and continue for 10 days, ending on Yom Kippur. This, dear friends at Wintonbury, is Prime Time to share this message with your Jewish mates and colleagues. If we Jews ever think about sin, now’s the time. If we ever think about God in any year, now’s the time. The time is now to share Messiah with them. They are desperate for real peace. They may not know it, but they are hoping to hear from you about eternity. About Yeshua. About eternal life in Him. 

I have some products up the back that might help you in sharing with them. I have a signup card I’d like you to pick up at the table to fill in and let me send you information including our regular newsletters that will help you in your sharing Messiah, not only with Jewish people but with all people. And yes, I have a credit card machine (square) which you can use for donations or purchasing. It’s pretty easy.

I’m a grateful man for those Christians who shared Messiah with me back in 1971. I’m grateful for God opening my eyes to see Jesus for who He really is. He has given me a new family in the Body of Messiah. 

No matter the struggles in my life, with family, with normal circumstances of life, with governments, with my own internal matters—God is faithful to continue to be the Prince of Peace and to give me peace ‘not as the world gives.’ 

You can trust Him.

Your neighbour can trust Him. 

Yes, there is terrorism. Yes, there are mass shootings. Yes, there is international financial angst.  But…

God is in His heaven; all’s right with the world. Thanks, Robert Browning for that reminder. Thanks, Jesus for being our Prince of Peace, when the world and the storms are raging around us. He calms some of the storms. Then, no matter what else is happening, He walks with us through our storms. Thanks be to God.

If you are not yet a believer, and you are here or listening online, let me ask you to consider what God is saying to you this morning. Who do you think Jesus is? Have you come to the point where you are ready to profess Him Lord of your life? If so, join me in this prayer.

 God, I offer myself to you today. I surrender to you. You are Lord. Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead. I admit that I'm a sinner and I need your grace to save me. Forgive me and make me whole, in Yeshua's name. Amen.

 If you prayed that prayer, please let me know, won't you?

Thanks Andre and all. 

Thanks all on the Missions committee who keep me out there.

Thanks to each of you who donates to keep us out on the field.

Thanks be to God, amen?

Conversation about Israel: An event

On Wednesday the 13th of August, at our monthly One New Man gathering in Waverley (Sydney), I will lead a discussion about Israel. A real discussion with real people who really have differing views. And we will be civil and listen to one another. And learn. And be surprised. You are invited. If you do not live near Sydney, we hope to live stream this on a video link.

What subjects would you like to include?

We will conclude with prayers for the peace of Jerusalem and the entire region.
Event info:
One New Man
Meeting at Jubilee Church building
30 Victoria Street
Waverley NSW

6 pm to 7:15 pm