Romans 5:1-11 – Saved from Wrath

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

You the believer, being saved from God’s wrath, is blessed and highly favored. In Roman 5:1-11, Paul shares with us what it means to be blessed and highly favored in God’s eyes.

Introduction

When you have turned to the Lord to be saved, you have a great reason to live with hope even in the difficulties of the day.  In this week’s Sunday School commentary, we continue in Paul’s epistle to the believers in Rome, as he speaks of being saved from God’s wrath and the hope and joy that ought to bring to you.  This week’s Sunday School commentary will cover scripture from Romans 5:1-11. 

What we will focus on learning in this week’s Sunday School commentary:

1. The access we have to God thanks to Christ.
2. What it means to be blessed and highly favored.
3. Why we should live with joy in our souls.

What It Means to Be at Peace With God

Our lesson this week opens with Paul continuing in thought on being justified (made right in God’s eyes) by faith in Christ.  

Because one who has turned to Christ and believed in Him, Paul wrote, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Rom. 5:1-2).”

Now, there are two things to touch on from these two verses.  The first being the implication that at one point in time, we were not at peace with God.  Man became an enemy of God through the nature of sin.  As it is said in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  The fool disregards God’s instructions to do their own thing, choosing to live at odds with God.

In Isaiah 59:2, we see the nature of sin’s effect on the children of Israel and their relationship with the Lord.  The Lord said to Israel, through the prophet Isaiah, “Your iniquities (wickedness/sin have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

When one becomes an enemy of the Lord, it is not like God strikes them down right then and there.  No, the Lord gives everyone an opportunity to repent and obtain mercy.  

However, when one chooses (for certain) to live at odds against the Lord, He removes Himself from them and raises a barrier of separation between Himself and the disobedient sinner.  God gives them over to their devices without His intervention (Rom. 1:19-32).  This means that the Lord permits sin to have its way with the sinner and life eventually catches up to them.  Then, God will judge and cast them away from His presence for everlasting life.

However, that barrier has been lowered for the one who repents from sin through faith in Christ.  As Paul stated, the believer has peace with God through Christ.  

What did Christ do so that the barrier would be lowered for those who believe in Him?  Well, as Paul said, Christ died for the ungodly (Rom. 5:6-8).  

In Romans 3:25, Paul spoke of Christ being our propitiation – the atonement offering for our sins.  If you believe in Him, Christ takes away your sins, so that the Lord no longer views you as a sinner.  Because the Lord would no longer view you as a sinner, there is no need for a barrier to be raised.  

So, because of Christ’s sacrifice, the one who was once considered an enemy can go directly to the Lord because there no longer remains a barrier between them and the Lord.  As Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:14, “For He (Christ) Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.”

Truly, it is a wonderful blessing for us to have direct access to the Lord.  The reason why this is so wonderful is that we can come before the throne of grace and speak with Him, not through a middleman.  Not only that, but because we are no longer seen as sinners, God won’t turn us away!  So, as it is said in Hebrews 4:16, we can go boldly before the throne of grace and obtain mercy and find grace to help us in times of need.

You are Blessed and Highly Favored

Many of us fail to understand how truly wonderful it is that we have access to go before the Lord at any time.  Yet, I want you to understand that you are blessed and highly favored with such access.

Let’s pay attention to Paul saying, in Romans 5:3-4, “We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”  

Now, for some, even for some who believe, the idea of glorying in tribulations is such a far-fetched and strange thing to understand.  Yet, Paul isn’t the only one in scripture to state such a thing.  

In his epistle, James wrote, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (Jas. 1:2-4).”

In his epistle, Peter wrote, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy (1 Pet. 4:12-13).”

Paul, James, and Peter’s thoughts go back to the teachings of Christ.  Christ, not hiding the fact that we will have tribulation, said, “In Me you may have peace … but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”

I have found that many have a misunderstanding of what it means to be blessed and highly favored, as they take a worldly approach in understanding.  Many believe that their many possessions speak of how blessed and favored they are.  Yet, I would ask you whether you really believe the God who tells us to lay up our treasures in heaven determines how blessed you are by your material possessions?

This is not to say that God does not provide for us and permit us to be able to live as we desire.  However, the true blessing of God will never be found in the material possessions.  What you have or do not have does not determine whether or not the Lord loves you–don’t let your position define your condition with God.

In Jeremiah 17:7-8, the Lord said, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

The true blessing and favor of God is Him being your keeper–the one who tends to your every need.  With the Lord keeping you in your care, regardless of what you go through in life, you will overcome.  With the Lord keeping you in your care, regardless of who or what comes against you, you will overcome!  

Let me be clear about this: this does not mean that you will not have trials and tribulations.  In a drought, every plant has to deal with the heat of the sun, right?  That is to say that nobody is living in the world today who does not have to deal with trials and tribulations.  Yes, everyone, no matter who they are, what they possess, has trials and tribulations.

David said it best when he sang, “The Lord is the light of my salvation; Whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid (Psalm 27:1?”

David then added, “When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell.  Though an army may encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident (Ps. 27:2-3).”  You see, David was confident in his Shepherd; he was confident in the Lord.

  With God on your side, should you live in fear of anything or anyone?  No, you should not.  There is nothing and nobody that can do anything to hurt or to destroy you.  The only one who could destroy is the Lord, but as He does not see you as an enemy of His, that is also not something you have to worry about!

Live With Hope in Your Heart

Believers everywhere should live confidently, rejoicing in the hope and the promise of the Lord.  Paul wrote, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Rom. 5:5).”

Hope in man disappoints, and the reason why that is the case is because we fail each other, and sadly, we fail each other quite often.  Those who are closest to you will inevitably fall short, and that is because all of us, at the end of the day, are human.  There will be times when we won’t be able to come through for those we love, which is truly a sad thing to consider.  However, we learn how to accept that all of us eventually fall short.

God, on the other hand, is incapable of falling short because He is God–He is Almighty.  God has promised to never leave nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6).  The Lord has promised that you will not perish but will have everlasting life through your faith in His only begotten Son (John 3:16).

In Hebrews 6:13-14, the writer, whom I believe was Paul, wrote of the Lord, “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.’ ”  

Through Abraham came Isaac, and through Isaac came Jacob, and through Jacob came the 12 tribes of Israel.  The Lord also promised Abraham that through his seed, all the nations of the world would be blessed (Gen. 22:18).  Sure enough, Christ came through the seed of Abraham, by way of Judah, his great-grandson.  

Through Christ, we know that God is faithful to keep His promises.  Moreover, through all that the Lord does for us, we know that God is faithful to keep His promise.  

However, if you question the faithfulness of the Lord, there is a second reason why your hope in Him will not disappoint.  When Paul speaks of the love of God being poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, he touches on the seal of your salvation.  

I can assure you that your salvation is not going anywhere!  Your salvation is sealed through your faith in the shed blood of Christ.  Salvation was further sealed through the resurrection of Christ, as His resurrection is proof of the resurrection of the flesh.  Moreover, your salvation has been sealed again through the inner dwelling of the Holy Spirit.

You can think of the Holy Spirit as the blood on your doorpost, so that the wrath of God will pass you by.  The Holy Spirit is a “do not touch” as He testifies to you being a child of God.  Once again, God is faithful to what He has promised, and when you, through sincere faith, have received the Holy Spirit, God’s wrath will never come upon you.

Because you will not be destroyed, heaven is promised to you and it is sealed.  Your eternal home will be with the Lord, and there is nobody who can take that away from you.  Not even God is going to go back on what He has promised.  

So, you have reason to rejoice today!  You have reason to live with hope today!  Yes, even though the day is difficult, there is reason for you not to fear.  As Paul said in Romans 5:10-11, God gave His only begotten Son to reconcile you to Him.  

In this day of concern, you can go to the Lord for yourself and make your supplications known to Him.  God will hear, and God will move.  Not only that, but you know that when this day comes to an end, you will make it because you have made it this far.

I say it all the time, we are a remarkable people because, regardless of how many despise us and have moved against us, we are still standing.  Regardless of how high gas prices are getting, we’re still getting around.  Regardless of how high the grocery prices are getting, we are still eating.  God is still making a way for us!

Then, to top it all off, after we have finished running this race, God will welcome us into His eternal kingdom, where we will dwell in eternal joy.  The Lord will wipe away every tear!  There will be no more death!  There will be no more sorrow (Rev. 21:4)!

So, don’t you live today being worried about what anyone could do to hurt, harm, or destroy you.  Sure, you can be hurt and harmed physically, but your soul is in the care of God–you have already won.  God has gotten the eternal victory for you, and in that, you ought to rejoice.