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TITLE: SAVED FROM GOD'S WRATH

TEXT: ROMANS 5:9-11

INTRODUCTION: (1) WE CANNOT FULLY UNDERSTAND GOD’S LOVE WITHOUT ALSO UNDERSTANDING GOD’S WRATH.

* LIKEWISE, WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND GOD’S GRACE WITHOUT KNOWING ABOUT HIS LAW.

** AND WE CANNOT COMPREHEND GOD’S FORGIVENESS UNTIL WE UNDERSTAND THE PENALTY FOR SIN.

(2) AND WHAT I’M TRYING TO POINT OUT IS, WHEN YOU SEE THAT GOD IS HOLY AND HATES AND JUDGES SIN WHEN HIS LAW IS BROKEN, AND YOU SEE THAT GOD IS ABSOLUTELY PURE; THEN HIS LOVE, HIS GRACE, AND HIS FORGIVENESS WILL MEAN MUCH MORE TO YOU.

* IN OTHER WORDS WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THE NEGATIVE, THE POSITIVE WILL HAVE GREATER MEANING.

(3) TO FURTHER ILLUSTRATE WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY, A LOOK AT GOD’S LOVE, IS NECESSARY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HIS WRATH IN PERSPECTIVE.

* FOR GOD IS PERFECT IN LOVE, ON THE ONE HAND, AND HE IS EQUALLY PERFECT IN HATE, ON THE OTHER, AND JUST AS TOTALLY AS HE LOVES, SO TOTALLY DOES HE HATE.

** IN FACT IT SAYS OF CHRIST IN HEBREWS 1:9, THOU HAS LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS OR WICKEDNESS.

(4) NOW IF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT CHRIST HATES SIN PROFOUNDLY, THEN YOU WILL FIND IT ALL THE MORE AMAZING THAT HE CAN LOVE SINNERS.

* SO WITHOUT AN UNDERSTANDING Of HIS HATE, HIS LOVE IS CRIPPLED IN OUR THINKING.

** FOR YOU SEE WE LOVE TO TALK ABOUT GOD’S GRACE AND MERCY AND LOVE, BUT THEY ARE VOID OF MEANING IF GOD DOES NOT HATE AND EXERCISE HIS WRATH.

*** AND IN SPITE OF OUR DISLIKE OF SEEING GOD AS A GOD OF HATE AND A GOD OF WRATH, THE SCRIPTURES CLEARLY EMPHASIZE THIS.

(5) FOR EXAMPLE: IN THE O.T. THE WRATH OF GOD WAS DIRECTED AGAINST THE OLD WORLD IN THE FLOOD IN GENESIS 6&7 (READ GEN. 6:5).

* AND THEN AGAINST THE PEOPLE AT THE TOWER OF BABEL IN GENESIS 11; AGAINST THE CITIES OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH IN GENESIS 19; AGAINST THE EGYPTIANS IN EXODUS 5:14 WITH THE PLAGUES POURED OUT ON THEM AND PHARAOH.

** AGAINST THE ISRAELITES MANY TIMES FOR THEIR SIN AND REBELLION AND AGAINST THE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL.

(6) AND THEN IN THE N.T., IN JOHN 3:36, JOHN SAYS: (READ IT).

* ALSO READ ROMANS 1:18 AND II THESSALONIANS 1:7-9.

** THEN IN EPHESIANS 5:6 THE SCRIPTURE SAYS: “LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU WITH VAIN WORDS; FOR BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS COMETH THE WRATH OF GOD UPON THE SONS OF DISOBEDIENCE.”

(7) NOW MY POINT FROM ALL OF THESE SCRIPTURES IS, GOD IS A GOD OF WRATH, HE’S A GOD OF HOLY RIGHTEOUS ANGER.

* BUT YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THE WRATH OF GOD IS DIVINE WRATH, IT IS NOT LIKE YOUR WRATH OR MY WRATH, IT IS HOLY HATRED.

** GOD’S WRATH IS HOLY AND JUST, IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS PERFECT CHARACTER.

*** GOD DOESN’T “BLOW HIS CORK” OR “FLY OFF THE HANDLE” OR “LOSE IT” IN A MOMENT OF FURY LIKE SOME OF US. HE IS NOT LIKE US!!

**** THE WRATH OF GOD IS RATHER A SETTLED CONTROLLED INDIGNATION BY ONE WHO COULD NEVER BE GOOD AND LOVING UNLESS HE TOTALLY HATED EVIL. GOD’S LOVE AND GOD’S WRATH ARE INSEPARABLE.

(8) IN FACT, THEY WERE INSEPARABLE ON THE CROSS. FOR I BELIEVE THE GREATEST DEMONSTRATION OF THE WRATH OF GOD AND THE LOVE OF GOD WAS ON CALVARY’S CROSS.

* FOR GOD HATES SIN SO DEEPLY THAT HE POURED OUT HIS FURY ON HIS OWN BELOVED SON, BUT ALSO THAT WAS HIS GREATEST DISPLAY OF LOVE, AS HE SENT HIS SON TO BE THE PERFECT SACRIFICE.

** AND TWO WEEKS AGO, WE TALKED ABOUT THE BLESSING OF GOD’S LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE, FOR HIS ELECT, THE PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE.

*** FOR WHILE WE WERE HELPLESS AND WITHOUT POWER OR THE CAPABILITY OF SAVING OURSELVES, AT THE RIGHT TIME, AT THE PROPER TIME, IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY.

(9) AND GOD DEMONSTRATED HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US. AND MY RESPONSE IS – AMAZING LOVE, AMAZING GRACE, WONDROUS LOVE. WHAT A BLESSING!

* AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT BLESSING, THAT BENEFIT FOR THE JUSTIFIED TWO WEEKS AGO. BUT TODAY I WANT TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE WRATH OF GOD.

** AND HOW THAT WE AS BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN RESCUED FROM GOD’S WRATH AS THE ENEMIES OF GOD. AND HOW WE HAVE BEEN RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH THE DEATH OF HIS SON, SO NOW WE CAN REJOICE IN GOD. WHAT A BLESSING!

(10) SO I’VE TITLED OUR MESSAGE THIS MORNING, SAVED FROM GOD’S WRATH.

* AND UNDER THAT TITLE WE’LL LOOK AT 3 MAIN POINTS, NO. 1 RESCUED FROM GOD’S WRATH, V. 9; NO. 2 RECONCILED TO GOD, V. 10; AND NO. 3 REJOICING IN GOD, V. 11.

** AND WITH THOSE POINTS TO HANG YOUR THOUGHTS ON, LOOK AT V. 9 WHERE WE’LL SEE THAT WE AS BELIEVERS ARE RESCUED FROM GOD’S WRATH.

I. RESCUED FROM GOD’S WRATH, (READ V. 9)

A. NOW ANOTHER BENEFIT OR BLESSING OF JUSTIFICATION IN ROMANS 5 IS OUR CERTAINTY OF DELIVERANCE FROM GOD’S JUDGMENT FROM GOD’S WRATH.

* AND NOTICE IN THE FIRST PART OF V. 9 THE PHRASE, “MUCH MORE THEN”. AND THE PHRASE “MUCH MORE THEN” INDICATES THAT WHAT FOLLOWS IS EVEN MORE OVERWHELMING AND SIGNIFICANT THAN WHAT HAS PRECEDED, WHAT HAS COME BEFORE IN THIS TEXT, ASTOUNDING AND WONDERFUL AS THAT IS IN VV. 1-8.

** FOR IN VV. 1-8 THERE ARE SOME WONDERFUL, FANTASTIC BENEFITS OF JUSTIFICATION, LIKE PEACE WITH GOD, V. 1; DIVINE ACCESS, V. 2; FUTURE HOPE, V. 2; ASSURANCE THAT TRIBULATIONS MAKE US CHRISTLIKE, VV. 3&4; THAT THE LOVE OF GOD HAS BEEN POURED OUT IN OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US, V. 5; AND THE PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE FOR US BY SENDING CHRIST TO BECOME OUR SUBSTITUTE, VV. 6-8.

1. NOW THOSE ARE WONDERFUL BLESSINGS OR BENEFITS, BUT A GREATER BENEFIT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED, DECLARED RIGHTEOUS THROUGH CHRIST’S BLOOD, LIT. HIS SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH, WE SHALL BE SAVED FROM THE WRATH OF THE FATHER THROUGH CHRIST.

* AND NOTICE THAT THE ARTICLE “THE” APPEARS BEFORE THE WORD WRATH HERE IN V. 9 POINTING OUT A PARTICULAR WRATH AND SPECIFICALLY I BELIEVE IT IS TALKING ABOUT THE LAKE OF FIRE WHICH IS A MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S WRATH AGAINST SIN.

** AND GOD’S WRATH AGAINST SIN WILL BE POURED OUT FOREVER AND EVER IN THE LAKE OF FIRE FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT REPENT AND RECEIVE CHRIST AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR.

2. IN OTHER WORDS HELL WILL BE THE PLACE THAT GOD POURS OUT HIS WRATH ON SINNERS FOREVER. IT IS THE PLACE WHERE UNBELIEVING MANKIND WILL PAY FOR THEIR SINS FOREVER AND STILL WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SATISFY GOD’S JUSTICE. THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THEIR SINS OR THEY WOULD BE LET OUT. THAT’S WHY HELL IS FOREVER, YOU CAN NEVER PAY FOR YOUR DEBT.

* AND LET ME ADD THAT GOD’S WRATH IS EXERCISED AGAINST SIN IN JUDGMENT DAILY IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND HIS WRATH WILL BE POURED OUT IN THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION IN THE FUTURE.

** AND HIS WRATH IS BEING POURED OUT IN HADES TODAY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED WITHOUT CHRIST.

*** BUT IN THE FUTURE, THE UNSAVED WILL BE RESURRECTED AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE AND THE FURY OF GOD’S WRATH WILL BE POURED OUT IN THE UNSAVED IN THE LAKE OF FIRE FOREVER, REVELATION 20:14&15. (READ THEM).

3. BUT BELIEVER, WE HAVE BEEN RESCUED FROM THE WRATH OF GOD BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED BY CHRIST’S BLOOD.

* AND AGAIN HERE THE BLOOD OF CHRIST IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE DEATH OF CHRIST. FOR IN THE O.T. WHEN BLOOD WAS SHED, A LIFE WAS GIVEN, LEVITICUS 17:11, GENESIS 9:6, LEVITICUS 24:17 – “IF A MAN TAKES THE LIFE OF ANY HUMAN BEING, HE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH.”

** AND BELIEVER WE WILL SEE IN V. 10 THAT WE WERE RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH THE DEATH OF HIS SON, THROUGH HIM SHEDDING HIS BLOOD, GIVING HIS LIFE.

*** AND BECAUSE WE ARE NOW IDENTIFIED WITH CHRIST AND ARE ADOPTED AS GOD’S CHILDREN, WE ARE NO LONGER CHILDREN OF WRATH, EPHESIANS 2:1-3 (READ THEM).

4. BUT BELIEVER WE ARE NO LONGER CHILDREN OF WRATH BUT CHILDREN OF GOD AND AS A PART OF CHRIST’S ATONING WORK, HE DELIVERED US FROM THE WRATH TO COME, BECAUSE ON THE CROSS HE TOOK UPON HIMSELF THE PENALTY OF SIN FOR HIS PEOPLE AND SUFFERED THE WRATH WE DESERVE.

* AND WHAT A WONDERFUL BENEFIT, WHAT A WONDERFUL BLESSING, WE HAVE BEEN RESCUED FROM WRATH.

** BUT NO. 2 THIS MORNING, NOTICE WE THAT HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED, HAVE BEEN RECONCILED TO GOD. LOOK AT V. 10 PLEASE.

II. RECONCILED TO GOD, (READ V. 10)

A. NOW PAUL’S THOUGHT HERE IN V. 10 IS CLOSELY RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS ONE IN V. 9 AND IS THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF THIS PASSAGE.

* AND THAT IS, IF GOD HAD THE POWER AND THE WILL TO REDEEM US IN THE FIRST PLACE, HOW MUCH MORE DOES HE HAVE THE POWER AND THE WILL TO KEEP US REDEEMED? (OUR SECURITY RESTS IN HIS POWER).

** IN OTHER WORDS, IF GOD BROUGHT US TO HIMSELF THROUGH THE DEATH OF HIS SON WHEN WE WERE ENEMIES, HOW MUCH MORE NOW THAT WE ARE HIS RECONCILED CHILDREN, WILL HE KEEP US SAVED BY THE LIFE OF HIS SON?

1. AND THE TRUTH HERE IS, IF THE DYING SAVIOR RECONCILED US TO GOD, SURELY THE RESURRECTED LIVING SAVIOR CAN AND WILL KEEP US RECONCILED.

* FOR THE PHRASE SAVED BY HIS LIFE HERE HAS TO DO WITH CHRIST’S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION TO THE FATHER, AND THAT NOW HE LIVES TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR US, HEBREWS 7:25. (READ IT).

** AND BELOVED, THE THRUST OF THIS TRUTH FOR BELIEVERS IS THAT OUR SAVIOR NOT ONLY DELIVERED US FROM SIN AND ITS JUDGMENT BY HIS DEATH, BUT ALSO DELIVERS US FROM UNCERTAINTY AND DOUBT ABOUT THAT DELIVERANCE BY HIS LIFE.

2. AND IF GOD HAS ALREADY MADE SURE OF OUR RESCUE FROM SIN, DEATH AND FUTURE JUDGMENT, HOW COULD OUR PRESENT SPIRITUAL LIFE POSSIBLY BE IN JEOPARDY?

* TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, HOW CAN A CHRISTIAN WHOSE PAST AND FUTURE SALVATION ARE SECURED BY GOD, BE INSECURE DURING THE TIME BETWEEN?

** IF SIN WAS NO BARRIER TO THE BEGINNING OF OUR REDEMPTION, HOW CAN IT BECOME A BARRIER TO ITS COMPLETION?

*** IF SIN IN THE GREATEST DEGREE COULD NOT PREVENT OUR BECOMING RECONCILED, HOW CAN SIN IN LESSER DEGREE PREVENT OUR STAYING RECONCILED?

3. AND PAUL HERE REASONS FROM THE GREATER TO THE LESSER. AND IT IS A GREATER WORK OF GOD TO BRING SINNERS TO GRACE THAN TO BRING SAINTS TO GLORY, BECAUSE SIN IS FURTHER FROM GRACE THAN GRACE IS FROM GLORY.

* SO PAUL IS TRYING TO RATIONALIZE WITH HIS READERS TO ENCOURAGE THEM ABOUT THIS BLESSING.

** AND BELIEVER, LET ME PAUSE HERE AND REMIND YOU THAT WE WERE THE ENEMIES OF GOD IN OUR PRE-CONVERSION STATE, B.C., BUT WE HAVE BEEN RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH CHRIST.

*** AND BY GOD RECONCILING US WE GO FROM BEING ENEMIES OF GOD TO BEING HIS CHILDREN, HIS FRIENDS.

4. IN FACT THE WORD RECONCILE MEANS TO CHANGE OR TO EXCHANGE, TO RECONCILE THOSE WHO ARE AT VARIANCE. AND THE VERB RECONCILED MEANS PRIMARILY TO EXCHANGE, TO CHANGE THE RELATION OF HOSTILE PARTIES INTO A RELATION OF PEACE.

* AND IN CHRISTIANITY, RECONCILIATION MEANS THAT THERE WERE OBSTACLES EXISTING ON BOTH SIDES TO A RECONCILIATION, MAN’S SIN AND GOD’S HOLINESS. AND THESE ARE HUGE IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES FROM A NATURAL PERSPECTIVE.

** BUT THE DEATH OF CHRIST REMOVES THE OBSTACLES. IT SATISFIES GOD’S JUSTICE AND MAINTAINS HIS TRUTH AND HOLINESS, AND ON MAN’S PART HE IS FORGIVEN OF HIS SINS AND DECLARED RIGHTEOUS.

5. AND WHEREAS JUSTIFICATION TAKES CARE OF THE LEGAL ASPECT OF GOD’S JUSTICE AND LAW, RECONCILIATION TAKES CARE OF THE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP.

* JUSTIFICATION IS LEGAL, RECONCILIATION IS PERSONAL AND DEVELOPS A NEW PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP. WE GO FROM BEING ENEMIES TO FRIENDS, BECAUSE OF CHRIST’S DEATH.

** GOD IS NOT PLAYING THEOLOGICAL GAMES, PRETENDING THAT A SAVED PERSON WAS NEVER SINFUL.

*** WE ARE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS AND RECONCILED BECAUSE OF CHRIST’S DEATH FOR US.

**** AND THAT IS A WONDERFUL TRUTH, A WONDERFUL BLESSING. AND THAT TRUTH LEADS US TO OUR LAST POINT TODAY IN V. 11. AND I BELIEVE V. 11 SHOULD BE A RESPONSE OF ALL THE BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS THAT WE THE JUSTIFIED EXPERIENCE IN VV. 1-10.

- AND THAT IS, AS A RESULT OF OUR JUSTIFICATION, WE SHOULD BE REJOICING IN GOD. LOOK AT V. 11 PLEASE.

III. REJOICING IN GOD, (READ V. 11)

A. NOW NOT ONLY WILL WE BE SAVED THROUGH THE LIFE OF CHRIST, THE FIRST PART OF V. 11, “AND NOT ONLY THIS” PAUL SAYS AS HE CONNECTS THE LAST PART OF V. 10 WITH V. 11, BUT ALSO WE EXULT IN GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

* AND THE SAME GREEK WORD TRANSLATED “EXULT” OR “REJOICE” IN V. 11 WAS USED IN V. 2, WE EXULT IN HOPE AND V. 3 WE EXULT IN OUR TRIBULATIONS.

** AND THIS PARTICULAR GREEK WORD IS USED 38 TIMES IN THE N.T. AND IS TRANSLATED IN THE KJV GLORY 23 TIMES, BOAST 8 TIMES, REJOICE 4 TIMES, MAKE BOAST 2 TIMES AND JOY 1 TIME.

1. AND IT LIT. MEANS TO REJOICE, TO GLORY OR TO BOAST. AND PAUL POINTS OUT HERE IN V. 11 THAT THOSE WHO ARE JUSTIFIED REJOICE IN GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

* AND BELOVED WE REJOICE IN GOD FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE THAT ARE COMMUNICATED IN VV. 1-10.

** AND I MIGHT ADD WE REJOICE IN GOD HIMSELF FOR HIS EXISTENCE, HIS ATTRIBUTES LIKE: HIS JUSTICE, HIS HOLINESS, HIS MERCY, HIS TRUTH AND HIS LOVE.

*** AND WE REJOICE THAT THE UNIVERSE IS UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION, HIS SOVEREIGNTY.

2. AND WE HAVE MUCH TO REJOICE IN THIS MORNING IN GOD, THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THAT’S WHY PAUL SAID IN PHILIPPIANS 4:4 (READ IT).

* AND BELOVED, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LACK OF THIS IN OUR LIVES AS BELIEVERS TODAY. WE GET SO WEIGHED AND BURDENED AND CAUGHT UP IN THE TEMPORAL THAT WE LOSE OUR FOCUS AND OUR JOY.

** AND WE MUST LEARN TO LIVE ABOVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES, AS PAUL DID (ILLUSTRATE THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS. THE EPISTLE OF JOY, THE JOY OF KNOWING CHRIST. KEY WORD – JOY WITH REJOICING 18 TIMES IN 104 VERSES.)

*** READ I JOHN 1:4.

3. AND BELIEVER, WE NEED THE JOY OF OUR SALVATION RESTORED TO US, PSALM 51:12. WE NEED TO ALLOW THE SPIRIT TO BE IN CONTROL OF US, BECAUSE A FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS JOY.

* AND AS THE LAST PART OF V. 11 SAYS, WE NEED TO LEARN TO REJOICE IN OUR SALVATION THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BECAUSE WE HAVE NOW RECEIVED THE RECONCILIATION, THE ATONEMENT IN THE KJV.

** AND RECONCILIATION IS A BETTER WORD HERE, BUT ATONEMENT WHEN THE KJV WAS TRANSLATED IN 1611 MEANT RECONCILIATION, FOR IT MEANT ATONE-MENT, THE MAKING OF TWO ESTRANGED PARTIES AS ONE, BEING AS ONE OR RECONCILED. AND WE SHOULD REJOICE IN THAT, BECAUSE WE THE JUSTIFIED HAVE BEEN RECONCILED.

AND AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY (1) BELIEVER DO YOU REALIZE ALL THAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST IN OUR SALVATION?

* WE HAVE SO MUCH. AND TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE HAVE IN CLOSING, LET ME COMMUNICATE TO YOU THAT IN THE N.T. THERE ARE 5 TERMS THAT SUMMARIZE OUR SALVATION.

** AND THEY ARE: JUSTIFICATION, REDEMPTION, FORGIVENESS, RECONCILIATION AND SONSHIP OR ADOPTION.

*** AND THESE 5 TERMS SUMMARIZE OUR SALVATION. AND LET ME GIVE YOU A ONE SENTENCE DEFINITION FOR EACH OF THEM SO YOU CAN REJOICE IN WHAT WE HAVE.

2. IN JUSTIFICATION, THE SINNER STANDS BEFORE GOD AS THE ACCUSED AND IS DECLARED RIGHTEOUS.

* IN REDEMPTION, THE SINNER STANDS BEFORE GOD AS A SLAVE AND IS GRANTED FREEDOM BY RANSOM, READ MATTHEW 20:28.

** IN FORGIVENESS, THE SINNER STANDS BEFORE GOD AS A DEBTOR, AND THE DEBT, HAVING BEEN PAID, IS FORGOTTEN.

3. IN RECONCILIATION, THE SINNER STANDS BEFORE GOD AS AN ENEMY AND BECOMES A FRIEND, AS PEACE WITH GOD IS MADE.

* AND IN SONSHIP, THE SINNER STANDS BEFORE GOD AS A STRANGER AND IS MADE A SON. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THOSE 5 TERMS SUM UP OUR SALVATION.

** FOR YOU SEE FORGIVENESS DEALS WITH THE FRUIT (THE SIN OF OUR LIVES). REDEMPTION DEALS WITH THE ROOT (THE CONDITION OF OUR NATURE AS SLAVES TO SIN).

*** RECONCILIATION DEALS WITH OUR CONDITION (AS WE BECOME HIS FRIENDS AND EXPERIENCE HIS FELLOWSHIP.)

4. AND THEN SONSHIP DEALS WITH OUR POSITION (AS WE BECOME JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST).

* AND YOU KNOW WHAT? ALTOGETHER THOSE 4 THINGS SPELL JUSTIFICATION. FOR WHEN WE WERE SAVED, THE FRUIT, ROOT, CONDITION AND POSITION WERE ALL TAKEN CARE OF. AND THAT’S CALLED JUSTIFICATION.

** AND AS THE FRUIT, ROOT, CONDITION AND POSITION ARE TAKEN CARE OF BY GOD’S GRACE, WE ARE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS, JUSTIFIED.

5. SO CAN WE REJOICE? ABSOLUTELY. WE SHOULD REJOICE BECAUSE WE THAT ARE JUSTIFIED ARE TRULY BLESSED. LET’S LIVE LIKE IT. REJOICE IN YOUR SALVATION, REJOICE IN THE BENEFITS OF JUSTIFICATION.

* MAY THERE EVEN BY JOY IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING AND SORROW FOR ALL THAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST.