The Benefits of Justification

Verse 9, much more than in this chapter, well, in this portion, at least, we have a couple of much mores. I think there's five totals of much mores, but it's a contrast. You know, much more than having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. And so, as you look at verse 9, then, you see, since we have been justified, declared righteous, that right standing before God by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

And, of course, we know what's coming eventually, right? I mean, not, you know, the tribulation, there's going to be, the wrath of God is going to be poured out on this whole world. And for those who will discontinue, it will reject God, because God is a just God, and He must deal with sin, right? He's just. That's why He sent His Son, because He wanted to have an opportunity to have fellowship with us.

And so, just as if I had not sinned, you know, we had sinned, but He died in our stead. But you have to receive it. You have to ask Him into your heart. You have to trust. Trust Him. Look to Him. Give your heart to Him, you see. But we will be saved from that wrath to come, because we're His. We were guilty as charged. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Through His shed blood on the cross, He paid the price for our sins. We share in all the benefits of that. Isn't that heavy duty? Through that shed blood on the cross for us. We've been saved. As I said earlier, it's not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He has saved us. Verse 10. For when we were enemies, and that's what we were with God.

We talked about that earlier in verse 1. For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son much more, that's that other much more here. Having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. We shall be saved by His life. We were enemies, yet reconciled. You remember Jesus said on the cross there as He was giving up the Spirit.

It's finished. Paid to full. Right? See, we owed a debt we couldn't pay. He paid a debt He didn't owe. For us. And so, we were enemies, yet reconciled to God. Through the death of His Son, we shall be saved by His life. I like this statement Dr. McGee gave here. He said, speaking of Jesus, He died down here to save us. He lives up there to keep us saved. He is able to keep on saving us.

You see? Isn't that wonderful? We're His. It's His work. He's interceding for us at all times. In fact, when Satan accuses us before the throne, Jesus says, I paid the price for them. They received what I did for them on the cross.

Reverse 11. We're about to finish up here. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. That being reconciled, you see. The account. The account. I know you think about, you know, reconciling an account you have. You know, you do the bank statement. You look it over. You know, everything's, all the credits, everything's accredited.

And you see. So we rejoice in God, you see, because we receive reconciliation. And how? Through Jesus Christ. So in this section of Scripture, let's think about it. We really see. The results or benefits of having been justified by faith. And as we think of all that, you know, it's hard to go through trials. It's hard to go through the different things that we go through sometimes.

But see, remember, He's working in us, both to will and do of His good pleasure. As we close, I want to go to one more section of Scripture over here in Romans 8, beginning in verse 28. And we're going to close out here. There might have been something in my brain I wanted to say a while ago, but you know, that happens. It fades. And so, okay, Lord, we'll go with that.

Verse 28. And, of course, chapter 8 of Romans is quite a pinnacle. By the way, I try to use that light to make sure I'm not going sideways because I hear the speaker. And I may be this way talking to you people. I don't know. But anyway, verse 28. And we're going to read a little way. So get your reading. Get your reading. Rich is on. Here we go. Verse 28. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,

to those who are the called according to His purpose. So all things work together for the good. Certain things individually don't seem, well, certain things don't seem good to us. But as they come together, they come together. They end up working good for us, for those who love God.

And it's like, I remember David Jeremiah talking about, you know, sodium chloride, you know, and I think I've said this before. Apparently, those two things separately might not be so good. But together, man, they flavor things pretty nicely, don't they? You salt that, you know, that food. We are the salt of the earth, remember. But separately, they may not do so good.

You wouldn't want to take one of them, you know. Without the other, mixed right. There's lots of little things like that, you know. But together, it brings about a good flavor on food. There are things that we go through in life that don't seem good at the time. But as we work through that, and as another thing happens together, they are building character that we don't realize is being built,

oftentimes until we look back on it. And if you look back on your life as a believer from when you began, and you contemplate about it, you'll see, I'm not where I was then. And boy, how dumb I was at times then. You know what I mean? How dumb I am now sometimes. Anyway, but, you know, those things work together, see, in making us those people He wants us to be.

And when He allows certain things, He may give you smaller little trials at times to prepare you for something bigger, because He's doing a work. He sees the future. He sees the finished work. Hebrews 11, when you read the Hall of Faith, when you read that, you see those people in the finished look. Because they talk about, by faith, Abraham did this. By faith, Sarah.

By faith. Well, when you look at Abraham and Sarah, they weren't perfect. Just like. Just like. Just like we. But, as they went through the tests, as God put them through the tests, to draw them closer into Christ, God saw the finished work. He knew the finished work, but the tests helped them see where they were. Now, I've got to quit talking and get to reading again here,

because I want to do this. Now, verse 29. Remember, we said all things work together for the good for those who are called, who love God and are called according to His purpose. Verse 29. For whom He. For knew, you see, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Well, that doesn't trials help us do that? When things are all working together for the good,

and that what helps us be conformed in His image, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called. You see, it's a calling He gives us. Whom He called, these He also justified. Oh, but notice, He called us and justified us. And whom He justified, these He also glorified. Our position in Christ. Do you realize we've been saved?

We're living out this salvation now. And with it comes, as we're being set apart, with it comes trials, with it comes fun times, with it comes all kinds of things, because He's working on us. His work. But that third tense of salvation is, we will be glorified. Be with Him in glory. Amen? So now I'm going to read, not talk so much this time, because I'm just going to get late, and you're going to be hungrier than I am.

And, well, here we go. Verse 31. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Oh, we can trust Him. Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies, not by works of righteousness which we have done,

but according to His mercy He saves us. I said that earlier. Verse 34. Who is He who condemns? It is Christ. It is Christ who died, and furthermore, is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Do you realize that? Verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution?

You see, Paul knew all about this stuff. My gosh, the guy had been shipwrecked and all kinds of stuff. Beaten and all kinds of stuff. He knows from whence he speaks, as God the Holy Spirit led him to write all this, because it's God's Word. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril,

or sword? As it is written, for your sake, we are killed all day long. We all, we are, sorry about that, all day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen? Now remember, we've been justified. We have access to the Father through Jesus Christ, by the Spirit, with what Jesus has done, and we have access to the Father through Jesus Christ, who died on the cross. We are saved

by grace through faith. Unmerited favor. God's riches is at Christ's expense. We are His. But because He loves us, we do have the benefit of tribulations in order to bring about perseverance and endurance, which brings about character, which then leads to hope, that assurance. Now how do I deal with that? How do I deal with this? I've got to faithfully be in the Word of God,

be in prayer, be real with God about how I am and how I feel, and be willing to ask Him to continue to do His work in my life, and to be yielded. How do I do that? By faith. You choose to say, Lord, I can't do it. I give it to You. I am falling short. And so it's a day-to-day, whatever, whatever it is. It's day-to-day. And if God has brought you into this world,

and He saved you, He can certainly keep you. Amen? He can keep us. So don't forget it. And I'm going to tell you, any mountaintop experience, you may have a valley below you. There's always valleys between those mountains. And Satan will try to mess us around. But how did Jesus handle that when He was led of the Spirit to be tempted of the devil? Quoted the Word, didn't He?

That spoken Word, it is written. Hang on to His Word, prayer, fellowship with Him and with one another. We are not islands. And we have to purpose as we pray to do what He leads us to do. Yeah, we'll fall short. As long as we're on topside of this earth, we're going to sin. But what are you doing about it? Are you agreeing with God when you fall short? Are you accepting His forgiveness

and keeping on, keeping on? Are you letting Satan condemn you? Keep on, keeping on. Shall we close in prayer? Father, we thank you for this opportunity. Father God, we've had to be in your Word. Please continue to strengthen us with your might to be what you'd have us be, Lord Jesus. We can't do it without you. You are our strength.

We can face everything with you and we give you praise. I just... I also pray that you'd be with Ryan and all the boys, that you'd keep them safe there and teach them lots and bless their families while they're gone and get them all back here to us safely. And we thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.

Did I say stand? I already forgot if I didn't. All right, let's close, guys. God is good. God is good. I remember Mark Fry bringing that back. He was... Come on, brain. Over in Africa, what country was that? Huh? At any rate, when he came back, I remember him bringing that saying back, you know, God is good. All the time, God is good. And it's true.

He is the wonders of your life. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Please bless now as we go our ways, home and all, whatever we're going to be doing, that you would bless and strengthen and encourage us and be glorified in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. The Lord bless you all. Have a great week.