Born Identity-1
Fellowship Part 8
Andrew K. Fox
Year of alignment
(Romans 5:1-2)
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."
Three results
Paul makes a statement that we have been justified. It means that the blood of Christ has cleaned you from all unrighteousness and you are declared innocent and guiltless. There are three results of this identity. We do not have to look for them, hope for them or wish for them. Paul is saying that we have them. What are they?
Peace with God
Be sure what Paul is speaking about here. He is saying that we have permanent peace with God. You may argue that there are times when you have no peace of mind, heart or spirit where sleep escapes you. The world is crying out for peace. In the past 4000 years of recorded history the world has only known 268 years of peace. You are looking for peace of mind or harmony between family members, friends, neighbors and cultures. What you are looking for is the peace 'of' God. (Philippians 4:7) "…the peace of God, which transcends all your understanding, will guard your hearts and minds…" This is the promise of God when you face trials. But you will never know the peace 'of' God until you have peace 'with' God. It is not a question of how well you stand up under trials with character and integrity but how well you stand up to the perfect justice of God. Now what you need is not peace with regard to your trials but peace with regard to God. The peace 'of' God is subjective to whatever you face but peace 'with' God is objective because it involves two persons in God and you. Something has to happen on both sides for there to be peace. We need to look at the two persons involved in this peace.
God's side
Without Christ there would be no peace on God's side or our side. "…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…" We are quick to forget that without Christ the wroth of God would be poured out on us. You cannot bypass the work done in Christ and the peace obtained by him for God's sake and our sake. (Romans 3:24-26) "He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." How can God be both the one who justifies declaring us innocent of sin and the one who is perfect in justice letting no sin go unpunished? His wrath has to be poured out without question fully satisfying and appeasing God so who was it poured out on if not us? "…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…" Now God can deal with us in a new way. As far as God is concerned he has been fully satisfied that our sins are no more not just because Christ died for us but that Christ was punished by having the full weight of God's anger, vengeance, and punishment poured out on Christ.
Our side
If something has happened on God's side them something must happen on our side. Why does something have to happen on our side? By nature we are enemies of God blinded by sin saying everything is all right when it is not. We create various gods of our own imagination. One good reason for this is because when the God of the Bible is revealed we also see what the Bible reveals about us at the same time. The result of this revealing is either repentance or hardening of the heart like Israel in the desert. (Romans 8:7) "…the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's laws, not can it do so." This is a person who imagines they have peace with God. (Ephesians 2:3) "…we were by nature objects of wrath." This is the true nature of man that the Bible reveals when God is revealed. (Ephesians 4:18) "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is due to the hardening of their hearts." Before we can have peace with God we must be dealt with. What was broken in the Garden of Eden can be dealt with and re-established.
The work done in Christ
John's Gospel gives an account of a blind man who was healed by Christ. When he presented himself to the Pharisees they disputed his healing saying he was never blind. When his parents clarified he was born blind. They attacked the healing now they attacked the healer. (John 9:24) "We know this man is a sinner." But the healed man replied (v31) "We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will." Our nature is apart from God but even if we did cry out to God he would not listen because of our sin. "…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." We are presented with a problem in our culture. We cannot teach on tips and techniques for life by bypassing the work of God done through our Lord Jesus Christ which will reveal who God is and who we are. Who wants to listen to that? We are often too quick to promote the blessing outside of presenting what Christ has done for us. When ministering to an individual the question should be 'do you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ?' We make calls to respond and receive from the hand of God when what is needed is peace with God. Reconciliation with God must precede anything God does for you. When God looks at you does he see the work of our Lord Jesus Christ in you? Does he see that you're old nature that was an enemy of God has been taken away and a new nature born in you? Does he see the wall of hostility removed by the work of his own son by nailing it to the cross? If so, then Paul is saying, 'therefore you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.'
Experienced peace
How is peace with God experienced? You must have it in your thinking. A change has to take place in your mind. You know that you have sinned and that you will sometimes still sin. On both accounts you are held prisoner. It leaves your mind troubled and restless. But knowing and understanding that you have peace with God changes all this. In a time of sentiment doctrine must be established in your thinking. What does the Word of God say? It will 'come to mind' that God has punished sin in the body of our Lord Jesus Christ for all your past, present and future. God does not just tell us but he has demonstrated it for us.
" You can answer the accusations of your own mind with unshakable doctrine. If you cannot answer your own mind then you need to know sound doctrine or it will shake you leaving you unstable and double minded in all that you do. (Jeremiah 31:33) "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts."
" You can answer the accusations of the devil. If he rakes up your past in a terrible panorama you can reply with confidence 'Christ died for me and my sin.' The devil is relentless in accusing the believer day and night but the argument of the blood that was shed for you silences him.
When the Christian sins
What happens when the believer sins? Surely the accusations of the mind and the devil control us? But you can still answer the accusations of your mind and the devil. If one sin can put you outside of a relationship with God then you will never have peace with God. Your mind or the devil will say 'you have sinned and have lost peace with God.' You will answer 'I can only have peace with God as long as I am good.' But you are wrong. Your justification, declaration of innocence was done entirely by the work of our Lord Jesus Christ and always will be. At no point does it become your work. In dining terms it is the difference between 'pay for what you eat' and an 'all you can eat for one price.' We have been invited into the banqueting hall of God and the price has been paid by our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul tells us "Therefore, since we have been justified…" We have been justified once for all.
By faith alone
We have been justified by faith but there are times when faith has to fight. But when it fights it always wins. Faith silences the accusations of the mind and the devil. But it can be a desperate fight at times. If you had a compass the needle would point to the true north. If a magnet was introduced it would throw off the needle from the true north. It will shake its confidence but its confidence will not be lost because the needle will find its place once more. You will struggle in your faith but it does not mean you have no faith. If anything it proves you have faith. (Hebrews 10:19-22) "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."
Do you have peace with God?
1. You may need the peace 'of' God in a time of trial but before you can receive this do you have peace 'with' God?
2. Something has happened on God's side to appease his wrath against sin and the sinner through the body and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Something has to happen on your side where our sinful nature is exchanged for a new and permanent nature.
4. It is God's desire to bless you through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
5. Sound doctrine is in the Word of God that it may be in your thinking to answer the accusations of your own mind and the devil.
6. You may struggle in your faith but faith will always win.
If you would like to see previous transcripts you can find them here: Teaching Series
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