No images? Click here PASSING THE BATON PT. 1Romans 5:1-11 September 11th, 2022 A couple of months ago the youth at Southside Church attended a four-day Engage Conference, so named because the church leadership wants young people to engage God on a deeper level than is possible during a few hours each week. The Scripture focused on during this conference was Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” As the young men were discussing what it means to be crucified with Christ, the example of Eric Liddell came to mind. Eric was an Englishman who was called to be a missionary to China but probably best known for his athletic abilities, specifically as a runner.
Eric said, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast!" Prior to going to China, he had an outstanding career as a runner. Christians admire him for his unwillingness to compromise his principles. He was scheduled to run an important race in the Paris Olympics but withdrew because the race was held on Sunday. He was ridiculed for this decision, but he held firm. Throughout his racing career (1921-1925) he won many races and many medals. He ended his running career in 1925 and began making plans to go to China to fulfilling the calling God had placed on him. The book and movie Chariots of Fire is based on Eric’s life.
Almost two decades later when the Japanese invaded China, the British Government recalled all its citizens. Eric and his family (pregnant wife and two children) returned to England. However, Eric believed he needed to return to China. He did so, was captured and sent to a prisoner of war camp, where he became a chaplain and schoolteacher. He later died of a brain tumor, without ever seeing his family again or meeting his new daughter. He had begun his trip to China with the singing of the hymn, “Jesus shall reign where ‘er the sun doth his successive journeys run…” and his life ended with the hymn, “Be still my soul the Lord is on thy side…”
We might wonder why Eric Liddell or anyone else would give up fame and fortune to become a missionary in a foreign land, especially understanding the hardships that probably lay ahead. The answer is that anyone so committed has the right perspective of the gospel, knowing that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18) When God places such a call on any man or woman, there is no other option. When Saul met Jesus and had his name changed to Paul (Acts 9), Jesus told Ananias that He would show Paul how much he must suffer for the sake of His name (verse 16). Paul would visit many lands, sharing the gospel wherever he went, while suffering greatly. His sufferings (countless beatings, stoning and being left for dead, dangers from cold, hunger, thirst, etc.) are described in 2 Corinthians 11:21-29. Yet, from prison, Paul could tell the Philippians that he had learned to be content in any situation.
The gospel ministry is not just for the paid professionals. It is something we should all be involved in – in our neighborhood, in our community, on our job, in our church, wherever we are. We need to understand that the gospel ministry always comes at a cost, always a high cost. How do we avoid shrinking back from our calling to make disciples? If we really believed the things that Scripture has to say about the realities of hell, we would all have a greater urgency to share the gospel and make disciples. We ARE making disciples, but the question is what kind? How do we make disciples of the next generation that will make difficult decisions and worthy sacrifices for the sake of the gospel? Paul begins to address this question in Chapter Five.
When Eric was in a relay race, he knew that the race is won or lost during the passing of the baton. Dropping the baton or failure to pass it correctly are both disastrous. We need to ask ourselves, what baton are we passing to the next generation? Is it the baton of truth that leads to life and peace or is it a baton of falsehood that leads to death and destruction? (See Romans 8:2) Eric Liddell experienced a life of sacrifice and yet peace. Peace is the focus of our Scripture today in Romans 5:1-11.
In Romans 5:1, Paul says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Because we have been justified with God, we rejoice in our new standing with Him (vv. 2, 3 & 11); we glory in God; we exalt God, and we glory in the great salvation we have in Him. Paul guides us in this Scripture to help us see what this glory looks like. What are these batons we are passing along? As we pass along the right batons we glory in our peace, our hope, our suffering, and our reconciliation. In this Scripture, Paul brings us to the core of the gospel ministry, to the core of discipleship. Passing the baton is discipleship, and the first baton we pass is a baton of peace.
Being justified by faith means that we are in a reconciled position with God, and reconciliation brings peace. There are two types of peace to consider: subjective peace and objective peace. Subjective peace relates to feelings of calmness. This is the peace described in Philippians 4:6-7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This is a good peace to have but it is not the peace that Paul is discussing in Romans 5.
In Romans 5:1, Paul is discussing an objective peace – peace with God. This peace is a fact, not a feeling, and this peace results from what God has done for us as explained in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Ephesians 2 describes the life of a person who does not have peace with God – dead in trespasses and sins, children of wrath, and separated from Christ. Peace with God means that our striving is over; our war with God has been won; it has been won by God. He has conquered us. Now we are adopted as sons and daughters; we have an inheritance; we have a hope. To lose this war is the best possible outcome! There is an objective reality of our peace with God.
For the unbeliever, the war continues, and it is exhausting. We might think to ourselves, I am trying to find my way, I’m looking for my truth, I want God to show Himself to me. We may try to soften the words, but the reality is that God is at war with us. It is tempting to think that my sin is not so bad, but God says otherwise. Young children will usually know when they have disobeyed their parents, but they may not recognize that their sin is ultimately against God. Older youth often question the things they have been taught by their parents or by the church and, because of what they learn in school of because of peer pressure, may turn from God. If God is merciful and convicts you of your sin, at any age, repent for this is what Scripture commands (Acts 17:30). There is no peace for the unbeliever, nor for the unrepentant believer.
To help us appreciate what it means to have peace with God, we need only look back to what Paul said in Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” The wrath of God threatens us, and rightly so. Jonathan Edwards said, “The glittering sword is whet, and held over them, and the pit hath opened its mouth under them.” Whet means sharp. This quote was based on Psalm 7:12-15, “If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made.”
This is a frightening picture of what lies ahead for the person at war with God. God intends that this description frighten us. Isaiah 48:22 tells us that there is no peace for the wicked. The lack of peace is a powerful motivator for leading us to repent of sin, of laying down our weapons of war, and, thereby receiving the peace that only God can give – the peace that comes through faith in His Son.
We who were at one time enemies of God have been brought into a right relationship with Him. This is a glorious truth, and it is a baton that we want to pass to another person. Scripture is clear: if we have repented of our sin and turned to God in faith, then we have peace with God. Having peace with God is a big deal but we don’t think about it enough. We would do well to meditate on what life was like when we were an enemy of God vs what it is like now that we have peace with Him!
a. Pass on a love for the Scriptures Peter says in 1 Peter 1:2 that he wants believer’s peace to be multiplied. This multiplication results from a knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord. If we pass on the baton of love for God and a love for the Scriptures, we will raise up a generation of people who will have a right perspective of the gospel and who will be able to attempt difficult things for the gospel. For the believer, our objective peace grows with the knowledge of our salvation, with our knowledge of the character of God, and with knowledge of the Scripture. Then we become anchored in the storms of life.
b. Practice contentment Paul said in Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Contentment is closely associated with peace. Paul can have contentment because he knows God and the way that God cares for His children. He has grown in his understanding of God’s grace. God was at war with him but now that he is reconciled, he sees how God provides for His children. Since God provides for the birds of the field, Paul knows that God will certainly provide for His children also. This knowledge is the source or Paul’s contentment and peace. This is a baton that we want to pass.
c. Model confession of sin First John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confession and thankfulness are to be a lifestyle. When Jesus washed His disciple’s feet (John 13), He was telling His disciples that they would repeatedly get their feet dirty (sin), and they needed to be cleansed repeatedly. James tells us to confess our sins to one another that we may be healed. The healing to which James speaks is a healing of broken fellowship between believers when one has sinned against another. Such prayers, he tells us, has great power as it is working. If we have been reconciled to God, our sin debt has been paid and we should no longer desire to live in sin. A confession-repentant lifestyle shows a high regard for God, a love for Jesus, an understanding of His word, and the fact that you are grateful for the peace you have with God. Holding onto a sin and passing it down to the next generation are an affront to God! Confession is initiated by the Spirit but motivated by peace with God. We model peace by confessing and repenting of sin quickly.
d. Live without fear Once we have an objective peace with God, we can live without anxiety or fear of death or fear of eternity or fear of relations in life. This peace is grounded in the objective truth of Scripture. We know that God is faithful to do what He says. Second Corinthians 5:6-8 says, “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” We know that our last breath on earth will be our first breath in heaven. Either way believers win; we are either on earth serving the Lord or in heaven worshipping the Lord. There is no downside.
In our world today, fear consumes much of our time: fear of inflation, fear of crime, fear of illness or disease, fear of death, fear of the unknown, etc. If we claim to have the hope of heaven but live in fear, the next generation will question the reality of our faith, of heaven, the Bible, God, Jesus, etc. Is this the baton we want to pass? In John 14:27, Jesus said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Did Paul fear death? No, he was dragged out of the city of Lystra, stoned, and left for dead, then got up and returned to the city. Paul had a perspective on the gospel that would motivate him to repeatedly return to danger. He lived without fear because of the peace he had through being reconciled to God. Paul was confident that he would not die one second before God was ready to call him home. He said to the Colossians, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15) Because we have the same faith as Paul, we also can endure great difficulties for the sake of the gospel. This is the baton we want to pass.
2. Hope (v. 2)
We have peace now, and this peace leads us to a future hope of glory. We have access to the grace of God through faith in Jesus.
Paul says in the first part of Romans 5:2, “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” Having access to God was a foreign concept to Jews. In Judaism, it was only the high priest who had direct access to God, and that only once per year, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Access to God was also foreign to Gentile believers as they were confined to the Court of Gentiles outside the temple. When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn in two, from top to bottom. (Matthew 27:51) The symbolism here is that God has removed all barriers between us and Himself; we do not need a priest, we can go directly to Him. Hebrews 10:19-22 tells us that, through Christ and with confidence, we can draw near to God because the blood of our Great High Priest has sprinkled us clean from an evil conscience and washed our bodies with pure water. We can also approach God with confidence because we are “being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5) We can have an intimate, personal access with the God who created the world. This standing of being justified before God is permanent and unconditional. As Jude 24 and 1 Timothy 1:12 explain, this standing is unbreakable and secured by Jesus. This settled standing before God is Paul’s objective hope.
In the second part of Romans 5:2, Paul says, “we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” This hope is an eager, confident expectation that we will be with God in glory. Revelation 21 describes the vision of the New Heaven and the New Earth that the Apostle John received from Jesus while exiled on Patmos. In the New Jerusalem, God will dwell with His people. Partial description of the New Heaven and the New Earth are found in various places in Scripture. (See for example: Isaiah 6: Isaiah 11:6-9; Isaiah 65:25; Hosea 2:18; John 14:2; 1 Corinthians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 12:1-4; Revelation 4 & 5) We need to keep reminding ourselves of the inheritance we have in God, of the blessing we have in God, and of the hope we have in heaven. Justification is the source of our hope. Peter affirms Paul’s teaching in 1 Peter 1:3-5 where he says that we have been born again to a living hope, to an inheritance that is imperishable, kept in heaven, guarded by God’s power. The hope we have is an objective hope, to which the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:16) This hope should be an objective reality in our life, and it should be evident through the fruit it produces. (For a partial listing of the fruit of the Spirit, see Galatians 5:22-23.) One way we pass the baton of hope is to pray and seek the fruit that should be produced in our life because we are looking toward this hope. This hope is confirmed by the Holy Spirit.
First Peter 3:15 tells us to honor Christ and always be prepared to give a reason for the hope we have. If our life reflects this hope, the lost and dying world will want to know how we can be hopeful in such difficult times; this gives us a platform for the gospel. The realization that God would share the glory of heaven with us should both astound us and motivate us to share the gospel. Paul shared this hope as evidenced by Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” We also need to understand that suffering is a blessing. James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Eric Liddell could count it all joy because he had the peace of knowing Christ, and he had total peace with God. This is a gospel perspective that can change the world.
Selah:
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