“The Blessings of Justification” Pt. 1
Romans 5:1-2
August 6, 2017
Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the Lord.”
So the day that Raye Jeanne and I got married, I knew I was a blessed man. Only a little more than a year before we married (and before we met) I had been thinking that perhaps I should commit to a life of singleness. So when the Lord to give me her as a gift I realized I was receiving much grace from Him.
And I knew that I was getting a special woman as well. From our first date, I recognized that she was unique among all the women I had ever dated and I was intrigued by her nature and character. By the time we got married, I knew that she was just right for me. But I had no idea on that day just how right she was and just what a great gift she was to me. Now, after 30 years of marriage, her character and worth have been demonstrated in innumerable ways, and I recognize that whatever grace I thought I was receiving on the day of our marriage has been multiplied 10,000 times.
That perspective is also true of our salvation. When we trust Christ as our Savior and God declares us just even though we are not just, we are humbled and grateful and sometimes even overwhelmed by His grace in our lives. But that is just the beginning of our blessings in God. Yes, our justification has spared us from the wrath of God, but there are so many more blessings that we receive through our justification.
In Romans 5:1, having concluded his explanation of salvation as justification through faith alone, Paul transitions to a new section on sanctification — the process of living out our salvation. And as he begins that section, his first thought is to consider the blessings that come to us through justification. In verses 1-11 he emphasizes that:
The blessings of justification give us all we need for today and the future.
Here are three of the blessings that the believer receives as the result of being justified by God:
- We Have Peace with God (v. 1)
- We Have Grace for Living (v. 2a)
- We Have the Hope of Glory (v. 2b)
Download the rest of this sermon on Romans 5:1-2.
The audio will be posted on the GBC website tomorrow morning.
Words of Grace 