I’d like to read a few Scriptures as we start in the book of Romans. First, go to Romans 1.
Romans 1:11. I think after Veronica’s testimony, everyone is scared of me to preach, so most of the group has left. But now they’re coming back. We’re still here.
So let’s read this together. I mean, I’ll read it, but I want to look for this word: establish.
For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established.
—Romans 1:11
That is a key word I want us to remember today.
Then let’s go to Romans 5:11. Here we want to notice the word boast, or confidence.
And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
—Romans 5:11
Dear Lord, this is Your Word that we are reading together. We come wanting to meditate on it, to focus on You, and to hear from You. We pray that You would reveal Your Son to us.
In this time, may each one of us meet You in a real way. Open our eyes so that we can see spiritually what You are showing us. Open the ears of our hearts so that we can hear what You have to say.
We trust in You. We commit ourselves to You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
This word in Romans 5 that says boast—actually, in the first eleven verses of Romans 5, that word occurs three times. Usually, when we talk about boasting, it is a bad thing. But this boasting is confidence in God. It is assurance, trust, and being strongly established and firm in your salvation.
Last time, we were going through Romans and looking at sharing the gospel with unbelievers. We were looking at God’s righteous way of saving sinners. At the end of Romans 3, we saw the righteousness of God revealed to fallen man. God has a right way, a just way, to save sinful mankind that has rejected Him.
In gospel preaching, when someone finally hears, receives, believes, or repents, the righteousness of God is opened up and revealed to them. They see, “This is the way to salvation,” and they believe on the Lord Jesus.
Last time, we spent most of the time sharing bad news, because the good news should come after the bad news. Actually, we ran out of time, so the good news was shortened. But this happens often when we speak with souls in need of salvation. Sometimes you spend a long time preparing the way, and then there is just a quick moment when they receive Christ.
But this time, it is all good news. We want to look at what happens after someone has received the gospel: how to establish them in the gospel. You have been saved, but you need to be assured of your salvation. You have received eternal life, but now that needs to become a solid experience in your walk.
In gospel preaching, this is probably the most neglected area. Usually, when we share Christ with unbelievers, we lead them to a point where there may be a prayer or confession of sins. By God’s grace, they may really come through and receive eternal life. But often we leave them alone from there.
Maybe circumstances prevent us from seeing them again. But either way, many people are left alone while still shaky.
This time, we are going to cover Romans 4 and the first half of Romans 5, verses 1 through 11. We are not merely looking at the teaching inside Romans. We are taking a step back and asking the Lord to show us, from this master gospel preacher, Paul, how he shares the gospel.
How does he do it? Why does he share the way that he shares? We are sitting on the sidelines, watching him preach his gospel message.
If you remember Matthew 13, there is a parable about someone preaching the gospel. It gives the picture of a farmer putting seed into the ground. The seed is like the gospel message, and the ground is like the heart of a person or an unbelieving soul. However prepared the ground is determines how well it receives the seed.
The parable gives four different scenarios. The Lord Jesus was exhorting us to have good hearts, but we want to look at it from another angle: from the standpoint of the gospel preacher. You are on the side of the farmer putting seed into the ground; you are not the ground right now.
One ground, one out of four, was really good. This is about what we see among people who receive the gospel. A small percentage really have good ground. When they receive the word of the gospel, it is solid. The plant grows and produces good fruit.
Just like a Christian who receives the gospel, they hear the message, accept it, believe on the Lord, give their lives to follow Him, bear fruit, and live lives worthy of the gospel. This is rare.
Another one-fourth rejects the gospel. The ground bounces the seed off. In gospel preaching, this happens a lot. When the heart is stubborn, it rejects the word of the gospel.
But I especially want to focus on one type of person who tries to receive the gospel, but whose heart is so hard that they do not really get born again. Maybe they prayed a prayer, tried to believe on the Lord Jesus, or came down to an altar call. They are trying to be saved, but for some reason the word of the gospel does not make it in.
Then there are two other types of ground. These receive the gospel, but something is wrong with the ground. Either the ground is shallow, so the seed has no root and shrivels up under the sun, or there are many weeds that choke the plant.
The weeds are the cares of life, the things that busy you and distract you from the Lord Jesus. Even though you are saved, you may not be producing fruit or following the Lord fully.
For each of these different scenarios, the gospel needs to be established. The righteousness of God not only needs to be revealed; it needs to be realized. The salvation received, or the word of the gospel received, has to be owned. There needs to be assurance of salvation.
If someone is helped properly right at the beginning, two benefits happen:
Consider the Galatian believers. They believed on the Lord; they were good ground, in first love, seeking and desiring to follow Him. But another teaching came in. The Judaizers said, “It is okay that you believed on the Lord, but you have to become a Jew also.”
They wanted to follow the Lord, but someone reasoned them out of the simple gospel. Another gospel came in saying, “You have to keep the works of the law. You have to become Jews. You have to do more than just believe on the Lord Jesus.”
These days, people still bring in another gospel. They say it is Christ, but we have to add something else. Whenever there is something more than just Christ, that is a different gospel.
Many cults train people in the Scriptures. Sometimes they seem trained more than most Christians. They come in, share Bible verses, and people can get tripped up on the gospel, confused, and messed up, just like the Galatian believers.
That is why it is helpful to become solid in these basics right from the beginning.
Let us look at Romans 4. We are going to call this section Reasoning from the Scriptures.
My outline is based on Paul preaching the gospel. We are not looking at Romans purely for doctrine. We are asking, “What is Paul doing right now?” He is reasoning from the Scriptures.
Paul often did this when he preached the gospel. He would stand in the synagogues, open the Word of God, and show from the Bible what the true good news is.
Romans 4 deals with a darkened heart. When your heart is confused, it is hard to receive the gospel and hard to be established in the gospel. When there is confusion, it has to be dealt with.
The first half of Romans 5, through verse 11, we will call Experiencing Eternal Life. These are the two main things needed in helping someone: clear understanding of the gospel and a real experience of eternal life.
Romans 4 has three parts:
If you put them together—works, circumcision, and law—they are all against the principle of faith. Faith is trusting in the Lord Jesus for salvation.
Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved.
—Acts 16:31
The questions are these:
Romans 4 begins with Abraham.
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh?
For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.
For what saith the Scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
—Romans 4:1-3
Paul takes the story of Abraham and uses the Bible to answer the question about works. Abraham’s story is a picture of someone getting saved.
And he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him for righteousness.
—Genesis 15:6
When Abraham was saved, what did he do? He believed. That is it.
Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.
—Romans 4:4-5
If Abraham had earned salvation by working, his salvation would have been a reward. The principle of works is simple: when you work, you get something you deserve.
If I work and earn one hundred dollars, I deserve that money. It is my reward. But a gift is different. A pure gift is given freely. There are no strings attached. You do not earn it, keep it, or deserve it. It is simply a free gift.
Gift and reward are different principles.
Abraham could not boast before God because he was saved by believing God. If he had done works for salvation, he would have had reason to boast in himself: “I did these good deeds, and now I am right before God.”
But there is nothing you can do to be right with God. Works say that you have done something; faith says that God has already done it.
God has sent His beloved Son. He died on the cross for your sins. By believing in that free gift God has given, you are made right with God. You just believe and receive.
We have more Scripture available to us than Paul had at that time. Ephesians 2:8-10 is very clear.
For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not of works, that no man should glory.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.
—Ephesians 2:8-10
You are saved by grace through faith. It is not of yourself; it is the gift of God. It is not according to works, so that no one can boast before God.
But verse 10 gives the balance. We do not do something to get saved. After we are saved, we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. God has works for you to do, but not for salvation.
First Corinthians 3:10-15 is helpful here. Paul is speaking to Christians—people already saved. He says the foundation has already been laid, and that foundation is Christ. No one can change it.
For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
—1 Corinthians 3:11
The question is how you build on that foundation.
But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble;
each man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire.
—1 Corinthians 3:12-13
Gold, silver, and precious stones remain through the fire. Wood, hay, and stubble burn up.
If any man’s work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward.
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.
—1 Corinthians 3:14-15
Here is a Christian whose work is burned up. The foundation is still Christ. The works are gone, but the person himself is saved.
Salvation is a gift. Reward is something earned. Salvation is the foundation. Reward is what you build toward. Being made right with God is something received; following Him, pursuing Him, and knowing Him more are things we pursue afterward.
Now Romans 4:9-12 speaks about circumcision and uncircumcision. What does circumcision have to do with salvation? Basically, Paul says: nothing.
Being a Jew or not being a Jew does not determine salvation. Paul reasons again from Abraham’s story. Abraham believed God and was counted righteous in Genesis 15. Circumcision came later, in Genesis 17.
What came first? Faith.
Abraham was first the father of faith. His being made right with God had nothing to do with circumcision.
In our case today, people may say, “I grew up in a Christian home,” “I go to church meetings,” or “I am a good person.” But you are not saved because of who you are, where you grew up, or what church you attend.
For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.
—Romans 3:23
Sometimes you ask someone, “How long have you been a Christian?” and they say, “My whole life.” But you are not born as a Christian. You have to be born again.
Someone may say, “I am a Baptist,” or “I am a Methodist,” or something else. But the question is not simply what group you belong to. The question is whether you have been born again.
Nicodemus was a good man, a teacher, and a good Jew. He knew many things and saw something good about Jesus. But Jesus told him:
Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
—John 3:3
Unless you are born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.
It has to be clear that salvation is not because you were a good person. It is because the Lord Jesus died on the cross for your sins. It is by faith.
The third question is this: Can you keep your salvation?
Paul contrasts the law with the promise given to Abraham. The promise came hundreds of years before Moses and the law. Promise is stronger than law.
Abraham did not keep the law of Moses, because the law of Moses did not exist at that time. By sheer faith in the Lord, Abraham received eternal life and was made righteous.
Many people feel, “I have received eternal life, but I have to keep it.” Then comes the law. Law is something outside of your heart: a rule, a standard, or something you think you should do because you read it, saw another Christian doing it, or someone told you to do it.
The law has a purpose. It exposes sin and brings us to Christ. It cannot save us.
For through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.
—Romans 3:20
The proper response is to ask the Lord, “Lord, is this something I should do? Will You put this in my heart if it is from You?” Then it becomes an inward work of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8 calls this “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” The Holy Spirit leads you, lives through you, and strengthens you to live a certain way. It is not rules on the outside; it is the life of Christ on the inside.
But many people hear a gospel that says, “Come to Christ—but if you do this and do not do this, then you will make it to heaven.” That keeps people from having assurance of salvation.
This is a false gospel. Once you are saved, it is solid. It is established. It is because of what Christ has done, not what you can do. You cannot keep it; He will keep it.
He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.
—Philippians 1:6
Now we come to Romans 5:1-11. Here we are not dealing so much with thoughts in the mind. Sometimes wrong ideas are the problem, but other times it comes down to this: Have you experienced Christ? Have you experienced the gospel?
Paul uses the word boast three times in this passage, along with three other key words: faith, hope, and love. These are the three pillars of Christian experience.
How do you know that you have eternal life? You experience it.
Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
—Romans 5:1-2
How do you have peace with God? Through the Lord Jesus Christ. How were you made right with God? By faith.
This access into God’s presence is a Christian experience. You come into the Lord’s presence by faith, through the blood of the Lord Jesus.
Hebrews 10:19-22 tells us that we come boldly because our hearts and consciences have been cleansed by the blood of Christ. What often stops us from coming into God’s presence is sin. When you have sin, you want to run from His face. But when your sin is washed clean and forgiven, you can come boldly into His presence.
If you come to a church meeting, sing a song, and feel far from God, sometimes there is a sin hindering you. The blood of the Lord Jesus has been shed for your sins. Blood means that someone died. Christ died for your sins and paid the price.
Sometimes there is a particular sin on your heart that keeps you from coming into God’s presence. If there is something you remember and feel convicted about, bring it to the Lord.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
—1 John 1:9
This speaks of specific sins. God speaks to your conscience and convicts you of something specific. If you go to the Lord with that sin and ask for forgiveness, He is faithful and righteous to forgive you and cleanse you.
This can help someone who thinks they are a Christian but has never experienced forgiveness. They may need to come through into a real experience of eternal life.
And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh steadfastness;
and steadfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope:
and hope putteth not to shame.
—Romans 5:3-5
Before you are saved, who boasts in tribulation? Who has confidence in a trial? But this is a Christian experience.
Whenever you go through something hard, the Lord uses it to focus your life on the hope ahead. That hope is the Lord Jesus Himself.
In this world, you will have tribulation. There will be trials and problems because of sin in this world. Do not blame God for all the problems in the world. Mankind has fallen. These are our tribulations.
But for the Christian, there is endurance. Endurance means, “By God’s grace, I will go through this with my eyes fixed on Jesus. He will carry me through.”
When you are stressed, under pressure, nervous, or overwhelmed by what is happening with your children, grandchildren, work, or other situations, you need peace. You need to find a way to endure through tribulation.
Jesus says:
Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
—Matthew 11:28
In trial and tribulation, He calls you to come to Him. He will give you rest. In that rest and peace, you endure through the tribulation.
The Bible says in Philippians:
In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
—Philippians 4:6-7
When you are anxious, take it to Him in prayer, and He gives you peace. The more this happens, the more endurance produces experience and character. It becomes your habit to fix your eyes on the Lord Jesus.
Because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us.
—Romans 5:5
The love of God expands in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. You receive His love, and it explodes inside.
Sometimes someone has prayed, come to Christ, and perhaps even really received the Lord, but they are still not solid. They need to experience His love.
For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly.
—Romans 5:6
Put your name there. In due time, Christ died for you. While you were without strength, godless, without Him, and against Him, Christ died for you.
But God commendeth His own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
—Romans 5:8
This is God’s love.
Consider this: while you were without loving God, without being good, helpless, and without strength—while you were still a sinner and even an enemy of God—Christ died for you.
Do you see His love? He loved you and brought you back to Himself while you were away from Him and rejecting Him.
When Christ was on the cross, He knew your name. He knew your sins, your life, and your circumstances. He took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, including your sins.
He was pierced, whipped, crowned with thorns, and separated from the Father because He became sin for us.
My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?
—Matthew 27:46
This is the love of God.
When you receive His love, it is overwhelming in your heart. You love Him back. You say, “I want to know this One who loved me while I was wretched.”
You can say, “I know He will carry me all the way through. I know He will deliver me from wrath at the end, because He saved me while I was a sinner. He saved me while I was ungodly.”
Much more then, being now justified by His blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.
—Romans 5:9-10
If He made you right with God while you were His enemy, how much more will He save you now that you have eternal life? This is our confidence. This is our boast.
And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
—Romans 5:11
How do you have confidence before God? How do you know that you are saved? It is through our Lord Jesus Christ—not through anything you have done, kept, or deserved.
You know it because the Bible says it is so, and you know it because you have received eternal life and are living by that eternal life. If He saved you in such a state and loved you in such a state, He loves you now and will bring you all the way through.
This is our confidence. This is our boast. This is our assurance of salvation.
The Bible teaches thoroughly that you can be certain you are saved. If you are not certain, come to Christ today. Some of us may still be in that uncertain and shaky ground. But if that is your case today, now is the day for salvation. Now is the time to come to Christ.
Dear Lord, we dare not trust in ourselves. We praise and thank You for this Word that we can stand on, that we can have confidence in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord, You have saved us. You have given us eternal life. We want to take our stand on that solid-ground foundation. We want to stand against all things that would try to take away from the good news: the good news that You have died for us and given us this free gift of eternal life.
Lord, if we are shaky and not walking with You today, we pray that You would bring us through to experience Your eternal life today. If there are any here who do not know You, we pray that they would turn their hearts to You, open their hearts, and receive Your good news.
Lord, we commit ourselves to You. We trust in You alone. We thank You for this solid ground of the gospel that You have given to us. In Jesus’ name, amen.