Sermon Tone Analysis

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Anger
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Anger
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Introduction
A few months back, in a Bible study gathering, I struck a conversation with an individual that I have been trying to witness for a few years.
I got to know him through our group, and as a matter of fact, he has been part of the Bible study for several years.
The interesting thing is that he doesn’t attend church, but he still comes to the gatherings.
In these past years, I have seen many things happen in his life, divorce, struggles with family members, and a whole bunch of other stuff.
He grew up in a very religious family, and they were exceptionally strict, according to him, to the point that the parents shoved religion up his throat.
He wanted to vomit at times, as he says.
Moreover, things happened in his childhood that further eschewed him away from Christianity.
I do not know the details, but apparently, it left him with a bitter taste towards evangelical Christianity.
Moreover, to this day, his past childhood experiences represent a significant barrier to accepting Christ as savior.
He has had lots of ups and downs, as you can imagine.
But what is confusing is that even though he has misgivings towards Christianity, he still comes to the Bible group meetings.
Here is where I will make a confession.
After several years I became a little cynical as to why he continues to attend the study.
Knowing that he rejects the faith, part of me wanted to tell him that for the health of the group this is probably not the best place for him and for the rest of us.
In our conversations, he at times argued and questioned certain biblical notions, and the repeated pattern became a nuisance.
For obvious reasons, in a group setting, we want to encourage each other and build our faith, not have to defend as if we are on a continuous debate.
I wrestled as to what is the best course of action in dealing with this situation and how to approach him.
Despite the annoyance I grew towards him, part of me still wanted to see God reach him and change his life.
Towards the end of the meeting, I felt compelled to challenge him.
I asked him if he would put his trust in Christ.
Is not that he does not know the gospel, for he heard it plenty of times.
In the end, he could not accept Jesus.
The argument goes that he cannot believe that a “good” God can send people to hell just because they do not believe in Him.
The whole idea of God’s wrath leaves a sour taste in his mouth.
It tells him that the Christian God isn’t loving after all.
Why do I bring this up you may ask?
Because I want to tell you in the midst of the fog, he just cannot see God’s, immeasurable love.
He just cannot recognize the surety of God’s love.
After repeatedly telling him that Christ death on a cross, as a substitute who suffered in our stead and endured the punishment we deserved, was the greatest act of love, he still will not accept Jesus.
Despite telling him repeatedly that if we repent and put our faith in Christ, we are saved, he still will not accept Jesus.
Even after telling him that believers are justified by grace through faith, he still will not accept Jesus.
After plainly telling him that God loves him, he still cannot accept Jesus.
speaks to those who have been justified.
It talks about eternal salvation.
I teach us concerning the security of salvation.
It reveals our security in Christ.
Ultimately, justification by faith and the resulting benefits directly displays the assurance and the immeasurable love that God has for you and me.
I framed today’s sermon in two parts to explain how God’s love is revealed through justification.
The first part explains God’s love revealed in the results or the benefits as some say of justification, and the second part I will uncover God’s love understood through the depth of justification.
Context
As we begin, let me give you some context concerning the epistle to the Romans.
Written by Paul around AD 56-57, it is said that Romans was Paul’s most important letter.
He wrote it to the Romans while in Corinth during his third missionary journey.
At the time of the writing, he had not been to Rome, but he knew the importance and influence of the church.
He needed to strengthen the work already existent in Rome, so he systematically outlined the foundations of the Christian faith.
He carefully explained the meaning of salvation in Christ.
In fact, the letter to the Romans has helped millions of people to come to faith in Jesus.
Romans is so instrumental that it stirred many giants of the faith to Christianity.
Augustine after reading , gave his whole life to Christ.
Luther, after pondering on , said that Romans was his gateway into heaven.
Samuel Coleridge, called Romans, “The most profound work in existence.”
And John Calvin insisted that “when anyone understands this epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scripture.”
So let us begin with the first point.
God’s Immeasurable Love Revealed in the Results of Justification
God justifies us (1).
Paul begins chapter five with the benefits of justification.
What is justification?
It is essentially the act of God in which He establishes believers as righteous, in a true and right relationship to Himself.
Therefore, since we have been justified, says Paul, we have peace with God.
But why justification is necessary and why God justifies a man?
It was necessary because of sin and man’s rebellion against God.
It was necessary because sin aroused God’s anger.
And God justifies man because of His Son Jesus.
Because of God’s love for you and for me that He sent His only Son into the world to die for us ().
How does God justify a man?
Whenever we put our faith in Jesus.
As a result, God looks upon us as righteous.
Brothers and sisters, we are counted, judged, and treated as righteous.
Michael Horton highlights that “when we are justified, we are set apart, marked off, in a public and legal announcement.
The Spirit publicly vindicated – justified – the risen Christ, and now he unites us with Christ to receive the same justification.”
God gives us Peace (1).
Justification has benefits, and it is because of justification, we have peace with God through Christ.
I want to stress the preposition πρός “with.”
Believers are justified and have peace with God, not the peace “of” God.
Certain passages speak about the peace of God that gives comfort in times of trouble.
A peace that soothes, when we are hurting.
But this is not how it is used in this context.
We must understand that those who are NOT in right standing with God are in a state of war with Him.
Man rebelled against God and decided to take life into his own hands.
Ever since the fall, men have determined to rule themselves and have ignored the Creator.
In men’s own rebellion, and without God, men made a mess of the world.
The confusion and chaos was a result of men’s sinful cravings.
Men became ungodly, and an enemy of God.
When men decide to go into battle with God, God’s justice must be exercised.
There is no doubt that we deserve our punishment.
Understand that unrest and warring appears to permeate our lives.
Everyone talks about peace, but from my vantage point, if it up to men alone, peace is garbage talk.
Just so you have an idea, the Global Peace Index Report of 2018, highlights 92 countries deteriorating from 2016-17.
Battle deaths have risen steadily over the last 10 years, increasing by 264%.
The report states that both Europe and North America became less peaceful with 23 out 36 countries in Europe worsening.
Even in our own personal lives, we have trouble with people (friends, family, classmates, and co-workers)?
Sometimes the closest people to us are the ones we have the most difficulty dealing.
They make us so uncomfortable that sometimes we murder them in our minds.
We are at constant war, we are restless, but ultimately we want peace.
But, through Christ, God justifies man.
God shows His immeasurable love for us that, God Himself, initiates the peace process.
And all that is required is that we believe in His one and only Son, Jesus.
For those who believe are clothed with Christ’s righteousness.
We are counted as having died in Christ and paid the penalty for sin, and ultimately counted as having resurrected in Christ.
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