Adventure in the Ascent
To the adventure in Him... This phrase has been a rallying cry for me and my circle of friends for years. We were designed for intimate relationship with God. Jesus made this possible through His sacrifice on the Cross. The veil was torn, and we were invited beyond. We were created for a grand adventure in which we come to Him in repentance, maintain intimacy, learn of Him, walk His path, and ascend the hill of the Lord. Let's ascend together and experience the adventure with God. There's more...
Adventure in the Ascent
ROMANS: The Beauty of Salvation (Romans 3:22, 10:8-13, 5:1-12)
“God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, 'I love you.'” -Billy Graham
Last week, we looked at the introduction to the book of Romans and Paul’s first major theme- the problem of sin. Just as God doesn’t discriminate with salvation, sin doesn’t discriminate. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Today, we see the rescue from that- salvation through Jesus!
↠“The recognition of sin is the beginning of salvation.” -Luther
↠We see ourselves rightly, as unrighteous before a righteous and holy God
↠”For all have sinned and fallen short (Rom. 3:23)” We existed in a fallen state, helpless, but Romans 5:6 says that, in that very state, Christ died for us.
↠”We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.” -Rom. 3:22
↠”Place our faith?” It is a genuine reliance on Christ, a heartfelt trust in Him. It’s acknowledging the truth of everything that God has revealed in his Word, trusting in him, and also receiving and resting on him alone for salvation as He is offered to us in the gospel. There is no way to make ourselves right
↠How do we place our faith in Him? (Rom. 10:8-13)
↠Confess- our confession, our declaration aligning with Jesus Christ, coming into agreement with who He is and what He has done, believing Him fully. (Luke 9:23)
↠1 John 1:9 takes it further when it promises that “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
↠Believe- Trust in, have faith in, it carries connotations of deep trust and confidence. It’s more than just believe (demons believe, James 2:19), deep, personal trust that produces obedience. (Prov. 3:5)
↠”Whoever calls on the name of the Lord SHALL be saved. (v. 13)
↠Blessings & Benefits of trusting in Jesus for salvation (Rom. 5:1-12)
↠Being made right/righteous, restoration, sins forgiven, but also…
↠Peace with God- from enemies of God to being at peace with Him (Eph. 2:14)- union/back to the Garden/no separation
↠Standing in grace (v. 2)- It’s a present and continuing state of grace- God’s undeserved favor towards us. No works/no earning/no striving (Gal. 5:1)
↠We have access- Given permanent access to the throne room
↠We can glory or rejoice in tribulation- “Even in times of trouble we have a joyful confidence.” We live in a fallen world, we will have trouble. We also carry our joy and triumph even into the midst of trials. Out of this comes perseverance, character, and HOPE. The progression of Christian character.
↠We have a hope that doesn’t disappoint. Because, in all this, God’s love is being poured out into our hearts by a work of the Holy Spirit it says. “Experiencing the endless love of God cascading into our hearts.”
↠Have you experienced this salvation? Have you received and acted upon the Good News?
↠“It’s the kindness/goodness of God that draws us to repentance.” -Romans 2:4