Bible Passage: Romans 5:1-5
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: June 15, 2025

Bulletin – June 15, 2025

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

Paul is going to build a magnificent tower this morning.  Its lofty heights will touch heaven!  To build this grand tower, Paul will start with a rock-solid foundation.  The foundation upon which Paul will build this tower is the teaching, the doctrine, of “justification.”

Our text begins with the words, …since we have been justified (v. 1).  Everything will be built on this truth:  we have been justified.  But what does that mean that we have been justified?  And not just justified, but justified by faith (v. 1).  “Justify” and “justification” are court-room terms.  “To justify” means to declare someone “not guilty.”  Here is the great teaching of the Christian faith, a truth that sets it apart from every other man-made religion on the planet!  God has already rendered the verdict in your case.  God has already examined all the evidence in the case whose outcome determines whether you will enter heaven or not.  A guilty verdict means you will spend eternity in hell.  A not-guilty verdict means you will spend eternity with God in glory.  The moment for the pronouncement of the verdict has come.  God looks at you, he slams his gavel down on the bench and declares, “You are not guilty of all sin, for Jesus’ sake!”  This is the case for all who TRUST in Jesus Christ.  They are “justified by faith” in Jesus Christ, and not by any works.

This is the foundational truth Paul wants to turn to full account in our text today.  He lays that cornerstone:  Since We have Been Justified.  And now he proceeds to build on top of it.  What rests upon this foundational truth?

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (v. 1)  Here is the first stone to be laid on the foundation of our justification: we have peace with God.  We HAVE it.  It is ours.  Right now.  The peace Jesus promised the night before he died when he said, Peace I leave you; my peace I give you. (John 14:27)  It is the peace the angels heralded on the night Jesus was born when they said, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace. (Luke 2:14)  It is one of the identifying qualities of Jesus, as the prophet Isaiah foretold he would be called the Sar-shalom, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)  It is the last word the LORD wanted to place into the ears of his people in the blessing we heard in our Old Testament lesson today, The LORD look on your with favor, and give you peace [shalom]. (Numbers 6:26)  Sin, the great disrupter of peace between God and man, has been dealt with in Jesus Christ.  You and God are “good.”  That is the peace you HAVE.  Through Jesus!

Paul continues to build.  Through him we also have obtained access by faith into the grace in which we stand. (v. 2)  We are standing in God’s grace all the time.  Have you ever felt like there are times God doesn’t like you very much?  You fall into sin, you lapse in a moment.  Shame crashes over you like a huge wave.  You almost feel God’s angry frown upon you.  You have forgotten about GRACE.  God doesn’t love you only in moments when you feel like you deserve it.  Here’s a little secret, even in our  best moments we don’t DESERVE God’s love.  The “access code,” the password in is Jesus!  We have gained access into God’s undeserved love – God’s grace – through him (v. 2).  God doesn’t have a “love/hate” relationship with you.  He loves you!  Always!  For Jesus’ sake!  You are standing in God’s grace!

What else will Paul build upon our justification?  And we rejoice confidently on the basis of our hope for the glory of God. (v. 2)  The word used for “rejoice confidently” is an interesting one.  It has in it the idea of holding one’s head up high.  Because of the “not guilty” verdict we have in Christ, we can hold our heads up high and know that one day God will praise us!  Yes, God will praise us!  It sounds almost blasphemous to say!  But it’s true.  He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  But I haven’t been that good or that faithful!  But God “grades on the curve.”  He sees you through Jesus.  Head up!  The glory of God is coming!

Is it even possible Paul could build more upon the foundation of our justification?  Can the tower get any higher?  It can!  Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces hope (v. 3-4)  There’s that same word again, “rejoice confidently.”  We can hold up our heads under extreme pressure in this world.  Because this downward pressure produces spiritual muscle.  That is the principle of lifting weights, isn’t it?  Lifting gradually heavier weight makes the muscles stronger.  That happens with suffering for the Christian.  It works out and strengthens our faith-muscles.  And this, in turn, produces “tested character.”  Think back to the first time you had to deal with certain difficulties in life.  You panicked.  You were flustered.  You got weak-kneed.  The Lord got you through.  Your muscles grew.  You learned the Lord is trustworthy and his love steadfast.  Ah, you are no longer a rookie!  You’re a veteran of the cross.  You’re battle-tested.  If you are a veteran, remember to come alongside our newest recruits with your war-stories of the faithfulness of the Lord!

Tested character produces hope (v. 4)  Hope is certain expectation.  The veteran comes to know that God can absolutely be trusted.  He is batting a thousand on his promises.  And Paul adds,  And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us. (v. 5)  The one whose hope is in Christ will not find they have grabbed hold of a slender thread that snaps under their weight.  We know that is not the case because we know God loves us too much!  And we know that because of the work of God the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  And the Holy Spirit does not administer the love of God an eye-dropper!  It has been poured into our hearts.  He uses the firehose of Word and Sacrament!

What a tower Paul has built today!  It is really the tower the triune God has built.  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all mentioned in our text, all present and active in distributing these blessings of salvation.  A tower built upon the firm foundation:  we have been justified by faith.

Amen.