Access Granted; Hope Comes Alive With Much More

Romans 5 is the much more chapter. The believer can reign in life!

---

Access Granted; Hope Comes Alive With Much More

Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

-

Access into the grace of God has been granted! Don’t just step up to the door, walk on in. God intends for His children to make use of the access and stand in the fullness of His grace. God calls us to walk in the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost He provided.

-

Hebrews 6:20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

-

Have you ever considered that Jesus is your forerunner! Coming into this life style of grace gives one a different perspective. Assurance of righteousness and justification is predicated on faith in Jesus Christ. We all know that John the Baptist was Jesus forerunner; it is time to know that Jesus is your forerunner. Like John the Baptist paved the way for Jesus ministry on earth, Jesus paved the way into the presence of the Mighty God for us.

-

Romans 5: 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

-

Knowing we are expected to show up in the presence of God empowers us to glory in tribulations. Oh, I know nobody wants a study on tribulations. What if we knew our tribulation was our doorway to the blessed assurance of hope? What if we knew our tribulation was God’s opportunity to show off His power and might? What if we knew tribulation was God breeding ground to make our soul come in line with what God has already done in our spirit? Fruit will not come just because we are in tribulation; fruit comes when we learn to glory in our tribulation. When you begin to glory in tribulation it produces perseverance. The perseverance is producing character. When our character has been changed our perception has been corrected and we can properly lay hold of the hope God has poured into our hearts.

-

In the middle of our tribulation we can rejoice that God sent Jesus to take away our sin. In the middle of our tribulation we can rejoice that the sacrifice of Jesus was great enough to wash away sin and impute the righteousness of God. We can rejoice that his death brought us righteousness and His resurrection brings us justification of life. The shame, guilt, and bondage has been broken by the power of the cross. Tribulation can bring you to just hanging on to life by a thread or walking in abundant life. When we have grown to rejoice in the midst of tribulation there is a producing of character that says I can make it! We can make it on the merits of Jesus is our forerunner; that is true hope. Lay aside the weight and sin, looking unto Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith. When our eyes are upon Jesus we can see the love of God which has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

-

Romans 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

-

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus death on the cross is God’s proactive love at work. In fact before sin came into the world God had His redemption plan in place.

-

1 Peter 1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

-

Jesus is the Lamb of God foreordained not after the fact of sin but before the foundation of the world. I know I have written the same truth twice. Please consider the truth of God’s plan for salvation; salvation plan is not an after thought to the creation of man. Please consider the ramifications of this truth!

-

The access granted brings hope alive! Man sinned and the law was added to make sin exceeding sinful. However the law could not grant access; the law exposed the great need of man. Without a loving God bringing divine intervention there would not be reconciliation to God. Our hope is anchored in the loving act of the Mighty God; redeeming us with the blood of His own Son. The ransom price was paid while we were yet in sin separated from God.

-

Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

-

I love calling Romans 5 the “much more” chapter. Here in verse nine it starts with the “Much more then”. There is one degree of a love demonstrated with the Savior dying for sinners; there is a much more then for those who have had the blood of Jesus already applied. Because we have been justified we have a “much more” love saving us from wrath through Jesus. Does your doctrinal stance allow room for “much more then” salvation? The much more is just getting started.

-

Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

-

No longer enemies of God we have the second much more being declared. We have gained “son” status because of reconciliation. We shall be saved by Jesus life! What are we trusting in for salvation; in Christ alone we place our trust.

-

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

-

Saved to the uttermost! What great news!

-

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

-

Those who come into this “justified by faith” salvation have hope based on confident expectation. Our salvation is greater than many are willing to teach; our God is so great He will freely give us all things.

-

Luke 12:31 "But seek the kingdom of God , and all these things shall be added to you. 32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

-

We serve a good God who has good things for His children.

-

Romans 5:11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whomwe have now received the reconciliation.

-

We have “now” received the reconciliation! We were sinners but now we are “now” reconciled by Christ.

-

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

-

If you have come into this covenant of grace the access you have to God is powerful and it brings hope alive. If you have been born again you are a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. What a powerful reconciliation! He is the much more God!

-

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned; 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

-

The 3^rd “much more”. The free gift is a much more gift! Through one man sin death came to the human race; through one Man the grace of God brought the gift or righteousness and justification by faith in Jesus. Much more life is the benefit to all who have placed their faith in the true Messiah Jesus Christ.

-

Romans 5:16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

-

Here is the 4^th “much more” truth! By the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness believers will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. This is the reason I often refer to myself as a grace man! As sin brought death and condemnation, Jesus Christ has brought us the gift of righteousness giving us abundant life. The life is much more than the death! Reigning in life is not elusive; it is reality to those who believe this truth.

-

Romans 5:18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

-

Are you ready for the 5^th “much more”? Where sin abounded grace abounded much more! One Man’s righteous act brought the free gift for all men, resulting in justification of life. Whose obedience shall you trust in for justification before God? The grace of God only allows one correct answer! By one Man’s obedience we can be made righteous! The obedience of Jesus Christ is the only act one can trust in for righteousness and justification. Faith placed in any other person or action is a faith outside the covenant of grace; misplaced faith results in death. Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe. Sin has left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow.

-

Romans 5:21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

-

For the believer there is a reigning in life. The abundant life is found exclusively through Jesus Christ our Lord. Saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and there is no other way to salvation. Much more life in Christ!

-

-