Sermon Tone Analysis

Why Am I A Christian?

When spreading the word of God I get asked this question more than any other question.

I can almost state with certainty that if you have been saved for any length of time you have been asked this question as well.

Last week we discussed Justification and we are going to continue to discuss Justification this morning, but in the context of the benefits of being justified.

When confronted with the question why do I believe in God many people will give their testimony or explain that they look forward to being in Heaven.

Although people like hearing what God has done for you they are more interested in what God can do for them and although heaven is an amazing reward if you know God it isn’t as enticing to spend your life with someone whom you do not know so Paul offers the church of Rome a list of blessings associated with being justified.

This is our blessing and promise as well.

Like any relationship in the world there are things one can expect to be mutually beneficial and there are certain gifts being justified bring us

Peace with God

To have peace with God is to have the

Favor of God

When you have peace with someone you enjoy the benefits of that peace.

It means no more fighting, which in Israel’s time it meant to give them a time to thrive and prosper.

job

Eliphaz was telling Job to get right with God.

Now we know that Job had done no wrong in this instance and that Satan was testing Job’s dedication to God.

But Eliphaz never thought that job was beyond redemption or being made whole.

If we take the entire chapter into context Eliphaz was telling job to make peace with God so that his can go back to his former state of being: wealthy, respected, and serving God.

We see this true because Satan stated Job was protected prior to this test and he was at peace and prospered in God.

After the test Job was restored twice of that which he lost.

Being at peace with God is to prosper in God.

Now this doesn’t denote wealth as their are many ways to prosper and it doesn’t renounce it either, but this shows us that Justification not only brings us rewards on Heaven’s side of life, but also on this side of life.

Access to God

Prior to Jesus the Jews were kept from having access to the presence of God much like that of a sinner.

When the veil was rent in two it showed that there was now no separation between us and God.

Justification has to do with our standing with God.

Prior to marrying my wife my devotion wasn’t fully hers.

The two had not become one flesh and although we were together while dating we weren’t bond to each other.

She had to fight for my attention and I had to fight for her attention.

Once we became married she is my wife.

She doesn’t have to fight for the position of wife.

Weather we are happy to be together, going through a disagreement, or separated by thousands of miles she holds her position as my wife.

The same is true with God.

My relationship with God has many seasons.

.Sometimes I want to be near him, sometimes I struggle with my desire for closeness.

Sometimes, things are amazing and sometimes they aren’t, but no matter the situation my position is the same.I am a child of God through Justification.

Just as my wife has access to my inner most thoughts and being I have access to God’s inner most being.

Although I love each one of you none of you will obtain the same access to my heart as my wife does—because we are wed.

We get to know God intimately and God knows us intimately.

Hope in God

I don’t have to wonder if everything will turn out to be ok.

My hope doesn’t lie in what the world does, but rather stems from God.

Biblical hope not only desires something good for the future—it expects it to happen.

We know that no matter what season we are in victory is assured to us.

The issue is that the sinner in us struggles with doubt in this area.

This belief in all things turning into good doesn’t come naturally for us—so we have to constantly remind ourselves of it.

Foundation of Biblical Character

We are told

Which means that God has overcome our troubles.

The term tribulation comes from the Greek word tribulum which was a heavy piece of timber with spike in it.

This tribulum would separate the wheat from the chaff on the threshing floor.

As we go through trials God uses that to purify us, to make us more like him.

To remove the chaff in our life.

Affords God’s love within us

If the only hope we have is heaven than many of us would get weary on the journey to the prize.

However, in a marathon there are watering stations placed at curtain check points so that the runners can rehydrate as they run.

If a runner didn’t have these hydration spots there would be far fewer runners crossing the line and far more taking a ride in an ambulance for dehydration.

God puts victories in our path and rewards in our path so that all our hope isn’t deferred, but that we might grow in our desire for him.

As we run this race of salvaiton God shows us more and more of his love and of himself to reveal slowly the joy awaiting us in heaven.

Salvation From Future Wrath

Through Justification we receive sanctification—the continual forgiveness of confessed sins in our life.

Removing our punishment of death and pain.

Reconciliation With God

Romans

The term reconcile means to coexist in harmony.

Through Justificaiton our sin is cleansed and we are no longer at war with God and we are no longer the object of his wrath.

We are reunified in Him.

Ehephesians 2:12-13