Sermons: 24th February 2008

	DATE CHURCH SUBJECT PREACHER BIBLE REF. 24.02.08 All Saints' Church Rejoicing Every Day Rev. Tony Higton Rom 5:1-11 The teenage suicides in Bridgend have vividly conveyed the hopelessness which some young people feel. There is all too much hopelessness out there in the world. How many people out there are hopeless as we sit here in church? Maybe some are contemplating suicide and our hearts should go out to them. But there also many legitimate but inadequate hopes out there as well. Here are a few of them: An enjoyable social life A nice holiday A secure job A good income Good health A successful marriage A long life A quick easy death They’re all good things and quite important. But compared with the hope we have they are inadequate. We Christians are (or should be): Rejoicing in hope In Romans 5:2 Paul writes:  “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”  What does he mean?  Why are we Christians rejoicing?  Firstly because We are accepted by God Is that because we are better or more special than anyone else?  No, that’s not the basis on which we are accepted by God. We could never be good enough to deserve acceptance by God. Paul writes: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (Romans 5:1-2). To be “justified” means to be declared innocent, to be acquitted by a court. So God declares us innocent and acquitted in his heavenly court simply because we trust in Jesus and sincerely believed he died for our forgiveness. It is through faith and it is by “grace.”  Grace means a free benefit, a gift. We don’t deserve God’s acceptance it is a gift of grace. Paul continues: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8). So Jesus died, not for the godly, but the ungodly. Jesus died for sinners. But there is something else to consider, and it’s a solemn subject: We shall be saved from God’s wrath Paul writes: “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!” God’s “wrath”?  Do we believe in a bad-tempered God?  Definitely not!  But we do believe in a God who can no more stand human sins, even little ones (e.g. being irritated, telling a lie), than light can stand darkness.  God is perfectly holy and his holiness will react against our imperfections. By rights we imperfect people should be excluded from God’s presence – for ever. However, because Jesus died for us, and only because Jesus died for us, we are saved from God’s wrath because we trust in Jesus. Paul goes on to write: “For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Romans 5:10-11). So we Christians should be the most joyful people on earth. We know that, although we don’t deserve it, we are saved from God’s wrath and accepted by him for all eternity.  If we can’t forget we’re Church of England and actually get excited about this, what’s the matter with us?! But there’s more.  This joy is so deep and so secure that we can, by God’s grace: Rejoicing in suffering Paul writes: “We also rejoice in our sufferings” (Romans 5:3).  That sounds weird, doesn’t it.  We can’t rejoice in the wrong or evil thing which may have happened to us. But we can rejoice in spite of it. Why? Because, St Paul says, “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (verse 5): Perseverance: it is an opportunity not to be resentful or to despair but to hang on to God’s hand in the midst of it all (more important, God hangs on to our hand). Character: it is a fact of life that people who have triumphed over suffering have more mature characters than those who have had it easy. Hope: when we see God’s work in our lives, building up our character, including through suffering, we know he is preparing us for heaven.  And the greatest aspect of human character is love – sacrificial love, just like Jesus’ love for us.  Paul writes: “hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Verse 5) So, even in suffering, we Christians should be rejoicing in the hope of eternal bliss in heaven! If we are suffering, that joy may be expressed more quietly, but it ought to be there – and showing! We Christians are the most hopeful people on earth. And, by “hope” we don’t mean a vague wish, as when we say: “I hope it won’t rain today” (it probably will!). But we are using the word “hope” in the sense it is used in the Bible. It means being certain that something is going to happen. So let’s get on with it: rejoicing every day!

Website Development by The Church Website Design Project

Copyright ©2007 churchinthewoottons.net