Text: Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we also have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice confidently on the basis of our hope for the glory of God. 3 Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, 4 and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces hope. 5 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.
Sermon
Dear Friends in Christ,
Have you ever been to Washington D.C. and tried to take a tour of the White House? It used to be much easier to get a tour. As a kid I recall being able to get tickets on the Ellipse, the grassy area between the White House and the Washington Monument. Now you must submit a request for tour tickets through a Member of Congress at least 3 weeks in advance of your visit. And good luck on getting those since tours are only held on Friday and Saturday mornings.
Now that’s just access to the place where the president of the United States lives and works. And the tour takes you on just a small portion of the White House. Just imagine how difficult it would be to see the president himself. During a trip to Washington D.C. I took my family on, we visited the White House. We were able to get tickets through a member of Congress that our niece used to work for. As we walked around the White House, our tour abruptly stopped for several minutes. We’re pretty sure we were about to cross paths with someone pretty important, possibly the President or Vice President. The point is, they weren’t going to simply allow casual contact with the President or Vice President. Getting any kind of audience with the president is nearly impossible for an ordinary citizen. The reason for that is clear: the President – no matter who is in office – has been called the most powerful person on the planet. There are many people who want to do him harm.
While the President is a very powerful leader, his power and reach is limited. Imagine that there was someone out there who had unlimited power and unlimited reach. Someone who could do anything he wanted to do at any time. One who owns everything. One who could benefit you in limitless ways if he wanted to. The truth is, you don’t have to imagine someone of that magnitude. That one exists. We’re talking about our Almighty God who reveals himself in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And not only does he exist, but you have access to him!
But just think for a moment why access to the Triune God is so unlikely. Think about it this way. What are the chances of a known terrorist or someone who has made threats against the President being able to see the President? Not likely! That’s the last person that security would allow!
The Apostle Paul knew a little bit about that. He was one who opposed the one true God, breathing murderous threats to all his followers. So, in the verses following this text, Paul knew what he was talking about from personal experience when he referred to people who were ungodly…who were sinners…who were God’s enemies. However, Paul wasn’t only referring to himself. Early he stated that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Enemies of God is a label that applies to each one of us. We, like Paul, were born hostile to God, hating him.
How in the world do we then have access to God? Paul says simply that “we also have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” Access to the Triune God and his storehouse of riches comes by faith. Faith in what? Faith in the fact that someone has reconciled us to God. That wasn’t an easy task. As enemies of God, we needed a lot of help.
It was God the Father who loved the world that had become his enemy so much, that he sent his one and only Son in order to reconcile the world to himself. God’s Son, Jesus, went about that by being the perfect friend of God. He never did anything to make God angry, either intentionally or unintentionally. In fact, everything he did was perfect in God’s sight. On a couple occasions the Father proclaimed: “This is my Son whom I love, with him I am well pleased.”
Not only was God well pleased with his perfect life that was in perfect harmony with the Father, but he was also well pleased with Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. His death on the cross was necessary to pay for all our hostilities toward God.
It is through faith in what Jesus has done for us then that we are justified before God. We are acceptable to God. We now can live before God in peace. In peace, knowing that God doesn’t hold anything against us. This peaceful state we live in with God allows us to have full access to God.
But before we start to think we can take any credit for any of this, we need to remember that none of it is our doing. All of it is God’s. God sent his Son. His Son sacrificed himself for us. And the Holy Spirit went to work on our hearts to bring us to himself. The Holy Spirit was sent to us; we didn’t go looking for him.
When enemies are at war, it is necessary for both sides to call a truce in order for the fighting to stop. God is the one who went out of his way to call a truce with us. Even more than simply declaring a truce with us, he even made us members of his family. That’s what we call grace. Grace is a gift given to us. A gift we don’t deserve. But God gives it anyway. His gift to us is a restored relationship with him.
Having this relationship with God that gives us full access to Him must mean that everything in life for us is grand and glorious. Having access to the Almighty and gracious God must mean that we have a whole lot less problems than those who are still enemies of God.
Is that really the case? The last time I checked, Christians get sick. Christians suffer losses as people around them die. Christians suffer many difficulties. Christians have problems too. In fact, Christians often suffer more than people who don’t believe in Jesus. There are often difficulties associated with being a Christian. God’s enemies ramp it up against us. They put more pressure on us to abandon God. So being a Christian does not lessen our difficulties in this life.
But it does change our attitude. Paul reminds us to rejoice confidently in our sufferings. After all, as people who have full access to the Triune God, we have a whole new outlook on life. Things aren’t hopeless. Just the opposite! Our lives are filled with hope. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Just think about how sufferings increase our hope in God’s promises. For one, sufferings are a realization that we haven’t reached our final goal yet. We haven’t reached the completion of our salvation yet. Heaven is waiting for us. Eternal life with our Savior and all the saints and angels are waiting.
When we suffer with that perspective in mind, we persevere. We patiently and persistently carry on through life. This perseverance builds character. Consistent sufferings move us from being weak and immature Christians to ones that have been tried and tested. Sufferings come and go and Christians remain steadfast. This all builds character. And with tried and true character comes an increased hope. A realization that God truly will fulfill all his promises. That one day all suffering will end and we will live before God in righteousness and purity forever! Sufferings have a way of molding and shaping us as Christians.
And how is it that we as Christians can be molded, shaped, and strengthened throughout this process? It is because the Triune God is at work in our lives. When Christians suffer, they are driven back to the Word of God to find answers. As they seek those answers, they once again see the love of God and all that Jesus has done so that we can be his own. And as Christians are driven back to the Word, the Holy Spirit is at work strengthening faith in Christ.
Sufferings actually allow you to see how accessible the Triune God is to you!
Our Triune God, Father, Son and Spirit, is supremely interested in you and your welfare. The Triune God is interested in keeping you safe for eternity. In so doing, your gracious God does not leave you alone. Instead, he makes himself readily available to you. Full access to the Triune God has been granted to you! Make full and complete use of it! Spend time with him often. Turn to him in prayer in good times and bad. Hear his Word. Receive the Sacrament. And be prepared to watch the blessings flow! Amen.