Because of Christ's death we can have life

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Oct. 1 Lesson

Because of Christ's death we can have life
Romans 5:1-11
___¹Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given to us.
___⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
___⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! ¹⁰For 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.

___By Alan Lefever
___Z.N. Morrell, the pioneer preacher who became a renowned Texas Baptist missionary, would never have come to this state if not for "suffering."
___Morrell loved "good old Tennessee" and had an effective ministry there. However, he suffered from tuberculosis and doctors in Tennessee told him he needed to move to a drier climate. In fact, one doctor told Morrell bluntly, "Go south and west or die." As Morrell says, his eyes then "turned to Texas."
___He came to Texas in 1835, and over the next 47 years criss-crossed much of the eastern section of the state assisting in the establishment of churches, associations and even the first state convention. Much of his ministry is recounted in his autobiography "Flowers and Fruits From the Wilderness," first published in 1872. As a result of his suffering, Morrell became one of the founding fathers of Texas Baptists and helped change the religious landscape of Texas forever.

___Rejoice in the present
___Have you ever walked in on someone having a conversation? We've done just that. Paul's opening remark, "Therefore," means we've missed something. We are compelled to take a step backward and read chapters three and four to completely understand his train of thought so that we may enter the conversation.
___Why would we want to "rejoice in the present"? What reason do we have to rejoice? In chapters three and four we find the reason for rejoicing. We are justified "freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (3:24). In Chapter 4 Paul uses Abraham and David as examples of the power of faith. They are seen as our "faith forefathers." It was the keeping of God's promises to these men that allows us the freedom to have the same faith and trust in the promises of God. Therefore, the product of this faith is a peace with God that creates in us the response of joy--we rejoice!
___Although rejoicing is easiest in times of plenty, Paul clearly states that the Christian must also rejoice in times of suffering. Why would someone want to rejoice in times of suffering? What good is there in tribulation? No one knew better than Paul that suffering was a part of life. But he knew that his faith would be strengthened in the midst of trials because of his hope in the glory of God. God is forever present in our times of trials. We can rest in this knowledge because no suffering is insurmountable in God's presence.
___It was in the early 1830s that Z.N. Morrell was informed he had the dreaded disease of tuberculosis. The only remedy was to move to a drier climate. Morrell had to leave the very place for which every individual longs--home. Can you imagine the suffering involved in leaving your home for good? Yet during this time, Morrell persevered and found hope in a place called Texas.
___Morrell would later reflect on his forced relocation and discover evidence of God's providence and faithfulness. He also found what had been lost--home.
___In verse five, Paul notes the evidence of hope in God is found in every Christian in the form of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we should walk through life governed by the knowledge that the grace, faith and love needed to help us rejoice in times of suffering has been poured into our lives by God.

___Rejoice in God's gift
___A gift in its purest form is given for no particular reason with no particular response expected. A true gift is given out of love, not because it is earned or deserved. It was out of love and concern for our eternal lives that God gave us the gift of his Son.
___Often in today's world we give a gift expecting a gift in return. If someone gives us a $20 gift, we feel indebted to return a gift of like value. God sacrificed his Son, the ultimate gift, knowing we were powerless to return a gift of like value. God's gift, Jesus Christ, was given to us out of God's incredible love for us--a true gift.
___To illustrate the uniqueness of Christ the gift, Paul speaks to the question: For whom would we be willing to die? Many of us would be willing to die for a family member or a noble cause. However, could you imagine sacrificing yourself or someone you love for someone or something that did not deserve it? That is what God did for us in Christ.
___History is replete with examples of people who died for noble ideals. During the Texas Revolution, many Baptists fought in the struggle for independence from Mexico. J.M. Carroll, noted Texas Baptist historian, recounts in "History of Texas Baptists" the story of two Texas Baptist preachers at the 1836 Goliad massacre. In the midst of the massacre, the Baptist preachers prayed for their fellow Texans until they themselves were killed. They died fighting for freedom--a noble ideal. In spite of there being nothing noble about our sinful state, Christ died for us. His act of love allows us to choose the freedom of eternal life--his noble reality.
___God's gift of Christ demonstrates his love for us even though we are unworthy of that love. Imagine standing before a judge guilty of a serious crime and just as the judge is about to pronounce a harsh sentence, he stops and states that his son will fulfill your sentence. As unbelievable as that would be in our world, that is exactly what God did when he gave his Son for us. He saved us from his own justifiable wrath. Because of our sinful condition, we can do nothing to save ourselves. Yet through Christ's death, we are justified or literally free from the guilt or penalty of sin.
___Since God sacrificed his Son for us, we now have the chance to experience an even deeper relationship with God now that we are free from the guilt of sin. This deeper relationship is a result of the resurrection of Jesus, not his death. Note verse 10: "Having been reconciled (through Christ's death), we shall be saved through his life (Christ's resurrection)." Simply put, we cannot experience justification without the death of Jesus and we cannot experience salvation without his resurrection.

___Rejoice in God
___God has provided us the opportunity to be reconciled to him. If we accept the death and resurrection of Christ by faith, we will experience joy. Paul calls on us to rejoice whatever our condition is. As a result of Christ's death and resurrection, we may have a relationship with God. Therefore, rejoice in God.
___Lefever is director of the Texas Baptist Historical Collection
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For thought and discussion
___ What does the word "rejoice" mean to you?
___ Discuss a time life has taken an unexpected turn for you. How did you feel the presence of God?
___ Who would you be willing to die for and why?
___ Have you ever done something for someone who did not deserve it? Why?
___ What does justification mean to you?
___ Have you ever had to reconcile with someone? What was it like?

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