Nathaniel R. Martin

Prayer as an Ordinary Means of Grace: Ephesians 3:14-21

Sermon Idea: Prayer is a means of grace through which God builds up the church as we commune with Him in the name of Christ and the power of the Spirit. 

Introduction: Just a few weeks ago, we reflected on the early church’s priorities in corporate worship from Acts 2:42. Among the ordinary acts they devoted themselves to was prayer. 

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Ac 2:42.)

The picture we are given is much more than prayer being relegated to a mere transition between more meaningful moments in the worship service. Prayer was and should be a central part of every corporate worship service. 

As Acts continues, prayer plays a primary role in all the church does. The church’s dependence upon God and seeking of God are always expressed through prayer. The church’s boldness, power, and effectiveness are always the result of prayer.

Prayer is primary because it is an ordinary means of grace through which God builds up the church as she communes with Him in the name of Christ and the power of the Spirit. That will be my main point this morning. 

I want to show this in two ways. First, I want to speak generally about prayer as a means of grace. I want to remind you that the Lord Jesus commands prayer and so expects of us. I also want us to survey several texts that remind us that the promises of God accompany prayer. 

After that, I want to consider how prayer is a means of grace for us with a particular example. I want us to think about how God builds the church up as we commune with Him in the name of Christ and in the power of the Spirit, from Ephesians 3:14-20, one of the richest prayers in the New Testament. 

Before we dive in, it is worth asking a more basic question: What is prayer? I want to share a robust definition of prayer that I came across this week in my reading, and a straightforward definition. 

The robust definition comes from Charles Hodge, a theologian who was the principal of Princeton Theological Seminary in the 19th century. It is beautiful, so now you have to hear about it. 

“Prayer is the converse of the soul with God. Therein we manifest or express to Him our reverence, and love for his divine perfection, our gratitude for all his mercies, our penitence for our sins, our hope for his forgiving love, our desires for his favor, and for the providential and spiritual blessings needed for ourselves and others.”

That is a rich definition of prayer, and if you listened carefully, it taught you all the essential components of good prayer. When we pray, we are to adore God for who He is, confess our sin in light of God’s goodness and holiness, be thankful for all God’s grace and goodness to us, and seek the Lord for all the blessings needed for ourselves and others. 

A few months ago, one of our dear brothers approached me after one of our services and told me he was having difficulty in his prayer life. He didn’t know where to start or what to pray for. I encouraged him to remember the acronym A.C.T.S. 

A stands for adoration. Start your prayers by adoring God’s beauty, glory, and majesty. 

C stands for confession. In light of God’s glory and holiness, we acknowledge our sins, confess them, and rest in the finished work of Christ. 

T stands for thanksgiving. We follow confession by giving thanks to God for his grace, salvation, spiritual blessings, etc. 

S stands for supplication. We ask God for all we need, and we intercede for others. We make requests for ourselves and others. 

The simple definition is this: prayer is talking to God. It is simple, but think about all that this simple definition takes for granted. If prayer is talking to God, God must be personal and welcoming of communion with us. This is amazing. In prayer, the one, true God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, who created all things from nothing by His Word, gives us his attention. And he does so, not as a king hearing the desperate pleas of a peasant but as a Father who delights in his children seeking his presence and provision. 

Prayer is commanded by the Lord Jesus 

The church was so devoted to prayer because prayer was commanded by Jesus and expected of followers of Jesus. 

We read the Lord’s Prayer earlier in the service, and in Matthew 6, Jesus expects that his disciples will pray. 

“And when you pray…” (Matt. 6:5) 

“But when you pray…” (Matt. 6:6)

“And when you pray…” (Matt. 6:7) 

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart .” (Lk 18:1)

This command to pray is reinforced in Paul’s letters. 

“Devote yourselves to prayer.” (Colossians 4:2) 

“Pray continually.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) 

We could also survey the numerous examples of Jesus praying privately, with his disciples, and for his disciples. If we want to be like Jesus, we must be people of prayer. Prayer is commanded for the good of God’s people, and so we should devote ourselves to it. It is a means of grace, and although it is a command, it is also an invitation to receive blessings from God as we commune with him. 

Prayer is accompanied by the promises of God 

1. God promises to hear us 

14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 Jn 5:14–15)

2. God promises peace 

in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Php 4:6–7)

3. God promises mercy and grace 

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb 4:14–16)

If this is all we said, it would be enough to establish prayer as a means of grace. God, by the Holy Spirit, bestows the blessings secured by Christ to his people through prayer. God hears us, offering peace, mercy, and grace. 

I want to spend the rest of our time basking in the truths of Ephesians 3:14-20, which I think is the richest prayer in the New Testament and the prayer that teaches us very specifically how God builds us up through prayer. 

Paul makes three main requests as he intercedes for the Ephesians, and they are identified by the word “that.” 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father… (v. 14) 

  1. that…he may grant you to be strengthened … and so Christ may dwell in your hearts (vv. 16-17a) 
  2. that  you…may have strength to comprehend…and to know the love of Christ (vv. 17b-19a) 
  3. that you may be filled with the fullness of God (v. 19b)
     

To make it applicable to us, we can say it this way. Prayer is a means of spiritual strength, a means of knowing the love of Christ, and a means to grow in the fullness of God. 

I.) Prayer is a means of spiritual strength (Eph. 3:14-17a) 

Prayer is the means through which God bestows the gracious blessing his people in Christ through the Spirit. In verses 16-17, Paul speaks of God’s glory as a depth of riches. In other words, there is an exhaustive source of strength for the people of God. That source is the riches of God’s glory, and we can further share in these riches through prayer. 

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Eph 3:14–17)

In prayer, the Spirit of God strengthens believers in their inner being. This means that no matter how weak or fragile the physical body becomes, in Christ, believers can continue to be strengthened, renewed, and refreshed by the Spirit. This is a very similar idea to 2 Corinthians 4:16. 

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. (2 Co 4:16)

The result of this strengthening, according to verse 17, is “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” 

Of course, this does not mean believers don’t have Christ dwelling in their hearts before praying this way. What Paul says about the Ephesians is true for every believer in Christ. 

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Eph 1:13–14)

Although this is true of every Christian, we don’t always fully realize it and live in light of it. Prayer, then, is a means that God uses to strengthen us by his Spirit so that our lives may increasingly experience the benefits of having Christ dwelling in our hearts. 

We can think of it as a deeper awareness of and thankfulness for the gracious reality that Christ indwells us. That deeper awareness and thankfulness come by the strengthening work of the Spirit in prayer.

Illustration: Dad’s house growing up vs. Dad’s house after marrying Candice. 

When this happens, we can think of our life as Paul thinks of his life in Galatians 2:20. 

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Ga 2:20)

II.) Prayer is a means of knowing the love of Christ (Eph. 3:17b-19a) 

This next point has frequently been a topic of reflection, meditation, and sheer astonishment in my own life. The reason for that is that Paul speaks of the love of Christ in such a way that it is beyond our comprehension. The love of Christ for the church and for every believer is so immeasurably great that we have to actually seek the Spirit’s help through prayer just to understand it. 

that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge (Eph 3:17–19)

Prayer is a means by which God roots and grounds our life to be nourished by the love of Christ. You can think of a tree with deep roots by a flowing stream of water. The deeper the roots, the stronger the tree. The more nourished the tree, the healthier it is.

Through prayer, we come to comprehend the immeasurable greatness of Christ’s love for us. The love of Christ has breadth, length, height, and depth. There is nowhere to ascend to find the end of Christ’s love for the church. There is nowhere to descend to find the end of Christ’s love for the church. You can go as far as the East is from the West, but you’ll not see the limit of Christ’s love for the church. 

When you think about Christ’s purity, holiness, and greatness, and then your impurity and sin, there is a temptation even in the Christian life to wonder how Christ could love us. But he does and does so immeasurably. 

This passage reminds me of one of my favorite confessional articles. In Article 26 of the Belgic Confession of Faith on the intercession of Christ, the confession offers encouragement to any who would have any fear because of Christ’s greatness. 

“But this mediator, whom the Father has appointed between himself and us, ought not terrify us by his greatness, so that we have to look for another one, according to our fancy. For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth is there anyone who loves us more than Jesus Christ does.”- Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 26

The more Christians comprehend the immeasurable greatness of Christ’s love for them, the more they have real knowledge of it, and they’ll experience more joy and thankfulness, be less inclined to sin, and be strengthened against temptation. 

There is not a single person in this room who doesn’t need to have a deeper knowledge of Christ’s love. There is not a single person who doesn’t need more joy, gratitude, and strength against temptation and sin. 

“The love of Christ is held out to us as the subject which ought to occupy our daily and nightly meditations and in which we ought to be wholly plunged. He who is in possession of this alone has enough.“- John Calvin

Prayer is the means through which God, by his spirit, strengthens us to comprehend the love of Christ.  

III.) Prayer is a means of growing in the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19b)

The third and final request is that the the Ephesians would be filled with the fullness of God, “that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”(Eph 3:19)

Prayer is the means that God uses to mature us into the fullness of who he created us to be and who he has redeemed us to be in Christ. Two verses in Ephesians shed light on what Paul means. 

12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (Eph 4:12–13)

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Eph 5:1–2)

Allow me to make this applicable. God, who can do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, could mature us without prayer, but he won’t. It is his will that the children of God grow into the fullness of God as they sit in his presence. That is how we grow into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, and it is how we learn to be imitators of God as beloved children. We seek the presence and provision of our Father in prayer. 

Prayer is a means of grace through which God builds up the church as we commune with Him in the name of Christ and the power of the Spirit. 

The Lord Jesus commanded it, so the Lord expects us to pray. God’s promises accompany prayer. It is the means to spiritual strength, knowing the love of Christ, and growing into the fullness of God. 

So let us respond to the Word of our Lord the best we can. Let us pray.

Nathaniel R. Martin

The Resurrection and the Christian Life: Romans 6:5-11

Sermon Idea: The Christian Life is resurrection life, dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 

Introduction: The Bible contains some powerful conditional phrases. You may not think about conditional phrases much, and that’s ok, but when we allow ourselves to hear them, they can be rather sobering. Let me give you a few examples. 

14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. (1 Co 15:14)

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. (1 Co 15:17)

19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Co 15:19)

With three powerful conditional phrases, the apostle Paul tells us that our entire Christian faith, ministry, and labors are in vain if Christ is not risen. Those are phrases that pack a punch. 

Oh, but if he is, God has made him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). If he is, all who confess with (their) mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in (their) heart that God raised him from the dead, (they) will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Ro 10:9–10)

I suspect we all understand the importance and centrality of Jesus Christ’s resurrection for the Christian faith. Without the resurrection, there is no Christian faith. I suspect we also recognize the importance of the resurrection for salvation—without the resurrection, there is no salvation. 

I wonder, though, if we have reflected adequately enough on the importance of the resurrection for the Christian life. What connection is there between Christ’s resurrection from the dead and our life as a Christians? How does the resurrection of Jesus inform how we now live? 

Of course, there is a deep, powerful connection between the resurrection and the Christian life because the Christian Life is resurrection life, dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 

The foundational doctrine that supports this connection and which is so important for understanding nearly everything said in the New Testament about what it means to be a Christian is the doctrine of union with Christ. Every Christian is spiritually and mysteriously united to Jesus Christ by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and through faith. 

One of the best descriptions of this doctrine comes from Paul’s personal testimony in Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Ga 2:20)

This union with Jesus Christ is how we gain access to the benefits and blessings of salvation. 

The Sixteenth-century Protestant Reformer, John Calvin, was right when he wrote, “We must understand that as long as Christ remains outside of us, and we are separated from him, all that he suffered and died for the salvation of the human race remains useless and of no value for us…All that he possesses is nothing to us until we grow into one body with him.”

In Romans 6, Paul develops the practical implications of union with Christ for the Christian life. He begins by highlighting our union with the death of Christ in Romans 6:1-4.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Ro 6:1–4)

Paul is answering forcefully any and all who would suggest that the grace of God in salvation is a license to sin. He says in the most emphatic terms, “By no means!” 

The reason why we are not to use God’s grace as a license to keep sinning is that through faith, every Christian has been united to Jesus in his death. How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Rom. 6:2) 

We are not to live in sin, but because of our union with Christ, we are to “walk in newness of life.” (Rom. 6:4) 

So far, though, Paul has only connected the believer with Christ’s death. How can we walk in newness of life? 

This morning’s text supports the main idea Paul wants to communicate in verse 4: Christians are to walk in the newness of life. Union with Christ is not only with his death but also with his resurrection. The Christian life is resurrection life, dead to sin, and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 

My hope this morning is that you’ll be reminded of the great grace and power at work within us. We’ll be stirred to walk in the newness of life all the more because of our blessed union with Christ. 

I.) The Christian life is dead to sin (Romans 6:5-7) 

Since we are united with Christ’s death, we will be united with his resurrection. 

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin (Ro 6:5–7)

Paul says we will be raised one day, just as Christ was raised from the dead. That future assurance is not only the essence of Christian hope but also the fuel for the Christian life in the present. Those who will be physically raised in the future are spiritually raised now through faith in Christ. 

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him (Eph 2:4–6)

The result of dying and being raised with Christ is that he old self that was in bondage to and guilty of sin has been crucified. This means that the Christian life is dead to sin! What does it mean to be dead to sin?

Paul explains that being dead to sin means being set free from slavery. 

When Chris Tomlin wrote his version of the classic hymn Amazing Grace, he added a chorus. 

My chains are gone, I’ve been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending love, amazing grace

The Christian life is dead to sin, so it is free of sin’s penalty and power. 

The Bible makes it clear that the penalty for sin is separation from God and, ultimately, death. When Adam and Eve fell, they were expelled from the garden. Sin disrupted and fractured their free access to God’s presence. Although they did not die physically right away, they suffered the spiritual death that sin brings. The penalty for sin is death. 

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ro 6:23)

The gospel’s good news is that those who are in union with Christ are dead to sin and so free from sin’s penalty. We now experience the presence of God through our mediator, Jesus Christ, and although we will all still taste physical death, we have the hope of resurrection. 

Before Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead, he told Martha,  I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. (Jn 11:25–26)

This resurrection Sunday, we must believe that union with Christ means being dead to sin and being free from sin’s penalty. We need to let the amazing freedom of the gospel lead us to greater obedience out of gratitude. 

Not only are we free from sin’s penalty, but we are also free from sin’s power. That is the primary focus of Paul’s encouragement with the words, “…so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.”

 Being dead to sin means that sin can no longer master the Christian. We have been released from its realm, no longer in its bondage, and freed from its power. 

This is why Paul can say in verse 12, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions,” and in verse 14, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

At this point, we need to note something very important. Although we are currently free from sin’s penalty and its power, we are not yet free from its presence. Sin and its influence will remain with us until that final day when God makes all things new. 

We are free from sin’s penalty and power, not from its temptations, nor from the spiritual enemies that wish us harm.

14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death (Jas 1:14–15)

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Pe 5:8)

What’s the point? The Christian life is dead to sin’s power, and so must continually put sin to death as long as it remains present in our lives. We are redeemed but not yet glorified, so we live the Christian life by striving to become more of what God has already declared us to be.   

What the Bible calls us to is what many in the Christian tradition have called mortification. We are to mortify our sin by putting it to death. By grace and in the power of the Spirit, we are to deny temptation, discipline our spiritual lives, and kill any and all sin that remains with us. 

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming (Col 3:5–6)

13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live (Ro 8:13)

Passages like these led the Puritan John Owen to say, “…be killing sin or it will be killing you.”

We do not kill sin to become dead to sin and right with God. We continue to kill sin because we are right with God, united to Christ, and the power of sin no longer has mastery over us. 

Given the gravity of these commands, it is good for us to reflect on whether we are actively putting sin to death in our own Christian lives and what it may look like if we are not. 

The Christian who is putting sin to death is aware of their vulnerability and seeks to limit opportunities for temptation. 

When I was in college, I was required to read Homer’s The Odyssey for a Great Books Seminar. It is a long epic poem about a character named Odysseus. At one point in the journey, Odysseus learns of the Island of Sirens, which he must pass by. The island was filled with siren singers who would sing a beautiful song, certain to lure men to their death. 

In her classic book on Greek Mythology, Edith Hamilton describes the sirens this way: “These were marvelous singers whose voices would make a man forget all else, and at last their song would steal his life away. Moldering skeletons of those they had lured to their death lay banked high up around them where they sat singing on the shore.”

Odysseus is a perfect example of what not to do in the face of temptation and sin. He commands everyone except for himself on board his ship to fill their ears with wax. He wants to hear the song, so he ties himself to the boat and commands his comrades not to let him get away, no matter how much he attempts to do so. 

Christians who put sin to death don’t act like Odysseus. They grow in their self-awareness and attempt to avoid temptation. When they become aware of sin in their life, they quickly confess, repent, and pray for the grace to change. There is a growing hatred for sin in their lives and a growing desire for holiness in its place. 

What might a life look like that is not killing sin? I want to offer you four quick descriptions of someone who may not be killing sin. 

1. You may not be killing sin if you’re growing more defensive about your habits and life patterns. 

2. You may not be killing sin if you often deflect conversations from spiritual things. 

3. You may not be killing sin if you’re easily distracted and unable to tend to your own spiritual life. 

4. You may not be killing sin if you’re growing distant from your local church and its gatherings. 

How is your walk with the Lord this morning? Which description is most apt for how you seek to follow Jesus day by day? 

Friends, the Christian life is dead to sin. Let us not coddle sin, manage sin, or entertain sin. Let us crucify it by grace and in the power of the Spirit.

II.) The Christian life is alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:8-11)

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Ro 6:8–11)

There is a deep, powerful connection between the resurrection and the Christian life because the Christian Life is resurrection life, dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 

Our shared union with Christ doesn’t simply crucify the old self that was in bondage to sin, but gives us a new life in the power of Christ’s resurrection. This has great implications for our Christian faith as well. Just as we are commanded to kill sin because of our union with Christ’s death, we are called to walk in the newness of life because of our union with Christ’s resurrection. This has often been called vivification. 

We need to kill vices and cultivate virtues. The Christian life consists of dying to sin and living unto righteousness. 

In other words, we don’t just want to kill greed. We want to grow in generosity. 

We don’t just want to kill bitterness. We want to grow in mercy and forgiveness. 

We don’t just want to kill lust. We want to grow in love and purity. 

This is why, after Paul tells us to put off the old man, we are to put on the new. 

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Col 3:12–14)

How does vivification happen in the life of the Christian? How are we continually renewed to walk in the newness of life after killing sin? 

As you might expect, the answer is rather ordinary and involves God’s means of birthing and strengthening our faith. There is no secret to renewed life in Christ, no acceleration program, and no guru who can lifehack your sanctification. 

There is the Word of God and the promise of God’s Spirit to work through the ordinary means of grace corporately and privately for our good and his glory. 

Those who are being vivified by God’s Spirit are immersed in the Word of God, devoted to prayer, and prioritize Christian fellowship and friendship. 

Beloved, you are united with Christ, and the power of his resurrection is at work in you. We can and should walk in the newness of life.

The Christian Life is resurrection life, so let us die to sin and live unto God in Christ Jesus. 

Nathaniel R. Martin

The Ordinary Means of Grace: The Lord’s Supper

Sermon Idea: The Lord’s Supper is a means of grace through which God builds up and nourishes the church with his promised presence. 

Introduction: In a recent and delightful book by Baptist historian Michael Haykin, I learned of a communion hymn written by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. It is called “Jesus’s Presence Delightful,” and it beautifully communicates what I hope to show us this morning. 

Amidst us our Beloved stands, 

And bids us view His pierced hands;

Points to His wounded feet and side. 

Blest emblems of the crucified

What food luxurious loads the board, 

When at His table sits the Lord!

The wine how rich, the bread how sweet, 

When Jesus deigns the guest to meet!

If now with eyes defiled and dim, 

We see the signs, but see not Him, 

O may his love the scales displace, 

And bid us to see Him face to face 

Those beautiful words express a particular understanding of the Lord’s Supper as a means of grace through which the Lord Jesus ministers to his people with his presence. You can hear in the title, “Jesus’s Presence Delightful” and in the lyrics “amidst us our beloved stands,” “bid us view,” “Points to his wounded feet,” “deigns the guest to meet” an unapologetic belief that the person who is primary in the Supper is Christ Jesus. It is his table, his Supper, he provides the bread and wine, and he defines their significance.

It is in this spirit that I offer this sermon this morning, so that we will joyfully embrace the Lord’s Supper as a means of grace through which God builds up and nourishes the church with his promised presence. 

In order to do that, I first want to explain briefly the origin and meaning of the Lord’s Supper. The bulk of our time, however, will given to thinking about how the Lord’s Supper is a means of grace. If all I say this morning is old news to you; I trust that as lovers of Christ, you’ll appreciate reflecting on such rich truths again. 

For the rest of you, I pray that this morning is a real encouragement that allows you to view the Lord’s Supper as more than just a celebration that the church observes. I hope that you’ll leave here with a deeper love for God in Christ because you have a deeper understanding of the benefits of the Lord’s Supper in and for the church. 

So let’s refresh our memories as to the origin and meaning of the Lord’s Supper. 

The Origin of the Lord’s Supper

22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mk 14:22–25)

The origin of the Lord’s Supper is the transformation of the Passover meal by Jesus. As Jesus partakes of his last Passover meal with his disciples, he gives the meal new meaning in light of his impending death, burial, and resurrection. Passover was and still is for many the annual celebration for God’s deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. God judged the firstborn sons of Egypt, but graciously provided a substitute for Israel. They slaughtered a lamb without blemish and marked their homes with the blood of that lamb. So when the judgment of God came, it passed over all the homes covered by the blood of the lamb. 

Jesus’ choice to institute the Lord’s Supper at the time of Passover places his sacrificial death in the place of sinners at the center of observing the meal. So as believers in Christ partake of the bread and wine they are remembering the sacrifice of Christ in their place and the satisfied wrath of God that passes them over because of the blood of spotless lamb, Jesus Christ. 

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the church was faithful to observe this Lord’s Supper as primary part of worship. 

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Ac 2:42)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Co 11:23–26)

Paul makes it clear that the church is to observe the Supper in obedience to Christ and the church’s participation has rich meaning. So before we talk specifically about how the Lord’s Supper is a means of grace, let me first review what our participation means. 

  1. We remember- When Jesus institutes the Supper he says plainly, “do this in remembrance of me.” So when the church gathers to observe the Supper, we remember Christ’s death in our place and his shed blood for our sins. It is a gift that God would provide a regular practice for us to remember in a tangible way, using multiple senses the truth that not only saves us but sustains us. 
  1. We fellowship- As the church observes the Supper, the many members of the body of Christ are united in fellowship with one another because they take from one bread and one cup.

17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Co 10:17)

The regular observance of the Supper is a visible act of worship that rejects rugged individualism. It confesses belonging to Christ and to his people. It is how the many individual members recommit to being one body in Christ as demonstrated by sharing one bread and one cup. 

  1. We proclaim- The Lord’s Supper, like baptism, is a visible word. As we participate in the breaking of bread we proclaim the death of Christ and as we take the cup we proclaim the shed blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins.  

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Cor. 11:26)

As food for thought, no pun intended, we should consider if our practice of observing the Supper appropriately symbolizes fellowship and proclamation. Do we take from one bread visibly expressing our unity in Christ? Is it visibly broken before the congregation to proclaim the crucifixion of Christ before our eyes again and again? You may be tempted to think these things don’t matter, but we lose something important when we lose the symbolism the New Testament says has theological significance for us as a church. 

  1. We anticipate- As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we look back in remembrance and forward in hope. Listen again to Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians, “26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Cor. 11:26)

The Supper further instills hope in the church, as we are directed to look forward to Christ’s return. 

It also serves as a dress rehearsal for our future dining with the Lord at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. 

7  Let us rejoice and exult 

and give him the glory, 

for the marriage of the Lamb has come, 

and his Bride has made herself ready; 

8  it was granted her to clothe herself 

with fine linen, bright and pure”— 

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Re 19:7–9)

  1. We give thanks- Before breaking the bread and passing the cup, the Gospel writers tell us that Jesus gave thanks. As we partake in the Supper we are to prayerfully thank God for his gracious provision for us in the gospel and in the ordinance given to us as a means of grace. For this reason, the Lord’s Supper can be called the Eucharist which is simply a transliteration of the greek term for thanksgiving. Partaking in the bread and the cup should protect the church from ungratefulness and cynicism. 

Remembrance of Christ and the forgiveness of sins, fellowship and unity in the body of Christ, proclamation of Christ’s death, anticipation of Christ’s return, and thanksgiving for all the blessings God gracious provision in Christ. This is the rich meaning of the Lord’s Supper from the perspective of our observance of it. 

Thinking about the Lord’s Supper as a means of grace means that must go beyond its meaning as we participate, but consider what God is doing while we observe the Supper in faith. 

I.) The Lord’s Supper is a meal of covenant blessing and renewal 

The Lord’s Supper is a covenant meal, so that every time we partake in it God reassures us of the promises of the new covenant and we renew our covenant commitment to God in response to his grace. The association between the Lord’s Supper and the new covenant is strong in the Gospels.

“Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Mt 26:27–28)

24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. (Mk 14:24)

20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood (Lk 22:20)

If you’ve studied Exodus you’ll know that the old covenant was ratified by the shedding of blood followed by a covenant meal. All of these passages in the Gospels echo Exodus 24:1-11 where God instructs Moses sprinkle the blood of sacrifice on the alter and on the people of Israel. After this they ate and a drank in the presence of God. 

7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 

9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. (Ex 24:7–11)

Just as both blood and a covenant meal ratify the Old Covenant, so the new covenant is ratified by the blood of Christ and the meal of Christ, the Lord’s Supper. 

This means that every time we partake in the Supper, God assures us again of his promises in the new covenant. To take the bread and the cup in faith is to hear again that we’re in Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we know the Lord. 

It is also a means of grace, though, because as a covenant meal, it provides the opportunity to renew our covenant commitment to the Lord. Every time we partake of the bread and the cup in faith, we reaffirm our allegiance to Christ. It allows us the opportunity to put off sin and renew our commitment to Christ, not empowered by self-discipline, effort, or works but powered by the grace of God promised to us in the Supper. 

The Lord’s Supper is a covenant meal and an act of covenant renewal, so it is a means of grace. 

II.) The Lord’s Supper is communion with the presence of Christ

We said earlier that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the death of Christ, but it is more than a memorial. It is a means of grace through which we have communion with the presence of Christ in the Holy Spirit. 

Throughout church history, the question of how Christ is present in the Lord’s supper has been very divisive. The Roman Catholic Church believes that the bread and wine turns literally into the flesh and blood of Jesus. 

Lutherans say that bread and wine remain bread and wine but that the body of Jesus is still mysteriously present in them. 

Others say that the Supper is strictly a memorial. 

A more biblical and richer view than these three is that Christ is spiritually present, and all the benefits he accomplished for us are present in the Supper. This means that when believers take the bread and cup in faith, we share in a real communion with Christ, who is spiritually present. The bread and wine remain bread and wine, but by faith and through the work of the Spirit, we have communion with the body and blood of Christ. 

Where might we go for biblical support of this position? Look with 1 Cor. 10:16-17

16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 1 Co 10:16–17

The key word is “participation.” This is the Greek word Koinonia. Consider the way it is translated in other English versions: ‘sharing’ (NASB, CSB) and ‘communion’ (KJV, NKJV). To help us better understand what Koinonia may mean, we can consider an earlier use of the word in 1 Corinthians. 

9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship (Koinonia) of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Co 1:9)

So in the Lord’s Supper we have present (!) fellowship or communion in Christ’s blood and body. 

“If Paul is taking about a present communion with ‘the blood’ and ‘the body of Christ’ and if Christ is no longer dying or dead, then the communion he is referring to is communion with the living, exalted Christ now. This is present communion with the living and exalted Lord of glory. The communion must be with the present benefits procured by his broken body and shed blood, for his body is no longer broken and his blood has finished its shedding.” – Richard Barcellos

To observe the Lord’s Supper is to eat Christ’s provided meal at Christ’s provided table in his promised presence. 

III.) The Lord’s Supper is spiritual nourishment from the Spirit of Christ 

Since the Lord’s Supper is meal that signifies the body and blood of Christ, since it is remembering and proclaiming the gospel, since it is to hear new covenant promises and an act of covenant renewal, since it is communion with the promised presence of Christ—it is spiritual nourishment from the Spirit of Christ. Just as bread and wine offer physical sustenance to the body, so the Supper taken in faith is spiritual nourishment by the work of the Spirit. 

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (Eph 1:3)

The phrase “spiritual blessings” refers to the blessings bestowed by the Holy Spirit. They are spiritual blessings in that they are the blessings applied by the Spirit. The blessings signified in the Lord’s Supper are certainly blessings in the heavenly places. 

When we take the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Spirit indwells us, nourishes, strengthens and sustains us.

How might this change your perspective on observing the Lord’s Supper? Does it change your view of how frequently it should be celebrated? Does it cause you to prioritize being present when the Lord’s Supper is celebrated?

“Often, many Christians treat the Lord’s Supper as only an occasional occurrence when we think about the death of Jesus, but it is so much more. A visible sermon is heralded, and the Holy Spirit ministers the spiritual presence of Christ to the faithful participant. Oh what a joy, believer! Our souls are fed and our faith is nourished as we partake of this meal. What a feast, and what a Savior who does everything necessary to grant you a seat at the table. Christian, this is more than just a time to think about the cross; it is a very real feast with Jesus—a feast where your very faith is enriched, strengthened, and increased.” – J. Ryan Davidson

Nathaniel R. Martin

Let us Weep with You: Grieving Sisters, the Local Church, and Mother’s Day

After four years of trying to have a child, my wife exited the bathroom with tears in her eyes. The crushing blow of a miscarriage accompanied our first sign that she could conceive. I remember crying, holding one another, grieving, and praying. What I also remember is still gathering with God’s people, attending our small group, and being vulnerable with the church about our situation. I remember they prayed for us, loved us, and provided support for us. Most of all, I remember gathering in the presence of God and his people to be reminded of the grace of the gospel and the true nature of Christian hope.

Like all of life, Mother’s Day is a mixture of joy and sorrow. Life in a fallen world does not let us enjoy the former too long before we must face the latter. To be sure, churches can handle this poorly by not acknowledging both realities. It is not loving to acknowledge the oldest mother or the one with the most children without also grieving with those waiting in a season of infertility or mothers grieving the loss of a child. Having said that, we don’t want to overreact and wrongly believe motherhood isn’t worth celebrating. We can and should do both. 

The potential pain that Mother’s Day acknowledgments can bring may tempt some women to avoid their local church gatherings altogether. As this day approaches, I want to encourage these struggling sisters gently. I want to admonish those who may be tempted to avoid gathering with their local church to decide now that they will do so. Why should you commit to gathering despite the sorrow it may induce? 

  1. Go to testify to the sufficiency of God’s grace. Gathering on this difficult day testifies to the church that the grace of God is sufficient for the Christian life, even in suffering. When Paul pleaded with God to take away his thorn in the flesh, God responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9). Coming to church in weakness directs people away from ourselves to the power of Christ that rests upon us.
  1. Go to display and receive love from your fellow members. Gathering with the local church allows us to obey God’s commands to love one another. We are told in Romans 12:15, Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” In Galatians, Paul encourages the church to “…do good to everyone, and especially to those who are in the household of faith.” It’s a glorious testimony to the gospel of Christ to watch a grieving woman celebrate the blessing of another sister in Christ. It is a glorious testimony to the gospel of Christ to watch a mother with reasons for joy choose to weep with a sister in waiting or grief. Jesus told us the world would know us by our love for one another, and Mother’s Day presents a unique opportunity to love as a testimony to the power of the gospel in our lives. 
  1. Go to exemplify how the local church is central to Christian discipleship. The local church is God’s primary means for maturing disciples of Jesus Christ. Gathering with God’s people on the Lord’s Day is a command, and it is for our good (1 Cor. 11:17-22; Heb. 10:25). When a grieving woman gathers with God’s people, they exemplify an appropriate fear of the Lord born out of God’s loving grace to her. She exemplifies a belief that God’s commands to his people are good and that those commands are not optional based on how we feel at any given moment. 
  1. Go to testify to the nature of Christian hope. Gathering with the local church testifies to the true nature of Christian hope. All of us will suffer and struggle in some capacity. The Christian’s hope is not centered on the best version of our life now but is centered on Christ, who has promised to return to judge the living and the dead. He has promised resurrection life, and eternal blessedness in his presence. He has promised to wipe away every tear from our eyes and that sin and death will one day be no more (Revelation 21:1-5). Committing to gather with the local church testifies that Christ is our only hope in life and death. 

If you’re still waiting, grieving the loss of a child, or simply missing a dear mother whose long been with the Lord, sorrow will accompany your gathering with God’s people. It is because this is true that grieving sisters have all the more reason to gather with their church this Mother’s Day. Let us weep with you.  

Nathaniel R. Martin

The Blessings of Justification: Romans 5:1-5

Sermon Idea: God gives peace, grace, and joyful hope to all justified by faith in Christ. 

Introduction: If you were to ask me growing up if I was a Christian, I would have said yes. I had been baptized in the first grade, old enough to remember the experience and way too young to understand anything that was happening to me. My parents separated and divorced before I could form any meaningful memories of us as a family. Early on, my church exposure was sporadic, not in places where the gospel was faithfully preached. During a short season when we did attend church, I saw a terrifying drama about demons and Hell that scarred me to the point of making it difficult to sleep. 

I remember telling one of my parents how scared I was, and she arranged a meeting with the pastor, who guided me in a prayer that I repeated. He assured me that the words I repeated meant I was saved. I was baptized as a first grader, but I had no understanding of sin, the good news of the gospel, repentance, faith, or the cost of discipleship. I grew up believing I was a Christian because I believed in God, lived in America, and was baptized as a young child. Despite this profession, I lived my life void of faith, and the fruit comes from it. 

By God’s grace, my Dad came to saving faith in Christ at the age of 38. He was baptized at First Baptist, Metropolis, became a member, and has followed Jesus since. This meant that I attended a bible-believing, gospel-preaching church every other weekend. This was a good thing. That said, I now had four reasons I could give someone for why I was a Christian: I believed in God, lived in America,  was baptized, and went to church at least every other weekend. 

Outwardly, I appeared fine. I was respectful and rarely got into trouble, but I was a wreck on the inside. This was exacerbated in my freshman year of High School when the dysfunction of my family peaked and started a series of painful and traumatic events, the consequences of which lasted years. 

From the age of 14 to 17, I spiraled internally. I had no peace; my life was void of happiness, not to mention joy, and I was not hopeful about anything. I would have told you I was a Christian while living far from God without any peace, joy, or hope. 

I was close to rock bottom in my junior year, on the verge of making very poor decisions, when my Dad signed me up for a youth retreat in Gatlinburg, TN. It was not a youth retreat I was eager to attend. The advertisement was void of fun. This is not Student Life. It was a youth retreat centered around singing hymns and expositional preaching. 

There was one sermon I remember particularly well. It was from Romans 5:1-5. The preacher began by telling of a student he met while preaching on a college campus. The student asked him, what’s so good about being a Christian anyway? What’s the big deal? The preachers then used Romans 5:1-5 to answer that question. 

God gives peace, grace, and joyful hope to all justified by faith in Christ. 

I sat there and thought to myself, “I have no peace, joy, or hope.” If a Christian is someone who has been made right with God through Jesus Christ, and the fruit of that is peace, joy, and hope, then I must not be a Christian. 

Being a Christian could not be summed up in several activities that I do: I believe in God, I was baptized, and I attend church every other weekend. Being a Christian is about believing in what God has done in Jesus Christ and trusting God in Christ alone. 

I did not say a prayer, but I was changed. I believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, his finished work on the cross, and I had, for the first time, what Jonathan Edwards called religious affections: a zealous desire for God, His word, and his church. 

It took me about six months to realize exactly what had happened to me. I understood that I did not renew my faith that weekend but had true faith for the first time. God’s grace had saved me through faith in Christ! I was eventually baptized shortly after this based on my genuine profession of faith, and I’ve been following Jesus Christ since. 

I want to ask you the same question: what’s so good about being a Christian? My sermon will be different, but my hope is the same. I hope that believers in Jesus will be edified as they reflect on the glorious benefits of justification. I hope all who, like me, thought Christianity could be summed up in a few things I do will see the true gospel of grace and be drawn to Jesus Christ. 

God gives peace, grace, and joyful hope to all justified by faith in Christ. 

It is important to note that these three benefits result from justification by faith. Those who are justified have peace, access to grace, and joyful hope. Those who are not justified do not have peace with God, no access to grace, and are without hope. 

So, what is justification by faith? 

Put simply, God declares all who put their faith in Jesus Christ righteous before him. God gives the guilty a not-guilty verdict in the great courtroom of heaven. That is justification. God does this totally by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. 

How does he do that? If sinners are guilty before him, how can he declare us to be not guilty and righteous before him? 

He does this in the most amazing way. When we trust in Christ, God considers Jesus’ perfect life to be our life and his sacrificial death to be our payment for sin. On the cross, Jesus dies, paying the penalty for all our sins, and through faith, we receive Jesus’ perfect obedience to our account. Christ is our righteousness! 

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Ro 3:23–25)

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Co 5:21)

Justification is the truth we sing about in the beautiful hymn, Before the Throne of God Above. 

Because the sinless Savior died,

My sinful soul is counted free;

For God, the Just, is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me.

To be justified is to stand before God with a righteousness that is not yours. It is to stand before God robed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. 

This act of justification is God’s work alone by his grace, but he does it through our faith. Put simply, we are made right with God by placing our trust in Jesus Christ and depending on his perfect life rather than our own.

Faith, if not defined, can seem ambiguous, so what is it? 

The New Testament describes faith as “…the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1)

The best of the Christian tradition has taught that faith consists of three elements: knowledge, assent, and trust. To have true faith, you must know the truth of the gospel, who Jesus is, and what he has done on the cross and resurrection. You have to assent that this is true. Most of all, your faith is trust in Jesus Christ, who is at the center of this knowledge you’ve assented to. 

The Bible emphasizes the importance of this last element. It is possible to have knowledge and even assent that this knowledge is true but fall short of the trust that is saving faith. 

Satan and the demons are an example. They have knowledge and believe it to be true; they just hate the truth. 

19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (Jas 2:19)

As we answer the question, What’s so good about being a Christian, remember that these blessings are only true of those who are justified by faith in Christ. If Christianity to you is simply getting your life together or getting back in church, but you have not placed your faith in Christ and trusted his finished work and righteousness as your standing before God, then you are not a Christian, and these benefits are not true of you. 

I pray that if they are not, God will use this sermon to make it true of you today or sometime in the future. 

So, what benefits of justification make being a Christian so good? Let’s look at verse one to see that we have peace with God. 

I.) We have peace with God (Rom. 5:1) 

…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ro 5:1)

Before discussing the nature of this peace, we need to be very clear about two things. First, it is peace with God. Second, it is through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, there are two important truths that we can draw from this one verse.

First, no one is naturally at peace with God. There is a fracture and a hostility between God and sinners because of their sin. No one is exempt from this because all have sinned. 

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Ro 3:23)

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Ro 5:12)

As a result of sin, we are not children of God naturally, but we are children of wrath. As Paul reminds us, before Christ, we “were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Eph 2:3)

We deserve God’s just punishment and we are in need of peace with him. 

As important as it is to recognize that peace is necessary, it is also important to recognize that peace can only be accomplished through Jesus Christ. God cannot be negotiated with. There is no loophole we can access peace apart from Christ. The God-Man is the only mediator between God and man. 

5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time (1 Ti 2:5–6)

19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Col 1:19–20)

What is meant then by peace with God? The peace referred to here is a spiritual peace, which ends all the hostility and enmity between God and the sinner, reconciling the sinner to God and bringing them into a new relationship marked by God’s favor and blessing. 

It is crucial to see that this peace is not just negative. It is not just the absence of conflict. Many of us would settle for an absence of conflict between Russia and Ukraine or between Israel and the Palestinians. 

The peace we have with God is more than the absence of conflict. It is the blessed life in Christ, where our sins are forgiven, and we commune with God as children, sons and daughters of God. 

Now, it is quite possible to truly have peace with God, but not always to feel that peace in the same way. Sometimes, sin can temporarily disrupt our feelings of peace; our life circumstances may cool them for a time, but the believer who has it knows this and pursues peace all the more. So be encouraged, saint. Your awareness of your sin and spiritual dryness may impact a subject feeling of peace for a season, but your awareness of it testifies to the reality that you are at peace with God. 

It is also quite possible to feel at peace but lack true peace with God through faith in Christ. 

One theologian says it this way, “The unconverted and ungodly frequently have a dead and insensitive conscience. They, not being smitten by their conscience, imagine within themselves that all is well before God and that they have peace with God. How rudely they will be awakened, however, and come to the realization that they are children of wrath and never have had peace with God! 

Do you have peace with God this morning? The only way to be at peace with him is through faith in Jesus Christ. Believer, rest in Christ, who is your peace. Non-Christians, come to Christ, who makes peace by the blood of his cross. 

What’s so good about being a Christian? We have peace with God. 

II.) We have access to grace (Rom. 5:2) 

The second blessing of justification is access to grace, 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand (Ro 5:2)

Notice again the emphasis on all these benefits being through Jesus Christ.   The justified by faith in Christ are granted access to God’s grace through Christ. This grace is where Christians stand; it’s not passing or fleeting. This is not a reference to a mere decision but to a disciple who lives and is sustained by the very grace of God. 

The grace mentioned here is not saving grace but sustaining grace. It is the access to grace for our perseverance, strengthening, help, and comfort. 

The word “access” is simple to understand. We can consider scenarios and locations that restrict our access. For instance, think of the Oval Office, which does not allow free access. To attempt to access the Oval Office without consent would result in imprisonment at the minimum and death at the worst. 

Friends, in Christ Jesus, we have access to something far greater than the Oval Office. We have access to the very presence and grace of God.

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb 4:15–16)

The word stand is worth reflecting on because it describes a permanent state. A Christian is someone who lives by and in the grace of God. The grace of God permeates their being, so they are Christians always and everywhere. 

A few months ago, Kels and I got a date away from the kids. We went to Patti’s for a nice meal to celebrate her birthday. I was excited because these times are so rare, and they were non-existent when we lived in North Carolina. They put us in a secluded room called the Robin’s Nest. In it is a round table, with 6 or 8 chairs. First, Kels took a picture to show the kids and talked about how we could have brought them with us! Why is that? No matter where she goes, momma can never stop being momma. 

A believer in the Lord Jesus Christ thinks, speaks, and acts in reference to God and his Word. They do not compartmentalize their spiritual life from the rest of their life. They are one and the same. The Christian life is to stand in a state of grace, granted access to the very throne of God! 

Does this describe you? Is Christ your life or merely a supplement to your life? Do you stand in grace with access to God? All who are justified by faith 

How sweet it is to know that we are not left to ourselves. We are not without God’s sustaining grace!

What’s so good about being a Christian? We have access to grace. 

III.) We have joyful hope (Rom. 5:2-5) 

and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Ro 5:2–5)

The justified possess joyful hope for the future that fuels the present. We can rejoice in our hope because our future inheritance is to be glorified by God. One day, we will see God as he is. We will dwell with God when sin and death are a thing of the past, and we’ll live as humans were meant to live—perfected in the gracious presence of God. 

What’s good about being a Christian? We don’t have to fear the future because our future is filled with hope. This hope is not a mere wish but a promised possession. It awaits us; one day, we will fully know it. 

Notice though that Christian hope is future, but it’s also present, Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, (Ro 5:3-5)

Rejoice in our sufferings? What makes this good? This does not mean that we enjoy suffering; rather, we rejoice even in our suffering. That is because those justified by faith in Christ know that their suffering is not meaningless but produces endurance, character, and hope that doesn’t put us to shame. 

I’m convinced that most people who are into physical fitness do not actually enjoy the physical labor of exercising. They do not enjoy the pain they put their body through. What is it that they love? They enjoy the results of the exercise. They know that the temporary pain produces stronger muscles, better mental health, etc.  

The suffering we endure as believers is like a spiritual exercise that strengthens us. Just as an athlete doesn’t rejoice in putting their body through suffering, but in the results that suffering produces, believers rejoice not in their suffering, but in all that suffering produces. 

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (Jas 1:2–4)

What’s so good about being a Christian? We have true hope that is both present and future. We will not be put to shame! God will not waste moments of our suffering, pain, and discomfort. It will all be redeemed and purposed for our good and his glory. 

God gives peace, grace, and joyful hope to all justified by faith in Christ. 

Give a clear gospel invitation and call for a response.