THE PRIVILEGE OF KNOWING CHRIST

TODAY’S PASSAGE: 

Romans 5:1-5 NLT 1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

• Christians who have put our faith in Jesus are entitled to the privilege of peace with God, not because of anything we could ever do to earn it, but because of what Jesus did for us.
• Whenever we see the word ‘therefore’ at the beginning of a verse (v1), we need to ask the question, ‘what is it there for?’ This ‘therefore’ refers back to the final verse of Romans 4.

Romans 4:25 NLT He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

• We’re made right with God as a result of putting our faith in Jesus, not because of anything else we’ve done.
• Faith: a belief and trust in God based on evidence but without total proof.
• One day every knee is going to bow and every tongue is going to confess that Jesus is Lord but only those who put their faith in Him while here on earth will be at peace with Him on that day.

• The faith that we now have also gives us the underserved privilege of God’s grace.
• Grace: God’s grace is usually defined as undeserved favor.
• Grace cannot be earned; God freely gives it.
• We rely on God’s grace and the bridge He built to restore our relationship with Him.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT – “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

• Sometimes we get so stressed out over things down here on earth. Instead, we should be joyfully looking forward to the heavenly home God has prepared for us.

• We are privileged to have hope when we run into problems or pressures in this life, including troubles that result from following Christ.
• We are able to have endurance in this life, even when under pressure or feeling weighed down.
• We are equipped with Godly character needed to go through life’s challenges with victory. When we respond the right way it is proof of our Christ-like character.
• We can be confident we have eternal life through Christ
• We are empowered with the free gift of His Holy Spirit, which enables us to live and love like he he did