Title: SAVED FROM THE WRATH OF GOD

Focus: Part of the church’s mission to the world is to declare that the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—saves us from his wrath through Christ Jesus.

Function: To emphasize that our salvation from God’s wrath is entirely a work of grace by the Triune God.

Text: Romans 5:1-11

Two years ago, my wife and I visited my parents in the Netherlands. My brother and his wife took us on a day trip; they live in a small town called “Oudenbosch.” About 30 miles from that town is a well-kept international cemetery with thousands of white-washed, marble tombstones. On each stone is written the name of an Allied soldier who died in battle to free the Dutch from the tyranny of Hitler’s Germany.

It was a humbling, moving experience to read the names of Australian, Canadian, British and American soldiers. The age of these soldiers ranged from 18 through about 45 years. Each name represents a family, a story, and hopes and dreams of a generation that is no more. We who are free from dictatorship and tyranny must never take for granted their sacrifice. They died and saved us from Hitler’s hatred and wrath, so that we may be free today.

All these thoughts came to me as I studied Paul’s text in Romans 5:6 “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.”

Today we begin a series of Biblical reflections upon the mission and message of the Church. In light of Romans 5 I want to emphasize that our salvation from God’s wrath is entirely a work of grace by the Triune God. In fact, part of the church’s mission to the world is to declare that the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—saves us from his wrath through Jesus Christ.

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The entire passage that we read hinges on two key-words that capture the work of God. In verse 1 the key word is justification and in verse 11 the key word is reconciliation. Listen (vs. 1) “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ….” (vs. 11) “…we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Justification and reconciliation stand at the heart of the Christian message.

God has reconciled his people through the work of Christ. And we have peace, that is, we are reconciled with God because of Christ. Thus we are saved from the wrath of God. Being made right with God and at peace with him form the hinge on which the rest of the passage hangs and turns.

The second thing we observe from the passage is that salvation from God’s wrath is entirely the work of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For example, in vs. 1 Paul speaks of the God who grants peace to those who are justified by faith. In vs. 5 Paul speaks of God who lavishes us with his love:”…God has poured out his love into our hearts….” And in vs. 2 we learn that it is God the Father who holds before us the glory that is to be revealed at the end of time. Salvation is the work of the Father.

But salvation is also the work of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus. For example, Paul speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ as the one through whom God’s peace or shalom becomes a reality. And because of Jesus’ ongoing work today, that peace or shalom remains a reality because of Jesus’ mediating role in granting us access to God’s grace. Thus Paul says: “…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 (or find ourselves).” Clearly, the second person of the Holy Trinity is also involved in saving us from the wrath of God.

So it is also with the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that the third person of the Holy Trinity communicates to us the love of God. Through his work we experience the peace of God. Listen: (vs.5) “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Thus it becomes clear that the church’s mission and message to the world is to declare that the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—saves us from God’s wrath on our sins.

Sometimes, it’s easier to share the mission and message of an organization by way of bullet points. The government does this very often; they give these bullet points to the news media and the news media uses them as “talking points” in their commentaries and newsflashes.

Romans 5:1-11 contains 6 affirmations. Let’s call them talking points as we want to get a handle on the mission and message of the Christian church today.

Talking Point 1. We have peace with God. Through faith in Christ Jesus and his shed blood on the cross, our sins are covered, God’s wrath is no longer aimed at us, and the wall of hostility between God and us is torn down. We have shalom, peace with God.,

Talking Point 2. We have gained access into God’s grace. Christians may stand and have their being in the presence of God. The grace of peace allows us to breathe the air of God’s friendship and rest. God has adopted us into his family, and he sees us as his sons and daughters. We belong to him. We live in the atmosphere of grace—undeserved favor, astonishing love, and the Spirit’s sustaining presence and power are ours—all because of Jesus Christ.

Talking Point 3. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. The glory of God comes to us all throughout history. Numerous stories in the Bible give us glimpses of God’s majesty, greatness and brilliance. We see that glory of God especially in Jesus’ birth, and miracles, and death, and resurrection and ascension. We will see the glory of God in all its fullness when Christ comes again and makes all things new. That glory of God forms a living hope, and we draw strength and encouragement from it—especially in the context of adversity and suffering. In fact, we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Talking Point 4. We also rejoice in our sufferings. British theologian and pastor, John Stott, helps us to come to grips with this notion of rejoicing in our sufferings. He tells us that “The ‘sufferings’ in mind are usually translated ‘tribulations.’ These are not what we sometimes call ‘the trials and tribulations’ of our earthly existence, meaning our aches and pains, fears and frustrations, deprivations and disappointments, but rather sufferings related to the opposition and persecution of a hostile world.”

So, let’s be clear on this. Christians are not called to celebrate and throw parties because they have been diagnosed with some serious disease or affliction. Rather, in the midst of worldly opposition and hostility to the Christian faith, we rejoice or recognize the truth of God’s Word.

Did not Jesus warn us that in this world we would have trouble? Did not Paul warn his converts that they must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God? Stott helps us to understand the matter better when he said: To rejoice in tribulations reflects a realization that there is a divine rationale behind suffering…. suffering is the one and only path to glory. It was so for Christ; it is so for Christians. As Paul says in Romans 8:17, ‘we are co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.’ That is why we are to rejoice in them both.

Suffering also leads to maturity. Says Paul in vs. 3 “…we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Strange though it sounds, Christians rejoice in tribulations and oppositions to the Christian faith. Some may wonder how we can have hope and trust in a God who allows seemingly senseless persecution and opposition and martyrdom to happen to his people? Disillusioned, they hook off and discard their faith in God. But they forget that God’s love is deeply poured out in our hearts.

They forget that the Holy Spirit indwells us in the midst of hardship; they fail to draw strength and joy and peace from the Spirit’s presence in them. In life and in death, in tribulation and affliction, we belong to Christ; we are bonded to him through God’s Spirit of love. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Thus we rejoice in our tribulations.

Talking Point 5. We shall be saved from God’s wrath through Christ. In principle, this salvation has already come to us. Whoever turns to Christ today HAS eternal life, IS sealed with the Holy Spirit, and IS at peace with God.

But the reality of that eternal life and peace will be ours in all its fullness when Christ comes again. Says Stott: At the end of history there is going to be a day of reckoning which Paul has called ‘the day of God’s wrath,’ when his righteous judgment will be revealed (Romans 2:5), and his wrath will be poured out on those who have rejected Christ (2:8) From that fearful coming wrath we shall be saved, for, as Jesus put it, the believer ‘will not be condemned; he/she has already crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).

Talking Point 6. We also rejoice in God. Many people deny the existence of God; others question God’s involvement in our lives; again others claim ignorance—they do not know that God exists nor do they fret about their ignorance. But Christians rejoice in God, for God is our Savior. God sent his Son, the Lord Jesus, to save us from the wrath of God on our sins. We exult in God’s love; we embrace God’s grace; we appeal to his mercy. And we relish the thought that God will make all things new.

Once we lived in darkness; now we have the light of Christ. Once we were alienated from God; now he has reconciled us through Christ. Thus we rejoice also in God.

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As we declare the talking points of the Christian faith, let us never forget that the Triune God saves us from his wrath through Christ Jesus. Our salvation is entirely a work of grace by our triune God.

When I grew up, I heard the story of a young farmer somewhere in the Netherlands during WW.II. This farmer had a wife and three young children. He was involved in the resistance movement; He was hiding Jews on his farm and he had hidden a radio in his haystack. In those days it was illegal to have a radio for people would listen to the BBC and learn about the war situation and the progress of the Allied soldiers in Europe—something that the Germans did not want to announce. Thus it was illegal to have a radio and one would be shot if the Germans found a radio on your premises.

One day the Germans raided the farm of this young farmer. They did not find the Jews that were hidden, but they did find the radio. They arrested the farmer and his family. But they all claimed innocence. They did not know whose radio it was, or how it ended up in the haystack. In response the Germans made a public announcement that the entire family would be shot unless the real owner of the radio would show up and confess.

On the day of execution, a young man from out of town stepped up to the German commander and claimed that the radio was his. The commander set the young farmer and his family free, and executed the unknown young man who claimed ownership of the radio. The man took the place of the farmer and his family, and died an innocent death.

It’s a humbling story. I want you to listen once more to this text: “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.”

If on this weekend, we are to remember the sacrifices of men and women who died and suffered that we may be free today, how much more should we remember the story of the Christian faith and the work of the Triune God!

We have peace with God. We have gained access into God’s grace. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We also rejoice in our tribulations; w

e shall be saved from God’s wrath through Christ Jesus on the day when he comes again in glory. And we therefore rejoice also in God.

Thanks be to God!

Amen.