1) We have Peace with God.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

"Therefore being justified by faith" refers to the one act of faith the moment we trust Christ.

"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Bible mentions several kinds of peace. 

First, there is world peace. 

The United Nations has worked for it for a very long time and they have not gotten it. A great many people believe that if we protest loudly enough we can bring peace to the world by human manipulation or psychological gyrations. 

But as long as there is sin in the hearts of people, there will never be peace in the world - not 

until the Prince of Peace comes. 

Christ will bring peace on this earth when He come to rule.

He is not ruling this world today.

Remember the Devil offered the Lord Jesus the kingdoms of this world! 

Does he have the kingdoms of the world to offer? 

Think that one over before you attempt to answer it. Well, let me give you my answer.

The Lord Jesus did not challenge his statement that he had the kingdoms of the world to offer. The Lord  Jesus didn’t say to him, "You can’t offer Me the kingdoms of the world because you don’t have them to give." 

I assume that the Devil did have them to give. This fact gives us a little different viewpoint of the trouble we are having in the world today.

The Devil is running everything! 

Some Christians tend to fight the evils of communism without realizing that behind communism is Satan and that behind the confusion and turmoil in the world is Satan. Let’s remember who our enemy really is. 

He is a spiritual enemy.

He wants to become God. 

Remember that he said to the Lord Jesus, 

"All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me" (see Matt. 4:8–9).

World peace is not the kind of peace apostle Paul is talking about.

Neither is he talking about the peace known as tranquility of soul. 

That is the peace to which the Lord Jesus Christ referred when He said to His disciples,

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you …" (John 14:27). 

This is a peace that comes to certain believers who have trusted Christ and who are resting in Him and who are doing His will. 

I wish I could say that I experience this peace all the time.

Sadly I do not.

I know it is available for every believer. I suppose I am just not like most believers in that I have up and down experiences. There are times when this peace floods my soul, and it is wonderful. But there are times when I am under pressure or under tension or when I am weary, very weary in this world and this peace somehow eludes me. 

However, Paul is not referring to the peace of personal tranquility.

Then there is a third kind of peace.

Apostle Paul mentions it to the Philippian believers  -  

"the peace that passeth all understanding" (see Philippians 4:7).

Since it passes all understanding, I don’t know what it is, and I have a notion you don’t either. 

The peace apostle Paul is talking about here is that which he lists as 

the first benefit of salvation, it is

"peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

This is the peace that comes to the soul of one who has trusted Christ as Savior and knows that God no longer has any charge against them, that they are no longer guilty.

They know that God, who had to be against them in the past, is now for them. 

They know that they have a permanent salvation.

They know that all their sins are forgiven and that things are right between them and God, and that no matter what may or may not happen to them in this life their future is secure in Christ Jesus.

Not even death can separate them from Him.

Being absent from the body (tent) on earth will mean being present with Him in glory which is far, far better.

Notice that Paul mentions again and again that we have peace with God the Father through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which means that everything is all right between our soul and our God.

That is wonderful peace!

God's Spirit dwells in us and it is 

Because the Lord Jesus died on the cross, that a holy, righteous and just God can say to a lost sinner,

"Come."

His arms are outstretched today and He says to you and to me,

"Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28),

I will rest you,

This peace is the rest of redemption.

God is reconciled to man.

We do not have to do a thing to reconcile God.

We do not need to soften His heart because it is already open towards us because Christ died for our sin that has separated us from Him.

All we need is to receive Christ Jesus as our Saviour.

The true message of the gospel is.

"Be ye reconciled to God."

We have to turn to Christ and accept Him into our lives by faith.

And when we accept His salvation, we experience the peace of God, which is beyond our understanding, that all of our sins are forgiven  -  washed away.

Christ Jesus died in order to put away our sin forever.

Story of the Saviour's love divine,
Love that brought Him from the realms of glory
Just to save a sinful soul like mine.

Refrain:
Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful,
Wonderful, wonderful!
O isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful!
Wonderful it is to me.

Boundless as the universe around me,
Reaching to the farthest soul away—
Saving, keeping love it was that found me;
That is why my heart can truly say:

Love beyond our human comprehending,
Love of God in Christ  -   how can it be?
This will be my theme and never ending,
Great, redeeming love of Calvary.

That is something we can rejoice over without ceasing.

"By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews13:15).

The fruit of our lips should be continually giving thanks to His name.

We can sleep peacefully at night no more guilt complex.

Rise, my soul! behold 'tis Jesus,
Jesus fills Thy wond'ring eyes;
See Him now in glory seated,
Where thy sins no more can rise.

There, in righteousness transcendent,
Lo! He doth in heav'n appear,
Shows the blood of His atonement
As thy title to be there.

All thy sins were laid upon Him,
Jesus bore them on the tree;
God, who knew them, laid them on Him,
And, believing, thou art free.

God now brings thee to His dwelling,
Spreads for thee His feast divine,
Bids thee welcome, ever telling
What a portion there is thine.

In that circle of God's favor,
Circle of the Father's love,
All is rest, and rest forever,
All is perfectness above.

Blessed, glorious Word "forever!"
Yea, "forever!" is the Word;
Nothing can the ransomed sever,
Naught divide them from the Lord.

Thanks: SermonAudio.com

Amen!

Oh today there are a great many suffering, sad and lonely people who pillow their heads at night and are not able to sleep, not  having peace in their hearts, with God. Many today are laboring with a guilt complex and a wounded soul that would love to go somewhere to be at peace. Psycology can only shift the guilt it cannot remove it. But when we come to the cross of Christ, lay ourselves bare before the Saviour of our souls, and we accept His offer of grace, His mercy floods our souls and we have peace, 

the peace with God that is beyond our understanding.

All our sin was laid upon Him, He bore our guilt, all our shame, in His own body on the tree of Calvary.

Accept now God's offer of mercy;

To Jesus, oh, hasten today;
For He will receive him that cometh,
And never will turn him away.

Believe it, O sinner, believe it;
Receive the glad message— 'tis true;
Trust now in the crucified Saviour,
Salvation He offers to you.

When we find that Christ is adequate to meet our need, then the peace of God that passeth all our  understanding will enter into our hearts.

Another benefit of salvation is: 

2) We have access to God.

Romans 5:2   "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near" (Hebrews 10:19-22)   

We have an invitation that has been sent out to us,

"Let us come with boldness to His throne of grace that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

It is a high and holy privilege to come to God.

That high privilege comes through our Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ and we ought to be very reverent in our approach to Him.

We can go directly to God through Christ. We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.

"In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him (Ephesians 3:12).

That is a privilege that we should value far above everything else.

Itis most wonderful to have Someone to go to and to talk to about ourselves and about all our problems and about our friends and our loved ones. Today we as the children of God have access to a heavenly Father who will listen to us here and who does answer our prayers. 

God always answers our prayers according to His wisdom, and not according to our own will.

What a wonderful thing it is to have access to God!

This is the one thing that David said was the aim of his life. 

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple."

In the house of God was the mercy seat. 

David needed mercy, and I need mercy  -  and I am sure you do as well.

In the house of God was an altar that spoke of the cross of Christ.

This provided for David access into the very Presence of God. 

Where was the secret place in the tabernacle? 

It was inside the Holy of Holies. 

No one could go there accept the high priest because the ark of the covenant was there and upon the ark was the elaborate lid, which God designated as the mercy seat because blood was sprinkled upon it. 

Now in our day because the Lord Jesus Christ has already shed His precious blood for us, we have a mercy seat to which we can go. 

And that is where He hides us. 

It is the safest and the most secure place we can ever hope to have.

When we truly recognize what Christ Jesus has done for us, it will put a song in our hearts. 

In that secret place there is mercy, plenty of mercy. 

And God Himself prepared that secret place for us where we can receive His great mercy.

God has a longing for us. 

Marriage is a love relationship; if it is not that, it is not worth anything. Our relationship to God should be like that  -  a marriage relationship  -  a love affair. 

David’s heart responded to God when God said, "I love you."

Then David said back to the Lord  "I love You, Lord." 

When God said, "I want to have fellowship with you," 

David said, "I want to have fellowship with You."

When David sinned, he found out what it was like for God to hide His face from him. He lost his fellowship. He lost his joy. 

But David cried out to God in desperation as he prayed,

"Restore unto me the joy of my salvation."

Do you perhaps feel lonely and sad this day dear reader then go to God in prayer, Ask the Lord Jesus to help you to explain to Him all that is in your heart. Tell Him all about the way you feel and why you feel the way you do. God is patient, kind, and full of goodness and mercy.

God has plenty of mercy!

When the storms of life are raging,
Tempests wild on sea and land,
I will seek a place of refuge
In the shadow of God's hand.

Refrain:
He will hide me, He will hide me!
Where no harm can e'er betide me;
He will hide me, safely hide me
In the shadow of His hand!

Though He may send some affliction,
'Twill but make me long for home;
For in love, and not in anger,
All His chastenings will come.

Enemies may strive to injure,
Satan all his arts employ;
God will turn what seems to harm me
Into everlasting joy.

So, while here the cross I'm bearing,
Meeting storms and billows wild.
Jesus for my soul is caring,
Naught can harm His Father's child.

Thanks: Cyber Hymnal

Amen!

Another benefit of salvation is:

3) We have Hope For the Future.

Apostle Paul said to a young preacher by the name of Titus,

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). 

(I don’t think looking for the Great Tribulation is very much of a hope. I’m certainly not looking for it because that would be a dread rather than a hope. I am looking for the Lord Jesus to come in the clouds and I am constantly listening for His voice which will sound like a trumpet). 

To look for the Lord Jesus Christ to come and take His church out of this evil, dark world, is the most secure  and glorious hope we can ever hope to have in this life. 

The child of God has this hope. 

That means we have a future. 

We have something to look forward to. 

The world today is looking for a hope, looking for a future. This explains the restlessness that is throughout the world, and it explains a great many of the movements of the present moment. It has driven a great many people to alcohol and drug addiction and down other avenues that are dead-end streets. Why? Because they have lost hope of the future.

But the child of God has a hope, a blessed hope. We know that all things are going to work together for our good  because we love the Lord Jesus (see Romans 8:28).

We know that nothing, absolutely nothing is ever going to separate us from the love of God (see Romans 8:39). 

How wonderful that hope is.

We as believers can truly praise our God and

"  ...    rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2).

Another benefit of salvation is:

4) We have triumph in troubles.

Romans 5:3-4   "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope."

In other words, we joy in troubles, knowing that trouble works patience  -  patience does not come automatically  -  and patience, experience; and experience, hope.

It is interesting to see the three words that are associated with trouble. 

One is joy, another is hope, and the third is patience. 

God has to work them into us even though they are fruit of the Spirit.

In other words, it takes trouble to bring out the best in the believer’s life. 

The only way God can get fruit out of the lives of believers is by pruning the branches.

The world does it differently. 

Unbelievers, are today having a nice comfortable life, having little or no troubles in this life, they are having fun, drinking cocktails and enjoying parties, and they can of course be patient, even kind and they do have happiness and much laughter at the jokes they think up, they even have hope for the future as they go along but it is a false hope and they do not have the peace of God in their hearts that passes our understanding. Many have made an empty profession and it is not worth tuppence when they go to bed at night. Genuine believers are sure of their salvation and their hope in Christ Jesus, when they know in their own hearts, that they are willing to suffer for Christ,  joyfully, in this life.

Trouble produces fruit (joy, hope and patience) in our lives.

Apostle Paul said to the Ephesians,

"Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory (Ephesians 3:13).

He says, 

"I entreat you that you not lose heart in my troubles for you, which is your glory." 

Because of the great goals of the mystery which apostle Paul has enumerated, he was willing to suffer imprisonment as the Apostle to the Gentiles. He did not want the Ephesians to be discouraged, because, his imprisonment was working for his good and their glory.

"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church" (Col. 1:24).

Apostle Paul was suffering in his body for the sake of Christ’s body. The implication seems to be that there was something lacking in the sufferings of Christ. A second implication could be that it was necessary for Paul, and I think in turn for all believers, to make up that which is lacking. In other words, when apostle Paul suffered for them, it completed the suffering of Christ.

Remember the Lord Jesus revealed to Ananias why He had saved Paul and how He was going to use him.

"But the Lord said unto him (Ananias), Go thy way: for he (Paul) is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake" (Acts 9:15–16). 

Apostle Paul wrote from prison and said that he had fulfilled that.

The sufferings of Paul were not redemptive. There was no merit in his suffering for others or even for himself as concerning redemption.

When Paul speaks of the redemption of Christ, he does not speak of suffering but of a cross, a death, and His blood.

The Lord Jesus Christ was willing to shed His precious blood on the cross that we, the  entire world, may be saved from going to hell. 

There are two kinds of suffering. 

There is ministerial suffering and there is mediatorial suffering. 

Christ’s suffering for us was mediatorial. 

There are the sufferings of Christ which He endured and in which we cannot share.

Apostle Paul wrote,

"For every man shall bear his own burden" (Galatians 6:5). 

There are certain burdens we must each bear alone. We are born alone and when we die we die alone. When we suffer pain no one else can feel our pain. We feel pain alone. There are certain problems in life that each of us must face, and we face them alone. There is a sorrow that comes that no one can share with us. We become sick, and no one can take our place.

The Lord Jesus suffered human suffering. That is a suffering which cannot be shared.

We see this suffering in Psalm 69. 

It tells us in verses 11 and 12 that He was the song of the drunkards in that little town of Nazareth. And He said that He made sackcloth His garment. Oh, what He suffered because He was the Son of God! He was arrested. The soldiers of the high priest mocked Him. They put a robe on Him and a crown of nasty thorns on His head. They played a Roman game known as "Hot Hand" in which they blindfolded Him and then all the soldiers would hit Him with their fists. One of the soldiers would not hit Him, and when they removed the blindfold He was supposed to say which one had not. Even if He named the right soldier, they would never have admitted that He was right. Then they would put the blindfold on and play the game again. They all pounded Him, our precious Saviour, the Saviour of this world, until He was marred more than any other man.

They had beaten His face to a pulp before they ever put Him on the cross.

He suffered in a way that no other person has ever or will ever suffer, because He suffered as the Son of God, the spotless Lamb of God who was entirely without sin.

He was the sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. 

He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and none of us can enter into that suffering.

We can appropriate His death for us, we can recognize the fact that He took our deserved place, but we cannot ever enter into it.  

He  went to the cross alone. He was forsaken of God and forsaken by men. His was not the blood of martyrdom; His was the blood of sacrifice.

In His first three hours on the cross, man did his worst. It was light from nine o’clock until noon; man was there at his evil worst. In the second three hours, from noon until three o’clock, it was dark; that 

was when God was doing His best. 

Out there amongst the hills,

My Saviour died,

Pierced by those cruel nails was crucified.

Lord Jesus Thou hast done,

All this for me.

Henceforward I would live only for Thee.

Thanks: Losinda. 

Amen!

At that time the cross became an red hot altar on which the spotless Lamb of God was slain to take away the sin of the world.

When I survey the wondrous cross,
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ my God:
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an off'ring far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Thanks: homewithgod.com

Amen!

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust"(1 Peter 3:18). 

That is a suffering that you and I cannot bear; He could not share that with anyone else.

On the other hand, there are the sufferings Christ endured which we can share. These are the sufferings which apostle Paul refers to in 

Colossians 1:24 "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church."

There is the suffering for righteousness’ sake.

In the synagogue in Nazareth, His own hometown, our Lord Jesus said,

"But now ye seek to kill Me, a Man that hath told you the truth …" (John 8:40).

Our Lord suffered for righteousness’ sake, and we are told very definitely that we will also suffer for the truth, for righteousness sake. God is truth and we have to stand in Him in truth in all matters concerning this life. 

Sinners do not want to hear the truth concerning  themselves and they will tell lies and they will bear false testimony against those who confront them and they will even seek to kill them, like they did to the Lord Jesus Christ and they did in fact kill John the Baptist because he told the truth.

"But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye …" (1 Peter 3:14). 

Apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy: 

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12).

May I say that if we are going to live for God, if we are going to take a stand for the truth, tell the truth, and live in the truth the world will damn us. The world does not want to to be found guilty and neither will it admit to its evil doing.  

The world will damn the person who stands for God. They will praise the athletes, the people in the entertainment world, the politicians and the professors. They are all honored; but the person who stands for God is not praised. If you stand for the things that are right in this world, if you stand for the truth you will suffer for righteousness’ sake. 

Apostle Paul understood this, and he wrote,

"As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter" (Romans 8:36). 

That will be the lot of anyone who stands for God.

Man is proud, he hates to hear the truth about himself so he hides his sin and thinks he will get by with it. 

I say this again that when most people are confronted with their sin they tell lies, bare false witness being dishonest and blame others for their own evil doing.

They are like the unjust steward in Luke 16. This man did not repent; he had no regret or remorse for his actions. This man was crooked  -  called clever by the world’s standards. He had no training for other work, and his age was probably against him. He was too proud to beg, but he was not ashamed to be dishonest.

This goes on all day long in this world.

Man is proud and he wants to look good at any cost so he lies, and steals his own way into being popular.

John the Baptist spoke out against Herod’s immorality  -  and it cost him his life. He had denounced Herod for taking Herodias, his brother’s wife (see Mark 6:14-29).

His wife was not very happy and she plotted to kill 

John the Baptist.

Standing for the truth can cost us everything, even our very lives.

Those who stand for righteousness, justice and truth  will be persecuted. We can be very sure of that.

We can identify ourselves with Christ for the proclamation of the gospel.

Apostle John wrote, 

"… because as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:17).

The Lord Jesus made it very clear, 

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:18–19). 

The Pharisees wanted to kill the Lord Jesus Christ  because He did good things on the sabbath.

They hated Him without a cause.

"And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the sabbath day" (John 5:16).

They hated Him because He said,

"… The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27). 

The miracle that our Lord Jesus performed put murder in their hearts. They hated Him because of the Sabbath and because He made Himself equal with God.

John 15:20-22   "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for My name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent Me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin."

We are not greater than our Master. The servant should not be more popular than the Master. we are to just keep on giving out the Word of God. Those who persecute the child of God have two problems: they do not know the Father, and they do not want their sins revealed. The Lord Jesus Christ turned the light of heaven upon the souls of men. 

Whenever one turns on a light, things begin to happen  -  people get ugly, very ugly indeed and they tell lies, bare false testimony and run for cover. They will hate and persecute the one who turns the light on.

Our Lord Jesus said, 

"They hated Me without a cause."

There is no cause for anyone to hate the Lord Jesus.

The cause is in their sinful heart.

Sinful hearts hate, loath, and despise the truth.

If we are not of the world, the world will hate us also.

If we are popular with the world as a Christian, then we are not popular with Christ. If we are going to be popular with Christ, we are not going to be popular in this world. We can be very sure of that. Christ came into this world to save lost sinners and the people of the world do not want to hear they are lost sinners. 

The real test is our relationship and attitude towards the Lord  Jesus Christ. We cannot be popular and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, because He is the One who is hated.

The child of God is to take their rightful place and identify themselves with Christ who is the truth. 

When we suffer for Christ, the Lord Jesus is also suffering through us, through His church.

The church is the body of Christ.

Remember when the Lord Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, 

He said, 

"… Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" (Acts 9:4). 

That young Pharisee was startled and puzzled. Saul of Tarsus thought that he was persecuting Christians. He was shocked to learn that he was persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ.

When lies are told about a child of God, when someone bares false witness against them, it is against the Lord Jesus Himself that they lie because He is Himself the faithful witness and the person who suffers because of the lies suffers for righteousness sake  - for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, for telling the truth. 

Christ Jesus is the truth.

We only suffer persecution when we stand for truth and righteousness. There are those who claim they are being persecuted when in fact it is not true because they are suffering because of their own sin and the devil has them so deceived. They have put up the barrier of pride and are even proud that they have been saved by grace and that those who suffer because of their sin are persecuting them. They have no godly sorrow in their hearts, wrought only by the Holy Spirit of God,  no regrets for the harm they have done, and they have no concern, empathy, compassion or kindness in their hearts for those who are suffering.

This is what Peter wrote about our suffering: 

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:12–13).

Another benefit of salvation is:

5) We Have the Love of God.

Romans 5:5   "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

As the children of God we can always be sure that God loves us. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. He wants to make God's love real to us. He wants to manifest His love to us. That is a lot better than crawling up onto a bar stool.

 "… Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).

If we would read on in Ephesians 5, we would find it going on to say,

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19). 

Oh, How we need to praise the Lord Jesus in this day in which we live. 

"Draw me, we will run after Thee: the king hath brought me into His chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in Thee, we will remember Thy love more than wine: the upright love Thee" (Song of Songs 1:4).

Bonar expressed his love in these lines:

I love the name of Jesus,

Immanuel, Christ the Lord,

Like fragrance on the breezes

His name abroad is poured.

"The upright love Thee." 

Who are the upright?

They are the ones who belong to Him. 

They are those who have said to Him,

"Draw me."

He has placed them on their feet, and they are to run the race of life, looking unto the Lord Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith.

So near,  so very near to God,
We cannot nearer be;
For in the Person of  His Son,
We are as near as He.

So dear,  So very dear to God,
We cannot  dearer be;
For in the Person of  His Son,
We are as dear as He.

- Author Unknown.

The Christian life is a love affair.

We love Him because He first loved us. 

He loved us enough to give Himself for us. 

Now He says to us, 

"I want your love."

God wants from us our love, and devotion. 

If we do not truly love Him, then we should not go on pretending to. We should be honest with ourselves. 

It is all meaningless if we do not love Him.

Today we hear all kinds of messages from preachers on how to be a Christian and how a Christian ought to be but the Word of God says, "if you love Me keep My commandments." 

We can fool ourselves and we can fool the world but we cannot ever fool God. He knows if we love Him or not. It is no use pretending. If we do not love Him today dear reader or we are not sure that we love Him then may I suggest that right now we call out to Him 

"Draw me."

Amen!

God tells us that His power is available to us. He says that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. He will answer the heart cry, "Draw me,

The Lord Jesus Christ said to His own, left in this world

"I am the One who went after you." 

We did not seek after God to begin with; God sought after us. He is still seeking us today. We can only rouse ourselves to say, Lord, "draw me." We need the Spirit of God to give to us the Water of Life. If we will drink of that Water of Life, we will have rivers of living water gushing up within us and flowing out from us.

We ask Him to draw us not because we are lazy and indifferent, but because we are helpless. We have the desire  -  the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. We want to run the race after Him, but He will have to give us the legs to do it. He must give us that enablement, that divine enablement. He must draw us to Himself.

"Wherefore … let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith …" (Hebrews 12:1–2). 

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).

Listen to the believer’s loving response, as we find it in Psalm 63:

"O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is" (Psalm 63:1). 

Does our soul really thirst for God?

Does our flesh long for God? 

The Lord Jesus said,

"… If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink" (John 7:37).

Do we long for a drink at the fountainhead?

Do we long to see the glory and the power of God?

Do we continually praise God for His lovingkindness?

"To see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary. Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee. Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips" (Psalm 63:2-5).    

In the sanctuary, this is the secret place of communion.

David said that he would rather have fellowship with God than have a gourmet dinner. Oh the pure delight of a single hour, That before Thy throne I spend, When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God, I commune as friend with  friend.

"Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:14).

The Christian life is filled with joy.

There is great joy in following the Lord Jesus, following His instructions, and His instructions are clear. If we follow His instructions, we will bear fruit, some of us even much fruit.

He laid down His life for us; He asks us to obey Him.

 "If ye love Me keep My commandments." 

He is our Saviour because He died for us. 

We are His friends when we keep His commandments.

The Lord Jesus wants us to rejoice evermore (1 Thess. 5:16).

Thanks: songsandhymns.org

Amen!

Oh my dear reader let us this morning get busy busy praising Him!

"Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice" (Psalm 63:7).

Remember that the Lord Jesus said that He wanted to gather the people of Jerusalem under His wings like a hen gathers her chicks (see Matthew 23:37). 

This gives to us a picture of His great love for us and His great desire to protect us from all harm.

"My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me. But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes. But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by Him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped" (Psalm 63:8–11). 

There is a day coming when God will reveal all truth and every lie will be made known, stopped forever.

What a glorious picture this is of a believer’s devotion to Christ!

Another benefit of salvation is:

6) We Have the Holy Spirit.

Here we have for the first time in this Epistle to the Romans the ministry of the Holy Spirit mentioned. There is only a reference to Him here in this list of present benefits. We have His ministry in more detail in chapter 8. There He  is mentioned more than twenty times. Here we are simply told that the Holy Spirit is given to every believer.

Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, 

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Corinthians 6:19). 

When we came to Christ for salvation we get everything God has for us, everything we need to live joyfully,  abundantly,  in this life. God lavishes His grace and mercy upon His own. His mercies are new every morning.

And it is the Holy Spirit who actualizes, or makes real, the love of God in the hearts of believers  -  that is, God’s love for us. Today we need to be conscious of the fact that God loves us. 

Oh how we as believers need to be assured of that fact in our daily lives!

It makes life worth living when we abide in Him and move in Christ  

Only the Spirit of God can make real to us God’s love.

And it is our love for Him in return, that gets us motivated, up and moving forward, running to win the prize of our high calling in Him, to do His will, and to be obedient to His command.

Christ Jesus is the very source of life. 

He is eternal life and without Him everything is futile.

Apostle Paul explains the love of God t us in 

Romans 5:6   "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."

Christ died for the ungodly  -  not for the good boys and girls, but for ungodly sinners  -  we who were His enemies, who hated Him, to whom He said when they were crucifying Him, 

"… Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do …" (Luke 23:34). 

Dear reader you and I are numbered with the ungodly.

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Christ died upon the cross of Calvary for you and me. 

That is where God revealed His love to us all. 

But God does not save us by love.

He saves us by His grace not by His love because 

"For God so loved the world’ that He saved the world?

No, He could not.

A holy God has to be true to His character. 

But He did this:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

God has demonstrated His great love for the world in that He gave His Son to die for the sins of the world.

He paid in full the penalty for the sins of every single person in this world that every person might be saved.

But each person has to come to Him, believe on His name, believe what He did for them and receive that gift of salvation that He offers by His grace alone.

That is the way God decided to draw up the plan of salvation.

Oh the love that drew salvations plan,
Oh the grace that brought it down to man,
Oh the mighty gulf that God did span,   

at Calvary!

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty 

at Calvary.

Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died 

on Calvary.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty 

at Calvary.

By God's Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I'd spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned,  

to Calvary.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty 

at Calvary.

Special Thanks as always: Heavenlymidis 2

Amen!

There is a mistaken idea today that we can come to God our own way. People today think they have rights in this life. BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY RIGHTS AT ALL  BECAUSE THIS IS GOD'S UNIVERSE. HE IS THE ONE WHO MAKES ALL THE RULES CONCERNING OUR LIVES UPON THIS EARTH. 

All we can do is to get in line with Him. Do things His way and not our own way.

Mankind is frail, just a tent that can be blown down in a moment in a great storm that can come at any moment. 

No one but God can stop a storm in its tracts.

Man cannot make any rules concerning this universe because we on this earth all breathe God's air and we use His lungs that He graciously gave to us in the first place, to breath His air. 

We are nothing, actually we are like an ant to God and He could crush us in a moment. 

We cannot save ourselves or anyone else for that matter. I am always so amused when I hear, even some Christians say to a loved one, "Dont worry! I will protect you from that person!" They cannot protect you and neither can anyone else for that matter.  No one except Christ can protect us. He is the protector of life. 

Christ Jesus is the giver of life and He is the sustainer of life, eternal life is in Him and in Him alone. 

As Job said,

 "… the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). 

Only God has the power to give life, and only He has the right to take it away. 

Until we have the power to give life, we have no right to take life away.

God makes the rules. And He says that no man comes to Him except through Christ (see John 14:6).

The guilt of sin had to be paid for in full, by the death of His only Son the Lord Jesus Christ, upon the cross. 

God is now, because the penalty is paid in full, able to save to the uttermost, and He holds out His arms to the lost world,  all who will come to Him by faith in Christ Jesus, because He is not willing that any should perish, for He wants all to come to true repentance and to gain everlasting life, life in Christ Jesus.

He says to us,

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? [Luke 11:13).

Grace! 'tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to the ear;
Heav'n with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.

Refrain:
Saved by grace alone! this is all my plea:
Jesus died for sinful men, and Jesus died for me.

Grace first contrived a way
To save rebellious man;
And all the steps that grace display,
Which drew the wondrous plan.

Grace first inscribed my name
In God's eternal book;
'Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb,
Who all my sorrows took.

Grace turned my wand'ring feet
To tread the heav'nly road;
And new supplies each hour I meet,
While pressing on to God.

Grace taught my soul to pray,
And made my eyes o'erflow;
'Tis grace has kept me to this day,
And will not let me go.

O let Thy grace inspire
My soul with strength divine!
May all my pow'rs to Thee aspire,
And all my days be Thine.

Thanks: SermonAudio.com.

Amen!

Another benefit of salvation is:

7) We Have Deliverance from Wrath.

"Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him (Romans 5:9).

The "wrath" mentioned here is what the prophets spoke of:

"That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (Zephaniah 1:15).

What is the great day of wrath?

It is what the Lord Jesus called the Great Tribulation.

Apostle Paul was the greatest Pre-tribulation teacher we have. He makes it clear in several passages that the church will not go through the Great Tribulation Period.

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13).

We are today, that is believers in the Lord Jesus Christ,

"looking for that blessed hope"  - 

this is the next happening in the program of God:

Christ is coming to take His church out of this world.

"The glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."

This reveals that Paul taught the deity of Christ;

he speaks of the Great God who is our Savior,

who is He?

He is the Lord Jesus Christ.

What did He do?  - 

"Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:14).

Apostle Paul told believers in Christ Jesus that they shall be "saved from wrath."

We have been saved from the penalty of sin;

He is constantly saving us today from the power of sin;

and He shall save us in the future from the presence of sin.

Every believer will leave this earth at the Rapture.

We shall escape that Awful Day of His Wrath, not because we are worthy, but because we have been saved by the grace of God.

We have been saved by grace; we live by the grace of God; and ten billion years from today we will still be in heaven by the grace of God.

We are saved from wrath through Him - through Christ.

When the Lord Jesus takes His church out of the world, the He shall Himself descend from heaven. There will be no angels.

Angels are connected with Israel but not with the church at all.

The Lord Jesus shall descend from heaven "with a shout." That is the voice of command. It is the same voice He used when He stood at the tomb of Lazarus and said,

"Lazarus, come forth" (see John 11:43).

"The voice of the archangel."

Now wait, isn’t that an angel connected with the Rapture?

No,

it is His voice that will be like the voice of an archangel. It is the quality of His voice, the majesty and the authority of it.

"The trump of God."

Will there be trumpets there?

No,

it is His voice that will be like a trumpet.

Can we be sure of this?

In Revelation 1:10, John, who was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, wrote,

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet."

He turned to see who it was, and he saw the glorified Christ.

It is the voice of the glorified Christ that is like the sound of a trumpet.

Our Saviour will not need anyone to help Him. When He calls us our bodies will come up out of the graves.

The sky shall unfold, preparing His entrance;
The stars shall applaud Him with thunders of praise.
The sweet light in His eyes shall enhance those a waiting,
And we shall behold Him then face to face.

Chorus
And we shall behold Him, we shall behold Him
Face to face in all of His glory;
And we shall behold Him, Yes, we shall behold Him
Face to face, our Saviour and Lord

The angels shall sound the shout of His coming,
The sleeping shall rise from their slumbering place.
And those who remain shall be changed in a moment,
And we shall behold Him then face to face.

Thanks: homewithgod.com

Amen!

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (Romans 5:10).

He died down here to save us; He lives up yonder to keep us saved.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Thanks: The Ames Hymn Collection

Amen!

"He is the Rock, His work is perfect:  for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He" (Deuteronomy 32:4).  

8) We Have the Joy of the Lord.

"And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (Romans 5:11)

I think this is one of the most wonderful statements we have in Scripture. It means that right now, wherever we are and whatever our problems may be we can rejoice in God. Just think of that! We can rejoice that Christ Jesus lives in glory and that He is the only Saviour in every single situation we find ourselves in. He will rescue us because of who He is. We can rejoice because He has provided a salvation for us and that He is going to bring us into His presence someday. He has worked out a plan to save us because of His great love for us. Isn’t that enough to make us rejoice?

Oh the children of God ought to have joy in their hearts.

Let's just praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Let's just lift our hearts to heaven,
And praise the Lord.
    ( repeat as desired )

Thanks: Fellowshipinhislove.com

Amen!

Oh the children of God ought to learn more and more about their precious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love Who died for me.

Refrain
More, more about Jesus,
More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love Who died for me.

More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me.

More about Jesus; in His Word,
Holding communion with my Lord;
Hearing His voice in every line,
Making each faithful saying mine.

More about Jesus; on His throne,
Riches in glory all His own;
More of His kingdom’s sure increase;
More of His coming, Prince of Peace.

Thanks: homewithgod.com

Amen!

Oh the children of God ought to have faith in their God.

I'm not alone, while walking on life's pathway,
I have a friend who walks along with me;
I'm not alone altho' I'm often lonely,
My Lord divine is by me constantly.
So when the storm and trial assail me,
And earthly friendships fail me,
I'll sing and smile o'er ev'ry mile
Till I reach my heavenly home;
And, so, I, journey o'er hill and valley
I'm not alone: my Savior walks with me.

Thanks: homewithgod.com

Amen!

Our God is truly able to deliver us.

(musical interlude)

Have faith when you speak to the Master,
That's all He asks you for.
Prayer is the key to Heaven
But faith unlocks the door.

Thanks: homewithgod.com

Amen!

Apostle Paul could say, I can say,  and I trust you can say,

"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen"  (1 Timothy1:12-17).  

At Calvary.

Oh, the love that drew salvation's plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.

By God's Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I'd spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned, to Calvary.

Now I've given to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing of Calvary!

Thanks: homewithgod.com

Amen!

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