The Demonstration of Love

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:7,8

Paul continues to press his point regarding the love of God in the acts of Christ. We learn love by seeing acts of love, and experiencing them personally. God is the Master of the demonstration of love. The height of that is the Sacrifice of Christ as the ultimate demonstration of love. Paul builds the case by saying, ‘For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.’ He is showing that under ‘normal’ circumstances someone would make a great sacrifice for a ‘righteous’ person, or even more so for a ‘good’ person. Over against this, he holds up the Sacrifice of Christ. Christ offered Himself for us, not while we were ‘good,’ or even ‘righteous,’ but ‘while we were still sinners.’ This is what makes this demonstration of love so remarkable. It is the seeing of this love, in the demonstration of it, that we learn to love. The essence of love is self-sacrifice for the sake of the loved one. Christ in His Sacrifice is the Epitome of that kind of love. As we behold Him, we find ourselves drawn to Him. As we draw near to Him, we begin to imitate Him. As we imitate Him, we begin to show Christlikeness to those who are around us. That points them, not to us, as much as unto Him. He is the end goal. He is the Object, the Prize, and the End of all of our endeavors. In His Act of love, we learn to love, both Him and those around us.

Our Gracious Loving God,
we rejoice, that You love us in deed, and not just in word.
We praise You, that Christ is the Great Outshining of Your Love.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

The Hope That Does Not Disappoint

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:5

Few things are more devastating than having our hopes shattered. We have dreams, expectations, desires, and we add to those things hope that they may someday become realities. Some of the bitterest pills we ever have to swallow, are when we realize that some of those things which we desire will not ever come to be, for whatever reason. In matters that relate to spiritual desires particularly, God does not disappoint. Romans begins with a thorough discussion of the realities of our sinfulness, and utter lack of righteousness. It proceeds to introduce the subject of justification, that there is, for us, the possibility of peace with God through the Righteousness of Christ being imputed to us. Romans 5 begins with a statement regarding the results of our justification, that is, that we have ‘peace with God.’ Out of that flows ‘access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.’ The end result of this progression is ‘hope.’ Paul goes on to say that this ‘hope does not disappoint.’ Why does it not disappoint? It does not disappoint because the Holy Spirit has poured out the love of God in our hearts. That means that God brought us thus far, and will infallibly lead us into complete conformity to the Image of Christ. The hope which God generates in us through the Holy Spirit is lasting, certain, and will ultimately come to a greater conclusion than we can possibly anticipate.

Our most Wise God,
we praise You, that You ordained both the way and the means,
whereby we may arrive at the Image of Christ.
We thank You, that you will lead us every step of the way,
until we are all that You intend for us to be.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Access…Into Grace

…through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 5:2-4

Christ is the Key to the state of grace into which the justified enter by faith. This fills us with rejoicing because the result of it is a certain hope that we will behold the Glory of God. This stands upon several pillars. Justification grants to us imputed righteousness which means that God regards us as being as righteous in a legal sense, as Christ Himself. If He is at peace with Christ, He is at peace with us who are in Christ. Faith brings us into this state of grace by Christ, which leads us to this hope. Because we have peace with God, the righteousness of Christ, and this certain hope of seeing the Glory of God, we have every reason to rejoice. This is a rejoicing which transcends the hardship of this life. It enables us to face things and not only survive them, but thrive upon every lesson we learn from them. We come to understand, most often by degrees, that these tribulations, of which Paul speaks in the next verse, are the practical means by which God is working in us perseverance which leads to character, which leads to hope. The same Providential Plan of God works together everything that respects us in every way under all circumstances, in all conditions for all our days and for all eternity. Christ is the Key, and Christ the Door, and through Him is the way to endless possibilities.

Our Gracious, Saving God,
we rejoice that through Christ we have access into Your Very Presence.
We praise You, that You will bring us unto perfection,
that we might imitate the very Character of Christ.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Peace With God

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have a peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…

Romans 5:1

How may I have peace with God? This is certainly a worthwhile question. It raises several other considerations. The first of these is that God exists. The second consideration is that I may be at peace with Him, or at odds with Him. The third consideration is, what prevents me from being at peace with Him versus being at odds with Him? The fourth thought is, what or who can remove these obstacles to peace with God? The first three chapters of Romans details the obstacles to our having peace with God. They treat the subject of our breaking of the law of God by nature and by choice. The conclusion of these chapters is that there is no peace with God apart from Christ. Our text summarizes how we may have peace with God. First, it is, ‘through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ As Christ declared, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ Second, it involves justification, that is, that God ‘accepts us as righteousness in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ, imputed to us….’ Third, it comes by faith. This faith is ‘the gift of God.’ If we have it, we can take no credit for it, but we can be overwhelmingly grateful that He has given it to us. Today, let us spend some time dwelling upon this peace which we have because of Christ. Let us dwell upon the ground of it, and contemplate the implications of it. Let us, most of all, be grateful for it, and for Him, Who has brought it to be.

Our most Gracious and Kind God,
we rejoice that You have made the way for us to have peace with You.
We rejoice in Christ, Who is the Way,
and that He is the Prince of Peace.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning