Would you take your Bible and turn with me, please,
to the fifth chapter of the book of Romans. We're
looking at the blessings that justification by
faith brings to us. Last week in verses 1 and
2, we noted three of the blessings that we enjoy
because we are rightly related to God by faith.
To be justified simply means to be declared righteous
in God's sight. because of our faith in Jesus
Christ. It's a legal position that we enjoy.
It's not one that we have earned or deserved,
but it's one that we receive as a gift. We receive
it when, by faith, we trust Jesus Christ as our
Savior. We turn to him alone for the salvation
and the keeping of our souls for all of eternity.
The first three blessings of justification that
we've noted are peace, with God, access to God,
and the glory of God. Now beginning in verse
3, we're going to read down through verse 8,
and we'll note two more blessings which the Holy
Spirit unfolds to us through the Apostle Paul.
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations,
knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance.
and perseverance, proven character, and proven
character, hope. And hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out within
our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given
to us. But while we were still helpless, at the
right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For
one will hardly die for a righteous man, though
perhaps for the good man someone We'll dare even
to die. But God demonstrates his own love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. Now, Father, we pray that the Spirit
of God who inspired these words and has preserved
them for us inerrantly will now teach us and
illuminate our hearts so that we may understand
what has been written. and so that it may be
applied to our lives practically today. We commit
these minutes to you as we wait upon you alone
to be our teacher. In Jesus' name, amen. The
first blessing of justification that we see in
our text today might be phrased this way, the
working of God in our lives. I can hear someone
say, oh, that's great, because I want to know
God's working in my life. That means miracles
and success and prosperity and good health and
all those fun things. Well, as a matter of fact,
it may mean some of those things, but that is
not what our text says. The Bible says there's
one thing we can count on, and that is that when
we are justified by faith, God is going to work
in our lives. Through troubles and tribulations.
That is the working of God. Now do you want the
working of God? Well, if you're saved, you've
got it anyway. And God is using your troubles
and tribulations to accomplish something. It's
interesting that three times the apostle says
in these first verses of chapter 5, we boast
in something or we exalt. In verse 2, he says,
we exalt and we boast in hope of the glory of
God. That means the consummation of our faith,
our salvation, when Jesus comes again. And we
are completely transformed to be like him in
the body as well as soul and spirit. In verse
11, he says, we boast in God. But here in our
text in verse 3, he says, we exalt. In our tribulations,
as well as in the hope of the glory of God. What
are tribulations? A word very simply means pressure.
It refers to anything which burdens. It can be
the pressure of circumstances, or it may refer
to the antagonism of individuals. The apostle
himself suffered tribulations. And he testifies
of that a number of times in his writings. For
example, in Philippians chapter 1, verse 17,
he honestly testifies to this. He writes about
those who proclaimed Christ out of selfish ambition,
and he says their motive was thinking to cause
me distress in my imprisonment. The apostle knew,
as all of us who are believers know, pressures
from both individuals who oppose us, as well
as from circumstances in life. Warren Worsby
has pointed out in his book on Romans, our English
word tribulation comes from the Latin word tribulum.
In Paul's day, a tribulum was a heavy piece of
timber with spikes in it, used for threshing
the grain. The tribulum was drawn over the grain,
and it separated the wheat from the chaff. And
so it's that kind of a rake that is in mind here
as we think of tribulations. This same word is
used elsewhere by the Apostle Paul in referring
to the future punishment or retribution of the
wicked. It was used that way back in chapter
2, verse 9, if you want to look at it with me.
It says, There will be tribulation and distress
for every soul of man who does evil. of the Jew
first and also of the Greek. So he says there's
a day coming for those who are evil when there
will be tribulation and distress. And he has
in view there that future punishment of the wicked.
He uses the same word in the same way in 2 Thessalonians
1 .6 when he says God is a just God and he is
going to send tribulation to those who are troubling
you. Referring to their future. eternal distress
and pressure when they are separated from God
for all of eternity in hell. He uses this term
also to express the want or the need that he
had in his ministry. He writes to the Philippians
to thank them for supplying in this time of distress
or tribulation in his life, Philippians 4 .14.
The same word is used elsewhere by the Apostle
John, for example, to refer to that time to come
at the end of this age, which is referred to
as the Tribulation. Those last seven years on
the clock of Israel, which are waiting to be
ticked off. That period of time known as Jacob's
Trouble, the Tribulation. The last half of that
is referred to in Revelation 7 .14 as the great
or the intense tribulation. Same word as the
apostle uses here. That does not mean that you
and I are going through the tribulation now,
but we are going through tribulation in the general
sense. And Jesus told us that this would happen.
He said, in the world you shall have what? Tribulation.
pressures, distress, troubles, trials, John 16
.33. Again, in 1 Thessalonians 3, in fact, it
would be good for us to turn there to see the
Apostle's words. He reminds us that we are appointed
to these things. Now, how much rather we would
be appointed to pleasant things. to joys, and
we do have appointment to those things. But we're
reminded here in 1 Thessalonians 3, verse 3,
that we have appointment to afflictions as well.
He says, I'm writing so that no man may be disturbed
by these afflictions, for you yourselves know
that we have been destined for this. For indeed,
when we were with you, we kept telling you in
advance, that we were going to suffer affliction,
and so it came to pass as you know. Verse 7,
for this reason, brethren, in all our distress
and afflictions, we were comforted about you
through your faith. So the apostle says, we've
been going through it, folks, and I know you've
been going through it there. Just keep in mind
that we are appointed to tribulation. Now let's
be honest about it. Sometimes you and I bring
troubles on ourselves. We do that through our
own disobedience or foolishness. The Christian
who goes down the road speeding at 75 miles an
hour and he gets pulled over and fined 50 bucks
for doing that can't say, well, I'm rejoicing
in the tribulations. God is sending my way. You
see, that tribulation, that trouble was the making
of his own disobedience. And we can't blame anyone
for those kinds of tribulations but ourselves.
But you know the blessed thing? God even uses
those to bring about good in our lives. God is
so great that he can take our stupid mistakes
and work them out for good. That's the promise
in Romans 8 .28 in part. For we know that all
things work together for good to them that love
God, to those who are called according to his
purpose. God takes the foolish, disobedient things
that we do, that we may suffer trouble for them.
He will bring them out for good, and he'll teach
us something by them. You get a ticket for 50
bucks, I'll bet you God's teaching you something.
Forbade a speed limit, if nothing else. Tribulations,
keep in mind, cannot separate us from the love
of God. Over in Romans 8 .35, he says, What shall
separate us from the love of Christ? He says,
shall tribulations or distress, and it goes on.
Then he says, in all of these things we are over
-conquerors through him that loved us. There
are some people who have the idea that when troubles
come, it's a red flag in the king, God is angry
with me. And we go into depression or we feel
guilty saying, why has God mad at me? Why am
I going through this pressure? No. Tribulations
are not evidence that God is angry with us. Nothing
can separate us from the love of Christ. When
you and I are going through a tough time, God
is just as real and just as concerned and just
as loving toward us as he is when we're going
through the mountaintop experience. We are overcomers.
Or actually he says over -conquerors through
him that loved us. How can we be over -conquerors
in our troubles? I think the answer to that is
that we become over -conquerors in our troubles
by focusing on God's purpose in our troubles.
To realize that he in fact is working in us as
our text. says that he is. It says tribulation
works or brings about certain things. That phrase
or that verb brings about means to work out or
to achieve or to effect something. It's talking
about maturing or developing or even purifying
that tribulum that those ancient Romans used
in their threshing process purified the crop.
It separated the chaff from the wheat. And you
see, sometimes tribulation does that to us. It
purifies us. It gets the chaff out of our lives.
It serves to mature and to develop us. You and
I can be over -conquers in our troubles and our
trials when we realize what God's ultimate end
is. His ultimate end is that you and I may realize
our hope of being like the Lord Jesus Christ.
I believe that God uses our tribulations to cause
us to focus on the world to come, on what our
real hope is, so that we don't tend to focus
upon the things of this world. But we do that
naturally, don't we? It's easier for us to set
our affection on things below, not on things
above, because we see these things below. They're
very real to us, and so we set our goals and
our hopes and our visions in this world. You
see, through our tribulations and our sufferings,
our troubles here, God causes us to refocus our
faith so that our faith and our vision is focused
upon the world, the things which are to come.
Now there's a certain process involved. He explains
what that is. He says, tribulation, pressures
that is, bring about perseverance or patience.
The word here means to abide under. When I think
of this word, I think of an ox. Or perhaps a
donkey. A beast of burden of some kind that carries
on its back a load. That beast is equipped to
do that. God has developed that beast. So it
is a beast of burden. It is able to bear up under
the load that is on it. You see, God uses our
tribulations to make us stronger so that we can
bear up. Abide under our troubles. That is the
patience that is in view. It refers to a brave
perseverance in attitude and in works. And it
goes on to say that this patience or this perseverance
affects proven character or experience, as it
is in the King James, or a provenness. In other
words, as we go through our troubles and as we
learn patience and perseverance, it develops
in us a proved character. It gives evidence to
the fact that we pass the test. The mark of genuineness
is about us as children of God as trouble brings
about its work in our lives. And then he says
that this proven character brings about hope.
That the approveness of our character, the passing
of the test, is ground for our hope. And he says
nothing can rob us of our hope. He says that
our hope will not disappoint us. He says in verse
5, hope does not disappoint. In other words,
all the trouble we're going through is simply
developing patience in us. And that patience
is causing us to pass the test. We are approved
by God. It enables us to focus on the hope. And
that hope that is coming, he says, will not disappoint
us. It will be brought to pass. It will be realized
in its glorious fullness. We go through some
trials that seem small and some that seem big.
I want us as a church to remember the family
of Pastor Ron Bolt over at Calvary Baptist down
the road from us. Their son Jeff was prepared
to go to college this last week, just a young
man, I suppose 18 years of age, and had some
symptoms of some problems. They took him into
the hospital. And as a result of the test that
he was given, they have discovered multiple tumors
of the brain and a tumor on the lung as well.
Can you imagine the pressure that that brings
to a young man expecting to go to college this
last Friday and instead in the hospital? And
the outlook, initially at least, very, very grim
for his life. What kind of pressure would that
bring to a mother and father? Tribulation, pressures
in this life, produce in us perseverance. That
perseverance causes us to pass God's test so
that we are approved, we are experienced. And
as we go through that, then our focus is on the
hope more and more. and less and less on this
life. I think the Apostle Paul himself testifies
to this process in 2 Timothy. Would you turn
back there with me? In 2 Timothy chapter 4, keep
in mind that the Apostle Paul is in prison. He
was imprisoned once before under house arrest,
essentially, chained under guard, but had freedoms.
Apparently, he was then released for a period
of time, two, maybe three years, and then was
thrown back into prison, but this time in the
dungeon prison, the Mamertine prison, which was
a hole in the ground, literally. There was a
small opening to this prison, and people were
dropped. into a pit in which they were kept until
the time of their trial or their execution. It
is that place that the Apostle Paul was as he
wrote the book of 2 Timothy. It is the last inspired
letter that he penned. In this letter we see
Paul looking over his life and looking to the
future. In the fourth chapter, amidst some very
personal remarks, he says in verse 16, At my
first defense, that is at his trial, no one supported
me, but all deserted me. May it not be counted
against them. But the Lord stood with me and
strengthened me in order that through me the
proclamation might be fully accomplished. and
that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered
out of the lion's mouth. Did he mean that literally?
Possibly, but probably metaphorically, the lion
being the mouth of the woman government. And
he says in verse 18, The Lord will deliver me
from every evil deed and will bring me safely
to his heavenly kingdom. to him be the glory
forever and ever. Does that sound like a man
who has been sentenced to death? A man who says
a few verses before, I'm just about to finish
my course? Does this sound like a man who, according
to tradition, was about to face the sword of
the executioner to be beheaded? But here's a
man who's gone through life walking with God.
He has been through tribulation, and here at
the end of his life, after leading countless
thousands of people to faith in Jesus Christ,
after nurturing and discipling who knows how
many personally, when it comes to his trial,
when his life is on the line, everybody leaves
him. And he was left alone, humanly speaking,
to stand before the judge to defend himself.
Not one disciple, not one convert dared to come
with Paul into the court. That was pressure,
don't you think? Do you suppose there may have
been the temptation to say, well, God, here I
have served you all my life, and this is the
way it's going to end? I have poured out my life
in service as a sacrifice upon an altar for these
people, and they're not here. I'm alone. I am
sure Paul went through tribulation and pressure
on that occasion. But you see, that pressure
worked additional perseverance in him, patience.
He says, but I don't want this to be held against
them. He says, my testimony is that nonetheless,
though no man stood with me, the Lord stood with
me, and he strengthened me so that I was able
to abide under the load. And what else did that
do? Well, it caused him to have an approved character.
Instead of being bitter and resentful, he was
forgiving of those who failed him in this test.
I thought that the result of all of this process,
it was the fact that he was focusing his eyes
on what was to come. He says, the Lord's going
to deliver me from every evil deed and will bring
me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Tribulation
worked patience, and patience approved character,
and that approved character hope, and Paul knew
that that hope was not going to disappoint him.
Let me apply this in a couple of ways that I
think are kind of practical to our lives. In
the first place, you and I need to believe every
minute that God is at work in our lives. Now
that's easy to do when we're up on the mountaintop
or we're sitting in the service and we sense
God feeding us or convicting us. We know God
is working, but God is equally working in your
life, friend, when you're going through tribulation.
God is at work all the time in you. Not just
the good times, the bad times as well. Believe
that God is at work this minute in your life
because he is. I don't know what the pressure
is in your life right now. Maybe it's the lack
of money for college or perhaps it is a problem
in your marriage. Maybe it's something with your
children or At work, you're going through a tough
time. Perhaps it's a matter of a job. You're
looking to provide for your family. Whatever
that pressure is in your life, whether it be
circumstances or people, just believe that God
is working through it because he is. He has not
forsaken you. He is with you. He is maturing
you. He is sending you through a process, the
ultimate end of which is to keep your eyes focused
on the hope that is going to be brought to pass
when Jesus comes. Second application, specifically
for those who are parents or for those who work
with others in discipling, and I hope that's
most of us. Immolate God in helping others to
mature. Imitate what God is doing in your life
in helping your disciples to mature, in helping
your children to mature. How do you do that?
A couple of suggestions. First, don't overprotect
them from troubles. There are some people who
have what they think is a real heart of love,
and out of that love for those they are seeking
to bring up, they overprotect them. They hate
to see those people that they love under pressure,
and so they try to intervene in some way. Don't
do that. God loves you too, but he allows you
to pass through the troubles because he knows
that's what it takes to mature us. We need to
learn that for our children or for those that
we're trying to disciple in the faith. Let them
pass through the troubles. Stand with them as
the Lord stood with Paul. Let them know that
you love them, but let them face the pressures
of it so that they will mature and develop. The
emperor moth hides away in a cocoon that is flask
-shaped. It has a very narrow opening out of
which that moth must come. Through the hours
and hours of struggle and pressure, the juices
in that insect are forced out into the wings
so that when that moth emerges, it is able to
fly. There was a man one time who was watching
this process and out of what he thought was compassion,
for the moth. He took a pair of very sharp snippers
and he snipped the opening to that cocoon so
that the moth would not have to struggle so hard
to get out. But the tragic result was that the
moth quickly died because that pressure did not
become great enough. so that his wings were developed
and he was able to fly. Instead of flying through
the air like a rainbow, he was condemned to crawl
through his brief existence. The application
is obvious, isn't it? There are times that you
and I try to reduce the pressures. But in so
doing, we are short -circuiting God's full purpose
in that time of tribulation. A second suggestion.
As you are working with people who are going
through trials, help them to keep their focus
on the long view of things. That helps. I suppose,
that that moth is encouraged by the fact that
up ahead of him he sees a little bit of daylight.
And perhaps it is that which keeps him struggling
so that he finally emerges from that cocoon.
As you and I are going through trials, it helps
if we keep our focus on the long -range view
of things instead of focusing on the immediate
circumstances. If we can do that, it will strengthen
us in the time of trial. As you work with your
children, that's good for them. As they're going
through the pressure perhaps of learning to have
new friends after a move or starting school,
which is a frightening experience, especially
for parents. As they go through those kinds of
pressures and expansions in life, and they come
crying, or complaining because of the circumstances,
the troubles, which are very, very real, and
we should take them that way. With our comfort
and our love, we need to help them to keep their
focus on the long -term results. Honey, it's
tough right now, but you know that's going to
help you grow up so that you can get along better
with people and appreciate different kinds of
people. Find out what that long -range purpose
would be in the trial and help them to focus
on it. And that way we'll be emulating what God
does as he helps us mature through our trials.
Part of growing up is learning through experience
the kind of character and actions which God approves.
That's what trials do for us. There's a terrific
parallel passage to all of this over in James.
Would you turn there with me? James chapter 1.
Let's see, James is still after Hebrews, isn't
it? Yes, here it is. James chapter 1, verse 2.
We have another writer with a different perspective.
But he says essentially the same things about
trials. He says in verse 2, Consider it all joy,
my brethren, When you encounter various trials,
this is a different word than tribulations, but
the end result is the same. They say, why count
it joy? Because in verse 3 we know that the testing
of your faith produces endurance. And there is
the same word as Romans 5. Patience. And let
endurance have its perfect result. that you may
be perfect or mature and complete, equipped,
lacking nothing. In other words, he says, let
these trials produce the perfect result in your
life. How do you do that? How do you know how
to respond to a trial so that the full purpose
of it is accomplished? There's only one way.
That's knowing the wisdom of God. What is the
wisdom of God? Well, he says in verse 5, if any
of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who
gives to all men generously and without reproach,
and it will be given him. Let him ask in faith
without any doubting, for the one who doubts
is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed.
by the wind. Let not that man expect that he
will receive anything from the Lord, being a
double -minded man and stable in all of his ways.
What is he saying here? Well, he is saying simply
that as you and I pass through the trials of
life, we are to enjoy them. Not endure them.
He says enjoy them. Count them joy. Count your
trials a privilege. Because it is part of the
blessing that comes with your justification.
It means that God is working in you. He is teaching
you patience. He wants to bring about a developed,
equipped believer who is focusing on the hope
to come and who is able to help others along
through the process of life. That's God's purpose.
He says if you don't know how to respond to your
trials, then ask God for wisdom and he will show
you how to respond so that God's purpose will
be accomplished. That's a great promise, isn't
it? That's a great purpose. I thank God for James'
insight into this. My friend, God is working
in your life so that every grace, of Jesus Christ
may be in you and brought to maturity. We're
close to Hebrews 12, so turn back a page or two
and look at verses 10 and 11. These verses are
about discipline. He compares the discipline
of God to that of our earthly fathers. We earthly
parents can learn a lot by reading these verses.
But he says in verse 10, For they, our parents,
our fathers, for they disciplined us for a short
time as seemed best to them. But he, God, disciplines
us for our good that we may share his holiness.
You see, God is perfecting us. God is maturing.
He is purifying us. Verse 11, all discipline
for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful.
Yet to those who have been trained by it, there's
the process, patience, approvedness. For those
who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields
the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Can you
believe this morning that God is working through
your troubles? Will you believe it? Will you
count on that as a fact? Remember this basic
principle, that power is produced through pressures.
Consider the steam locomotive. As the pressure
builds up in that boiler, power is produced so
the train can move. The same is true of the hydroelectric
dam. The pressure of millions of tons of water
come against that dam and all that pressure is
channeled through a few turbines resulting in
electricity power. Dear friend, all of that...
that God is bringing into your life. Maybe it's
the pressure of going through some stretching
right now as you take on some new responsibilities.
Maybe it is the pressure of affliction or the
pressure of physical uncertainty because of an
illness. Whatever that pressure is, remember
the more intense it becomes, the more powerful
you potentially become in God's service. That's
why we need to rejoice, rejoice in our troubles.
Oh, we would much rather have a lot of power
without going through troubles, but such is not
the case. Pressure produces results. The result
is power. The brook would lose its song if the
rocks removed from it. So thank God for the rocks
that you're brushing up against this morning
as you go down the stream of life. And listen
to the music of it because what it is saying
is you are a child of God because you've trusted
his son. And these troubles, these tribulations
that you're brushing and bumping against are
simply proof that you're his child. God is working
in you. Rejoice. Is your attitude today one of
resistance or rebellion, griping and complaining
at God because of what he's allowed to come and
stop it? Realize that is a sinful response. And
thank God for the blessing of justification,
which is God working in you through your tribulations.
Let's pray. With our heads bowed and our eyes
closed, and as the Spirit of God brings to the
point His working in our hearts this morning,
I wonder how many Christians there are here who
by an uplifted hand would say, Pastor, I am going
through troubles. I am facing tribulations. Perhaps
these are such severe tribulations that you never
thought you would have to go through them. Maybe
it's more pressure than you've ever faced in
all of your life. Dear child of God, will you
understand that God is working through them?
Will you believe that? Will you allow him to
produce power in your life? You say you're weak?
Well, it's in weakness that his strength is made
perfect. By an uplifted hand, will you say, Pastor,
I'm going through those troubles, and by the
grace of God, my uplifted hand means that I am
trusting the Lord? to accomplish his purpose
in my life. This uplifted hand means that I am
believing him to be working in my life this minute.
I am thanking him. I purpose, I determine to
enjoy my trials so that God can equip me and
perfect me and mature me. I see a number of hands.
Will you join them? Yes. It's a great testimony.
Thank God for that. Perhaps as a Christian here,
I would say quite honestly, you know, I'm going
through it too, but I am not at the point yet
where I can say, thank you, Father. There is
in me anger and bitterness at God. I'm not proud
of it. I don't like it, but it's there. And I'm
not yet ready to deal with that, but I want prayer.
Would you, by uplifted hands, say, Pastor, pray
for me? I'm not ready to deal with it yet, but
I sense the Spirit of God is working, and I need
prayer today. Will you lift your hand honestly?
I'm not going to point you out or embarrass you,
but I would like to know for whom I'm praying.
Could I pray with you? It may be that you're
not a child of God at all. Dear friend, the tribulations
and troubles you're going through may well be
the working of God to try to get you to focus
on your soul's needs. The greatest need that
any of us has in this world is to be justified
in the sight of God, to be right with God. The
only way we can be right with God is through
faith in his Son. Will you receive Jesus Christ
as your Savior today? Will you trust him alone
for your salvation, Father? Lord, I pray that
you will bring to fruition your working in our
lives. For those who need to be saved, may they
trust the Savior today. For the children of God
who are desiring to step out by faith and to
conquer, to be an over -conqueror in this time
of tribulation, The child of God who is determined
today to rejoice in the tribulation, give strength
and victory, we pray. For those children of yours
who are struggling and inside are unwilling to
yield to your lordship, oh, I pray that today
they will nonetheless give over all that they
are to you. Work in our lives and bring us to
those decisions we need to make. that we may
walk obediently and faithfully in Jesus' name.
Amen. I'd like for us to close by singing number
326. And if today there is a spiritual decision
that you would like to make public, perhaps a
decision for membership or baptism, perhaps you
want to come today to trust the Lord Jesus Christ
as your Savior and openly confess that before
men. Maybe as a child of God you want to come
and say, I've been out of God's will and today
I'm repenting of where I've been and I'm turning
to the Lord and I want to confess it and let
God's people know that I'm in business with the
Lord. I'm going to walk with Him. The Spirit
of God is urging you within and we know when
He is that we urge you and invite you to come
as we sing this great hymn, 327. Children of
the Heavenly Father, safely in his bosom gather.
A great hymn of comfort. Let's stand and sing
it as we close.