Have you ever been to a place or a home where you are able to immediately sense that there is a tense atmosphere because there has been a lot of strife and contention in that home? The good news is that we don’t need to have that kind of atmosphere in our homes because we can have peace and joy in our homes if we want to pursue them!
Romans 5:1-2 (NKJV) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God THROUGH our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (emphasis added)
Sin has separated mankind from God because of His holiness. It has brought about a very antagonistic environment between a holy God and sinful men. Man was unable to re-establish the relationship with God based on his own strength. When the law was implemented, it acted as a school master to educate men what sin was but was unable to deliver us from the wrath of God. God has to judge sin and we are powerless to overcome temptations. The sin nature rules in the fallen man due to the weakness of the flesh and therefore, it is impossible for anyone without Christ to stand righteous before God. We are driven to seek the grace of God since we live in sin and hopelessness. Mankind would be destined for hell if men were left on their own without God’s intervention.
The scripture above delivered the best news to us! What was impossible in the past has been made possible! We have peace with God through Jesus Christ!
We have read about the wrath of God whenever the Israelites sinned against God in the Old Testament. The Israelites operated in two covenants namely the Mosaic and Abrahamic covenants. The Mosaic covenant was a conditional covenant where all the punishments and curses would come upon them if they were to violate God’s laws and statutes. Obviously, we have seen the judgment of God upon them because of the weakness of the flesh. However the Abrahamic covenant, which was an unconditional covenant initiated by God in His grace and mercy, was fulfilled by the birth of Jesus Christ. We are blessed by the Abrahamic covenant because we are accepted in the beloved regardless of our color, race and nationality when we receive Christ. We are able to celebrate the grace, mercy and faithfulness of God in bringing about the restoration and the peace with Him.
All our sins have been washed and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. When we say that we are justified by faith, it means that we believe Jesus Christ was made sin for us, He was our substitute on the cross and God judged our sins that were placed on Him. Jesus took our place, took the wrath of God and all the curses of the law upon Him. Justification means we are made to stand before God like we have never sinned in our lives because Jesus has dealt with the sin issue that separated us from God. We have peace with God now. Peace means no more antagonism, no more at war but at PEACE. This peace with God came THROUGH JESUS and it has nothing to do with us. Jesus is a peacemaker between God and men!
Sermon Series: Peacemaker
耶稣–我们的和平使者
你是否曾经去过某个地方或某户人家，在那里你能够立即觉察到一种紧张的气氛，因为那个家里有很多冲突和争执？好消息是，我们的家不需要有那种气氛，因为如果我们一心追求平安与喜乐，家中就能得享安乐！
罗马书5:1-2我们既因信称义，就藉着我们的主耶稣基督得与神相和。我们又藉着他，因信得进入现在所站的这恩典中，并且欢欢喜喜盼望神的荣耀。
因着上帝的圣洁，罪使人与神隔绝。罪在圣洁的神与有罪的人之间营造了一个敌对的氛围。世人无法凭自己的力量重新建立与上帝的关系。当律法被执行的时候，它充当了一个校长来教育人们什么是罪，但却无法把我们从上帝的烈怒中解救出来。上帝必须审判罪，而我们却无力战胜试探。因着肉体的软弱，堕落的人遭受着罪性的控制，因此，若没有基督，任何人都不可能在上帝面前站立称义。 因为我们活在罪与绝望中，这驱使我们寻求上帝的恩典。 如果没有上帝的干预，一任人类自生自灭，世人将注定都要下地狱。
上述经文给我们带来了最好的消息！在过去不可能的事情如今变成了可能！我们藉着耶稣基督与神和好！
我们读到在旧约中当以色列人得罪神时祂的震怒。以色列人在两个约之间游走，就是摩西的约和亚伯拉罕的约。摩西的约是一个有条件的盟约，如果他们违反上帝的法律和法则，所有的惩罚和诅咒都会降临到他们身上。于是我们都看见了因着以色列人肉体的软弱，神的审判临到他们。然而，亚伯拉罕的约，那是神出于恩典和怜悯而主动发起的无条件的约，在耶稣基督降生时实现了。我们因亚伯拉罕之约而得福，因为当我们领受基督的时候，就在爱子里蒙了悦纳，与我们的肤色、种族以及国籍无关。我们能够颂扬神的恩典、怜悯和信实，祂恢复了我们，使我们与祂和好。
我们所有的罪都被耶稣基督的宝血洗净和清偿了。当我们说我们因信称义的时候，意思是我们相信耶稣基督为我们成为了罪，祂是我们在十字架上的替代者，神审判了归在祂身上的我们的罪。耶稣代替了我们，一肩承担了神的烈怒和律法的一切咒诅。称义意味着我们能站在神面前，仿佛一生中从未犯过罪，因为耶稣已经处理了使我们与神分开的罪的问题。我们现在与上帝和好了。平安意味着不再敌对，不再争战，而是心平气和。这份与神的平安是藉着耶稣得来的，与我们无关。耶稣是神与人之间的和平使者！
讲章系列：使人和睦的人
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