For communion today I want a wonderful passage from Romans 5. In this passage we will see some great truths the Bible says we have if we trust Christ for our salvation.

Romans 5:1-11
1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.
8 But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son.
11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

In this passage we see some wonderful truths.

We have peace with God – no longer do we have to wonder if we are right with God. We have peace with Him. The Bible calls Jesus the prince of peace and He gives it to us. As the we know it is a peace that is not of this world.

We have undeserved privilege – because of Christ’s death for us we have new standing with God. Hebrews tells us that we can boldly come into His presence. And as God’s children, we will share in His glory.

We have God’s love in our hearts – the reading tells us that God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with God’s love.

We have a Saviour who gave all for us – At the right time Jesus came and did what only He could do. No-one else in all history could die for us. Jesus as the perfect sacrifice purchased our salvation.

We have no condemnation – we are right with God because of Christ’s shed blood. We are now free from condemnation and the wrath of God. God does not condemn us.

We have a new relationship with God – our friendship with God has been restored by the death of Jesus. We were enemies, but now we are God’s friends.

These 6 six things are some of what Christ has done for us. His death on the cross for us gives us peace with God, we have our sins forgiven, we are no longer condemned and facing God’s wrath, and we are now friends with God.

Let us pray.

In the NLT the heading for this passage is the “Righteousness of God through faith”.

Romans 3:21-26
21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.
22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.
25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,
26 for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.

As we know in the OT times people were made right with God through faith and various ritual sacrifices. They would sacrifice an animal to cover their sin and temporarily make them right with God.

In our times since Christ, we are made right with God through faith. Faith in what Jesus has done for us in His death on the cross.

Today’s text tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory in the way we live in verse 23. Verse 24 tells us that we are now free from the penalty of our sins. And verse 25 tells us that we are right with God when we believe in Jesus.

I really like that God tells is there is an issue – our sin. Then He tells us our sin is dealt with – in the death of Jesus. And finally we are right with God – because of our faith and trust in Jesus.

If you are in Christ – meaning you believe He is the Son of God who died on the cross for your sin, you have confessed your sin, and you have invited Christ to be you Lord and Saviour – you are saved, forgiven and set free.

You can take communion today assured that you are right with God. You can remember the sacrifice of Jesus for your sin. You can be assured that you will spend eternity with Him.

The Righteousness of God Through Faith is yours through Christ!

Let us give thanks for the bread and the cup.