This section
deals with the past, present, and future of the believer in the light of
the glory of God. The apostle explains three things. First, how can one
who formerly came short of the glory of God, 3:23, look forward to, and
rejoice in, that glory? Second, how can a believer rejoice even though
he is passing through tribulations?
And third, how can a believer
rejoice in who and what God is? The answers are found in the past,
present and future work of the Lord Jesus on the believer’s behalf.
It is
important to notice the various renderings of the same word “rejoice”.
In verse 2- “rejoice in hope of the glory of God”; verse 3- “glory in
tribulations also”; verse 11- “joy in God”. See also “boasting” in 3:27,
and “glory” in 4:2.
7 (a) REJOICING IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD
5:1 Therefore– the passage develops
the consequences of the justification by faith that has been explained
in the previous main section, 3:21-26, before the parenthesis of
3:27-4:25. Being justified- a past event with continuing effect. By faith- that is,
on the principle of faith. Faith has no virtue in itself, so is not the
means of justification, but it is the condition laid down by God, the
basis on which He is prepared to reckon men righteous. We have peace with God- the
anger of God because of our sins has been removed. This is judicial
peace, arrived at in strict accordance with justice, and not as a result
of the slackening of God’s demands. Through our Lord Jesus Christ- nothing
we have done personally has contributed to this position, it is
entirely due to what Christ has done at Calvary. Peace with God is not
conditional at all, whereas the peace of God is, see Phil. 4:6,7.
5:2 By whom also we have access- as well as
ensuring that there is settled peace between ourselves and God, the
Lord Jesus is also “The way”, the One who introduces His people to the
Father’s presence, John 14:6; Ephesians 2:18. It is one thing to be
reckoned righteous by the Divine Judge, it is a further thing to have
access into His immediate presence. By faith- which lays hold of unseen things, Hebrews 11:1, and accepts without reserve the testimony of God’s word. Into this grace wherein we stand- the word
that describes the attitude of God in His unmerited favour towards His
people is now transferred to the favour itself. Compare 2 Corinthians
8:6,19, where the word used for the attitude which gave the gift is then
used for the gift itself. By the grace of God believers have a settled
place (they “stand”) in the presence of Him who, were they still in
their sins, would be their unsparing judge, and from whose face they
would be banished. And rejoice in hope of the glory of God- sinners have
no interest in the glory of God, being occupied with themselves.
Believers on the other hand eagerly anticipate the day when God will
reveal Himself in all His beauty and majesty. Their hope is conditioned
by God’s glory. Far from dreading the actual sight of the glory of God
in Christ, the believer rejoices at that prospect, a sure sign that his
sins have been dealt with. Hope in the Scriptures is not a doubtful
thing, but a certain prospect. This is confirmed by the fact that in 1
Timothy 1:1 the Lord Jesus is said to be our hope, and there is no
uncertainty with Him. Believers shall not only be in the presence of God
in all His glory, Psalm 27:4, but shall radiate that glory, Rev. 21:11,
and magnify it eternally, Rev. 5:13.
7 (b) REJOICING IN TRIBULATIONS
5:3 And not only so- the
apostle has established that peace with God ensures that we face the
future sight of God with confidence, now he shows that it enables us to
face calmly the trials of the present. But we glory in tribulations also- not simply
to glory (rejoice) whilst passing through tribulations, but to actually
view the tribulations themselves as a reason for rejoicing. Knowing that- glorying in trials is not on account of indifference to pain, but intelligence as to God’s purpose. Tribulation worketh patience-
the heavy log which the oxen dragged around the threshing-floor to
press the grain out from the ear, was called a tribula. Tribulation is
relentless pressure. The believer is able to rejoice in this pressure,
because it is a means to an end. Patience is not simply a passive
acceptance of the seemingly inevitable, but a positive resolve to endure
to God’s glory.
5:4 And patience experience- this word
denotes “proof”; in other words, the trials, when passed through with
endurance, afford proof of the genuineness of the believer’s profession.
Compare the seed growing on stony ground, Matthew 13:5,6,20,21 with
that which grew in the good ground, Matthew 13:8,23. The heat of the sun
(=”tribulation or persecution because of the word”, verse 21) withered
the rocky ground plant, whereas the ears of a healthy wheat plant were
ripened by the same sun. And experience, hope- far from causing the believer to be downcast, tribulations should produce a confident reliance on the faithfulness of God.
5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed- to
have confident expectations whilst in the midst of trying circumstances
is not an embarrassment to a believer, nor will those expectations fail
to be realised, causing disappointment. Because the love of God is spread abroad in our hearts- literally
deluged; just as every part of the earth was flooded in Noah’s day, so
every part of the believer’s heart is affected by the love of God. There
is, in principle, no nook or cranny where bitterness can be harboured.
Note the word “is” not “was”, as if only the moment of conversion is in
view. The love of God is currently flooding the heart of the believer
within, whilst tribulation is his portion from without. We should
distinguish between the general love of God for sinners that He has
expressed historically by giving His only-begotten Son to the death of
the cross, and His special love for His people. By the Holy Spirit which is given unto us- note
that there is no doubt that the believer has the Spirit of God within.
Note also that He is given, not earned, see Galatians 3:2. The Holy
Spirit does many things in our hearts, as chapter 8 will show, but here
He assures us of Divine love, which has been demonstrated so clearly at
Calvary.
5:6 For- there follows a description of the nature of the Divine love which is within the believer’s heart. When we were yet without strength –
being completely powerless to earn Divine love, like the impotent man
of John 5. The “yet” suggests that we had tried to merit God’s love
without success. In due time- the “time appointed” and “the fulness of the time” of Galatians 4:2,4, when the Son came to display the Father’s love. Christ died for the ungodly- Israel
were looking for the Christ to reign in righteousness; in fact He came
to die in righteousness and love; “greater love hath no man than
this…lay down his life…”, John 15:13. See also Song of Sol. 8:6,7.
Ungodly- those who have no respect for God, and who represent the
strongest possible test for the love of Christ; will He be prepared to
die even for these?
5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die– because
the life of a righteous man condemns the sinner’s life, there is little
prospect of the sinner sacrificing his life for his sake. Yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die- there
is a slim possibility that a man will even go so far as to dare to die
(i.e. bring oneself to die) for one who has done him some good, “the
good man”.
5:8 But- in contrast to those who are reluctant, or who only dare to die when they have been shown good. God commendeth-
which means He recommends as worthy; God’s love is not a peradventure
or a dare, (which are worthless if not carried out), but has been fully
demonstrated to be worthy by being put into effect. His love toward us- His
own particular and special love, which is unique to Himself, for it
demands nothing before it is shown, and is lavished upon the unlovely. In that while we were yet sinners- not
righteous or good, the sort of people that men possibly dare to die
for, but rather those who are neither righteous nor good, 3:10-18. Christ died for us- an actual, historic, accomplished event, giving expression to God’s intense love.
Verses 8 and 9, summarise the
teaching of 1:1-5:7, dealing with sinful actions; verse 10 anticipates
the teaching of 5:11-8:39, dealing with the sinful state.
This may be set out as follows:
Verses 8 and 9
ACTIONS
Sinners, guilty of sinful acts
Christ, free of sinful acts
Died- an act accomplished
“Much more”
Justified- an action by God
Saved-as Christ intercedes
Verse 10
STATE OR CONDITION
Enemies, our nature and condition
Son-His nature in relation to God
Death- a state entered
“Much more”
Reconciled- state before God
Saved by His risen state
NOTE THE FEATURES OF DIVINE LOVE IN THE BELIEVER’S HEART:
Unique, for it is His own love.
Unhindered, for it is shed abroad.
Unrivalled, for there is no “scarecely” or “peradventure” about it.
Undeserved, for we were without strength, having no resources.
Undeserved, for we were sinners, having no righteousness before God.
Undeserved, for we were ungodly, having no respect for God.
Undeserved, for we were enemies, having no relationship with God.
Unreserved, for it is while we were sinners that Christ died for us.
5:9 Much more then- Divine
love not only meets us in our tribulations in the present, but it
safeguards us in the far more awesome Day of Judgement to come. Being now justified by His blood- the
death of Christ was not simply a demonstration of love, but met the
claims of Divine Justice to the full, hence instead of death the apostle
speaks of blood, for it is the blood which makes atonement for the
soul, Leviticus 17:11. Divine justice demands that life must be
forfeited if sins are committed, but God is prepared to accept the life
of a suitable substitute. That substitute is Christ. We shall be saved from wrath through Him- the
eternal wrath of God which sinners shall know, believers shall not
know, not because they have lived perfect lives since they first
believed, but because they have One who makes intercession for them if
any condemnation is brought against them either now or in the future,
Romans 8:34.
Having
enlarged, in verse 9, on the statement of verse 8, “Christ died for us”,
with special reference to the justifying power of His blood, the
apostle now emphasises His reconciling work, again based on His death.
For sin not only makes men guilty before God, but also banishes them
from His presence.
5:10 For if, when we were enemies- as
sinners we needed to be justified, but as enemies we needed to be
reconciled, brought into a harmonious relationship with God. By the death of His Son- death
speaks of banishment, whereas Son speaks of nearness, but here the two
are brought together; He who is nearest and dearest, dies for those who
are furthest and enemies. Much more- if
God brought us near by the death of His Son, what will He not do now
that He has been raised from the dead, showing that the work of Calvary
is sufficient? See Romans 8:31,32. Being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life- if
Christ was prepared to die for His enemies, what will He not do for His
friends? If He reconciled us to Himself when we were at war with Him,
He will not banish us now that we are at peace with Him. Believers are
preserved free of condemnation because Christ is in resurrection, the
sure sign that His death at Calvary satisfied God, Romans 4:25.
7 (c) REJOICING IN GOD
5:11 And not only so- We not only rejoice in hope of the glory of God, and in tribulations, but we joy in God too. But we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement- the
word translated atonement is really reconciliation, the result of
propitiation. By His death on the Cross the Lord Jesus satisfied every
demand that all aspects of the glory of God made upon us, and in so
doing enhanced every one of them, see John 12:28; 13:31,32. Now that he
is brought into harmony with God by Jesus Christ, the believer is able
to rejoice in the glory of God that was magnified at the Cross. Every
Divine attribute was brought into full display at Calvary. By gaining an
appreciation of the work of Christ at the cross, the believer
progresses in the knowledge of His God in all His glory. Far from being
terrified now by that glory, he triumphs and rejoices in it.The work of
propitiation has been shown by the apostle both in chapter 3:25 and now
here, to be at the heart of the gospel. It is vitally important to try
to grasp the immensity of what Christ did at Calvary, and to beware of
thinking of His death only in terms of our own justification and
forgiveness, blessed as those things are.
It is necessary for the Moral
Governor of the universe to clear Himself in relation to every sin that
has ever been committed. If he does not do so, He will be in danger of
the charge of compliance with that sin. Outrageous as that charge would
be, the Devil is evil enough to make it. To protect Divine Honour in
this matter, Christ “Put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself”, Hebrews
9:26. When God made Him sin, 2 Corinthians 5:21, He bore the penalty for
sin in His own person. This must not be confused with punishment for
sin, however, which the unrepentant sinner will endure for all eternity.
In strict justice it is not possible for one person to be punished for
the wrongdoings of another, but it is possible for another to endure the
penalty of another’s sins. It is perfectly possible for Christ to
endure the penalty for sin, and yet the sinner bear the punishment for
that same sin in the Lake of Fire.
We must beware of confusing the
work of Christ with the effect of the work. The work was propitiation,
which has its own effect Godward of course, but the effect manward for
those who believe is reconciliation. There is no limit to the work of
propitiation, for it is measurable only in terms of the infinite person
who accomplished it. Reconciliation is limited, however, being
restricted to those who in the language of Romans 5:11, “Have received
the atonement”.
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