Lawrence Taylor Ministry

Guest (Male): Hello and welcome to Teaching the Word with Dr. Lawrence Taylor. Each and every week, Dr. Taylor will be sharing a relevant message from the Scriptures designed to inform and instruct us in the ways of our God. Dr. Taylor has been the pastor of Kenilworth Baptist Church in the Midwood section of Brooklyn for the past 22 years. He brings a wealth of experience to each broadcast, having been a New York City public schools teacher and a theology professor. Stay tuned to the end of the broadcast to find out how to stream today's message. Now, here's Dr.

Taylor.

Dr. Lawrence Taylor: Hello everyone. Welcome to Teaching the Word with Dr. Lawrence Taylor. So glad you could join with us today. I like to remind you that you can contact us by just going to our website. It's lawrencetaylorministry.com.org. Just type in lawrencetaylorministry.com or .org. Then go to contacts and you can leave a message. I'm certainly would be glad to hear from you. And please let us know if you're being blessed by this ministry. We're also found on Facebook and Twitter too. Well, last week I didn't quite get a chance to finish up Romans chapter 4. So I want to go to the very last verse in Romans 4 and then we'll begin Romans chapter 5.

The Apostle Paul ends Romans chapter 4 by writing he was delivered over because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification. This has presented a lot of problems for those interpreters of of the book of Romans. What exactly does the Apostle Paul mean when he says that he was delivered up because of our transgressions, but raised because of our justification? Well, the first part of this is not problematic at all because we can see clearly what the Apostle Paul means by just looking at other Scriptures. When it says that Jesus was delivered up because of our transgressions, well, there of course he is talking about the substitutionary death of Christ.

It is because of our sins that he died on the cross. Christ did not have to die because there was some defect in him. Christ did not have to die in order to show us how to die. Christ died so that we would not die, but have life in him. But it was our sins that put him on the cross. His death was a substitutionary death. So the first part of this clause is clearly understood. It's the second part, the second clause that is most difficult to comprehend. And he was raised because of our justification.

The Apostle Paul uses a proposition. The proposition is dia. And let me spell it for you. That's d i a. Dia is translated in the New American Standard as because. So you notice he uses that proposition twice. That is he was delivered over because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification. So our sins put him on the cross. However, when it says that he was raised because of our justification, the reason why that's problematic is because the dia, the proposition must be understood only one way. You cannot interpret the proposition two ways.

And if it means that the reason why he died was because of our sins, then the second clause means he was raised because of our justification or because we were justified. And that is what's perplexing. The only answer to that is that Jesus could not be raised from the dead until the work of justification had been fully accomplished. When Jesus said in John chapter 19 verse 30, it is finished, that was absolutely right. The work of redemption was absolutely completed. What was needed for propitiation, that is to satisfy God's wrath, had been completed. But in this case, the justification of every person had to be ascribed to that person's account before Jesus could be raised from the dead.

And that is what Paul means in verse 25 of Romans chapter 4. And that that brings us to chapter 5 now. The topic is still justification. Remember the Apostle Paul is writing about justification from chapter 3 verse 21 all the way to the end of chapter 5 verse 21. And in fact, note how chapter 5 begins. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Should also note that the Apostle Paul writes in verse 9 of this chapter 5, much more than having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through him.

So his topic is still justification. But what about justification? What is he saying? Well, in chapter 3 beginning at verse 21 to 31, there the Apostle Paul describes how a person gets right with God. How does he get justified? And of course he says by means of faith. In chapter 4, what he shows is that there is no incongruity between this mode of salvation in the New Testament and in the Old Testament. People always got saved by means of faith. But now when you get to chapter 5, I want you to note something about how this should be translated.

Therefore, having been that that's the New American Standard, the aorist participle is used there. So he expresses justification in chapter 5 verse 1 as something that has been accomplished. So he's no longer going to talk about how one gets justified means, nor is he going to talk about the history of justification in terms of the fact that it was a method used in the Old Testament. Now what he talks about in chapter 5 is the result. Now notice what I said. I said this very deliberately. The result, not the results. See in some Bibles, they have the heading beginning in chapter 5, the results, plural of justification.

The Apostle Paul is concerned with one result. So it should not be the results, but the result of justification. And what is that result that he is talking about? Well, he says therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So what he means when he talks about justification or the result of justification is that he wants to emphasize that we now have peace with God. We should make a distinction by the way between having peace with God and having the peace of God. See in the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul in chapter 4 talks about the peace of God that passes all understanding.

Well, of course the peace of God in that context is referring to the sense of tranquility, sereneness that we we get in the midst of storms and tribulations and hardships, that supernatural calmness that comes upon us through the power of God. Well, that's the the peace of God. But here he's not talking about the peace of God. Here he's talking about peace with God. And what he means when he talks about peace with God specifically is referring to a judicial peace, a peace that indicates that the war is over. That enmity that existed between me and God, between you and God has ended as a result of justification.

You are no longer an enemy of God. Now what that tells us is that the unsaved are still enemies of God. The unjustified are still enemies of God. In fact, look how he describes in this chapter the state of the loss, those who are not justified. Well, if you note in verse 6, for while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. In the King James it says while we were still weak. Well, helpless and weak means the same thing. That's how he describes the unsaved. And what he means by helpless is that they have no means at all within their resources to get right with God.

They are totally deficient. They do not have the power to gain right standing with God. And but note what else he says about the unsaved. He says Christ died for the ungodly. So another description of the unsaved is that they are ungodly. But note what else he says in verse 8. But God demonstrated his love towards us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. So he describes the unsaved as sinners. But there's also another description in verse 9. Much more than than having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through him.

And that is the unsaved of the objects of God's wrath. But there is also one more description. If you look at verse 10, for if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. So he says we were enemies of God. Now that is the standing of the unsaved. Note they are weak or helpless. They are ungodly. They are sinners. They are objects of his wrath. And they are his enemies. So all the unsaved are enemies of God.

Thank God that that status changed for the believer. We are no longer in the sight of God helpless. We are no longer in the sight of God, the ungodly. We are no longer in the sight of God sinners. We are no longer in the sight of God, the objects of wrath. And we are no longer enemies. That has changed. In fact, the Apostle Paul uses the word reconciled in verse 10. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Reconciliation means a change. It's not the same idea as we have in our English language, the notion that we bring two hostile forces together. No, that is not the point. The point is that a change has been wrought. A change have been brought about through the work of Jesus Christ. And that change is that I have moved from being an enemy of God to now a friend of God. Reason that is the case is because of that propitiatory work that Jesus accomplished and I accepted it. And as a result, now the Apostle Paul says I have peace with God.

That is a wonderful thing. You know, it is not good to be an enemy of God. To be an enemy of God means that you will lose everything. When I say everything, I'm not talking about your material possessions. I 'm talking about your eternal destiny. But I want you to to know something also about verse 1. He says we have peace with God. We have is in the present tense. This is a hint at the present propitiatory or mediatorial work of Jesus right now. Right now, Jesus not only procured that peace, but he maintains it through his mediatorial work as high priest.

So while the expression high priest is not used by Paul, it's used in the book of Hebrews, the idea is clearly expressed here. It's implied. But it's it's an implicit idea that we can clearly see. And that is that because of his present mediatorial work, he is keeping that peace. But if you go to verse 2, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand and we exult in hope of the glory of God. Well, when he says through whom, of course that's referring to Christ. But note he says we have obtained.

Now obtained is not in the present tense. That's actually in the perfect tense. In Greek, it's in the perfect tense. We have obtained. So this looks back to the cross. The work that Jesus did on the cross obtained that that right standing that we have with him. But he says he has given us access. Now the word access or introduction as used in the New American Standard is an interesting word. Let me give you the Greek word. Now let me spell it for you. That's p r o s a g o g a n. Now the reason why it's an n cuz it's an accusative case.

Actually probably is better translated as an introduction instead of access. What does the Apostle Paul says we have obtained access? Note it's in the perfect tense. We got it because of the work of Christ. It is something we obtained in the past and the perfect tense implies that it is true up into the very present time. What have we gained access into? Well, he says into this grace. Note the majesty of that statement. We have been introduced into the presence of grace. And this is what he says. Not only have you been introduced into it, but look at the verse.

It says into this grace in which we stand. Okay, so he says now you've been introduced into it. Now you stand in it. And that's where you remain. So therefore, all of God's dealings with us for now on is according to grace. Remember grace is giving you what you don't deserve. You are not only saved by grace, but you are kept by grace. And you will be glorified by grace. Only grace alone. All of God's dealings with us is according to grace. It is Jesus who has brought us into the presence of grace and he's left us there and that is where we are right now.

Remember a number of years ago, I was attempting to get a job as a teacher in a high school. And I met with the principal. I showed him my portfolio. I showed him my CV. And I said listen, you you would be doing a wise thing if you hired me. And he was not impressed. So as a result, he turned me down. When I when I was leaving the building, I ran into a man I I met a number of years ago. And he was the assistant principal in the school. And he said Mr. Taylor, why are you here?

And I said well, I applied for a job. He says in what department? I said in the history department, social studies department. He said that's the department I'm a supervisor of. He says I would love to have you. I said well, that's great, but the principal told me no. He says okay, come with me. And we went right back into the principal's office. And the assistant principal just told me to just take a seat. He walked right in to the principal. The principal came out, said I reconsidered and I'm going to hire you. Now he didn't hire me because of me, but because the assistant principal went in, had access, walked in.

And as a result, I got the job. You see that is exactly what happened to us. We have no access to God, none whatsoever. But his son, the one who bled at Calvary on our behalf, took us and introduced us into the presence and that is where we stand. I want to to note also the Apostle Paul says we well, in the King James says that we boast in the glory of God. Well, what is boasting in this case mean? Well, what it means is that we have absolute confidence that we will be triumphal. The confidence is not in us, but it's in the security that we have, the assurance that we receive from our Savior.

It says that we boast in hope of the glory of God. Now what is the glory of God referring to? Well, what it means is that you will make it. Let me be clear about that. You will make it. You will be triumphal. And the reason why you will have you have this victory again is because of Christ. Now there is something that transpires between the time that one is justified and the time that you go into the presence of God in glory. And that thing is called time. That's right. Time there's a period of time between the time that you're justified and the time that you die and that you go into the presence of God.

And you let me tell you my brothers and sisters, anything can happen in time. There are disappointments in time. There are heartaches in time. There's hurt. There is sickness. There is death. There is sin. There is temptation. There are innumerable innumerable contingencies in time. But this is what the Apostle Paul lets us know. It doesn't matter what may come your way, you can still be assured that you will go into the presence of God. In fact, notice what the Apostle Paul writes in verse 3. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance.

So the hardships and difficulties that we go through are designed to give us a sense of assurance and to help us to endure. And note in verse 4 and perseverance proven character. Well, the Greek word there for proven character as it's translated in the New American Standard just means that when you go through something, and we all go through something, that in the end you see that God's faithfulness, God's faithfulness to us is always proven. You put it to the test and God always comes through.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to today's program. This broadcast is an extension of the ministry of Dr. Lawrence Taylor and the Kenilworth Baptist Church. To stream today's message, please go to lawrencetaylorministry.com and click on lawrencetaylorministry/message. Please join us again next week at the same time for Teaching the Word with Dr. Lawrence Taylor.