The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave his Son to win:
His erring child he reconciled
And rescued from his sin.
When ancient time shall pass away,
and human thrones and kingdoms fall;
when those who here refuse to pray
on rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
all measureless and strong;
grace will resound the whole earth round—
the saints’ and angels’ song
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Tho stretched from sky to sky.
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forever endure -
The saints’ and angels’ song.
-F.M. Lehman, The Love of God
Romans 5
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
Justification - just as if I never sinned. Life - to the fullest and eternal. Shapes now how we live.
Paul outlines the past, present and future.
The peace of God changes everything.
“Caesar has obtained for us a profound peace. There are neither wars nor battles, nor great robberies nor piracies, but we may travel at all hours, and sail from east to west.”
-Epictetus, Discourses
Paul disagrees!
The peace of God…
-Gives us a new identity
-Gives us a new destiny
-Gives us a new vision of suffering
Suffering leads to hope
Romans 5
3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
A word about suffering…
Epicureanism -
Stoicism -
Through Christ:
1. Rejoice in it, but not for it
2. Let it form you, but don’t let it define you
3. Suffering is a pathway to growth.
Suffering produces perseverance - perseverance - character - hope.
Hope does not disappoint us.
It is not in understanding ourselves that we find it possible to understand God, but in focusing on God that we begin to understand ourselves.
Unholy trinity
1. Devil
2. World
3. Self
Genesis 50:20
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done,
the saving of many lives.”
God’s peace, gives us a new view of suffering, that leads us to love…
Romans 5
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Two stories about human love…
God’s love is the greatest - while we were enemies
God the greatest Lover
So loved the greatest degree
The world the greatest company
That he gave the greatest act
His only begotten Son the greatest gift
That whosever the greatest opportunity
Believeth the greatest simplicity
In him the greatest attraction
Should not perish the greatest promise
but the greatest difference
Have the greatest certainty
Everlasting life the greatest possession
God’s love is poured out in our hearts…
Communion
2 Corinthians 5:16 - 6:2
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
6:1 As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.