What do you know for certain? Do you know for certain that you are going to have good health? Do you know for certain that you are going to have plenty for your retirement? Do you know for certain that your family are going to be fine untouched by trouble, tragedies? Do you know for certain that that all your plans will come true? Do you know for certain that you are going to live beyond today? What exactly do you know for certain? Most of our lives are lived “hoping” and by that we mean “wishing” but with no certainty of what we wish for will happen. There are times that a Christian may go through such times of uncertainty, not so much about he “temporal,” but the “eternal!”

And one of these times can be about their salvation. Are they really saved? And the doubts create a double-mindedness and lives of uncertainty, a troubled mind and heart and leads to a spiral of fear, anxiety, despair. The Problem? At times we allow the evil one who injects a thought to our mind which we do not have to accept, but instead of examining it through the Scriptures and rejecting it having recognized it is not in alignment with His Word and replacing it with mediating on the Word-{Read Psalm 1:2; Phil 4:8}. We accept the thoughts and they lead  us to doubt God and His Word and especially if we have sinned to accuse us “how could you be saved?” And we look away from Christ, His Work, His promises and instead look at our own performance and it sucks, stinks, and when we look to self we find no reason to hope.  “But God…” has never told us to look to ourselves for salvation, He has told us “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,”-{Hebrews 12:2}.

God…wants us to be assured, to have complete confidence in HIM! To “HOPE” in Him. The word means “confident expectation.” So we look away from ourselves to HIM.  And Paul in Romans 5:1-11 speaks of the HOPE, the certainty and reason for our confidence and to exult, reason to be joyfully confident in Him, who HE is and what He says in His Word! We have reason to hope when our hope is in Him and everyone who places their Hope in Him will not be disappointed or put to shame!

To recap the first two messages in the series, we see we have reason for assurance for our eternal security, that our salvation which is safe as it is “Kept by the power of GOD.”-{1 Peter 1:5}. The word “kept” means “protected, shielded, guarded.” Who protects our salvation? “GOD!” Who can take, wrestle it from Him? No one and nothing. Will God get so tired of our failings, sin, that He gives up on us? “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”-{Phil 1:6}. He who initiated your salvation, sustains it  and will finish, complete it!  Did you initiate your salvation?  No! Who did? God did! Did you die on the cross to satisfy God, having lived a sinless life and offering your life as a Substitute for yourself and others to God? No! For you were not sinless and could not satisfy God’s perfect demands even if you had died on a cross. God initiated, sustains and will finish what He started, He always does!  Paul wrote, “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”-{2 timothy 1:12}. Who will “guard?” GOD WILL!  God protects His Work! God protects your salvation! “If God is for us, who is against us?… For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“-{Romans 8:31, 38-39}. God is for us… God protects our salvation…God loves us…He is our security!

He has Justified us. We have peace with God- The war is over. We have Access to God. We Stand In Grace before God.We Exult in a Future Hope of Glory. We see the future in His Word and it is good. God is there. He owns the future and we are His. The future is bright because the future is Christ! We exult, rejoice, boast confidently in our sufferings because of what we know, God is at work, spiritually developing us, and so we have hope. Confidently assured that what He has begun will complete and nothing or no one can sever me or you from the love of God in Christ. Trials, troubles do not nullify God’s love as nothing can separate us from the love of God! We have confidence, hope, because of Him and therefore in Him. “Christ who is our Hope!”- {1 Timothy 1:1}. Our hope is in a PERSON! He who gave Himself for us in death that we may not die in our sins and has been raised and we too will be raised to be with Him for all eternity!

“Justified” is mentioned in verse 1 and 9.. These are some of the benefits of Justification {v 1-8} and more benefits to Justification -{v9-11} Ans these give us reason to exult, jubilantly confident in Him as a result!

We have reasons to rejoice to be joyfully confident…

REJOICE {EXULT} in the Hope of God’s glory -{v 1-4}

REJOICE {EXULT} in Our Sufferings, tribulations – {4-10}

REJOICE {EXULT} in God “through our LORD Jesus Christ.”-{v 11}.

So we continue on and see some more reasons to have confidence in Him and who He is and what He has done and is doing and will do!

THE LOVE OF GOD.

“and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. “-{Romans 5:5}.

This is the first mention of Love in the book of Romans and it is given in the midst of suffering and the assurance for the believer of eternal Security.  And How does God impart this knowledge and assurance that you are unconditionally, selflessly, eternally loved-{Agape}? Through the gift of the Holy Spirit to assure us-{v5} and by demonstrating it through the Love of Christ on the cross for us. “-{v8}

We have Assurance of Eternal Security because God Loves us, eternally!

We are possessed by the Love of God! We know the reality of it as He has made it personal to us! It is not speaking about our love for God but God’s love for us!

God loved us “at the right time”- HE sent His Son “in the fullness of time”-{Gal 4:4}, He so loved us He sent His Son….”-{John 3:16}. He laid down His life for us. He went to the cross for us to pay for our sin and all this before we were born, knowing we would sin and need a Savior, a Substitute and Advocate with God and this He provided before we were even born, such is the greatness of His Love. John wrote, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. “- {1 John 3:1-2}. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)     ” -{Ephesians 2:4-5}.

His is an EVERLASTING LOVE;

“ I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.   “-{Jeremiah 31:3}

A GREAT LOVE;

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),“-{Ephesians 2;4-5}

A CONTINUOUS LOVE;

” …to Him who loves us {continuous} and released us from our sins by His blood “-{Revelation 1:5}

 AN UNBREAKABLE LOVE;

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -{Romans 8:38-39},

LOVE ON DISPLAY…

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”- {Romans 5:8}. How has He demonstrated His Love for us? CHRIST DIED FOR US! “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us;    ” -{1 John 3:16} . His Love is known by His choosing to voluntarily lay down His life for us!

His is an EVERLASTING LOVE… GREAT LOVE… CONTINUOUS LOVE…UNBREAKABLE LOVE…LOVE ON DISPLAY… CHRIST DIED FOR US!

God demonstrated His love to us, how? THE CROSS OF HIS DEAR SON! When did He do this? When we “were” in a continual state is what the word means grammatically, of “helplessness,”- {v 6}, the word means powerless.”Ungodly” -{v 6} “sinners”- {v8} and “enemies”- {v 10}, the word means “animosity” and “a deep seated hatred” towards God. Some might say I don’t hate God. The fact we lived for ourselves and not Him who created and died to redeem us is an affront to Him and despising Him and when someone shares the fact of the Gospel, we clammed up, resisted His message and messengers is a sign of animosity,”But God,” in mercy saved us, Justified us and what motivated Him? His “Great Love for us” -{Eph 2:4} not that we were lovable as the verses show but it was Him who initiated and turned His Foes into Friends bringing us into His Family and restoring fellowship! God did this!  And so we REJOICE, EXULT IN GOD…”through our LORD Jesus Christ!”- {Rom 5:11}

” Tribulation not only develops our character, it also reminds us of God’s character, bringing assurance that our hope will neither disappoint nor will it fail (verses 5-8). And the reason it does not, and cannot, fail is that it rests on the character of God Himself. Our hope is specifically backed by the love of God. God’s love was “poured out within our hearts” (verse 5) at the time of our justification by faith. It was “poured out” by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us at the time of our salvation.”

If He loved us and He did when we were “helpless…ungodly…sinners…enemies: when we were His Foes… how much more does He love us now we are in His Family -{Read 1 John 3:2} and HE Calls us His Friends. -{Read John 15:15}. This is assurance of eternal security for us, His love and also his provision to us of …

THE HOLY SPIRIT.

He shows you His love by imparting you with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

This is an evidence of His love for you!

“…you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”-{Ephesians 1:13-14}.

“SEALED,” in  ancient times was used to speak of ownership, authenticity, security, authority!

It was used to speak of something that was secured. A Specific mark of identification. For example Jesus tomb was “SEALED” so that no one could tamper or touch it.It was used of  sealing a document as that which was important, and carried the weight of the person behind it to authenticate it. It also spoke of ownership.  God’s imparting the Holy Spirit to you shows that you are His.  It speaks of a transaction that has taken place,He owns you having purchased you with His blood, You are authentic, the real deal belonging to Him and you are what? SECURE. As long as God lives your eternal security is SECURE! His is the Authority!He has got you covered! Signed, sealed and delivered! When God justified you, saved you He gifted you the HOLY SPIRIT as a sign you are His possession, authentic, secure under His authority! The Assurance of Eternal Security!

“PLEDGE” spoke of a down payment, was used as part of money or property given in advance to secure the rest. The Holy Spirit has been given as a “down payment” “earnest”  as a “pledge” to the believer that they will receive all their Heavenly inheritance. which the LORD Jesus purchased for us at the cross. The Holy Spirit is the “first installment” that the follower of Christ will receive all of their inheritance in Heaven, that has been promised to them and purchased for them through our LORD Jesus Christ.

 And because we are sealed with The Holy Spirit, no one has the authority, ability to break the pledge of God to His own! What bliss, what assurance of eternal security by God for His people.

WE can delight with joyful confidence in THE LORD of a bright future hope and all His glorious promises being fulfilled.

It was also used of an engagement ring, a promise ,the assurance of  better things to come. And the Holy Spirit in us is a guarantee of the fulfilling of all He has promised!  He is God’s guarantee to us that all we have not yet experienced in our inheritance will come to pass! Eternity with HIM will happen and all that means! To be in the Father’s house and to be “with “Jesus- {John 14:2-5}.

The Holy Spirit is given to us and will not be taken away from us. ” I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;“-{John 16:14}. Glory another reason to Praise, exult, glory, rejoice in Him,  because we have an assurance of eternal security because He has gifted us the Holy Spirit who will never be taken away from us, never, never never, always, always, always, always with us and will be forever!

“…Praise Him…”-{Eph 1:14} But “…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”-{Romans 8:9}. The Gift of the Holy Spirit shows we belong to God!

Back to chapter 5:5, God has poured out His love within our hearts.  speaks not of a drip, drip of love been poured into us but lavishly pouring into us and this He does by the gift of the Holy Spirit lavishly pouring into our hearts of His love. God Himself by His Spirit lives within! What a thought. What love!

THE MOTIVATION TO TRUST HIM?

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.“-{Galatians 2:20}. What motivated Paul to trust Him? His love for him, demonstrated by the giving up His life for him. The LOVE OF CHRIST in giving Himself for him was what motivated him to trust, live by faith in Him. Paul knew sufferings, trials that would break any man {Read 2 Cor 11;23-28}and yet he persevered, he kept going with the Gospel because love motivated him and the Spirit of God, lived within him to assure him in his sufferings and tribulations, great pressures that GOD LOVED him, inspired him to know and be secure in the love of God and respond in living to love God and others for Jesus sake! -{2 Cor 4:5}

HIS LOVE ASSURES US WE ARE ETERNALLY SECURE

HIS GIFT OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT ASSURES US WE ARE ETERNALLY SECURE!

“KNOWING”… “to be FULLY AWARE…”  that Suffering, tribulation not only produces perseverance, the ability to stay under the trial and persevere triumphantly because what God has revealed in His Word to assure us of our Eternal Security. We “Know…” Sufferings in God’s plan  and purpose are meant  to develop our character, and in them we are reminded of God’s character and therefore our hope will not be disappointed or put to shame because God is the source of our hope and He confirms it through affirming it by the Holy Spirit whom He has gifted us and assuring His of His Love for us, how great God’s love for us is and how much He cherishes us!

Sufferings for a believer are for our good, God assures us. They are not an expression of His anger but an evidence of His Love! As He is working good and Godliness in us and working them to aid and assist others in fruitful service.-{Read John 15:1-2; 2 Cor 1:4}.

We have assurance of Eternal Security because of God’s character and what He has done!

What wonderful gifts He has given us.. Justifying us… Peace with Him. the war is over.. Grace, Hope, Joy…Love, the holy Spirit! How spiritually wealthy we are. It is independent of us but all rooted in the Person, power and promises of God, and it all comes “through our LORD Jesus Christ.”

 God’s Great Love and the assurance of it through the Gift of the Holy Spirit to us are part of the believers Assurance of Eternal Security! Rejoice, exult in God -{v11} for all these privileges come from God “through our LORD Jesus Christ,” through whom we boast, exult, rejoice in confidence because of Him and in Him who has secured our Eternal Security and inheritance!