I heard the late Dr. Peter Marshall speak at Asbury First Methodist Church in Rochester, NY while I was directing youth for Christ. From the Theological standpoint, his audience was largely liberal and yet he called them to return to the need for a genuine born again conversion - even trusting God for the healing of the body. His text was Malachi 3:10 — “Prove me now saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it”. He referred to the fact that his wife had been healed.
His message was a call to return to the supernatural! Social action has its place, but it won’t take you to heaven. That same call can be found in Romans 5:10:
“For if when 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.”
Think about this as we approach the Easter Season. The call is believable as we study two words -- much more. From these two words we discover the following:
I. Protection from the Future
II. Protection from the Past
III. Protection from the Present
I. Protection from the Future (v. 9)
“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” Romans 5:9
During the years I was in the pastorate, I often lead the congregation in singing “Rock of Ages”. Often I had them sing that last stanza without the instruments, but first made the comment “When we sing ‘When I rise to worlds unknown and behold thee on thy throne’, you must realize that we believers will not be involved in the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20:11.” That is for unbelievers only and that is what Romans 5:9 is all about! Believers will never face God on a charge that could send them to hell. (Protection from the future).
II. Protection from the Past (v. 15)
“But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.” Romans 5:15 Let the comments of John Calvin bring that great text to light. He said, “Since the fall of Adam had such an effect as to produce ruin of many MUCH MORE efficacious is the grace of God to the benefit of many, in so much as it is admitted that Christ is much more powerful to save than Adam was to destroy.”
In other words, God’s grace is greater than man’s sin. Read it again, Romans 5:15, now sing the great hymn “Grace Greater than Our Sin.”
III. Protection from the Present (v. 20)
“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded MUCH MORE” Romans 5:20
In the morning the mirror brings shock because I realize I am no longer “39 and holding.” However, I do realize I can’t wash my face with the mirror! Now read Galatians 3:24 —
“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
The law has no power, so as we look in the mirror and see ourselves guilty, debtors and bankrupt we turn to Acts 4:12 —
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
After we realize protection from the future, protection from the past, and protection from the present, we can now begin to grasp Romans 5:10 “.. much more, having been reconciled, WE SHALL BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE.”
The tomb is empty -- no bones in spite of the Hollywood documentary. Believe me, if there were bones in some tomb long, long ago, the enemies of the Gospel would have found them. It seems every Easter the Satanic team of Ephesians 6:12 attempts to discredit the Gospel by some ridiculous way to question the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope you didn’t waste your time watching their documentary. Hear it -- listen to human viewpoint and you will go to hell!
“And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! .. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:17,20
The miraculous Power of God’s Gospel (Romans 1:1) will continue to silence the critics. Never forget it “the book of Revelation can be summarized this way: Jesus Wins!
I challenge you to allow resurrection power to be your motivation. Do you know what will happen? Acts 1:8 tells us — “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me”
1. Begin with your neighbors (Jerusalem)
2. The territory about you (Your Town - Judea)
3. Then, the territory a little farther off (Samaria)
4. Then, to the uttermost parts of the earth.
Acts 1:8 reminds us not to think we are missionary minded if we ignore the people on our street. A suggestion: Ask for the DVD “Power to Win”. Those testimonies by the coach and the players of the Indianapolis Colts will open the door for you to share the message of the Gospel.