Romans 5: 1-4

(Romans 5: 1-4)

『Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 』

 

If we are justified by faith, we can enter into the grace of God. We rejoice because of that grace. It is the faith of the born again. Satan accuses Job to God. Satan accused God of this: Job believes in God because he has given him many things, and if God takes everything away, Job will resent God. So God allowed Satan to strike Job, except his life. Satan has withdrawn Job's success, family happiness, and health. Job was disconnected from his friends. Nevertheless, Job did not blame God. But Job began to blame God after hearing his friends. As soon as Job revealed his own righteousness, he began to blame God. As a result, Job came to think of God as unrighteous. When all people blame God, they become like Job. God appears to Job and speaks.

 

It is the result of repentance that the saints obtain righteousness by faith. Thus the saints are reconciled to God. It is salvation that we too repent and be justified from God. Job did not gain righteousness from God, but was "in his own righteousness." So God makes Job aware, and Job gains righteousness from God through repentance. What people think of their own righteousness is that they can be like God. "My righteousness" is the center of self. Thus, those who have their righteousness regard God as unrighteous. This was what Job did, and so was the older son in the "parable of the returned prodigal son", and so did the Pharisees. These are all who are trapped under the law (the law of the wrath of God). Those under the law think that they are just as righteous as they have kept it. If we do not have faith from God, we are all trapped under the law. God's faith is the faith of the resurrection life. But faith in "your own righteousness" becomes the faith of the trapped.

 

The saints receive God's righteousness after they receive faith from God. So they dress in Christ. In the Old Testament, people were justified if they circumcised and had faith in the seed of promise. In the New Testament, those who die on the cross with Jesus Christ are justified. Faith must come from God. When people hear the word of God's promise and the seed of promise is in their hearts, the seed must germinate and become the resurrection life. If a seed is to be resurrected to life, it must be plowed. Likewise, when people repent to God, life in God's Word germinates and bears fruit.

 

If we repent and die with Jesus, we become partakers of the resurrection with Jesus. When we repent, we have a spiritual body from God. To obtain a spiritual body from God, faith must come from God. This faith is God's gift only to the repentant. Repentance is the way to deny self.
Those who are under the law (the law of the wrath of God) are under the judgment of God.

 

『For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 』 (Galatians 3:10)『But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 』(Galatians 3:23)

 

Those who have their righteousness do not receive faith from God. Only those who repent receive faith from God. If we do not realize that we have "own righteousness" then it is not true repentance. What Noah preached, but what John the Baptist preached, is the same. What they have said is that everyone is under the wrath of God. But God removes those who are in Jesus Christ from wrath because Jesus Christ has received all the wrath from God. To enter into Jesus Christ we must die on the cross with Jesus. This is the word of God's promise.『But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 』 (Galatians 3:22)

 

This is the word of God's righteousness. If we do not enter into Christ we will not be saved from God. Today, many churches mistakenly believe that they are saved if they believe without understanding the meaning of repentance. Dying with Jesus on the cross and resurrection are made by God to the repentant.

 

『Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. 』 Romans (6: 4-7)

 

Repentance is death with Jesus. The dead are free from sin. What dies? Our old man (greedy) dies because the old man is an attribute of original sin that wants to be like God. Greed is hidden in the physical body received from parents. That is why greed dies with Jesus. This is repentance. If you confess your sins but are not buried with Jesus, you will be in vain. So unless we repent, we cannot be saved from God.

 

『Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 』(Romans 4:25)  It must be buried with Jesus who died on the cross. This is the way to enter into Christ and to be the resurrection life. The path we must seek is not the Jesus of power, but the union with Jesus, who died terribly on the cross. Today, people are not uniting with Jesus, who died on the cross, but with Jesus of miracle power. People seek the power of the Holy Spirit to experience the gift and pray for miracles to increase their wealth. These are the words of Romans 4-5. Those who have no faith associated with Jesus dying on the cross can easily think of salvation by reading chapters 4-5. Those who have faith in unity with Jesus look to God alone. We are looking only at God, not what we do to show others well.

 

Repentance is united with Jesus who died on the cross. However, many churches seek something that people will like. Although people repent of their sins, they commit sins every day and say, "I love Jesus." Jesus is needed for "his righteousness." Words say, "I love Jesus," and they are trying to kill the lamb every day. There is no repentance here. They do not know the meaning of repentance. After all, they do not repent. There is only the wrath of God upon those who are not at peace. Only fruitless leaves are lush.

 

『Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.』 (Romans 4:18-22)

 

Those who believe in God's promises are those who repent and enter into Christ. Become a person who does not depend on the fleshly heart received from parents. This is the faith at the age of 100, which Abraham believed God.