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From a message by Jon Alsdorf
Romans 5 is one of the most dense and rewarding passages in all of Scripture. In just a few verses, Paul lays out everything a believer possesses because of justification through faith in Jesus Christ. These are not distant promises. They are present realities that belong to every follower of Christ right now. What Does "Justified by Faith" Actually Mean? Paul opens Romans 5 with the word "therefore," which ties everything back to what he has already established. Humanity is broken, fallen, and sinful by nature. But through Jesus Christ, God provided a permanent solution to that problem. Justification is the judicial declaration that because of Jesus, you are "not guilty." It is not a transformation of your character in that moment. It is God, like a judge with a gavel, declaring you righteous because Jesus took your sin. Salvation itself carries three tenses:
With that foundation in place, Paul begins stacking truth upon truth about what believers now possess. 1. You Have Peace With God "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." - Romans 5:1 This is not the peace of God, which is a separate concept Paul addresses in Philippians. This is peace with God. Before Christ, every human being is in conflict with God, whether they realize it or not. A common but serious error in our culture is the idea that everyone is already a child of God. Scripture is clear that we are all creatures of God, but being a child of God is a specific reality reserved for those who are in Christ. We are born as children of Adam, inheriting his sin nature and the separation that came with it. When you are justified in Christ, the war is over. The wrath of God that Scripture says is being stored up is no longer directed at you. That is not a small thing. That is everything. 2. You Have Permanent Access to Grace "Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand." - Romans 5:2 The original Greek here uses a "perfect tense," which describes something that is always present and always moving forward. This is a standing grace. It does not expire. It does not run out when you fail. Many believers struggle with the feeling that ongoing sin disqualifies them. But Jesus knew you would still struggle after coming to faith. He died for that struggle too. His grace is not a one-time gift. It is a permanent, ever-present reality in your life. 3. You Have Hope in God's Glory, Not Your Own "We rejoice in hope of the glory of God." - Romans 5:2 The word translated "rejoice" here can also mean "boast," carrying the idea of triumphant confidence. Every other religion in the world leaves its followers asking, "Have I done enough?" There is no real basis for confidence there. But because we are justified by faith and not by works, we have a reason for genuine, grace-filled confidence. We are not boasting before the game. Jesus already won. We celebrate a completed victory every time we gather to worship. 4. You Have Hope in Your Eternal Salvation, Even Through Suffering "We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame." - Romans 5:3-5 Suffering is not a sign that God is angry with you. It is part of what it means to live in a broken world. But for the believer, suffering has a purpose. It is a snapshot of the sanctification process, the Holy Spirit working to shape your character into the likeness of Jesus. There are two unhealthy extremes when it comes to suffering. The first is total avoidance. The second is unnecessary indulgence. The wiser path is to pursue wisdom to avoid needless suffering, while trusting Jesus through the suffering that cannot be escaped. That endurance builds character, and that character produces hope, both in you and in the people watching your life. 5. You Have God's Love Poured Into Your Heart "God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8 God has not dripped His love into your heart with an eyedropper. He has poured it in without measure. This love was given while you were still His enemy. That is how lavish it is. And here is the reason He gives so generously: there are people around you who do not yet have this love. God fills your cup to overflowing so that you can pour into others. You will never run dry. Your only job is to empty your cup, trusting that He will always refill it. 6. You Have the Holy Spirit Everything described above is made possible through the Holy Spirit who has been given to every believer. This is not a small addition to the list. It is the power behind all of it. In the Old Testament, God's people had the revelation of His righteousness but no internal means to live it out. On the day of Pentecost, everything changed. The disciples who had been confused and stumbling were transformed because the Holy Spirit now lived inside them. The same is true for you. The Holy Spirit is recreating you from the inside out. He is the reason sin no longer feels comfortable the way it once did. He is the reason you can love, endure, worship, and grow. You are not the same person you were before Christ. You have been changed because you possess the Holy Spirit. 7. You Have Received Reconciliation "We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." - Romans 5:11 Reconciliation means two things being made one. Through justification and sanctification, God is bringing you into unity with Himself. He looks at you and sees Jesus. That is not something you earned or helped accomplish. That is the power of the atonement. Paul closes this section of Romans 5 by making the point unmistakably clear: "As one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men." - Romans 5:18 One man, Adam, brought sin and death. One man, Jesus Christ, brought righteousness and life. You did not help. He did not ask for your help. He accomplished it all so that the glory belongs entirely to Him. Life Application This week, when doubt, guilt, or confusion creeps in about your standing before God, open your Bible to Romans 5 and read the first eleven verses. Let the truth of what you possess in Christ anchor you before you spiral into shame or despair. Ask yourself these questions:
You are not saved by your effort. You are not sustained by your performance. Everything you need has already been given to you in Christ. Walk in it.
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From a message by Jon Alsdorf
Faith has always been at the center of God's plan for humanity. Not works, not heritage, not effort. Just faith. Romans chapter 4 makes this clear through the life of Abraham, and the implications are just as relevant today as they were when Paul first wrote them. Why the Book of Romans Matters (And How to Read It) Romans can feel overwhelming. It is long, layered, and packed with theological concepts. But everything in the book flows from one central thesis found in Romans 1:16-17. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" - Romans 1:16-17 That one phrase, "the righteous shall live by faith," is the thread that holds the entire book together. Paul spends the rest of Romans answering one core question: who is righteous, and how does that righteousness come? Why You Cannot Ignore the Old Testament Before diving into Romans 4, it is worth addressing something that trips a lot of people up. Some teachers and writers suggest the Old Testament is something Christians can safely set aside. That is a serious mistake. The Old Testament and New Testament are inseparable. Everything introduced in the Old Testament is fulfilled and revealed in the New. Everything found in the New Testament is hidden in the Old. When you embrace both together, the full picture of God's plan comes into focus. There Is No Room for Personal Pride at the Cross Romans 4 opens with Paul using Abraham as an illustration of what it means to be justified by faith. His first point cuts straight to the heart. "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to Him as righteousness.'" - Romans 4:2-3 If Abraham had earned his righteousness through good deeds, he would have reason to boast. But he did not earn it. He believed God, and that belief was credited to Him as righteousness. Personal pride is one of the biggest barriers to receiving salvation. The desire to earn it, to contribute something, to pull yourself up spiritually by your own effort, is rooted in pride. And that pride will keep you stuck. Many people spend years frustrated in their faith because they are working hard to accomplish something that only Jesus can accomplish. The turning point comes when a person finally stops striving and simply receives what Christ has already done. Repentance is not just turning away from individual sins. At its core, it is turning away from the arrogance that says, "I can help earn this." Salvation is not a partnership between you and Jesus. It is Jesus alone. What the Story of Abraham Actually Teaches Us About Faith The moment Paul is pointing to in Genesis 15 is not the dramatic scene where Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac. It is much earlier, and much more ordinary. Abraham was an old man. His wife was old. They had no children. God had promised to make Him the Father of many nations, and Abraham had no idea how that could possibly happen. God did not explain the how. He simply said it would be so. And Abraham believed Him. That was it. No great act of heroism. No perfect track record. Abraham was a man who had made plenty of mistakes, who had tried to take matters into his own hands more than once. But in that moment, he trusted God with something that seemed impossible. God counted that faith as righteousness. This is the accounting language Paul uses. God reconciled the books in Abraham's favor, not because of what Abraham had done, but because of what Abraham believed. David Understood This Too Paul also brings in David to reinforce the point. He quotes from Psalm 32: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count His sin." - Psalm 32:1-2 (quoted in Romans 4:6-8) David knew this truth personally. His life was marked by failure, scandal, and consequence. Yet his trust in God never wavered, and He understood the depth of God's grace and forgiveness. Righteousness was never about David's perfection. It was about God's mercy received through faith. Salvation Is for Everyone Who Believes, Jew and Gentile Alike One of the most radical claims Paul makes in Romans 4 is that salvation has never been limited to one group of people. He points out that Abraham received circumcision as a sign of the righteousness he already had by faith. The sign came after the faith. That means circumcision was never the source of his justification. It was a symbol of something that had already happened. "The purpose was to make him the Father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well." - Romans 4:11 This was a ground-shaking statement in the first century. Many Jewish believers struggled with the idea that Gentiles could be fully included in God's family without adopting Jewish practices. Paul makes it clear: there is not one version of salvation for Jews and another for Gentiles. There is one gospel, one faith, and one way of being made right with God. The same is true today. Salvation is not reserved for a particular background, heritage, or religious tradition. It is for all who believe. All Believers Are Children of Abraham Through Faith Building on this, Paul makes another bold claim. All who believe are spiritually connected to Abraham. "That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring, not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the Father of us all." - Romans 4:16 God told Abraham He would make Him the Father of many nations. Paul says this was never just about physical descendants. It was about every person from every nation who would follow in Abraham's footsteps of faith. When someone from any background, any language, any culture places their faith in God, they are walking the same path Abraham walked. That makes Abraham a spiritual Father to all who believe. You Are Declared Righteous by Divine Decree Paul closes the chapter by making the personal application clear. "But the words 'it was counted to him' were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." - Romans 4:23-25 The story of Abraham was written for us. The same faith that was credited to Abraham as righteousness is credited to everyone who believes in Jesus. Jesus took our sin to the cross and rose again so that we could be declared righteous, not because of anything we did, but because of everything He did. The Hidden Story of Salvation in Abraham's Life There is one more layer worth noting. In the story of Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac, a remarkable picture of the Trinity appears. Abraham represents God the Father. Isaac represents the Son. And the unnamed servant who accompanies them, identified earlier in Genesis 15 as Eleazar, represents the Holy Spirit. The name Eleazar means "God is my helper," and can also be translated as "God is my comforter." The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter in the New Testament. In the story, the Father and Son tell the servant to wait while they go ahead. Later, the Father sends the servant out to find a bride for His son, and the servant qualifies her by offering gifts and inviting her to choose for herself. The New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament. God's plan of salvation is woven through the life of one man, across decades, pointing forward to Jesus. Life Application This week, take an honest look at where pride might be getting in the way of your faith. Are you still trying to earn something that has already been freely given? Are you frustrated in your spiritual life because you are working hard to accomplish what only Jesus can accomplish? The challenge this week is simple but not easy: surrender the effort. Stop trying to help Jesus save you, and simply receive what He has already done. Ask yourself these questions:
Righteousness has always come by faith. It came that way for Abraham. It came that way for David. And it comes that way for you. The question is whether you are willing to let go of your own effort and trust Him completely. From a message by Jon Alsdorf
In our journey through Romans, we encounter one of the most profound truths in all of Scripture: the reality of justification by faith. After establishing that all humanity stands guilty before God, Paul reveals the incredible solution that changes everything. The Advantage That Doesn't Make You Better Paul begins Romans 3 with a crucial question: "What advantage has the Jew?" His answer reveals a paradox that applies to all of us today. Yes, the Jews had tremendous advantages - they were entrusted with the oracles of God, the Scriptures themselves. But Paul makes a startling declaration: having advantages doesn't make you better off spiritually. Knowing Truth vs. Living Truth The fundamental issue Paul addresses is this: knowing the truth is not the same as living the truth. The Jewish people had access to God's Word, yet they still fell short of God's glory. This principle applies directly to Christians today. We may have the complete Bible, understand the gospel, and attend church regularly, but knowing the gospel is not the same as living the gospel. Just because you have spiritual information doesn't mean you're off the hook for the penalty of sin. Just because you know better doesn't mean you are better. The Dead End of Self-Righteousness Paul declares definitively in Romans 3:20: "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." What the Law Actually Does The law serves a specific purpose - it gives us knowledge of righteousness and knowledge of sin. It's literally the means to understand our problem, but not the means to solve it. The law was never meant to bring salvation; it was meant to help us understand what righteousness looks like and how far short we fall. This leaves us with only one option: trust. From the very beginning, salvation has always been by faith. The just shall live by faith. Understanding Biblical Justification When we try to justify ourselves, we're attempting to move from the defendant's chair to the judge's chair. But we have neither the wisdom nor the authority to sit in that position. We are not the justifier - we want to be the justified. The Judge's Verdict Justification is a judicial term. When a judge declares "not guilty" and brings down the gavel, that's justification - a judicial expression of innocence. When we try to justify ourselves, we're like defendants claiming innocence, but that's not meaningful justification. The gospel tells us that if we come before God claiming innocence, that's a surefire way to be found guilty. But in Christ, we can be found innocent by saying, "I am guilty, but I'm trusting in Jesus." The Revelation of God's Righteousness Three Types of Divine Revelation Paul uses three distinct Greek words to describe how God reveals truth:
The Righteousness Belonging to God "'But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it'" - Romans 3:21 This isn't about God's righteous acts, but about a righteousness belonging to God that He can confer upon others. It's a judicial righteousness that God possesses and has the right to give to whomever He chooses. Key Biblical Terms Explained Redemption Redemption means "to buy back." In ancient times, someone could purchase a slave out of bondage. Jesus becomes our kinsman-redeemer, purchasing us back from our slavery to sin. Propitiation This refers to a special sacrifice for appeasing or atoning for sin. It's a sacrifice that costs significantly and dies in our place to appease God's wrath. Forbearance Divine forbearance means God refrained from exercising His legal right to punish sin immediately. He pushed the payment forward until Christ could make the ultimate payment. The Glory We All Fall Short Of "'For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'" - Romans 3:23 The glory of God isn't a thing - it's a person. The glory of God is Jesus Christ. When we read that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, we understand that we've all fallen short of Jesus, who lived the perfect life and fulfilled every measure of the law. Salvation: A Gift to Be Received Not by Works, But by Faith "'And are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus'" - Romans 3:24 Salvation is a gift to be received by faith, not earned by works. Many struggle with this because we'd feel better if we could earn it. But this mindset is exactly what Jesus calls us to repent of - our self-righteousness. Jesus doesn't need your help to save you. If you think you can add something to His salvation through good works, you misunderstand His salvation and it's actually offensive to God. Individual, Not Corporate God is "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." Salvation isn't based on family lineage, cultural background, or church attendance. It's individual faith in Jesus Christ. God doesn't have grandchildren - only children. The Ongoing Process When you place faith in Jesus, your salvation is complete - you are justified, declared not guilty. But salvation is also an ongoing process called sanctification, where the Holy Spirit gradually transforms you from the inside out. You can say:
Life Application The truth of justification by faith challenges us to examine where we're placing our trust. Are you trusting in your good habits, family heritage, church attendance, or moral behavior? Or are you trusting solely in Jesus Christ? This week, take an honest inventory of your heart. Identify any areas where you might be trusting in your own righteousness rather than Christ's righteousness. Remember that belonging to Jesus is the only way to true freedom. Questions for Reflection:
The good news is that Jesus has already made the payment. Salvation is available today through faith in Him alone - not through your works, but through His finished work on the cross. From a message by Jon Alsdorf
Paul's letter to the Romans begins with one of the most powerful declarations in all of Scripture. Before diving into the complexities of faith, Paul establishes a crucial foundation: understanding why we desperately need the good news requires first grasping just how bad the bad news really is. The Gospel: God's Power for Salvation What is the Gospel's Purpose? "'For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek'" - Romans 1:16. This verse serves as the thesis for the entire book of Romans. Paul declares that the gospel isn't just good advice or moral teaching - it's literally God's power working to save people. The phrase "to the Jew first and also to the Greek" encompasses all of humanity. Paul uses "Greek" to represent all non-Jewish people, what we call Gentiles. This salvation is available to 100% of humanity, regardless of background, ethnicity, or past. Faith from Beginning to End Paul continues: "'For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith'" - Romans 1:17. This phrase "from faith to faith" means from beginning to end, from eternity past to eternity future. God didn't change His plan between the Old and New Testaments. Salvation has always been by faith, never by works or religious performance. Why Do We Need Salvation? The Wrath of God Revealed "'For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth'" - Romans 1:18. This is the reality every human being faces: God's righteous anger against sin. Paul identifies two core problems: - Ungodliness : Living life separated from God, as if He doesn't exist - Unrighteousness : Doing what is wrong instead of what is right The Suppression of Truth The fundamental issue is that humanity suppresses truth. We live in a culture that expends enormous energy trying to explain away God's existence, promoting ideas that make no scientific, philosophical, or theological sense. When we divorce reality from God, we end up living by lies instead of truth. As Alexander Solzhenitsyn powerfully stated: "Live not by lies." This four-word phrase captures what followers of Jesus must choose - to stand for truth regardless of the cost, because when no one stands for truth, only God's wrath remains. Five Desecrations That Follow Rejecting God 1. Desecration of Worship When people reject God, they don't stop worshipping - they redirect their worship. Instead of honoring the Creator, they give credit to creation, to themselves, or even to nothing. This is deeply offensive to God, like eating a meal your spouse prepared and thanking someone else for cooking it. 2. Desecration Through Idolatry "'Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things'" - Romans 1:22-23. Modern idols might be parked in our driveways or stored in our phones. Anything we exalt above its proper place becomes an idol. 3. Desecration of Marriage Sexual intimacy reserved for marriage spills into inappropriate places. Marriage becomes devalued while unfettered sexual expression gets elevated. This matters because marriage was designed to reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church. When marriage is attacked, this beautiful picture becomes obscured. 4. Desecration of Humanity "'For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions...'" - Romans 1:26-27. Humans are made in God's image as His representatives on earth. When we reject God's design for sexuality and relationships, we distort the very image of God that we're meant to display. 5. Desecration of Society The final collapse comes when society celebrates evil and condemns good. Paul lists the characteristics: "filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice...gossips, slanderers, haters of God" - Romans 1:29-30. When all other foundations crumble, society itself collapses. No One Has an Excuse Universal Knowledge of Right and Wrong "'Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges'" - Romans 2:1. Paul argues that everyone knows right from wrong. Even a preschooler knows when something is unfair. This moral awareness is God's fingerprint on every human heart. Creation itself testifies to God's existence. Looking at your own hand, the stars, a growing plant, or a child's eyes - all point to a Creator. The philosophical question "Why is there something rather than nothing?" demands an answer that points beyond the material universe. The Problem with Our Own Standards Every culture values truth-telling over lying, faithfulness over unfaithfulness. We all make moral judgments. The problem? None of us live up to even our own standards, let alone God's perfect standard. We can all judge what's right, but we've all failed to do what's right. The Law Cannot Save Same Judgment for All "'For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law'" - Romans 2:12. Whether you have God's written law (like the Jews) or just the moral law written on your heart (like the Gentiles), the result is the same: judgment for sin. External Religion Isn't Enough "'For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter'" - Romans 2:28-29. Paul warns against religious complacency. Going through religious motions - whether circumcision for Jews or baptism for Christians - doesn't save anyone. Salvation requires a genuine heart change, not just external compliance with religious practices. Life Application The judgment and wrath of God are inevitable, complete, just, infinite, and eternal. No one possesses any excuse for unrighteousness and ungodliness. But the gospel of Jesus Christ is equally complete, just, infinite, and eternal - and it's the only hope for avoiding God's wrath. This week, examine your own heart honestly. Are you trusting in Jesus alone for salvation, or are you relying on religious activities, good works, or cultural Christianity? Have you truly been rescued from God's wrath by Jesus alone, or are you hoping that Jesus plus your efforts will be enough? Consider these questions:
The good news is that anyone can go home today knowing they are secure in Jesus' hands forever. Salvation is available to everyone who believes - not everyone who checks religious boxes, but everyone who genuinely trusts Jesus as Lord and Savior. |
Apply it!Next Steps is a collection of articles drawn from the sermons of Pastor Jon Alsdorf, and guest speakers, written to help you connect God's Word to real life. Each post is designed to inspire, challenge, and encourage you to live out your faith in practical, everyday ways -- because following Jesus is more than words, it's actions. Archives
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