In Pastor Steve Hopkins' sermon titled 'We also Joy in God through our Lord, Jesus Christ', delivered at Burnet Bible Church, he explores the profound joy believers can experience through their reconciliation with God via Jesus Christ. The sermon delves into Romans 5:10-11, emphasizing that believers, once enemies of God, are now reconciled through Jesus' death and continually saved by His life. Pastor Hopkins underscores that this reconciliation and justification by Jesus' blood ensure believers are saved from God's wrath, providing them with a secure and eternal future. He reassures the congregation that Jesus' ongoing intercession for believers strengthens their assurance of salvation. Hopkins encourages believers to live joyfully, rooted in the certainty of their salvation, even amidst life's trials and tribulations, and to take comfort in the divine promise of being saved from future wrath. The sermon calls for believers to embrace this joy and security, reminding them of the steadfast love and grace of God.

Welcome back to Burnet Bible Church. Join us this week as Pastor Hopkins continues his sermon series through the book of Romans. Turn with me in your Bibles once again to Romans chapter 5, where we'll be picking up Lord willing with verses 10 and 11 this morning. Let's stand for the reading of the Word of the Lord. Read with me verses 10 and 11.

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the Atonement. Let's pray. Father, we are weak, but you are strong. We are all need and you are all supply.

You alone know the extent of our infirmity and our spiritual poverty, O God, supply us with the riches of your grace in Christ Jesus. Fill every need this morning, O God, as we seek You by Your Word. Give the Spirit in full measure this morning as we seek to plumb somewhat of the depths of the truth of Your holy Word and transform us, O God, more into the image of our Lord Jesus by the renewing of our minds, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's be seated.

The title of the message this morning is, We Also Joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We of all people should be the most joyful people on earth. Amen? We of all people on earth should be the most joyful of all the people on earth. Why?

We'll get to that in a few minutes after our review of verses 8 and 9 from last week. We of all people should be the most joyful people on earth because we were saved by Jesus' death and we're being kept saved by His life. So what could possibly take away our joy? But in our last session we focused, and we'll review this for a few minutes, we focused on verses 8 and 9 of Romans chapter 5, where we read that God commended, that is, God demonstrated, God showed His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were still ungodly sinners, while we were still at enmity with God, Christ died for us.

While we who now believe were without strength to save ourselves, while we were dead in trespasses and sins, While we were wallowing in the corruption of our nature, Christ died for us. Christ died on our behalf. He died instead of us. He died as a substitution in our place. But that's not all.

Last week we saw as wonderful as the reality of God's love for us is demonstrated to us in the death of His Son for us while we were yet sinners. As wonderful as that is, the Apostle Paul tells us there's more, much more. Much more than, he says, being now justified by his blood. We have the resultant certainty of deliverance from future wrath. We have the resultant certainty that we shall most assuredly, we will surely be saved from the wrath to come through Him.

And I said last week, make no mistake about it, when the apostle talks about being delivered from wrath, he's talking about being delivered from hell. He's talking about being delivered from an eternity in the lake of fire under the wrath of God for all eternity. Those justified by Christ's blood shall be saved from eternal damnation, from hell, from the lake of fire. God demonstrated his love toward us in that even while we were still rebels, even when we were still traitors to his crown rights, Christ died for us. Therefore, being died for us.

Therefore, being now justified by his blood, much more surely then will we be saved from wrath through him. Again, I said in our last session, it is an argument from the greater to the lesser. If God did the one thing, He will surely do the other. If He did the one thing, which is greater, he will surely do the other, which is less. If he justified us by the blood of his Son, he will most assuredly save us from future wrath through him." The Apostle's statement is a conclusion.

It is conclusive. It is, as I said last week, it is a statement of fact. Being now justified by Christ's blood, we shall be saved through him from the wrath that will one day come upon all the unbelieving world Brothers and sisters we can receive comfort through the words of the Apostle The people of God will never suffer the wrath of God. The children of God will never suffer the wrath of God. We can be comforted by these words.

We can be comforted because we understand that God's own Son already suffered the wrath that was due us in our place. He already suffered the wrath that was due us in our place. We will not now suffer for the same sins that he already paid for on that cross 2, 000 years ago. We have been justified, that is declared just, declared righteous in God's sight, by the all-sufficient atoning blood of Jesus. A note in my Reformation heritage Bible says that in this passage quote Paul moves from the present reality to a certain future.

He moves from the present reality to a certain future, being justified in the present by His blood, which sums up Christ's atoning suffering, believers can be sure of safety from the wrath to come." The present Reality is that we who have trusted Christ alone for our salvation are now, right now, declared just in God's sight. It is a present reality. We are acquitted of all guilt who believe on Christ, who have trusted in Him alone for our salvation. We are at this moment acquitted from all guilt. We are forgiven all sins and trespasses.

All our sins and trespasses have been forgiven whose faith is in the blood of Christ, in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And because of that present reality being now justified by Christ's atonement made for us on the cross, we can be sure. We can be assured, we can be certain of our future deliverance from wrath. We can be sure of our future deliverance from hell and damnation. None of those for whom Christ died will ever experience the wrath of God.

None of those for whom Christ died will ever experience the wrath of God, either in this life or in the life to come. As I said last week, not so for the wicked. The children of darkness will cry to the mountains and to the rocks to fall upon them and to hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. They will cry out to the mountains, cover us, cover us and hide us from the face of Him that sits upon the throne, from Jesus, from the wrath of the Lamb. But not us, but not those who believe, not those who are in Christ.

Praise God, being now justified by Christ's blood sacrifice. We shall be saved from wrath through Him. I would put the emphasis on shall. We shall be saved from wrath through him. The love of God for his people, it should amaze and astound us when we consider that God gave His Son to die for us while we were yet ungodly sinners, while we had our fists lifted to His face in rebellion.

It should amaze us. And we can be certain that according to the text before us, we who were once his enemies, being now in the state of justification by his blood, shall be saved from future wrath through Him. Again, why? Because Jesus suffered in our place. Because Jesus died in our place.

Because Jesus Christ made full Atonement for our sins through the blood of his cross remember the hymns full atonement. Can it be? Yes, it can be Hallelujah, what a Savior because he made Satisfaction to the justice of God do us thereby appeasing the wrath of God that was directed at us, becoming the object of God's wrath in our place. Because of this, We are assured that He will also save us from any and all future punishment. If Christ died to save us, think about it, if Christ died to save us, that is to justify us in God's sight, even when we were His enemies, how much more will He preserve us from future wrath now that we are His children?

I cited 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 9 last week which says, for God had not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. God has appointed us to obtain salvation, not wrath. Some people are uncomfortable with that passage of Scripture. God not appointing his people to wrath, but appointing them to obtain salvation through Christ.

Some might ask, but who are the us, in verse 9, of this passage in 1 Thessalonians to whom the Apostle is Speaking that are not appointed to wrath but to obtain salvation And the answer is always this I always tell everyone if you want to know who an epistle or a letter is written to, always look at the address on the envelope. Just look at the address on the envelope. If you'll look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, turn there with me right now, Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 1. Here's the address on the letter in verses 1 and in verse 4 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Here's the address on the letter.

Here's the us that God has not appointed to wrath, but to obtain salvation to the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. To those who are in this Church, who are in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the address on the letter. Clearly speaking to Christians, and if we're not convinced by that, we move on to verse 4 where we see Paul saying of them, of the Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ He says of them knowing brethren beloved your election of God Knowing brethren beloved your election of God. He is speaking to brethren.

He is speaking to beloved brethren. He is speaking to those who are of the election of God. God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul is speaking to believers. God has not appointed those who are in Jesus Christ, His beloved, His elect, to wrath, but to obtain salvation by Christ.

You know, God always speaks of things in the past as they're in the future, and the future is in the past. God is not bound by time. He is not in any way bound by time. He speaks it and it's something that was spoken eternally from eternity past. This is the way it is and this is the way that it will be.

God has not appointed us, His people, to wrath but to obtain salvation. He has appointed us to obtain salvation. We can receive comfort by these words. If you'll turn over with me a few pages to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, beginning with verse 1. Let's begin with verse 1 and read through.

1 Thessalonians chapter 5. So we come to this impact of What is the apostle Paul saying when he gets to verse 9 and says, God has not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ? 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 beginning with verse 1, But of the times and the seasons, Brethren, who is he talking to? He's speaking to his brothers in Christ. You have no need that I write unto you, for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord, that's the day of coming wrath, so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But ye, that's plural, ye brethren, ye brethren, are not in darkness, I'm not talking about you here, you are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. It's not going to overtake you as a thief. You are the children of light and the children of the day. And hear it again.

He uses that word, we. It's the we and the us and the hour we are not of the night nor of darkness therefore let us not sleep as do others. Let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, brethren, let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

Why? For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us. That whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together. That is, take comfort in these divinely inspired words and edify, that is, build each other up, edify one another with these words that have just spoken even as also you do.

Brothers and sisters, as we see the day approaching, the day of wrath, when God's Wrath will begin to be poured out upon the wicked for all eternity. As we see that day approaching, we can be comforted. We who are justified by the blood of Christ, we can be comforted and we can be comforted together. Our future is secure. Our future is safe.

When I'm preaching on on the streets, I will often say, you know, to not be saved is to not be safe. You do not want to meet this God in eternity. You do not want to meet the God who created the heavens and the earth, who is all holy and just. You don't want to meet him in eternity, not covered by the blood of his son, not covered by the sacrifice of his son, not clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He is, I started to say the apostle Paul.

He is, as Paul Washer once said, a dangerous God. But our future is secure. Our future is safe. Christ is ours, and we are His. Amen?

Christ is ours, and we are His. Amen? Christ is ours, and we are His. Just savor that for a moment. Christ is ours, and we are His.

We belong to him. Our future is secure. We are saved and we are safe, brothers and sisters. Further on in verse 16, the apostle writes, rejoice evermore. Again, as I said when we began a few minutes ago, brothers and sisters, we who know Jesus should be of all people the most joyful people on earth.

In fact, the text seems to say that we are, not that just we should be. Look at verse 11, and not only so, but we also joy, that's rejoice, exult. We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We do that. That's what we do.

Our hearts should be filled with joy, and our hearts are filled with joy. We've sung it in the hymn, The Pearl of Greatest Price. I found the pearl of greatest price. We've sung it many times. I found the pearl of greatest price.

My heart doth sing for joy. And sing I must, I must, for Christ is mine. Christ shall my song employ. Christ is yours. Let your heart sing for joy.

No matter what we may face by way of trial or tribulation or persecution or false accusations, no matter what we may endure in this life or face in this life, Christ is ours and we are His. And if you'll turn back to our text from Romans chapter 5 as we go back and look at Verse 10, we hear the apostle reinforcing the argument that he presented in verse 9, which we just covered. He again is arguing from the greater to the lesser. Verse 9, it was much more than being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him and then in verse 10 much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Much more than being reconciled having been reconciled to God By the death of his son we shall be Saved by his life for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more than Being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Here's his argument Very similar to verse 9 if we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son when we were His enemies, how much more then will we be kept saved by His life?

John MacArthur put it this way, if God brought us to His Son when we were His enemies. How much more now that we are His reconciled children, will He keep us saved by the life of His Son? We have to understand what the apostle is speaking of here. He's talking about the life of Christ, not when Christ was on the earth, but the life of Christ after His resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father. Jesus is not dead, but alive.

After he rose from the dead, he ascended to heaven where he has been at the right hand of the Father doing something for us ever since, interceding for us, interceding for us, interceding continually for his people ever since. Jesus saved us by his death and he keeps us saved by his life. Amen. Our future again is secure. We sang it earlier in hymn 370.

Sing above the battle strife, Jesus saves, Jesus saves by His death and endless life. Jesus saves, Jesus saves. He saved us by His death. He keeps us saved by His life. Our future is secure.

Look at Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 25. In In this passage, Hebrews 725, we are told that Christ is able to save to the uttermost, that is, eternally, unto eternity. Christ is able to save from now to eternity those who come to God through Him. He is able. He is able.

He is able doubt no more. Why? Because He ever lives to make intercession for us. Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us. Jesus is always living to intercede for us, to pray for us, to intercede for us.

And friends, nothing can defeat the intercession of our Lord. Nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. What a comfort.

God will never let go of us. Isn't that a comfort? God will never let go of us. And yet you hear people say, yeah, but what if you let go of God? I had this conversation with a person in the denomination Church of Christ.

He said, but yeah, what if you let go of God? Well, God won't let go of us, but what if we let go of God? What if you let go of God? Brothers and sisters, every one of us lets go of God to a certain degree every day of our lives. Prone to wonder, the hymn says, Lord, I feel it.

Prone to leave the God I love. But are we stronger than our Lord? I'll ask the children here this morning, Lily and Mandy and Peyton. Let me ask you all a question this morning, okay? Anybody want to answer it, just answer it.

You can speak and answer it right now. Are we stronger than God? Are we stronger than God? No. That was emphatic.

No. Out of the mouth of babes. Jesus saved us by his death and he will keep us saved by his life. He's strong. We're weak.

We display our weakness every single day of our lives and He displays His strength to us every day of our lives in keeping us in Him. It's what the apostle is saying here. Jesus saved us by His death. He will keep us saved by His life. And it's a cause for rejoicing.

Jesus saved us by His death and He will keep us saved by His life, and it's a cause for rejoicing. Jesus saved us by His death, and He will keep us saved by His life. This produces our joy. This is what produces our joy in God. This is the cause of our exultation.

We can rejoice triumphantly through our Lord Jesus Christ, because by Him We have now received the atonement, full atonement, full reconciliation with God, from whom no power on earth or hell below can ever detach us or separate us. Again, we of all people should be the most joyful people on earth. Jesus saved us by his death and he will keep us saved by his life. Do you ever struggle with lack of joy? Do you ever struggle even for a moment with lack of joy?

I do. Say to yourself in those times, Jesus saved me by His death and He will keep me saved by His life. And then look around you and see a world of people for whom that is not so. Realize we should be the most joyful people on the face of the earth. Jesus saved us by His death and He will keep us saved by His life.

Ever overcome by the daily trials and circumstances of this life? Say to yourself, Jesus saved me by His death, and He will keep me saved by His life. Jesus died for me and rose again, and He lives for me, and He will keep me in Him unto all eternity. We can joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, even in the earth-shaking trials of our lives, But also in the small disappointments and irritations that so often get a grip on us when things just don't go our way. You know, anyone have those times also?

It's like you're not completely off track. Your joy is not just wiped out, but you have those situations throughout the day where you tend to get discontented. Things aren't going the way I thought they were gonna go right now. It's just the daily irritations and small disappointments. Just stop.

Just stop. Take a deep breath and say to yourself, I have been reconciled to God by the death of his Son. And He who saved me by His blood will also keep me saved and never let me go. I am seated with Jesus in heavenly places. It's as if the future were already the past.

Christ is mine and I am His. His banner over me is love. No matter what trials of life I may be called upon to endure, be they big or small, I am filled with joy. I exult. That word means to leap with joy.

I leap with joy. I rejoice exceedingly. Right now in you, God, through my Lord Jesus Christ, because you saved me by the death of Christ, and I'm assured that you will keep me saved by his life. You saved me, Jesus saved me by his death, and He will keep me saved by His life. I can rejoice and I do rejoice right now in You God through my Lord Jesus Christ for by Him I have now received the Atonement.

And let's end there this morning. Our Father, wonderful God, high above the whole earth, how we exult and rejoice this morning in the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom you sent to suffer and die for our sins and rise again from the dead and be exalted to your right hand to intercede for us continually. God, may the very thought of our reconciled state before you in Christ fill our hearts with joy and redound unto praise and thanksgiving in whatsoever circumstances of life we may find ourselves. Oh Lord, if we are called upon of you to suffer, help us Lord to take it patiently and with joy. For called upon to be persecuted, no matter what we are facing or may face, let us rejoice in you, God.

Let us remember the cause of our rejoicing. For we who were once your enemies are now reconciled to you