ATONEMENT BROUGHT PEACE WITH GOD, ACCESS TO GOD .... AND DOMINION WITH GOD

Mike Blume
January 23, 2005 pm


  Scripture Text:

 
Romans 5:1-11 KJV  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  (2)  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  (3)  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;  (4)  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:  (5)  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.  (6)  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  (7)  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  (8)  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  (9)  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.  (10)  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.  (11)  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Romans 5:17 KJV  For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

Revelation 5:6-10 KJV  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.  (7)  And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.  (8)  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.  (9)  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;  (10)  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

  Message:



Romans teaches us that the blood of Jesus is the key that brought us into favour with God after being His enemies due to our sins.
  • When it says we have PEACE with God, it implies we were once enemies.
  • As two warring parties reconcile and come into peace with each other, we have PEACE with God through Jesus Christ.
  • And that specific note of "Through jesus Christ" refers distinctly to the WORK OF THE CROSS, and the BLOOD HE SHED in order to save us.
Then we read that we have access to God now.
  • We can enter the most holy place.
  • BY WHOM.
  • Through Jesus once again!
  • It's all through Jesus.

And we then read that this peace and access to God causes us to be able to GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS.

This is very important.
  • When enemies of our souls are hedging in upon us...
  • When troubles come our way....
  • In the midst of TRIBULATIONS against us, we NOW HAVE GOD ON OUR SIDE.
  • WE NOW HAVE PEACE WITH GOD.
  • And GOD is the Greatest Force in the universe!
  • With THAT KIND OF GOD ON OUR SIDE, we can simply GLORY in the midst of tribulations!

Tribulation works patience.
  • There is something about patience that is associated with tribulation.

Revelation 1:9 KJV  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

John was in TRIBULATION.
  • But because he had access to God THROUGH CHRIST, that tribulation was something by which HE HAD PATIENCE.
  • Tribulations would mean destruction to us had we not had peace and access with God.
  • But now they work PATIENCE.
  • Something good can come out of tribulation.

The reason we see them work patience is because we CAN HAVE POWER THROUGH IT ALL.
  • You see, patience, in turn, works experience.
  • The idea of experience here is in the sense of the familiar picture of a company that requires a man with EXPERIENCE in a certain trade.
  • The only thing between you and victory is EXPERIENCE!
  • WANTED: EXPERIENCED SAINTS TO RULE IN THIS WORLD.

The only saints who will rule are the saints WHO ARE EXPERIENCED.

Experience will not make you ashamed.
  • The idea here is that experience will not DISAPPOINT YOU.
  • When you learn to have patience and not look at tribulations as your undoing and your destruction, and learn to deal with troubles, then YOU ARE GETTING EXPERIENCE AT RULING.

Experience works a HOPE IN YOU.
  • Imagine going through enough trials until you cry out to God to see victory instead of expecting defeat and destruction!
  • You are getting experience needed for RULING.

We all know GOD IS ALL POWERFUL.
  • ANd even if you are a defeatest and weak in faith, get enough troubles your way, and you will cry out to God.
  • You will resort to Him.
  • And things change and you begin to have PATIENCE TO SEE VICTORY.
  • YOU GET EXPERIENCE IN RULING.
  • And when you are experienced enough to seek God, THEN YOU START HOPING FOR VICTORY.
  • You truly believe you are going to see victory.
  • AND HOPE WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU!

We already know God shed his love in our hearts when He saved us.
  • When we were sinners, God loved us so much He sent His Son to the Cross to die for our sins.
  • And we stand upon THAT KIND OF LOVE.
  • If he loved us THAT much, MUCH MORE he will save us from wrath in this world!

If God loved you that much, then MUCH MORE He will love you and rescue you and help you!

Romans 8:31-35 KJV  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  (32)  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?  (33)  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.  (34)  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.  (35)  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

HE WILL GIVE US ANYTHING, by hIs love for us, If He loved us so much that He gave his only SON!!!
  • Nothing is a great as Jesus dying for us!
  • So ANYTHING ELSE IS YOUR'S!
  • Because He loves you THAT much.

After mentioning all of this, we read that whereas Adam brought the reign of DEATH into the world.

Romans 5:17 KJV  For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

God's POWER IS MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN DEATH!
  • It is LIFE!
  • And we can REIGN IN THIS "LIFE" and overcome and overpower the force of DEATH.

Revelation states the same thing as Romans says about RULING in Revelation 5.

And IT IS THROUGH CHRIST THAT REVELATION 5 SHOWS the saints to be kings.

Revelation is about the great tribulation of the early church, as we have studied.
  • We all know that JESUS MADE ATONEMENT FOR US.

Rom 5:(11)  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

The reason we have PEACE and ACCESS to God is DUE TO ATONEMENT.
  • And Revelation 5 refers to the trouble upon the church.

Recall that JESUS COMES INTO HEAVEN AS A LAMB and takes a book.
  • When we read of the seals being broken, we read of troubles and judgments of God coming upon His enemies.

Now, this SAME PICTURE is found in Daniel 7.

The chapter is full of beasts rising up from the sea of multitudes of people.
  • And one particular fourth beast tears up with iron teeth and then and stamps up the residue on the ground with it's feet.
  • It has horns, and one of those rises up and tears up by the roots three horns and speaks great things.

Daniel 7:8-9 KJV  I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.  (9)  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

AT THAT SAME TIME THE ANCIENT OF DAYS SITS!
  • God sits on His throne.

Daniel 7:10 KJV  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Books are opened in this awesome display of glory at the same time THIS ENEMY BEAST AND HORN are on a rampage.
  • He has BOOKS of judgments and cursings in His law.

Daniel watches until the beast is wiped out.

And then Daniel sees something else in the vision.
  • It's exactly what Revelation 5 shows.
  • So we know that Rev 5 is dealing with a time when a beast was on a rampage.

You see, that beast was making war with the saints, before it was destroyed.

Daniel 7:21 KJV  I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Daniel sees this GREAT POINT:

Daniel 7:13 KJV  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Just like this:

Revelation 5:7 KJV  And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

Then  we read this:

Daniel 7:14 KJV  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

The beast and the horn that persecuted the saints and even prevailed over them for a time, is destroyed.
  • And Daniel informs us that the destruction occurred due to this:
  • The SON OF MAN comes to the Ancient of Days and TAKES DOMINION.
  • Rev 5 says He took a sealed book full of judgments.
  • And the meaning of the vision is explained.
  • As the Son of man took the book and took dominion, we read:

Daniel 7:18 KJV  But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

It's the saints taking dominion when the SON OF MAN takes it!

That is why Revelation 5 shows THE LAMB TAKING THE BOOK, representing TAKING DOMINION, and the SAINTS SAYING THEY SHALL RULE ON THE EARTH AS KINGS AND PRIESTS!

ALL OF THAT IS SEEN IN TWO VISIONS -- DANIEL'S AND JOHN'S -- OF JESUS GOING INTO A PLACE NO ONE ELSE CAN GO.
  • LIKE A HIGH PRIEST ENTERING A MOST HOLY PLACE.
  • How many know that the high priest entered the most holy place WHEN HE MADE ATONEMENT.
  • That occurred when Jesus resurrected from the dead!

BUT ATONEMENT IS NOT ALL HE IS IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE FOR.

Hebrews 7:24 KJV  But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

THROUGH THE HIGH PRIEST'S WORK, ISRAEL RECEIVED ATONEMENT.
  • AT-ONE-MENT.
  • Reconciliation.
  • PEACE IS MADE WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
  • Romans 5!!!!!!!!

And Romans 5 even mentions ATONEMENT.

The reason John and Daniel see JESUS enter a MOST HOLY PLACE to TAKE POWER so the saints can ENJOY THE POWER, is WE HAVE PEACE THROUGH THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST, TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT ANY TIME WE NEED VICTORY OVER OUR ENEMIES..... Jesus is there in the MOST HOLY PLACE AGAIN FOR US!
  • THROUGH HIM we had the love of God shed abroad in our hearts.
  • THROUGH HIM we gained peace and access to God.
  • AND HE SHALL ALSO SAVE US FROM WRATH THROUGH HIM!

Daniel 7 and Rev 5 involve WRATH coming upon God's people from BEASTS!
  • But we can glory in that sort of tribulation!
  • Praise God!
  • We can take hold of God THROUGH JESUS in such times, and all because of the atonement, WE CAN CLAIM DOMINION.

You see, we have PEACE with the ALMIGHTY GOD OF THE UNIVERSE!
  • And when you have HIM on YOUR SIDE, you can enjoy HIS POWER and DOMINATE YOUR ENEMIES!

God showed this to the early church in the great tribulation of the Nero persecution.
  • And that was so they could take advantage of the ATONEMENT WORK, and realize THEY CAN GET HOLD OF GOD since then IN TIMES OF TRIBULATION AND CURSE THAT WORK OF THE DEVIL!

God wants you to know that if He loved you to such an extent that he loved you and sent His Son to die for you WHEN YOU WERE ENEMIES, how much more will he help you in times of trouble?
  • Its a far less thing to do for you when God delivers you from wrath by empowering you to overcome, than it was for Him to send HIS ONLY SON TO DIE FOR YOU!

How shall he not give you ALL THINGS, if He gave HIS ONLY SON FOR YOU?

Church JUDGMENT IS SET!

God saw the devil tearing up through the beast.
  • But thank, God GOD DOES SOMETHING THROUGH THE SON!
  • AND LIFE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN DEATH.
  • WHILE DEATH RULES, MUCH MORE SHALL WE RULE IN the power of "LIFE"!!!!
  • And Paul said IT IS BY ONE, JESUS CHRIST!

We have PEACE with God through Christ, and ACCESS with God through Christ and also RULERSHIP IN LIFE THROUGH CHRIST!

Everything we need is in the most holy place of Heaven where God's throne is.
  • Where His power is!
  • And ATONEMENT through the cross saved us, so Christ went into that MOST HOLY PLACE OF HEAVEN.
  • And any time we need to do the other things WE CAN DO THROUGH CHRIST, We need to picture HIM IN THE MOST HOLY HEAVEN FOR US TO SEE THOSE NEEDS COME TO US AS WELL!

Same thing is here:

Revelation 12:1-5 KJV  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:  (2)  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.  (3)  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.  (4)  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.  (5)  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

When the devil goes wild to chase after the woman...

Revelation 12:7-11 KJV  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,  (8)  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  (9)  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.  (10)  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  (11)  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

...The SAINTS overcome the devil BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB.
  • BY THE ATONEMENT!
  • The same ATONEMENT that brought them peace with GOD and ACCESS TO GOD, also brought them POWER WITH GOD.
  • It brought them DOMINION!

There's more than peace and access with God!
  • THERE IS POWER WITH GOD AND DOMINION WITH GOD!

ATONEMENT BROUGHT PEACE, ACCESS AND DOMINION WITH GOD

That is why we see these things achieved in the same picture of a high priest going into the most holy place for us to achieve atonement, peace and access with God... AS WELL AS DOMINION FOR US!