23. Romans Chapter 5 Verses 6-9 - Messages In Romans – Reconciliation And Who Is Accountable For Sin? - Message 23 Series

23. ROMANS CHAPTER 5 VERSES 6-9 - MESSAGES IN ROMANS – RECONCILIATION AND WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR SIN? - MESSAGE 23

Last time we studied this passage we left off at this most important verse - {{Romans 5:9 “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be SAVED FROM THE WRATH OF GOD through Him.”}}

Chapter 5 is the great chapter of Justification and it began with being justified by faith in the finished sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, and in verse 9 we have the primary fact of justification by His blood, because if we did not have the latter justification, there is no way we could have the former one.

At the right time Christ died for us, and He gave His live for all sinful human beings, dying for them in the very fallen state they were/we are in. We could do not a thing to redeem ourselves. It is all of Jesus Christ, calling us while we were yet sinners to become the recipients of grace.

Verses 6 to 11 are a very important division in chapter 5 focussing on the benefits that have been derived from what the Lord did for us who could do nothing for ourselves. I constantly delight in the account of Mephibosheth, a castoff, fallen, in a place of no pasture, with no prospects, but the grace flowing from King David extended to him, and he was raised from the place of hopelessness and helplessness and brought into the palace of the king to eat at his table. That is exactly what the Lord did for us.

We now move to the next verse in this division, verse 10.

[D]. THERE IS NOW THE GREAT TRUTH OF RECONCILIATION

{{Romans 5:10 “If while 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.”}}

We here encounter the first use of the great truth of reconciliation in Romans. The book is a wonderful study of great words of doctrine. When studying doctrinal aspects it is fundamental to appreciate the application to us correctly. To deal with these great words is one thing in disassociation, but it is not encouraging for listeners or readers. We must make the blessings of these words apply to believers, and then derive the joy that flows from them

The first use of this concept (reconciliation) in the New Testament is found here – {{Matthew 5:23-24 “If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU, leave your offering there before the altar and go your way. FIRST BE RECONCILED to your brother and then come and present your offering.”}}

What the Lord taught here sets the simplicity of reconciliation in place. One has something against another that has to be set right. The second thing is that reconciliation must be attended to before any fellowship with God can happen. In this account, there could be no interaction with God before reconciliation of a brother.

Verse 10 begins with, “If while we were enemies,” and that is the bottom line. It means warring parties, and even if weapons are not taken up, it means hostilities existed. War of words and attitudes and behaviour, and even condition – all that we as human beings stood for was at variance with God. We were hostile to Him, having no intention whatever of closing the gap, not even wanting to make anything right.

To be openly honest here, there was nothing we were able to do to make it right with God even if we wanted to do it. We were utterly incapable of any move, and Paul had brought that out with the previous verses about the helpless state we were all in. A helpless man can not rise up and put everything right. It has to be done for him. It takes the intervention of another for that to happen.

That is exactly what reconciliation is all about. It is the intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf to bring about peace between two warring parties. We have been brought from the gutter into blessing; brought from the place of no pasture to the King’s table; reconciled from the enemy camp to the halls of peace. All that is the work of the Lord, and not one thing could we do about it.

There was only one way reconciliation could happen and it was through the death of the Son of God. There are some who would love to bypass that, and make it by works or good intentions but everything is sealed by the blood of Christ; His reconciling work of the cross. The New Covenant was enacted at Calvary, and a covenant was confirmed in blood.