ROMANS 5: 6-11
GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS LOVE
To save us from eternal death, God had to give the very life of His Son Jesus. God sent His Son to earth as a human baby too weak to lift up His own head. He learned how to crawl, how to stand, how to run.
When He had grown into a man, He attempted to bring men back to the God whom they had forgotten. He told them: "The Lord our God loves you (John 3:16), "You must love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength" (Mt. 22:37), and "You must love others as much as you love yourself" (Mt. 22:39).
Then showed them what God means by "love" as well as told them. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, and gave the blind sight.
Finally, He would show them the greatest love of all: He would die for them, for us, to open the back way to God.
After that, no matter how far a person wandered, no matter how big the sin, there is still this way back to God. For this love is stronger than sin, stronger than death itself. [Ruth Graham, Ruth's Attic. 37-38]
Thus the Christian's hope is not wishful thinking nor guess work. Rather Christian hope is based upon the solid foundation of God's reconciling love for us (CIT). This love is seen in Jesus' death on the Cross and the shedding of His blood on our behalf.
Our text first portrays the freeness and greatness of God's love for sinful men by contrasting it with the greatest of human love. He then shows some of the benefits of accepting the love of God.
Wondrous is the revelation of God as love and man as the object of that love. In our text today we have the emphasis on the historical fact in which the revelation of God's love rests, the cross of Jesus Christ. Let us look at how God demonstrates His love to us.
I. The Greatness of God's Love, 6-8.
II. The Greatness of God's Deliverance, 9-10.
III. The Greatness of the Believer's Joy, 11.
Having revealed the powerful outpouring of divine love in the hope filled hearts of believers, Paul now explores God's love for mankind. Verses 6-8 are profound descriptions of the depth and breath of God's divine love. God's love is for the undeserving, for helpless, ungodly, sinners as verse 6 states. "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for (on behalf of) the ungodly."
Christ came to die for us while we were "helpless" ( -powerless). We were unable to save ourselves. We were captives of Satan and our sinful desires. We were destitute of strength to do any spiritual good. We were unable to rescue ourselves from the effects of the fall.
We need rescuing, so Christ was born into the world to a virgin "at the right time" - the fulness of time (Gal. 4:4; Eph.1:10; Phil. 2:6f; Titus 1:3). The Christ-event was no arbitrary happening (Mk. 1:15; Jn. 1:14; Heb. 9:26) but came according to God's divine plan (Heb. 9:26).
The plan forged in love reached its climax when Jesus "died on behalf of the ungodly." This explains how God justified the ungodly in 4:5. The motive for Christ's death is that God's nature is one of unselfish redemptive love, not because those He died for were lovely or deserving. They/we weren't. They/we were ungodly, or not like God. Notice that Christ died for, or "on behalf of" ( ) the ungodly, that is, in their place, that they/we might have the salvation He now freely offers.
[The Greatest Sacrifice] WINSTON CHURCHILL was honoring members of the Royal Air Force who had guarded England during the second world war. Recounting their brave service, he declared, "Never in the history of mankind have so many owed so much to so few."
A similar sentiment appears on a memorial plaque in Bastogne, Belgium, where raged the famous Battle of the Bulge, one of the bloodiest conflicts of World War II. The inscription, in honor of the U. S. 101st Airborne Division, reads: "Seldom has so much American blood been shed in the course of a single action. Oh, Lord, help us to remember!"
These are fitting and well-deserved tributes to the courageous men and women who sacrificed so much in battle. But there is One whose selfless sacrifice resulted in even greater benefits for mankind. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became a man. As the sinless One, He died on a cross and shed His blood to pay for the sins of the entire world. In so doing, He guaranteed our freedom - freedom from the penalty, power, and someday even the presence of sin. Of Christ it can be said: Never in the history of mankind have so many owed so much to one Man. Yes, His was the greatest sacrifice. Lord, help us to remember!
[ It is not easily for us to accept our unworthiness helplessness or the depth and breath of God's divine love. God loves us in spite of who we are, because of who He is. Because of what Jesus Christ has done for us, we know that we are always loved by God. We also know that no one is beyond the reach of God's unmerited love.]
Verse 7 asks us to compare God's limitless love with the guardedness of natural love. "For scarcely will one die for (on behalf of) a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die."
The greatness of the love of God is illustrated here and in the following verse. It is hardly to be expected that any one would die, in the place of a righteous man, though for the good man this self-sacrifice might happen.
The "righteous man" ( ) that one would hardly die for is a moral man. The good man ( ) one might die for is one who has won your affection and loyalty. It is said that Napoleon's soldiers would die for him.
The point Paul makes is that none of us would find it easy to die for another and if called upon to do so, it would help if the person for whom we died was a worthy person. Maybe even one who helped or cared for us. Did God then die on the Cross for us because we were good or worthy of His love for us? No, Christ died for us while we were unworthy sinners.
The principle in verse 8 is an essential belief for salvation. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
These are amazing words. God's love as revealed in Jesus Christ is unparalleled. John 3:16. Whenever you feel uncertain about God's love for you, remember that He loved you even before you turned to Him. How much does God love the world? Jesus stretched out His hands wide and said, this much - and they nailed them to the Cross for your sin.
"Christ died" is a historical statement of fact. Christ died "for us" is the interpretation of why Christ died. In the face of animosity and rejection Christ offered His life as the supreme sacrifice "for us." The Greek preposition "for" (huper) means "on behalf of," or," in place of." Jesus took our place. It is one thing to believe that Christ died, it is different to confess that He died for me, in my place, for my sin. It is the necessary confession of becoming a Christian. [James Edwards. New International Biblical Com. Romans. Hendrikson.1992. P140-141]
Notice also the motivation for Christ's death. Christ died for us so that God might "demonstrates His own love toward us." We are objects of God's love. The gift of Christ to die on our behalf is everywhere in Scripture represented as the highest possible or conceivable proof of love. This death is unparalleled. It was not merited from our side for Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us while we were in a state of rebellion against Him. Not because we were good or righteous, white or black, rich or poor, but because we were sinners. This reveals God's own unfathomable love for us. Love can go no further than that. He has made a way for each of us to be saved.
Let us be thankful God loves this way. If God loved us because we loved Him, He would love us only as long as we love Him and on that condition. But God loves us as sinners. God's love for us does not depend on our loveliness but on the character of the love of God.
An OLD INDIAN CHIEF constantly spoke of the Lord Jesus and what He meant to him. "Why do you talk so much about Jesus?" asked a friend. The old chief did not reply, but slowly, deliberately gathered some sticks and bits of grass. He made a circle of them. In the circle he placed a caterpillar. Still silent, he struck a match and lit the sticks and bits of grass. They watched the caterpillar. As the fire caught around the circle, the trapped caterpillar began to crawl around rapidly, seeking a way of escape.
As the fire advanced, the helpless caterpillar raised its head as high as it could. If the creature could have spoken, it would have said, "My help can come only from above."
Then the old chief stooped down. He extended his finger to the caterpillar which crawled up his finger to safety. "That, said the old chief glowingly, "was what the Lord Jesus did for me! I was lost in sin. My condition was hopeless. I was trapped. Then the Lord Jesus stooped down, and in love and mercy He drew me out of the ‘horrible pit' of sin and shame. How can I help but love Him and talk of His wondrous love and care?"
[One of the characters in Alan Paton's novel "Ah, But Your Land is Beautiful" tells a moving story. A girl with a terrible FACIAL DISFIGUREMENT fell in love with a blind man and married him. He was the only person who wouldn't flinch from her.
One day a great surgeon examined the man. "I think I can restore your sight," he said. Joy filled his heart - but fear gripped hers. Sensing her reserve, the blind husband asked, "Why do you not share my joy?" "I do," she insisted. Then he said, "You have never before lied to me. Why do you lie to me now?" When she told him of her blemish, he said, "I love you so much that I will stay blind. Your happiness means more to me than my sight." He allayed her fears by closing the door to the possibility that he might stop loving her if he could see her.
A far greater love flows from the heart of God. He sees the ugliness of our sin-disfigured soul and still loves us. In fact, He laid all our iniquities on His only begotten Son, who accepted the rejection, shame, and agonizing separation from God that sin always brings. Now the Father can' accept with unflinching love any guilt"scarred sinner who receives Jesus. Don't let a day go by without thanking Him for His incomparable love. [D.J.D. Our Daily Bread]
[Reflecting God's Love] What should such love produce in us? I read a story about what happened to a South Korean Christian. Arrested by the communists during the Korean War, he was sentenced to die before a firing squad. But when the officer in charge learned that this man headed an orphanage, he changed the order. Instead, he forced the believer to watch as his 19-year-old son was shot to death in his place.
Some time later the communist officer was captured by United States forces, tried, and condemned to die. But before the execution, the Christian whose son had been killed made an emotional plea in behalf of the officer, asking that he be released into his custody. His request was granted, and eventually the officer was converted to Christ and became a pastor.
God's love has done similar things in each of our lives. That is how we know its reality. The assurance of the love of God never produces self-complacency or pride; but humility, wonder, gratitude, and praise. The believer sees that the mysterious fountain of love is generated from God and not by man.
Again, note who Christ died for - He died for us. For you, me, your friends and neighbors, my friends and neighbors.
II. THE GREATNESS OF GOD'S DELIVERANCE, 9-10.
The transforming love of God reaches another apex in verses 9 & 10. If God's love delivered Christ to death for sinners, how much more will it save us from wrath. Verse 9, "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath (of God) through Him."
"Much more" announces an argument from the greater to the lesser. If God did the greater, will He not even more readily do the lesser. The great thing is the justification in Christ's shed blood or atoning death. Those who receive their just standing before God have it based on the blood atonement of Christ. Those in Christ, covered by the blood atonement of Christ, have assurance of deliverance "from the wrath" of God. Thank God for the power in His shed blood.
When Lily Pinneo, a missionary nurse, was in West Africa, she contracted a deadly disease called LASSA FEVER. After Lily was flown to New York for medical treatment, her temperature soared to 107°F. To reduce the fever, doctors packed her in ice and fed her intravenously. The fever subsided. After 9 weeks, she had lost 28 pounds and most of her hair. Yet, somehow, she survived.
In a laboratory, Dr. Casals carefully isolated and analyzed the Lassa virus. But he too fell ill from his exposure to the disease. At the time, no known treatment was effective. Fortunately, Nurse Pinneo was convalescing and had built up antibodies to the dreaded disease. She donated blood plasma to Dr. Casals and he recovered too. Her blood saved his life.
All of us are infected with the fatal disease of sin (Rom. 3:23). There is only one cure. It resides in the cleansing power of Jesus Christ's shed blood, Paul wrote, "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Rom. 5:9). The righteous wrath of God against transgression has been fully satisfied through Jesus's death in our place. The price of our freedom from sin was paid by Jesus' blood. All we need to do is repent, recognize Him as Lord and Savior, and receive the spiritual cure for sin. Have you made that decision? [Dennis Fisher. Our Daily Bread]
The next thought in verse 10 is closely related. "For 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."
This wonder defies understanding. Reconciliation is the act by which God makes the sinner right with Himself. God reconciled us to Himself at so great a cost. He did this while "we were His enemies," showing disregard and even contempt for His will. We deserved wrath, not mercy. Yet He reconciled Himself to us even though we were His enemies. Oh, the amazing greatness of God's love.
[It is not our task to reconcile God to us. That was Jesus' task on the cross. That task, of God accepting sinners, is finished. God is reconciled. It is our task for us to be "reconciled to God." Man refuses to be reconciled to God. Man refuses to follow God's will. God will accept us, justify us. We will not accept God. [Salvation and sanctification are a movement from being God's enemies to being His friends, from a state of animosity to a state of peace.]
The second part of the verse concerns the outcome of our reconciliation. The effect of being saved by His death is that "we will be saved by His life." The same power that raise Christ from the dead is the power that saved you and is available to in your daily life.
If God had the power to redeem us in the first place much more does He make His resurrection power available to sanctify us. God makes us right before Him by His death for us. He gives us the life of Christ that we might become right. This experiential or continual daily salvation is called sanctification. We are saved. We are being saved. And one day we will be saved. The life of Christ living within us saves us or makes us like Christ.
III. THE GREATNESS OF THE BELIEVER'S JOY, 11.
Verse 11 proclaims the great truth that those who receive God's reconciliation exult God through the Lord Jesus Christ. "And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."
The foundation or basis for exulting is given here. We exult in God through Jesus Christ's reconciling death for us and saving life that has been given to us. We have now received His reconciling life. We can now be who we could not be, or Christ-like, without His reconciling death.
How can we not rejoice in God. Having been reconciled to Him by the death of Christ, and daily experiencing deliverance from the habits of the old nature. We are no longer recipients of wrath, but we confidently look forward to the divine glory we will share with Him forever and ever.
In the mid 1950s, the world was shocked when five missionaries were killed by some AUCA INDIANS in South America. The missionaries were trying to reach these primitive people with the Gospel. Later, the tribe welcomed into their community the wife of one of the martyred missionaries and the sister of another, and translation work on the New Testament began.
Veteran missionary pilot. Bob Griffin, tells about the difficulty the translators had putting the word reconciled into the Auca language. They searched for an equivalent but found none. Then, one day a translator was traveling through the jungle with some of the Aucas. They came to a narrow, deep ravine, and the missionary thought they could go no farther. The Aucas, however; took out their machetes and cut down a large tree so that it fell over the ravine, permitting them all to cross safely.
The translator listening. intently to the Auca discovered that they had a word for "tree across the ravine." This seemed to be the best way to express the meaning of the word reconciled.
The great "ravine" between sinful man and holy God was bridged by Jesus Christ. He became man, lived a sinless life and died for us. He reconciled us to God. He is our "tree across the ravine."
INVITATION
A composer can take a sheet of paper, write some words and symbols on it, and make a song that's creativity. A Builder can take wood and nails, put them together, and build a house. That's skill.
An artist can take a piece of canvas, put some paint on it, and create a masterpiece. That is art. A scientist can take chemicals, mix them in the right proportions, and develop a vaccine. That's genius.
Only God though can take a broken, sinful life, fill it with His love and forgiveness, and make it a blessing to others. That's redemption.
Redemption might seem to be a big word to many. Some call it a "churchy"word. It comes from the word redeem. Redeem means to repurchase, liberate, or ransom. The definition, to free from the bondage of sin, is more meaningful than any other.
The Bible is the story of God's desire to redeem people from sin. It is (especially the New Testament) God's plan of redemption. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).
Christ died for the ungodly. God's love was so great, so beyond human comprehension, that he gave His best for the most unworthy. In human terms it is impossible to fully understand such love. A weak comparison might be this: If you were slapping your mother, spitting in her face, and calling her filthy names, she would still love you forgive you, and want you to be her child.
All we have or hope for, we owe to Jesus Christ. Our peace, our communion with God and each other, our joy, our hope and our eternal life. Let us exalt in God by praising and worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ.
God loved us enough to send Jesus. He is not some heavenly killjoy or tyrant. He provided the only way for us as sinful men to come to Him. He did this by a love so great that He sacrificed Himself for us even when we were His enemies.
"While we were yet sinners" demonstrates the depth of God's love. He died for a world of sinners - the width of God's love. He gave us the life of Christ - the height of God's love.
Your sins may not be "awful" as some, but any sin puts a barrier between you and God. Yet Jesus' death on the cross made it possible for you to repent of your sins and come to God. It is the same for anyone. God will make this reconciliation real in your life if you ACT:
(1) Acknowledge that you are God's enemy, separated from Him by your sin;
(2) Confess your sin to God;
(3) Take Jesus as your Savior.
If you haven't been reconciled with God, don't wait another minute! Christ showed His love by dying for us; we show ours by living for Him.
Let us rejoice in God for blessings both present and future.
Redeemed-how I love to proclaim it!
[ In The Whisper Test, Mary Ann Bird writes:
I grew up knowing I was different, and I hated it. I was born with a cleft palate, and when I started school, my classmates made it clear to me how I looked to others: a little girl with a misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth, and garbled speech.
When schoolmates asked, "What happened to your lip?" I'd tell them I'd fallen and cut it on a piece of glass. Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have suffered an accident than to have been born different. I was convinced that no one outside my family could love me.
There was, however, a teacher in the second grade that we all adored-Mrs. Leonard by name. She was short, round, happy-a sparkling lady.
Annually we had a hearing test. . . .Mrs. Leonard gave the test to everyone in the class, and finally it was my turn. I knew from past years that as we stood against the door and covered one ear, the teacher sitting at her desk would whisper something, and we would have to repeat it back-things like "The sky is blue" or "Do you have new shoes?" I waited there for those words that God must have put into her mouth, those seven words that changed my life. Mrs. Leonard said, in her whisper, "I wish you were my little girl."
God says to every person deformed by sin, "I wish you were my son" or "I wish you were my daughter."]
