Helpless not hopeless - Pt. II

6 For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time that God chose. 7 It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person.

Romans 5:8 M:BCL

8 But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

While we were still helpless, Christ died for us (v.6)

While we were without strength (NKJV); Christ died for the wicked, the ungodly sinners. We were undeserving

Christ died at the right time, in due time, a chosen time. or at the fulness of time (Gal4:4) God sent His Son.

Galatians 4:4 NASB95

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

There were many things that needed to be done, put in place before the prophesy of Jesus was to be fulfilled. The Pax Romana as mentioned before (time of improvements, peace, roads, etc) had to be in place first.

At the right time when the sinners needed a Savior, the Savior was born of a woman, under the law, to save man from the law., having become a curse for us.

(Don’t need to read the verse below, just put it on the screen)

Romans 5:6 NASB95

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Christ died for the ungodly (5:6)

Back in 3:25 we saw the word “propitiation” which is substitutionary sacrifice to satisfy God’s wrath. in the Greek the word is “huper” I may have mentioned before, it means “for the sake of, in behalf of, instead of.

Spurgeon says this:

“You will say, ‘Oh, I am one of the worst of the world.’ Christ died for the worst of the world. ‘Oh, but I have no power to be better.’ Christ died for those that were without strength. ‘Oh, but my case condemns itself.’ Christ died for those that legally are condemned. ‘Ay, but my case is hopeless.’ Christ died for the hopeless He is the hope for the hopeless. He is the Savior not of those partly lost but of the wholly lost.”

Another way to look at this, is if Christ died for the ungodly, then the ungodly are without excuse if they do not come to Him and receive the grace, the justification that is made available through faith.

Romans 5:7 NASB95

7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.

Interesting verse, but think about this, Jesus did not die for the righteous or the good man, He died for the ungodly. There are people who have a form of righteousness but not of God, and when it comes to good, there is none good, no not one (3:12)

Romans 5:8 NLT

8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

God showed us His great love how (5:8)? when was that love shown?

God, the Father, demonstrated His great love by sending His only begotten Son to die for us, to reconcile us to Himself.

2 Corinthians 5:19 NASB95

19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

God was in Christ! (2Cor5:19) reconciling man to God.

Some may say God was indifferent when it came to the cross, watching the Son suffer and die, how could a loving God do that? Jesus even said “why have you forsaken me?” Didn’t the Father care? Of course He did. So much that He allowed the Son to die for our sins, to reconcile the ungodly to a just God.

Commentator Morris said:

“It would be easy to see the cross as demonstrating the indifference of God, a God who would let the innocent Jesus be taken by wicked men, tortured, and crucified while he did nothing . . . Unless there is a sense in which the Father and Christ are one, it is not the love of God that the cross shows?”

Guzik says this, and it is beautifully put “The work of Jesus on the cross for us is God’s ultimate proof of His love for you. He may give additional proof, but He can give no greater proof. If the cross is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love, it is also the ultimate demonstration of man’s hatred. It also proves that the height of man’s hatred can’t defeat the height of God’s love.”

Romans 5:10 NKJV

10 For if when 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.

Reconciled while yet sinners by His death, saved by His life (5:10)

It is a demonstration of God’s love, Jesus dying on the cross, but it is also amazing on why He did it, for undeserving sinners like you and me who were rebellious against Him.

Saved by: Christ’s life

Saved by death, saved by life so that we can have life after death?

Romans 5:9–11 NKJV

9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when 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. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

We shall be saved (5:9)

Saved from wrath through Him, saved from the wrath of God revealed from heaven (Rom1:18)

Rom1:18 “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”

Notice the verb tense “shall” - this is our future hope; our future salvation that we work out with fear and trembling (Php2:12) as we wait for that great day.

Jesus took on the wrath, was our substitute so we can have our final salvation; our future salvation!

Another way to look at being rescued from the wrath to come (Rom1:18; Rom3:24-25, Rom4:24-25, 1The1:10; 2The1:6-10)

The wrath revealed from heaven as just noted

Because we all fall short of the glory of God

But Christ was raised for our justification

The last one I need to give to you, for it is vital to know what is coming to those who do not accept Christ

2 Thessalonians 1:6–7 NASB95

6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,

2 Thessalonians 1:8–9 NASB95

8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

2 Thessalonians 1:10 NASB95

10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.

We were reconciled (5:10)

If God so loved us in our rebellious state, think how much He loves us in our reconciled state. For Christ death is our grounds for justification

So, how does this play now?

He gave up His life for us (Jn10:18)

Jn10:18 “18 “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.””

Because of His resurrection we too can live now (Jn14:19)

Jn14:19 “19 “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.”

He is able to save forever (Heb7:25) by intercession; lives to make intercession for us (Rom8:34); He is our Advocate (1Jn2:1)- it does not cease!

Heb7:25 “25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” - - - - intercedes by the continual washing of his blood as we walk in the light (1Jn1:7)

We have now received reconciliation (5:11)

Reconciled (Greek) - Katallasso means to change; exchange; to change from enmity to friendship.

God is not reconciling God to man, but reconciling man to God. He is doing it through His Only Begotten Son. He has not changed. Man did, man broke covenant. God did not move away, man did, and still is today.

You have reconciliation if you have been raised up (Col3:1-14)

Reconciled from first “Adam” where you had no choice, to being reconciled to “last Adam” where you have choice to choose. He is available to all through faith.

And because of the reconciliation we can rejoice!

Romans 5:11 NKJV

11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Unbelief rejects reconciliation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Belief receives reconciliation and is saved by it through faith that is obedient, that is surrendered.

We can rejoice in our reconciled state for we were helpless, but not hopeless for God sent Jesus to be our hope for past, present and future, that our salvation rests in Him and this we can know and be confident in!

We started this class with a rip tide and a lifeguard in a skiff. Have you gotten into the skiff? You cannot save yourself, but the lifeguard is there if you are willing to get in Him!

Introduction to the power of One over one.

Let’s read our passage together (Rom5:12-21) glean from it and will end there.

Romans 5:12–13 NASB95

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Romans 5:14–15 NASB95

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

Romans 5:16–17 NASB95

16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:18–19 NASB95

18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

Romans 5:20–21 NASB95

20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Note down any general observations about this passage and we will talk, start there again next week.