Romans 5:6-11 Love

Romans 5:6-11 (Evangelical Heritage Version)

6For at the appointed time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7It is rare indeed that someone will die for a righteous person. Perhaps someone might actually go so far as to die for a person who has been good to him. 8But God shows his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9Therefore, since we have now been justified by his blood, it is even more certain that we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, it is even more certain that, since we have been reconciled, we will be saved by his life. 11And not only is this so, but we also go on rejoicing confidently in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received this reconciliation.

Love

I.

There they were, the Christians in Rome, reading Paul’s Letter to them. I wonder how much they thought about the word “love” as they read the first part of his Letter.

The Letter had started out with lots of promise. First Paul identified himself as an Apostle of Jesus, who was to preach the Good News of the gospel to people. Then he identified them, the Christians in Rome. He said: “To all those loved by God who are in Rome, called to be saints” (Romans 1:7, EHV). Last week we discussed the term “Saint.” A saint isn’t someone who gets the title bestowed on them by some church body; saint is simply another word for “believer,” or “Christian.” Saints were those “loved by God,” Paul said.

But that was the last time Paul used the word “love” in his Letter until chapter 5.

We have been studying Paul’s Letter to the Romans in Bible Class the last few weeks. After his introduction, the first part of his Letter might have seemed a bit jarring at times. Paul talked about “...all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who try to suppress the truth by unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18, EHV). Reading that, some might have jumped to the conclusion that Paul was talking about people “out there,” total non-believers.

Then, in listing things that would put people in the category of the unrighteous, Paul listed some that were less about people “out there” and, instead, could be said to include everyone. “They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness... They are gossipers, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent mockers, arrogant boasters, and loudmouths... They disobey their parents. 31They are senseless, faithless, heartless, and merciless” (Romans 1:29-31, EHV). If you didn’t see disappointing glimpses of yourself anywhere else in that list, Paul made sure to speak about “those who disobey their parents.” If you think you have managed to stay off the rest of the parts of that list, you certainly have disobeyed your parents. Every child has, and every adult was once a child.

Then Paul started talking about the righteousness of God. Two weeks ago, on Reformation Sunday, we spoke about Luther’s Tower Experience. In his early life, Luther didn’t understand what the righteousness of God was. He said: “The words ‘righteous’ and ‘righteousness of God’ struck my conscience like lightning. When I heard them I was exceedingly terrified. If God is righteous [I thought], he must punish” (LW 54:193).

Eventually, Luther came to understand what Paul clearly said about righteousness. “But now, completely apart from the law, a righteousness from God has been made known... 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all and over all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22, EHV).

In Romans chapter 4 Paul explains the theological term “justify.” He goes to great length to explain that justify means “declare righteous.” God had to declare people righteous, because by nature they were incapable of being righteous.

Just before today’s Second Reading Paul writes: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1, EHV).

II.

Then Paul gets to today’s Second Reading. He starts to pile up unflattering terms describing the natural human condition.

First he says: “...while we were still helpless...” (Romans 5:6, EHV). “Helpless” could also be translated “powerless” or “weak.” When trapped in a fire or experiencing medical trauma, people understandably feel helpless, powerless, or weak. But we like to see those situations as the exceptions to the rule. Most people like a sense of feeling in control. “Still helpless” indicates that this was a natural condition, not the exception to the rule.

Then Paul calls us “... the ungodly” (Romans 5:8). Immediately, he goes on: “It is rare indeed that someone will die for a righteous person. Perhaps someone might actually go so far as to die for a person who has been good to him” (Romans 5:7, EHV). A “righteous person.” Paul’s readers were instantly reminded of his earlier words about “righteousness” and “unrighteousness.” The definitions he had given had shown that no one could be considered righteous by their own efforts, just as Martin Luther had learned. If God were to use a person’s own righteousness as the criteria to be worthy of saving, everyone would be doomed.

“While we were still sinners...” (Romans 5:8, EHV), Paul says. It’s easy to think that “sinner” indicates only the most grievous offenders—those whose outward actions have placed them outside the bounds of civilized society. God doesn’t see things that way. In God’s eyes, “sinner” describes a condition of the heart, not merely outward actions. If God were to look for some glimmer of hope before saving us, he would have waited forever. There was no worthiness in anyone who could be described as a sinner.

It would be bad enough to describe human beings as helpless and sinners who aren’t worthy of God. But Paul has one more unflattering term to describe all human beings. He says: “...while we were enemies...” (Romans 5:10, EHV). What is an enemy? There might be lots of people you don’t know very well; they might not be friends, but you wouldn’t call them enemies. Even some of the people you don’t like very much might not be your enemies.

Being an enemy doesn’t just refer to a passive dislike of God, but something more sinister than that. The natural human self has a conscience. Our conscience tells us we are guilty of sin, but can’t point to a solution to the problem. Because the conscience is put into a state of fear, it sees God as the enemy and fights against God, or actively resists, the entrance of God into his/her life.

III.

Did you notice when we first read the words of this reading that Paul included himself? He is no different than I am. He’s no different from you. All those unflattering terms apply to you, to me, to Paul, and to every human being who will ever live. We are helpless, ungodly sinners who are enemies of God.

You may have also noticed the ellipsis every time Paul was quoted. An ellipsis refers to those three dots either beginning the quote or ending it, or both. It indicates that something is being left out. What was left out was that Paul didn’t leave his readers hanging when he described them—and himself—in such unflattering terms.

“For at the appointed time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6, EHV). The word helpless could also be translated weak or powerless. The word describes our complete lack of ability to do anything toward our salvation. While we were still in that weak, helpless state, Jesus died for us. Salvation is a completed fact. It is comforting to know that Jesus did it all; no part of our salvation is left to our inabilities or our weaknesses. From start to finish, salvation comes by faith given to us as a free gift by the Holy Spirit.

“But God shows his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, EHV). Jesus is like the soldier who throws himself on a grenade to save his brothers in arms, or like the firefighter who runs into a burning building when everyone else is running out. He knew we were unable to save ourselves. That’s why he came in the first place—to save us.

Jesus is far superior to any rescue worker or Medal of Honor recipient. What Jesus did is the decisive act of all history. He died, not for the righteous, but for sinners like you and me. The reality of his special sacrifice is that it is not because of us, but in spite of us that we are forgiven.

“God shows his own love for us in this.” Paul waited a long time to reintroduce the word “love.” He did it just the verse before today’s Reading, and here in this verse in the reading. The Greek language has several words for love. The one used is very special. It isn’t the Greek word that refers to a sentimental feeling, or the one that speaks of romantic love. This word is Agape: it means a love that loves even when love isn’t deserved. That’s how our Savior, Jesus, loved us: with an undeserved love that was willing to sacrifice himself for us.

Then there’s that “enemies of God” line Paul used. Let’s put that phrase into context: “Therefore, since we have now been justified by his blood, it is even more certain that we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, it is even more certain that, since we have been reconciled, we will be saved by his life” (Romans 5:9-10, EHV).

We have been “justified,” or “declared righteous,” by Jesus’ sacrificial death for us. That declaration of righteousness, or holiness, means that we are “reconciled to God.” Reconciled to God means that, since Jesus removed our sin, God considers us not just as enemies whose status has been changed, but as “friends.” We are “children of God” by faith in Jesus. Peace with God, as impossible as that was when we were enemies, is what we now have with God.

IV.

“And not only is this so, but we also go on rejoicing confidently in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received this reconciliation” (Romans 5:11, EHV).

Do you ever reflect on the depths of despair you should have had because of your sin? Do you ever reflect on the undeserved love God showed by sending Jesus when none of us showed anything remotely deserving of his love?

Honestly looking at your natural human condition and where you are now because of the great love God showed to you and me has a natural reaction: we rejoice. Faith is God’s free gift to us that comes by God’s grace alone. Since no part of salvation depends on our inferior efforts, we can be confident in our rejoicing: Jesus is the One who successfully accomplished every facet of our salvation.

There are far too many who don’t know of God’s love that loved even when love wasn’t deserved. Share the message that in his great love for all people, while they were still sinners, Christ died for them. Amen.