Enemies Reconciled to God

The world is in such chaos today. Particular socialist political groups are driving riots in the streets with violence, looting, murder, and hatred. These people committing these crimes all in the name of protesting the death of a black man by a police officer are what we might consider enemies of peace and all that is good.

And it is not just here in the United States that this sort of thing is going on, from what I hear. I heard that there were riots sparked in Asia, perhaps Japan if memory serves me correct, where the police had a great idea. They refused to return violence for violence and property damage and theft, and decided to spray everyone present with a blue dye that would stain their clothes and skin. They would just “round up the usual suspects” easily by the dye color on their skin.

This is how enemies are treated. They are met with either military power on a more global scale, or they are observed, investigated by branches of our government like the CIA and the FBI, where professional in behavioral analysis and victimology can profile a criminal and and other criminal forensic investigative tools bring him or her to justice. And even on state and local levels there are laws and consequences for those who would be enemies of our society and ways of life.

Wow! Perhaps I watch too much Forensic Files and Criminal Minds. But look around the world today. Anarchy and chaos fill the streets, especially in their own neighborhoods, where Minority owned business are looted, and burned to the ground. There is no order because of what has infected each and every one of us.

Today’s text from Paul in Romans is full of Gospel. It is a Word that we all need to hear today! Paul begins by saying, “for while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. What we see going on in the world today, even in our own shopping centers and National landmarks, this is ungodliness. And there was a time, from the time of your conception, that you were like that to God. Unfortunately, there is no way out of that. “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given...” (vv 12-13a).

Adam and Eve screwed everything up for everyone, regardless of your skin color. Sin has affected each and everyone of us. It is passed on heritarily from parents to children, just like the color of their skin and the type of hair they have on their heads. It is worse than the COVID-19 virus. Sin has infected everyone of us, and that sin that we have inherited, I know its not fair, has made us by nature enemies of God. By nature we are rebels. By nature we could not care any less about the Law. By nature we could not care less about each other on the street. What we see going on in the world is natural man unleashed to fulfill all his or her primal cravings to fill their own desires for other people’s wealth, property, posterity, and often times their lives. I’ve seen video of looters running out of liquor stores with arms full of booze laughing and smiling as they run away, never to he held accountable.

This is us by nature—enemies not of society, but enemies with God. Natural man is friends…oh, well let’s just say it, far more that friends but lustful lovers with society and the ways of this world.

For while we were still weak—while we were still enemies with God, at just the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. He died for me! He died for you. He died for the looters and rioters in the streets. He died for the abortionist who kills the unborn. Christ died for the George Soros’ of the world. Jesus shed His blood for those who stand for violence, hatred, murder, stealing and the like. Christ died for people like you and me.

“…but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (v. 8). Christ’s love for humanity is far above what you and I will ever understand in this life. “We have now been justified,” Paul says. Justified…oh, that’s a word I can really get into with my television preferences. Justified is a forensic term, and it has very rich Hebrew and Greek meanings and implications. This word is used in both a juridical and theological ways. It has as its cousins words like ‘just’, not like ‘just a small piece of pie’, but in the sense of ‘Justice’.

Theologically speaking, does this word not only point us to the Law of God, where He has ordained order instead of chaos. Ten responses to the Gospel of being redeemed from self-serving slavery, from deep rooted hatred and covetousness. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” These are the opening words to what you all know as the Ten Commandments. This is God speaking to His children whom He has already redeemed and made His own, downing His children’s enemies in the sea, as they passed through on dry land. Foreshadowing baptism. God redeems through water after the shedding of innocent blood of the Lamb. It was the Passover lamb for Israel in Egypt. The blood of that innocent victim was spread on the door posts and lintels so the angel of destruction would pass over their homes and all their first born were saved. The thing about the lamb…it had to be perfect. No defects, no illnesses, no bad things at all.

Jesus is that Passover Lamb who was sacrificed on the cross just as the lambs were being slaughtered for the passover meal in Jerusalem. Jesus’ blood shed for humanity covers all sin, for those who believe. And here is where we come to the real cool part of that word ‘Justified’ that makes it a forensic term.

So as we know from watching television today, forensic science is the determinitative factor in most every criminal investigation. Forensic evidence is stuff like finger prints, DNA, hair, fibers, blood type, bodily fluids etc.. Forensic evidence is so important today to convicting the correct individual in criminal cases. “Forensic evidence doesn’t lie” they say on these shows on television. Forensic evidence is what will determine one’s innocence or guilt.

Being Justified, in a theological sense, is really not much different than what goes on in the court room. Just as the judge in the court room will slam his gavel and agree with the jury, either innocent or guilty. God looks at you, He sees all the evidence against you. Satan continues to try to remind Him, as he does you. However, because you came to faith through the power of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus, and trust in His death and resurrection, God declares you to be innocent. You have been justified in the sight of the judge. You are declared innocent, you are no more at odds with God, you are no longer His enemy.

Paul puts it also in accounting terms for us. “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God”. Christ took all that evidence against us and He paid the price. He shed His blood so that you can be declared innocent by God. We no longer have to fear condemnation to hell because of our nature and our behavior. Paul calls this being ‘reconciled’, our ledger that was so heavy with debt has been stamped in blood the words, “Paid in full”.

But here is what I found…this little Gospel nugget that had been hiding there in plain sight. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, SHALL WE BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE.” (v. 10, emphasis mine). Oh my! How have I never seen this phrase before. “much more…shall we be saved by His life.”

You know, in the water of baptism, according to Romans and Peter, and other places in the NT, we have been baptized into His death and resurrection. The death and resurrection of Jesus reconciles us to the Father. Cool now we are no longer enemies of God but now His children. Just like Israel in the Passover and crossing the Red Sea (interesting play on words). Jesus’ blood stains our baptismal waters to be a crimson flood that cleanses us of sin and guilt before our Father in heaven.

Another interesting thing about this word ‘Justified’ is that it kissing cousins of the term righteousness. So, we have all this sin cleansed from us in baptism, and that makes us justified or righteous before God. Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, states that “for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Gal. 3.27). This is where Jesus’ life saves us.

Being baptized into Christ Jesus, we have all been dressed in Christ. Jesus’ life was perfect. In other words, Jesus never sinned. All His life, in thought, word and deed, was righteous before God. Now that you have been baptized into Christ, you are not only baptized into His death and resurrection, but you have now been ‘imputed’ with Christ’s righteousness. I just love that term “imputed”. The term ‘Impute’ is a transitive verb and it means the following: “To impute something to a person is conceptualized as putting something to that person’s credit.” (Lexham Press’ book entitled “Figurative Language of the Bible Glossary, 2016”).

Yes the death and resurrection of Jesus covers all our sin, saves us from eternal death and damnation to hell. Yes, it is the life of Jesus that has been imputed into each believer, or put on our account. So when God the Father looks at us, who have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6), and have put on Christ (Gal. 3.27), He sees the righteousness of His Son Jesus. He sees a life of no sin and full of righteousness. Because you are being made into the image of His Son (Rom. 8.29), clothed in Jesus and His sinless life, His death, and His resurrection. This is 100% pure Gospel, brothers and sisters in Christ. Wooo! It doesn’t get any better or any sweeter than that!

in the name of Jesus and for His eternal glory. Amen.