Helpless, but Not Hopeless

What does it mean to be Helpless?

Romans 5:6–11 CSB

For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.

This portion of Scripture comes from a letter that Paul is writing to christians in Rome, in order to encourage them.

What is the encouragement that Paul is trying to give?

It is that we, all who believe in Jesus Christ, are only saved, and made righteous, which mean Justified through God’s Love.

With God being a God of love and compassion we all would still be helpless

Paul writs, “for while we were still helpless...”

what does it mean to be helpless?

To be helpless is to not have the ability to save yourself.

Newborns, without the help of their parents would survive. Sheep without a shepherd, most likely wont survive-

Me and you without God, can’t change our current status.

The bible says, “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.”- This mean everyone from Adam to the end of the world, have messed up.

We live in a helpless world, that sees the effects of Sin. The more we try to make things better the more tainted and corrupt they become, because “all have fallen”.

The Bible goes on to say, “the wages of Sin is death.” Talk about Helpless. Everyone who sins earns death. Not just physical death but this one speaks of spiritual death. Sin always leads to death.

Adams first sin brought death into this, and it is the end outcome of everyone!

This is our helplessness- we cant save ourselves.

Hope Shines is Helplessness-

Romans 5:6–8 CSB

For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Who is it that Christ came to Die for?

Those who have sinned

We can have hope in God, because of the nature of His love- He didn’t wait for us to be perfect, because we never could be.

It was in the face of our powerlessness, that God was completely in control and had a plan to redeem us.- “At the right Time.”

Sin might have separated us from God, but God had a plan to redeem.

No matter where you are at in this very moment, God loves you and has a plan to redeem your live, and that is through Jesus Christ

Ephesians 2:4–5 CSB

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

God Is a God of Grace- If you feel powerless and helpless, today if you put your Hope in God, and your faith in Jesus Christ, you can be redeem.

Romans 5:9–10 CSB

How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

God hates injustice- The Bible says that God is Just God. sin is evil, It hurts, it corrupts, it makes us slaves to it. It breaks up families, it destroys our lives and gets us to believe lives about ourselves and about others.

Therefore God being just, means he must deal with sin, so how did he do this?

Romans 5:10 CSB

For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

Jesus Christ came so that we would have to be distant from God. The final outcome for ourlives doesn’t rely on us living a perfect life, but of God’s grace.

Paul here is showing how amazing the grace of God truly is- Jesus died for His enemies…!

How many People would you die for? Are any of them your enemies?

What is Grace? Getting what we don’t deserve

As we said earlier, “The wages of sin is death” a wage is something earned, but Grace is always a gift.

Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Salvation, Gift of

Salvation, Gift of

A group of believers was meeting by a river when one of their group fell into the water. It was obvious that the poor fellow couldn’t swim, as he thrashed about wildly. One of the believers was a strong swimmer and was called on to jump in and save the man before he drowned. But though able to save the drowning man, he just watched until the wild struggles subsided. Then he dove in and pulled the man to safety.

When the rescue was over, the rescuer explained his slowness to act. “If I had jumped in immediately, he would have been strong enough to drown us both. Only by waiting until he was too exhausted to try to save himself, could I save him.”

It seems to be all too easy for us to be like that drowning man. Our self-efforts can actually prevent us from being saved! Unfortunately, some people must reach the point of being too exhausted to continue trying to save themselves (by dealing with their own sin) before they become willing to trust in the Savior and accept his gift of salvation.