Christmas: God's Love Revealed | Romans 5:5–8

The Reality of God's Love (v. 5)

Romans 5:5 (ESV)

God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

The reality of Christmas is a reality of Love. In our text, Paul notes that God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. How is His love give?

He Gave us Faith to Believe

Ephesians 2:4–9 ESV

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

The Faith that Paul speaks of that Abraham had, that faith that the apostles had was given to us by God in his sovereign grace.

On Christmas, Faith was Born!

He Washed and Regenerated Us through the Spirit

Titus 3:4–6 ESV

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

On Christmas, God stepped into our world and began the final leg of the journey to the cross. The cross upon which our sins were paid. I say final leg, because our regeneration was foreshadowed in Eden, foretold in Abraham, and proclaimed in the Passover. This is when all of that centuries of preparation would come to fruition: In the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord!

He Gave us Adoption as Sons

Galatians 4:6 ESV

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

His mother bore him in her womb; let us bear him in our hearts. The virgin was big with the incarnation of Christ; let our bosoms grow big with the faith of Christ. She gave birth to the Savior; let us give birth to praise.

- Augustine of Hippo, “Sermon 189” (c. 400)

The Cost of God's Love (v. 6-8)

Romans 5:6–8 ESV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

"Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world." -C.S. Lewis

God's love cost the life of Christ.  Jesus, the baby in the manger came to die for us.  We love God because God gave the gift of his son.  

Look at this truth:

While were weak -

The Desperation of our Condition

WE can do nothing and add nothing to our salvation. We are weak. We are hopeless.

1 Timothy 2:5–6 ESV

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

At the right time

The Determination of God’s Purposes

None of this was on accident. None of this just happened.

2 Timothy 1:9 ESV

who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

Christ died for the ungodly

The Consummation of Christ’s Sacrifice

Christ died. That is what the manger is about. Jesus came not to be a king on a throne, but a sacrifice on a cross.

The Result of God's Love (v. 9-11)

Romans 5:9–11 ESV

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 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. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

We will be saved.  On the cross Jesus satisfied the wrath of God.  

His death was sufficient.  There is nothing that needs to be added to his sacrifice.

It is effective - It did exactly what God set out to do, It paid the debt of the whosoever will.