A picture of God's Love - Romans 5:6-11

Romans 5:6–11 KJV 1900

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Introduction

I think most people are woefully mistaken about the Love of God. I’d say probably the majority of America has a mistaken understanding about the Love of God. I single America out because I don't know much about other countries and cant speak to their circumstances, but I know experientially, that America is a country that has great exposure to Christianity and to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Polls would indicate that half the country identifies as Christians. Oh how different our country would be if that were a reality. I think many people are Christians in identity. They grow up in a church, they get older, get married, have kids, and take their kids to church because they went to church as kids. On top of this, you have alot of bad teaching in America about Jesus. Its a very common belief that God just loves and adores everyone so so much and he just wants you to be happy. If you bring up verses that talk about God’s holiness and intolerance to sin, they’re disregarded with comments like “God is too loving to punish someone” or “How can an All Loving God show any anger?” Even when you demonstrate the reasonableness of Gods wrath, people illogically reject it and hold onto the belief that though they may have broken God’s law, God will forgive them when they get to heaven. This misunderstanding of the Love of God will very sadly be the result of many people being sent to Hell. I now ask you all, to please listen very carefully to what I am about to say. Because what I am going to present to you all now, are not my words, but they are the very words of God himself, as he tells us about his Love, and who better to learn about the love of God, then God.

Lets read our text, and I ask you all to stand with me, as I read the word of God to you. READ ROMANS 5:6-11. PRAY.

We begin in our text, Paul has been talking about how one is justified before God and what it accomplishes for that person. When we come to truly understand our state when we are born again, it will cause us to “Rejoice in hope of the glory of God”. Paul then tells us that we shouldn’t only be happy in the knowledge of our justification, but also to be happy for the trials that we endure, because these trials teach us patience. When you learn patience, then you acquire experience. When a trial happens, you have experience in dealing with trials and so in patience you endure it. The more trials you endure, the more that experience builds and the more experience you have the more you can have hope in the midst of it. That hope doesn’t fail you, it inst ashamed, you will never be let down, because “The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us.” In other words, the reason that hope in God never fails is because God has an infinite amount of love for his children, and in any trial you can cling to him and his Love for you just pours out like a pitcher, but its as if the pitcher was just the head to a fire hose attached to the ocean. It just gushes out into the hearts of believers, and Paul wants to show to Christians. So like Jesus, he gives this illustration of God’s love.

THE STATEMENT I (Romans 5:6)

He begins with a factual statement, that way his analogy makes more sense. He says “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly”. Lets take apart that statement so that we might thoroughly grasp it.

“For when we were yet without strength”

First of all Paul is talking to his readers, the we here is Christians, followers of Christ. The we is them, before their conversion. Paul wants them to understand God’s great love. Remember, Rome was not like America. There was no bible belt in Italy. The extent of Christianity in Rome was this “The Church in Rome”. That was it, there was one in that mega city. Not to mention, the church would probably have consisted mainly of gentiles. These are folks who weren’t Jews and who didn’t even know much of the old testament if any. They really really needed to learn about the Love of God.

So Paul says, “When we (us) were without strength”, stop right there again. What does Paul mean “Without Strength”?

How this Greek word is translated in other portions of scriptures illustrates the meaning of this word which tells them and us about our conversion, if you have been converted. The word, As-thene-es, is translated consistently as Weak or Sick. When we read the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John we read of large crowds of sick and weak and lame people, who came to Jesus for healing. This word is also translated, Impotent, which means lacking power or ability. When you combine this all together you can clearly see our state in the past, the state we were in when, as it reads, when “Christ died for the ungodly”. We were completely sick, and the disease of sin had ravished our body, leaving us weak, rendering us completely useless and unclean. We lacked any ability or cure to save ourselves from this issue of sin and its inevitable fate. We were helpless and without strength. Scripture tells us this as well, turn with me to Eph 2:1 and John 6:44

John 6:44 KJV 1900

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Ephesians 2:1 KJV 1900

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

God didn’t leave us in this state of inability forever though. Look at the next three words. “In Due Time”.

In the appointed time, or in the season. In the time that God had chosen, in the time that the exact cultural, political, economical, and religious setting that he desired were met, he sent his Son into the world. Go to Galatians 4:4 ”

Galatians 4:4 KJV 1900

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Again, in the right time, God sent forth his Son, to die for the Ungodly. As a side note, This also proves the pre existence of Jesus. Jesus had to have existed before his human birth, for God to have sent him. You cant send someone who isn’t there. At the right time God sent his son to be born in the “likeness” or appearance of sinful flesh to die for the ungodly.

And so he did. “Christ died for the ungodly”.

Jesus died. The Messiah was slain. God’s anointed one killed. When Jesus went to the cross, he was murdered there. This is what the eye witnesses of his crucifixion report. This is what God has said in his word. He didn’t pass out and he wasn’t in a coma. The New Testament authors who either were eye witnesses or were in partnership with eye witnesses attest, that Christ that day died. His physical body had been slain.

And he did this “For the Ungodly”.

Who is that? Who are the Ungodly? This is an easy one to explain. It’s Me. Its You. We are the ungodly. We are sinners are we not? We are among those for whom Christ died. Christ died for the ungodly. That word means Irreverent, impious, wicked. He died for men who were lacking proper respect and seriousness, for men who were evil, and detestable. At the right time, God sent forth his son to die for men who deserved to die themselves.

THE STORY II (ROMANS 5:7)

Having now explained what Paul's statement means, we go on the next verse. Lets read V7. Paul now uses an analogy to express something really profound. And Let me say this, If you can grasp this, what Paul is about to say, it will fill your heart with such thanksgiving and joy and hope. You’ll have greater assurance and trust in Jesus. His perfect love will cast out all fear. And if you’re hear to today, and you know in your heart that you are not a Christian, that you’ve never confessed to God your sinfulness and placed your confidence and hope in his son Jesus, this statement which we are about to read, will swing the door wide open to you this morning, and will call you to a relationship with such a God as ours. If you’ve never done that, then prepare, because you are about to be offered the greatest deal of your life. I hope I've built enough suspense here. This is truly heavenly what were about to read. Are you ready? Here’s the story.

“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.”

With great difficulty you’ll find someone willing to die in place for a righteous man, or a good man. Just to clarify Paul isn’t saying there are righteous people and good people. In Chapter 3, he makes that abundantly clear “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open grave, Paul points out that no one is actually Good or righteous before God. We’d be found guilty because we’ve all broken his laws. What he’s saying is that you’d be hard pressed to find someone willing to die for good person in the sense that their just a nice person. Their a decent person, perhaps an outstanding member of the community. It’d be difficult to find someone willing to give his life theirs. Even if their a really good person, perhaps some would be bold to die in their place but those are hard to come by. When I was in boot camp, we didn’t have any immediate connection to the outside world, except by letters. And one day they took the entire company of recruits and put them into one building which was extremely odd. Then a senior enlisted man, who we had never seen, came to the podium and essentially told us that North Korea had declared war on America, that Russia and China had formed a coalition and that essentially WW3 had commenced. He told us that if we desired, we could leave the service now and go home if this was too much for them. Remember, we were people who had VOLUNTEERED to give our lives to the service of our country. Over 3/4 of our platoon and the building slowly trickled out. By the grace of God, I stayed, but with great difficulty and much tears I accepted my fate. I should've known that Uncle Sam would never let that many able bodied people leave when WW3 had just begun. The ones who left the building were immediately met with drill instructors who smoked them so bad, they were wishing they were in WW3. The point is this, Most people aren’t willing to give their lives for others, even if there worth it. Which brings us to our third point, to what Paul is trying to illustrate before explaining it! Lets read V7 first then V8 now.

THE SAVIOUR III (ROMANS 5:8)

God commendeth, God proved his love toward us. No one can ever question the Love of God, as it was and is clearly demonstrated for all to see. And when did God do this for us? “While we were yet sinners”. God didn’t tell us to clean up our act and perform a certain amount of righteous deeds or rituals before coming to him. God, actually came to us, and while we were sinners, while we were criminals, while we were wholly unworthy of any love from a holy God, he demonstrated perfect love toward us. And by the way that word commendeth means demonstrated or proved. In other words, He stands with and approves of this Love, he unashamedly loves us this way. This word also, interestingly, is in the present tense. We read proved or demonstrated, and think of a past action, but actually its a present verb. Its a present action, meaning this, God is demonstrating his love NOW, he’s proving his love today! Every generation that’s born is exposed to this awesome Love of God.

And he did this when? What does it say? “While we were yet sinners”. God proves his love for us undeniably, in that while we were sinners, sick and unclean, criminals and rebels, Christ died for us. That’s how vast God’s love is, that’s how perfect, that’s how selfless it is. You know, its real easy to love someone who loves you back. Its hard to love someone who hates you isnt it? You ever show kindness for someone who just cant stand you? Thats what God did. Look at Matthew 5:46

Matthew 5:46 KJV 1900

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Let me ask you this. Im going to make this illustration very real to you all now.

Ask yourself, right now at this very moment, would you be willing to give your life for someone else’s? Perhaps some would, perhaps some wouldn’t. Perhaps for a good man, you would even show boldness in your sacrifice, of your life for his. But would ANY of YOU be willing to sacrifice your life for a murderer? Would ANY of YOU be willing to give your life for an adulterer? Who is here in this building that is willing to go to the Aroostook county jail and give their life and serve the sentence for somebody in there? Do you understand then? That is exactly what God did for us, and that is exactly what Jesus Christ did for us. God didn’t look for righteous people to save. He didn’t look for ones who were worthy of it. Jesus died for sinners… *LONG PAUSE* He died for people who didn’t deserve rescue.

He accepted the beatings and mockings of men who blasphemed God and ridiculed him. Nails were driven into his hands to hold him to a piece of wood, but not after he was scourged and beaten so horrifically that he was unrecognizable. He was placed in between two guilty men so as to say that he was no different then them. He did that for murderers. He did that for Adulterers, He did that for blasphemers. He did that for Homosexuals. He did that for liars. He did that for convicted convicts. He did that for your sins...and he did that for my sins. Isaiah 53:5 1 Peter 3:18

1 Peter 3:18 KJV 1900

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Isaiah 53:5 KJV 1900

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.

THE SECURITY IV (ROMANS 5:9-10)

Lets read our final verses now, lets read V9-10.

He begins with a Jewish mechanism of communication. In that time, if you wanted to express something grand, in order to show its grandness, you’d begin with a lesser and then follow it with the greater. This is not to say that what we just read is anything less, but it does tell us something incredible… it emphasizes the proceeding text. It was as if Paul wanted to write these next few words in bold underlined characters… *LONG PAUSE* If God, loves us, so greatly as to send his only precious son, to die for us, not when we were in an acceptable state but while we were actually enemies and haters of God. If he did that for us then, “much more then, being now Justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” If God loved us that much when we were so utterly unlovable, then how much more is that Love of God, now that we are forgiven, how much more is that Love of God, now that we are no longer at war but at peace with Him. If God went to such great lengths so save enemies, what will he do with his children? What kind of deliverance can we, who have trusted in Christ, expect from God’s wrath? Rom 8:31-34

Romans 8:31–34 (KJV 1900)

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Who can oppose God? Who can resist his will? Who can thwart any purpose of God?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

If God sacrificed his son to save those who were his enemies, how then could he withhold lesser gifts when he’s given the greatest gift, the God Man Jesus Christ.

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

Who can bring forth any accusation of Gods elected ones? God was the one that justified them. It’s as futile as objecting to the ruling of an earthly judge. The authority to pardon and to condemn, lies with the judge who is the arbitrator of justice.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who can make any valid argument for our condemnation? Jesus Christ paid our fine in his blood. He paid for our just condemnation and was killed and raised from the dead as proof of God’s accepting of his sacrifice. And now he’s ascended to heaven, where he pleads on our behalf. Like an Old Testament High Priest, He intercedes for us, He Advocates for us, not with yearly sacrifices but with his atonement which he made once and for all as he offered his body and now he forever lives to make intercession for his people.

Who is he that can lay a charge against Gods elect? Who is he that can condemn those who Christ saved?

“Being now Justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him”.

When a sinner comes to God in contrition for sin, and in faith in Jesus, that person is then Justified by his blood. To be Justified means to to be “rendered innocent” or “to regard as righteous” . This term is legal and forensic in its nature. We stand before God, guilty of breaking his Laws, our condemnation is just and are sentence is fair, which is, an eternity in Hell where instead of Love being poured out like the pitcher analogy, its wrath thats poured out. But instead of us suffering that fate, Jesus steps in and says I will pay that fine for him Father. And that is exactly what Christ did for us. The wrath of God, that was going to be poured out eternally on the souls of billions, was in other words compressed into a few short hours and God crushed Christ with his wrath and hatred of sin. A Pastor once said, that Jesus probably didn’t even feel the pain of the cross, as he endured the much worse spiritual nature of what was happening that day. Jesus absorbed all that just wrath for his people. There isnt any more wrath left for those who are believers. Rom 8:1 says , “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus”. Also turn to 2 Cor 5:21

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV 1900

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

It wasn’t that Jesus became sin, or became a sinner on the cross. Its that on the cross, he was punished for all the sins of all who would ever believe as if he commited them. And we although we, who are not righteous (yet) are treated as if we were already. God treated Jesus as if he commited believers sin’s and he treats us as if we did only the righteous deeds of Jesus Christ. What a trade! What an exchange!

So, I want to just speak to you all now, personally. I’ve said alot this morning, but please hear me now. If you have been born again, if you yourself have come to Jesus to be saved. Then know this for a fact, That Jesus endured all of the wrath of God for you, leaving none left. And not only that, but all of his righteous deeds and merits which he earned in his life. All of the righteousness which he accrued, he has given to you. Now when God looks at you, he doesn’t see any of your faults. He doesn’t see you as a sinner, even though you still do sin. He only see’s his son’s Perfect righteousness placed on you. Know with confidence that if God went to such great lengths to save you when you were an enemy, that he will certainly save you now that you are a son and daughter of his.

If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ this morning. Let me personally invite you and call you to a real relationship with the God of this universe. A God that’s demonstrated such alien and foreign and unearthly love. A love that you will never experience ever, outside of him. Consider this, why would I resist such a God that's done so much sinners. Why would I not give everything to know this God. He literally came down in the flesh, Jesus Christ the very image of the invisible God, walked amongst us and went to the cross and suffered and died to save you. He willingly chose to do this for you. He said, that he could at any point call down a legion of Angels to deliver him if he wanted to, but he restrained himself in love, and bled and died on that cross.

Theres one more thing I must say to you, whoever that may be. If God, did that to his son to save sinners, what will he do to you, for rejecting his offer of forgiveness? Perhaps your thinking this, You know what i’m saying is true, but you just cant bring yourself to surrender. Perhaps you know that in doing so, your going to have to give up your will, and those sins that are precious, you’ll have to forsake. I know, that was me too. But let me tell you, you think there’s a loss in this faith. That if you come to Jesus now, that you’ll miss out on things, you wont get to do things. But its not like that at all. The love of God in the person of Jesus Christ is the greatest thing in this life. And he offers you this day. He offers you yet another chance to come to him. Dont put it off, come to him in prayer. Beg God for forgiveness, confess to him your sins, come clean with him, and believe in the Lord Jesus. Place your confidence in him as your own Saviour. Take him as your new Master and commit to following him, no matter the cost. Do this and you too, even this very morning, shall be Justified in his blood and saved from the wrath that is coming, because your now in him.

Again, if you are a Christian, we can as the word says “joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement”. Your sins have been forgiven you. Eternal fellowship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit awaits you in heaven one day. May we always fix our eyes on such an incomprehensible reality in store for us, who are most undeserved of it. Lets us pray.