09-25-2022 From Enemies Destined to Death, to RIGHTEOUS, RECEIVED and RECONCILED

What Jesus Did: #1 - Died for the UNGODLY (vv. 6-10)

Look at OUR qualities:

“without strength” from a/(without/negation) thenes (bodily vigor) (Romans 5:6)

- because we have inherited Adam’s mortality (see v. 12); and because unlike Adam in the state of innocence are far more susceptible to temptation, blindness and hardening due to our own sin ARE WITHOUT VIGOR - that is the strength (or will) - Thus UNABLE to RESIST, OVERCOME or FREE OURSELVES FROM SIN

“Ungodly” from a/(without/negation) & sebes/sebomai (religion, reverence, worship) thus IMPIOUS/UNGODLY (Romans 5:6)

- Thus WE HAVE negated reverence and worship of GOD

“Sinners” from “a/(without/negation) & martolos/martes (witness or testimony) thus Those who DENY the WITNESS/TESTIMONY of GOD (Romans 5:8)

“Enemies” from exthros (hostile, hating, bitter enemy) (Romans 5:10)

We are first without strength and unlike innocent Adam, we in mortality find no internal ability to RESIST the lure of temptation and the lust of sin… After we become those who negate reverence and religion and thus We then become ACTIVE SINNERS, those who NEGATE THE TESTIMONY/WITNESS of GOD, and we then descend to the point that we are in ACTIVE OPPOSITION (that is enemies) OF GOD Thus we see a similar descent to Romans 1:18-32 - From general weakness to bitter enemy… This is where we must accept the individual and thus collective progress of each generation of mankind… none escape unless they are Justified by God through faith.

Look At God’s qualities:

God is TIMELY (Romans 5:6) - that is as God interacts with sinful mankind, he plans, waits and then executes His plan of redemption AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME (think how often, in our limited time - that is in our generation, we QUESTION or CHAFE under the TIMING OF THE ALMIGHTY!!! Somehow in our limited experience and time we think we are more intelligent (know better) than GOD who knows all that is knowable!

God IS LOVE (Romans 5:8) - It is HIS OWN LOVE ALONE that puts Christ as the SIN OFFERING - As Jesus said, I lay down my life for the sheep, and that He gives His life a ransom for many - so, WHILE WE WERE WITHOUT STRENGTH, NEGATING THE TESTIMONY OF GOD and NEGATING REVERENCE AND WORSHIP OF GOD - HE DIED ON BEHAlf of us!

God is JUSTIFIER (the one who declares us right) (Romans 5:9) - BY HIS BLOOD - in this case the BY is instrumental. The SIN SACRIFICE - the precious blood of the Innocent God-Man is the INSTRUMENT,

- From Verse One our FAITH is the MEANS by which GOD declares - thus we believe and GOD RENDERS A FAVORABLE JUDGMENT BASED UPON THE INSTRUMENT through which WE ARE JUSTIFIED the BLOOD OF CHRIST - God provides the instrument of rendering favorable judgment and imputes (puts to our account) the favorable judgment when we BELIEVE

God is RECONCILER (Romans 5:10) - Notice the PAST TENSE STATEMENT - WE WERE RECONCILED - BY MEANS OF THE DEATH OF HIS SON

God is SAVIOR (Romans 5:10) - we SHALL BE SAVED (future passive indicative) from wrath (through / by means of Him) v. 9 - we SHALL BE SAVED (future passive indicative) BY (means of) HIS LIFE v. 10 - Notice the first of 4 or 5 MUCH MORE Statements

- v. 9 “much more then having now been justified by his blood WE SHALL BE SAVED FROM WRATH…

- v. 10 we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His son, MUCH MORE, having been reconciled WE SHALL BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE - Paul is telling us of the ULTIMATE, the COMPLETE, the PERFECTED SALVATION - SOUL/SPIRIT and BODY - the REDEMPTION OF THE BODY (as we will see in Chapter 8)

God is the the Beginning and Source of our REJOICING (Romans 5:11)

- this word kauchaomai is to boast, to glory, to make boast, to glory on account of a thing

- Perhaps a portion of our witness is to REJOICE, that is to BOAST IN, to GLORY IN and ABOUT our RECONCILIATION with GOD...

-and it all flows through and because of our LORD, JESUS CHRIST