You may turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 5. Romans chapter 5, we'll focus this evening on the section verses 6 to 11, specifically the demonstration of God's love according to Romans chapter 5 and verse 8. I've often thought that if given just a brief moment To speak the truth concerning Christ, Romans 5.8 is about the best or one of the best summaries of the entirety of the gospel. It deals with God, it deals with man, it deals with Christ.
But I'll just read beginning in chapter 5 at verse 1 and read to the end of the chapter. It's good to see the context in which we find specific verses. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance character, and character hope.
Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more than, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when 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. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who was a type of him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation. But the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man's offense, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.
Therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, thank you for your word, and thank you for both the Old and the New Testaments, the fact that it all testifies concerning your redemptive plan in and through your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. How we praise you and how we thank you that you've made us partakers of this fact, of this blessing.
We thank you that you've justified us freely by your grace, that you've given us all things necessary for life. And we just praise you for all of your mercy and all of your kindness to us. And help us now, God, to consider, to study, to think through your great love for sinners. And we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen. Well, as I said,
Introduction: Romans 5:8 and Context
Romans 5.8 serves a great summary statement concerning the entirety of the gospel. It speaks of God, it speaks of the demonstration of His love, it speaks of the targets of that, while we were still sinners, and then gives the means by which this salvation is brought to bear. Christ died for us. Now, just to give a few observations concerning the larger context.
Back in chapter 3, At verse 21, the Apostle shifts course. He has been dealing with the universal condemnation of sin over all men everywhere. He begins his argument in chapter 1 at verse 18. and concludes in chapter 3 at verse 20 when he says, Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. So Paul has shown that man by nature, man in sin, cannot work his way to heaven.
Man by himself cannot achieve the righteousness of God it must come as a gift by God given to us and that is what Paul says in chapter 3 at verse 21 but now he says the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. And then he explains justification by faith alone, the end of chapter 3 and pretty much all of chapter 4. And then here in chapter 5, in verses 1 to 5, He indicates the blessings associated with having been justified by faith. Notice in chapter 5, verse 1.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. In the section that we're going to look at this evening, in verses 6 to 11, he indicates the foundation for those blessings. It comes as a result of Christ's mediation. Christ's work on behalf of his people.
And then the latter half of chapter 5, verses 12 to 21, explain how it is that Christ can die for us. I know that just the reading of 5, 12 to 21 is somewhat confusing, But essentially what Paul is setting forth there is that in Adam all died. All those for whom Christ died, those for whom Christ shed his blood, will live. He basically summarizes all of history under these two men.
Adam the first, and then Christ as the last Adam. So 12 to 21 is an explanation of how it is that Christ can die on our behalf and bring these redemptive benefits. But as I said, we're going to focus this evening on verses 6 to 11 and primarily on verse 8.
Our Helplessness Before God
The first thing I want us to observe is the statement concerning our helplessness in verse 6. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. You see, the scripture teaches two things with reference to sin. It actually teaches a lot, but we can summarize the biblical doctrine of sin under two categories.
The first is total depravity. And oftentimes Calvinists or reformed people are known by that tulip, and the T stands for total depravity. That doesn't mean we're as bad as we can possibly be, but it does mean that every part of us is affected by sin. our minds, our hearts, our affections, our wills. So while we're not as evil as we could possibly be, we are evil through and through.
In Adam we are sinners, and in Adam we have died spiritually. But the scripture not only indicates that we're totally depraved, but the scripture highlights that we're totally unable to merit God's favor. We're totally unable, without supernatural grace, to put ourselves into favor with God. The Lord Jesus indicated this in John 6 at verse 44.
He says, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. Notice what Christ says. He says, no one can. That's total inability.
We do not possess the ability in Adam to go to God on his terms. We do not possess the ability to reconcile ourselves before God. We are unable, we have no ability. In fact, Paul describes us in Ephesians 2 verses 1 to 3, not as being a little bit impaired as a result of our sin, not being a little bit hindered as a result of our sin, but he describes us as being dead in our trespasses and sins.
Later in Romans chapter 8, Paul the Apostle describes or at least highlights or states these two ideas concerning sin. Notice in Romans chapter 8 at verse 7. He says, because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God.
There's total depravity. The carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God. Being subject to the law of God means that we do what God says.
It means that we obey. It means that we have no other gods before Him. We do not manufacture idols. We do not blaspheme his name.
We do not break his Sabbath days. We do not dishonor lawful authority. We do not murder. We do not commit adultery.
We do not steal. We do not lie. And we do not covet. But carnal man is not like that.
We are not subject to the law of God. But then notice what Paul goes on to say in verse 7. Nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
So when we go back to chapter 5, verse 6, when Paul indicates for when we were still without strength. In due time, Christ died for the ungodly. He is highlighting this reality. It didn't depend on our ability.
It didn't depend upon our ingenuity. It didn't depend on our lawfulness. We were without strength. We were without hope.
We were dead. We were gone. We were outside. That's the emphasis of the Apostle.
And I believe this portrays or sets forth the backdrop so that we can appreciate in full what Paul says concerning God's love in verse 8. So we have a statement concerning our helplessness in verse 6.
An Illustration of God's Graciousness
Notice, secondly, an illustration presenting God's graciousness in verse 7. He's trying to show us, or He's trying to indicate, and I think what Paul is doing here in verses 6 to 11 is highlighting this love that has been shed abroad or poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which was indicated in verse 5. Verses 6 to 11 wants, or Paul wants us to have assurance. He wants us to have a steadiness.
He wants us to have a rock-solid hope. He wants us to have confidence, not in ourselves, but in our Savior. And in verse 7, again, this is all leading up to this declaration of verse 8. We have our inability in verse 6, and we have God's ability or God's graciousness in verse 7.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. He's setting up the stage. We're not supposed to see two categories of man. Scarcity for a righteous man, yet for a good man.
He's using those terms synonymously. The idea is simply this. Most of us would not, for a moment, think about dying for someone that was unrighteous. Most of us, if we saw someone that we thought deserved it, about to die, we probably wouldn't push him off of the train tracks and take his place.
There might actually be a secret rooting in our hearts. Yeah, he's getting what he deserves. He's getting what is coming to him. You see, Paul wants you to understand, again, how great, how magnificent, and how glorious is the love of God.
That's the theme. Scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. So you're walking home and you see some guy that you think deserves it standing on the train tracks. He happens to be blind.
He doesn't see that the train is coming. And you conclude that this guy really does deserve it, so you're going to look the other way or walk the other way and he's going to get smacked down. Now another time you walk home and you see somebody that's a really nice person. You like them quite a bit.
You start to do the math. Maybe I can run over there and push him off the train tracks and escape the train myself. You see, Paul's logic is formidable. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps, he says, for a good man someone would even dare to die.
It might be the scenario, it might be the case. If we had the equivalent of the KGB, throw a grenade into this room, one of us might jump on that grenade and take it in our own flesh to spare all of our brothers and sisters. Paul understands that hypothesis. Paul realized that perhaps for a good man, someone would even dare to die.
And then
The Declaration of God's Love
verse 8, thirdly, is the Declaration highlighting God's love. He says that's not the scenario with the Gospel. We're not dealing with righteous men. We're not dealing with good men.
So you can't conclude that God looked down upon the mass of humanity and saw this one, and saw that one, and saw this one, and said, well, there's some righteousness there, and there's some good there, and there's some kindness there, and there's some love there, and there's some nobility there, so I'll go ahead and dispatch my son into this world so that he can die for that. That's not the scenario at all. God demonstrates His own love to us in that while we were still sinners, we were not righteous, we were not lovely, we were not good, we were not godly. God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Sounds a lot like what we find in John 3, 16. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Sounds a lot like what we find in 1 John 4, 10. In this is love.
I love what John says here. In this is love. Not that we love God. That's a no-brainer.
We should love God. He's altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand. The glory, the magnificence, the beauty and the majesty of the Christian gospel is not that sinners have come to love God. That's a no-brainer and that's the way it ought to be.
No, John says, in this is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. He sent His Son in accordance with the prophet Isaiah, that it would be pleasing to bruise him, to spend his wrath upon his son. That's what the idea of propitiation is. Charles Hodge says, the gift of Christ to die on our behalf is everywhere in Scripture represented as the highest possible or conceivable proof of the love of God to sinners.
Let me just read that again. The gift of Christ to die on our behalf is everywhere in scripture represented as the highest possible or conceivable proof of the love of God to sinners. Paul states, God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The Terms of Romans 5:8 Examined
Now let's consider the specific terms the apostle employs there. He speaks of God. What do we know of God according to the scripture? The Shorter Catechism is a great place to start.
God is spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. Think about that word, holiness. Think about the prophet Habakkuk, who said that the eye of the Lord is too pure to behold any evil. You see how in stark contrast between sinful man and the glory of God, this love shines, it blazes, it's magnificent.
God the Holy One, God the Glorious One, God the One who is love Himself. Demonstrates this love. He doesn't just speak about it. He doesn't just hypothesize about it.
He doesn't just talk. He actually demonstrates it. He demonstrates it in the person and in the work of His beloved Son. That's the purpose of John 3.16.
God so loved the world that He gave. 1 John 4.10, in this is love, this is amazing, not that we love God, but that God loved us and he sent his son as a propitiation for us. And here in this text, God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Four Descriptions of the Sinners God Loves
Do you know there's four categories or four descriptions Paul gives to us that I think just makes this love pop out. We were helpless. I've already mentioned that in verse 6. Total depravity, total inability.
Who's the object in this passage? Who's the target of God's love? Not righteous men, not good men, but helpless men. And not helpless just because we're creatures, but helpless because we're sinners.
The carnal mind is enmity against God. We cannot please God in and of our own strength. It is God the Lord who must undertake. When you read verses 6 to 11, there is no way you conclude that salvation or justification or us being accepted before God is anything but monergism.
That means God alone working in the salvation of his people. We were helpless. Secondly, he says we were ungodly. Notice verse 6.
In due time, Christ died for the ungodly. How do we know God loves? Because he sent his son to die for the ungodly. You see, Paul doesn't forget chapter 1 verse 18 to chapter 3 verse 20.
He doesn't forget the doctrine of sin. He doesn't forget the doctrine of depravity. He understands that this sets the context and the stage to display the gloriousness of God's gospel. Notice back in chapter 4 at verse 5.
But to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly. God demonstrates His own love toward us. We were helpless. We were ungodly.
There was nothing in us to commend us to Him. You see, when you love something that's lovely, there's nothing amazing about that. You should love what's lovely. We should love God.
We should adore God. We should honor God. We should praise God. But for God to look upon guilty, vile, helpless sinners, and purpose to save them?
That's what makes Paul say God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We were ungodly men, ungodly women. John Murray says it is not a love constrained by commendable qualities in them. You see, this wouldn't be cause for rejoicing or it wouldn't be cause for promoting assurance.
It wouldn't be hope-building if God owed us this love. He doesn't owe us. We are ungodly. We are vile.
We are wretched. We hold up our fist. Murray says, it is not a love constrained by commendable qualities in them, not even by the qualities which they would one day exhibit by the power of God's grace. So the argument isn't, he knows what they're gonna be, so he sends Christ to die for them.
He knows what their potential is, so he sends Christ to die for them. That's not the argument. The argument is, is that this holy God commendeth his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We were helpless, we were ungodly, we were sinners.
Verse 8. We see that there. One man rightly comments on what men call Calvinism, or we might call it the reformed faith. This particular author says, for to Calvinism there is really only one point to be made in the field of soteriology.
I hope everyone here knows what's soteriology, the doctrine of salvation. The doctrine of salvation says it's not five points that we elucidate. He says in Calvinism there's only one point in the field of soteriology. He says the point that God saves sinners.
This is Romans 5.8. He says, God, the triune Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit, three persons working together in sovereign wisdom, power, and love to achieve the salvation of a chosen people, the Father electing, the Son fulfilling the Father's will by redeeming, the Spirit executing the purpose of Father and Son by renewing. He then says, saves. does everything, first to last, that is involved in bringing man from death and sin to life and glory. He plans, achieves, and communicates redemption, calls and keeps, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies.
So we have God, saves, and then the third sub-point is sinners. He says, men, as God finds them, Guilty, vile, helpless, powerless, unable to lift a finger to do God's will or better, their spiritual lot. As I said, Paul hasn't forgotten what he's written in chapters 1 to 3. When he gets to chapter 5, verse 8, when he says, God demonstrates his own love toward us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
He hasn't forgotten the sins of chapter 1.
The Vice List of Romans 1
We could turn there for just a moment to see the sorts of things that are true of us. See, I think at times we come to a passage like this. They're called vice lists, a list of vices. And we focus on this one, or we focus on that one, or we look at this particular thing, or that particular thing.
What we need to understand is these are the results, these are the symptoms, these are the fruits of idolatry. Notice in chapter 1 verse 18, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because what may be known of God is manifest to them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." Now notice verse 21.
This is absolutely crucial that you get this, that you understand this. That our problem, first and foremost, is religious in nature. That our problem, first and foremost, is turning our back upon the true and living God. Our problem, first and foremost, is theological in nature.
When we resist the one true and the living God, then all of these vices flow inevitably. You want to see what the answer is to society that looks like ours? It is the cross. Because we live in a day and age of idolatry.
Notice what Paul says in verse 21. He says, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. You see, that's the issue. We know God exists, but we don't glorify Him as God.
We don't thank God as God. And as a result, these sins flow. Notice in verse 22, professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. You see, first and foremost, our issue is ungodliness.
And it's based on that reality, rejecting God, not glorifying God as God, not being thankful. It is on that basis that God then gives us over. And it's in that state that we pursue sin. Verse 24, therefore God also. gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature, rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
Amen. For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions, for even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another. Men with men, committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error, which was due.
The problem in a same-sex marriage is not that one of them needs to go marry a woman. They both need Christ. They need to be free. You see, idolatry inevitably leads to manifold wickedness.
And we don't treat symptoms. We don't say, clean up your life. We say, go to the Lord of glory. Go to Jesus.
Believe on Him who died and who rose again. Verse 28, and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not fitting, being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality. The man who's addicted to internet pornography needs the cross. Yes, he can use a filter.
Yes, he can get rid of his computer. Yes, he can get rid of his iPhone. All those things may deal and may treat symptoms, but what the man needs is the power of the cross of our Lord Jesus. Because he's not glorifying God as God, nor is he thankful, but rather he is worshiping and serving the creature rather than the creator.
You see, we need to preach the gospel to combat sin. not preach moralism to combat sin. We preach the cross, we preach the blood, we preach justification by faith alone. It is that which breaks the power of reigning sin. Notice in verse 29.
It's not just sexual sin. You know, it's easy to say, oh, those homosexuals, or oh, those internet porn guys, or oh, you know, it's easy to see that sin out there. Paul doesn't let you do that. Paul gives these vice lists which are comprehensive.
It doesn't just deal with them out there. But notice how he goes on in verse 29. Wickedness, covetousness. Sure, none of us, or perhaps many of us, weren't addicted to internet pornography, or many of us never engaged in a homosexual activity.
Covetousness? Can any one of us ever say we never coveted? If you can, you may have a bigger problem with the Ninth Commandment. You see, the same scripture, the same vice list that denounces homosexual activity, that denounces sexual immorality, denounces our respectable covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder.
Now, we may not actually cut people's throats. In that, we are to be applauded. We may not actually take guns and shoot people in the head. But if we hate our brother, if we say, fool Iraq, if we have unwarranted, unjustified anger, if we reshape our lives to avoid that person, we may be guilty of violating the sixth word.
Strife, deceit, evil-mindedness, they are whisperers, back biters. We won't even open that one up. How many times have we slandered? How many times have we gossiped?
How many times have we backbitten some brother or sister? Haters of God, violent. Notice, Paul doesn't want any of us to escape. Proud.
Proud. Not me, pastor. I'm the most humble guy I know. Again, check that ninth word.
You shall not bear false witness. Anybody who ever says, I'm the most humble guy I know, wow. Wow. Boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents.
Notice how comprehensive the vice list is. How many times do we rail against the homosexual community and never say anything about kids in our churches that act like brats. It is a sin against the holy God to disobey your parents. When did we actually think it was okay to do this?
What's happened along the way? How has it become, you know, the way it's supposed to be when children are disobedient? when husbands don't love their wives, when wives don't submit to their husbands. How is it that in the professing church, more often than not, we look just like the world? Disobedient to parents, undeserving, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful.
It's quite a list, isn't it? God demonstrates his own love toward us while we were still sinners. These kinds of sins. This kind of muck, this kind of garbage, this kind of sewage, this kind of wretchedness, it is in that matrix, it is in that context, it is in that framework that Paul wants us to appreciate this magnificent love of God.
He didn't send His Son to save righteous people. He didn't send His Son to save good people because there were not. He sent His Son to save sinful people. Sin that looks like this.
You know, Jesus Christ is a real Savior for a real sinner. The proof of God's love is seen not only in His holiness, not only in the demonstration at the cross, but in the objects of that love. We're helpless, we're ungodly, we're sinners, but Paul doesn't stop there. He says in verse 9 that we're enemies.
We're enemies, verse 9, much more than, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Verse 10, for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son. Now in light of what I've said about total depravity and about total inability and about the fact that we are ungodly people and that we are sinners and that we don't honor God as God and that we're not thankful to God, you might conclude the reference here in verse 10 to enemies is our view of God. We treat Him as our enemy.
The Bible certainly presents that fact. The Bible certainly teaches that. We've already seen it in Romans 121. He is God.
We don't glorify Him as God, and we aren't thankful to Him. He's given us all things. He's given us bread. He's given us water.
He's given us sunshine. He's given us rain. He's given us love. He's given us families.
And yet we don't honor Him as God, and we're not thankful to Him. What is that but seeing Him or viewing Him as our enemy? But that's not what Paul means in verse 10. Paul means that we were the enemy of God.
Hodge says it this way, there is not only a wicked opposition of the sinner to God, but a holy opposition of God to the sinner. That's Paul's point in verse 10. Not only are we helpless, not only are we ungodly, not only are we sinners, but we are God's enemies. He looks upon us as vile.
He looks upon us with anger. He looks upon us with wrath and fury. He looks upon us with great disgust. and disdain, the way we might look at some loathsome thing. We despise it, we abhor it, we don't want it near us, we treat it as an enemy.
Well, that's what the argument is. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son. You see, not only do we need to look upon God favorably, and this is what the cross does, but God needs to look upon us favorably, and this is what the cross does. It is through the reconciling work of the Lord Jesus Christ that the Father looks upon us with any degree of approbation or approval or with any degree of love.
You see, I think these four terms set in stark contrast the glorious love of God. He doesn't love lovely objects, he doesn't love righteous men, he doesn't love good men, because there are none. God set his affection before the foundation of the world upon us. Us in our helplessness, us in our ungodliness, us in our sinfulness, and us as enmities.
God sent his son to reconcile us unto himself And Paul's point in verse 8 is that this is a great demonstration of his love.
Assurance Grounded in Christ's Work
And then Paul draws conclusions. Paul draws implications in verses 9 to 11. He wants His people. He wants His audience.
He wants us to have assurance. He wants us to have hope. He wants us to have confidence. And notice where we get assurance, where we get hope, and where we get confidence.
It's not in our performance. It's not in our doing. It's not in our ability. It's all outside of us.
It's all in Christ. Verse 9, He says, much more than, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. We've been justified, note the language, by His blood. We've been washed.
We've been purified. We have pardoned for sin. We have the imputation of righteousness. We will be spared from the wrath to come.
I think Paul is thinking about that future great day. He starts his presentation in Romans 1.18 with the wrath of God. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. But based on what God has done in Jesus Christ in reconciling us to Himself, in justifying us through His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
On that great day it will be, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. On that great day of judgment we will fowl we to the fountain fly, wash me, Savior, I die. We find our refuge and our hope in Him." That's a great blessing Paul wants us to understand. He explains this in verse 10.
For if, when 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. In other words, take comfort, be encouraged, have hope, have assurance. Christ died. He washed us in His blood.
We have justification. We have reconciliation. With His resurrection from the dead and His current session at the right hand of the Father, there is nothing that can separate us from this. We have hope, we have confidence, we have assurance.
And then notice, this ought to result in joy, verse 11. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Again, this follows up with what he's already mentioned in chapter 5, verse 2, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Why is that?
Because Christ died. Because Christ shed His blood. Because Christ rose again. And because Christ is stationed at the right hand of God Most High.
In other words, the doctrine of justification by faith alone, the reality of gospel truth, not just understood, but appropriated by the grace of God, brings joy. Don't ever read your Bible and not smile. Don't ever read your Bible, read, you know, Romans 5, 6 through 11. Say, wow, isn't that great?
Be happy, smile, rejoice, delight. This is what he says. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God. When you consider our helplessness, our ungodliness, our sinfulness, and the fact that we were enemies, God's sworn enemies.
He looked at us with disdain. And now we've been brought to life through the blood of Jesus Christ. I hope that makes you smile. I hope at one point or another, when you're singing, long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature's night, thine eye diffused a quickening ray, and he speaks about the chains breaking off and godly, you can smile when you sing those things.
You can be happy. And this idea that Calvinism, a Reformed theology, is so dour and so serious and so somber, we ought to be joyful in the realization that God commendeth his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That's the stuff of happiness. That's the stuff of rejoicing.
These are the truths that should be in our minds and our hearts on Lord's Day worship. We sing these hymns, brother. You get one shot a week. You know, when I actually used to take the gym seriously, I would look at it that way.
I get one bench day, I gotta go in and give it everything I got, because I don't get another bench day until next week. And of course, you go in there and you're tired and you're sluggish and you don't do much weight, and then you feel terrible. You get one out of the seven to come into this place and worship God corporately and publicly. Fill your minds, fill your hearts, get your thoughts wrapped up with the glory of God Most High in the gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord, so that when we say, let's sing, we sing.
We praise, we worship, we honor, we adore, we glorify, we focus, we meditate. We are consumed with the glory of God in Christ who has saved us from our sins. We deserve that wrath to come. We deserve damnation.
We deserve hell. We deserve burning. We deserve everything that a vile, loathsome, guilty, wretched sinner deserves. And God has freed us.
You see what Paul is doing here. I want you Roman Christians to delight. I want you Roman Christians to let the gospel be that fuel so that you'll have joy in your Lord. And that it will be finally the standing or the foundation for that blessed assurance.
That blessed assurance. That's what Paul wants his readers to get.
The Covenant of Grace as Foundation
Much more than, verse 9. Much more, verse 10. I want you to get this truth. Your salvation is firm.
Your salvation is grounded. Your salvation is founded upon the mediation of Jesus Christ. See, that's the blessing and the benefit of the covenant of grace. If we're under the covenant of works, what is demanded?
What is requisite? What is necessary? Our personal, our entire, our exact, and our perpetual obedience. But as recipients of the covenant of grace, as those who have, by God's grace and mercy, benefited in this, it is because of Christ's personal, Christ's entire, Christ's exact, and Christ's perpetual obedience.
That's the foundation upon which we can jump up, click our heels together, and praise God Almighty for what He has done in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. And you'll see, if you continue to read the Book of Romans, that this understanding, that our assurance, that our hope, that our foundation is outside of ourself, it's in Christ. It is that alone which promotes biblical holiness. You see, if we don't understand that, and we think that somehow our doing, our good deeds, our activities, our tasks is what finally commends us to God, the motivation's all wrong.
You see, then we're working, and then it's wages, and then it's reward, and then it's payment. That's not the case in the gospel. God has saved us freely by his grace. Those who have been saved freely by His grace now live in light of that reality and they seek to honor their blessed Master.
Application and the Lord's Table
Well, brethren, remember what you were, remember what Christ has done, and hopefully the table tonight will reinforce that reality. It is because of his broken body. It is because of his shed blood. Paul says, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
If you do not have an interest in this, if you have not believed this, then please do not take the supper. The Lord's Table is for the Christian Church. It's not for unbelievers. It's not a converting ordinance.
There's no magic. You don't eat this bread and drink this cup and become Christians. You become Christians by the grace of God, by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is then for those who have tasted, those who have come, those who do know Him.
Now, having said that, of course, believe on Him. Believe on the Lord Jesus. Do not think eating physical bread or drinking physical wine or grape juice makes you a Christian. Believing in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that is the one thing needful.
Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank You for Your Word and we thank You for this section in Romans 5 God, I do pray that our hearts would be drawn out to rejoice as well. We'd have a rock solid hope, not because of what we are, what we do, but because of what Jesus Christ has accomplished on behalf of his people. Thank you for this great demonstration of your love. Thank you that the cross does preach the love of God. preaches your justice, it preaches your righteousness, it preaches many lessons.
Certainly, the love of God is proclaimed fully there. We ask now that you would bless our thoughts, bless our time together as we remember Jesus in a very specific and special way. And we ask in his name, amen.