Lesson 61
Romans Chapter 5 -
Results of Justification by faith.
Review:
In 5:6-8 we see the nature of God's love; but more
specifically the nature of God's love applied to us; its God's love in action; i.e. Grace!
Description
of our pre-salvation status is given in context;
- vs:6 helpless & ungodly;
- vs:8 sinners;
- vs:10 enemies;
That what
was done for us at the cross, when we were totally unworthy, when there was
absolutely no merit in any of us to commend us to God and He loved us and sent
His Son to die for us! That is the
supreme exhibition of Grace!
Three
things we need to know as we consider these 3 verses; vs:6,7,8
1. Human love, at its best, may motivate a person to give his life for
a truly "good" person. (v.7)
2. Christ, was sent by the God/F, He died,
not for "the righteous" or even for good people, but for rebellious
and undeserving people. (v.6)
3. Therefore, God's love is far greater in its magnitude and
dependability than even the greatest example of human love. (v.8)
5:6 For while we
were still helpless,
at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly
Huper
expresses
the substitutionary aspect of Christ's death but it also indicates the action
on behalf of another that is consistent with the love of God as seen in Christ.
Point of Truth:
We were utterly unworthy of any consideration by God and
yet He died for us any way!
5:7 Illustrates for us the height
of human love; the best man can do!
It helps
us understand the magnitude of what God did for us in and through Christ; The
extent and degree of His love!
- righteous = one who is
honest, dependable but not especially warm hearted towards others; [but one not
liked]
- good = one who exhibits
kindness and benevolence toward others, along with the honesty, and dependability;
would be well liked.
- What this is saying is that it is not the normal thing
to expect one to die for someone else, but in rare cases of the good man one
might!
5:8 But
[intro. contrast; the incredible grace of God's love] God demonstrates (proves) His own (emphatic pronoun) love toward us, in that while
we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
- the last phrase is a purpose
clause introduced in the translation by "in that" (o[ti) in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us.
Quote
from Rene Lopez Romans Unlocked, Power to Deliver pg. 108
This
clause explains the extent of God's love in two ways:
First, God's unconditional love expresses
itself by reaching out to sinners while they were still going the opposite
direction.
Second, God's love also expresses itself in
the historical act of Christ's death. For Paul, Christ's death is the ultimate
tangible manifestation of God's love. Incredibly, no other verse, except John
3:16, shouts more clearly than this one of God's amazing grace!
No amount of human justice or goodness can
begin to compare. God's love is overwhelming!
How
could we ever imagine that He would ever forsake us; or not provide what is needed for
living?
Therefore
our hope is secure as we already noted;
"and hope does not
disappoint" v.5
5:9 Provision for the life that flows from salvation
- Notice that each of these next 2 verses have "much
more"; these
deal with the aspect of our salvation that is future.
Overview:
5:9
having now been justified we were reconciled
point of faith - (past) same
by His blood through the death of His Son
sacrificial death
same
much more
much more
shall be saved from wrath having been reconciled we shall be saved
future aspect
same future aspect
through Him
by His life
** Logic, Premise here is this in these 2 verses:
If God has already accomplished the difficult thing; that is to
justify the ungodly, and to reconcile the sinner to Himself.
How much
more can He be depended on to accomplish the "easier" or the lesser things;
That is
He died for you when you were His enemy, a sinner and ungodly; totally
alienated from Him [v.6,8]
Now that your justified, declared
righteous, and therefore acquitted from all charges against you how much more
will He do for you now? Your in Christ, your children of God, Your His heirs;
Question is just what is the wrath refer to here?
- His
judgment to come on those who reject Him; Who fail to believe God!
- or is this wrath related to the present
experience of the believers, a concept Paul strengthens by his graphic
description of God's love (v.3-8) to motivate believers?
This
aspect of God's wrath was common in the OT in His dealing with believers. Psa 6:1 (see the discipline in the following verses;) Jer 44:5-6
- One of the keys to grasping this is that in both verses
we have the future tense of "saved" which is not talking about
salvation as we understand it at all.
It's another passage where our deliverance from something is in view.