"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 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. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:6-12).
Now two things in verse 5 you can see right away:
1. You did not have enough strength to save yourself.
2. You are ungodly. There is no way to get around that verse ... you are ungodly.
As we see further on, "For when we were yet without strength . . . For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die."
This happens on the battlefield. A soldier loves his captain, his first sergeant, he loves the brother next to him--and he gives himself for good people. It happens in other areas as well.
We are talking about salvation here. There are people that would trust in their own good works to get them to heaven and that won't work.
In verse 8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Now, all through school, I did not know much about soul wining. They gave us the Romans road, and I used it and some were saved by it--but we were always neglecting verse 8 in the steps, but verse 8 is paramount because it shows people that God saves sinners. You don't have to wait until you stop smoking, or stop drinking and all that kind of stuff. Once you recognize that fact and you are honest with God that you are a sinner--YOU CAN BE SAVED! Because you need a Saviour!
And that verse, 5:8, will work with anyone. Even old-timer guys when you visit them. Well look, gramps, it says here that God commendedth His love toward us, that is, He gave salvation to us--He commanded Himself to do this--in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. So Christ knew what He was dying for and what He was getting--sinners! Praise the Lord!
And then in verse 9, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
Justified by what? By His Blood! So it is not just about the death of Christ, it's about the shedding of His Blood. "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins." That is why a bunch of us Bible believers got mad at some preachers that emphasized the death over the Blood. The Gospel of Jesus Christ in I Corinthians 15:1-4 tells you of the death, burial and resurrection but it adds . . . "according to the Scriptures."
So what does that tell you? It tells you go to the Gospels and see how He died, and you'll find out about that scourging and that Blood. And when you trace that Blood all the way from Genesis all the way through you'll find out that "without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins." You are going to find out about the sacrificial lambs in the Old Testament and how that Jesus Christ was that Type, that perfect Type--and He did it once for all for ever. And the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sins. And here in this verse we are told that we are justified by His blood--we shall be saved from the wrath through Him. Aren't you glad? We are not going to face wrath.
In verse 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."
When is Christ going to die again? Anybody have any idea? When is He going to die again? Is He ever going to die? No, He's going to live forever. Forever, forever, forever. So how long is a saved person going to live? Forever, forever, forever! Like the Old preacher says, "When God dies, you die." That's a good thought. I like that. Yea, man!
If you're saved here today, and the devil took you and dangled you over hell . . . and he dropped you . . . hell would move out of the way. That's how safe you are. Think about that!
Verse 11 says, "And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."
That's At-One-Ment! Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and man. We are ambassadors of Christ. Everyone of us that are saved have the 'ministry of reconciliation.' Everyone! Not the preachers only ... but everybody! It's everyone's job to reconcile the lost to Who? Jesus! Who is Jesus? He's the go-between. He's the only go-between. He said that He was the way, the truth and the life and that no man cometh to the Father but by or through Him. Why does everyone want to get rid of the name of Jesus? DUH!!! Oh, you can believe in God, just don't use that name.
Yea, that was back in Acts. They threatened Peter and everybody else about that name. Why? "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
It's Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ! You compromise that you compromise everything. You get God angry with you.
Then in verse 12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
Adam sinned, and therefore all men have sin and the penalty of death with it. On you own, when you go through Scripture you can start with Romans 3 and see God's diagnosis of man. About what's under his tongue, and what he does, what he is, and no man searches after God. You get to thinking about that, and from these verses alone you can see, without a doubt, that God is well aware of our ungodly condition--BUT HE LOVED US ANYWAY!
That's what you have to remember after you are saved also, because the devil will get you going on what you are doing wrong--and the next thing you are oblivious to your security in Christ. And that's what the devil likes to do to neutralize people. And they don't get closer to God, because they find themselves going further away. That old flesh will take you further than you want to go.
Now two things in verse 5 you can see right away:
1. You did not have enough strength to save yourself.
2. You are ungodly. There is no way to get around that verse ... you are ungodly.
As we see further on, "For when we were yet without strength . . . For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die."
This happens on the battlefield. A soldier loves his captain, his first sergeant, he loves the brother next to him--and he gives himself for good people. It happens in other areas as well.
We are talking about salvation here. There are people that would trust in their own good works to get them to heaven and that won't work.
In verse 8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Now, all through school, I did not know much about soul wining. They gave us the Romans road, and I used it and some were saved by it--but we were always neglecting verse 8 in the steps, but verse 8 is paramount because it shows people that God saves sinners. You don't have to wait until you stop smoking, or stop drinking and all that kind of stuff. Once you recognize that fact and you are honest with God that you are a sinner--YOU CAN BE SAVED! Because you need a Saviour!
And that verse, 5:8, will work with anyone. Even old-timer guys when you visit them. Well look, gramps, it says here that God commendedth His love toward us, that is, He gave salvation to us--He commanded Himself to do this--in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. So Christ knew what He was dying for and what He was getting--sinners! Praise the Lord!
And then in verse 9, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
Justified by what? By His Blood! So it is not just about the death of Christ, it's about the shedding of His Blood. "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins." That is why a bunch of us Bible believers got mad at some preachers that emphasized the death over the Blood. The Gospel of Jesus Christ in I Corinthians 15:1-4 tells you of the death, burial and resurrection but it adds . . . "according to the Scriptures."
So what does that tell you? It tells you go to the Gospels and see how He died, and you'll find out about that scourging and that Blood. And when you trace that Blood all the way from Genesis all the way through you'll find out that "without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins." You are going to find out about the sacrificial lambs in the Old Testament and how that Jesus Christ was that Type, that perfect Type--and He did it once for all for ever. And the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sins. And here in this verse we are told that we are justified by His blood--we shall be saved from the wrath through Him. Aren't you glad? We are not going to face wrath.
In verse 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."
When is Christ going to die again? Anybody have any idea? When is He going to die again? Is He ever going to die? No, He's going to live forever. Forever, forever, forever. So how long is a saved person going to live? Forever, forever, forever! Like the Old preacher says, "When God dies, you die." That's a good thought. I like that. Yea, man!
If you're saved here today, and the devil took you and dangled you over hell . . . and he dropped you . . . hell would move out of the way. That's how safe you are. Think about that!
Verse 11 says, "And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."
That's At-One-Ment! Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and man. We are ambassadors of Christ. Everyone of us that are saved have the 'ministry of reconciliation.' Everyone! Not the preachers only ... but everybody! It's everyone's job to reconcile the lost to Who? Jesus! Who is Jesus? He's the go-between. He's the only go-between. He said that He was the way, the truth and the life and that no man cometh to the Father but by or through Him. Why does everyone want to get rid of the name of Jesus? DUH!!! Oh, you can believe in God, just don't use that name.
Yea, that was back in Acts. They threatened Peter and everybody else about that name. Why? "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
It's Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ! You compromise that you compromise everything. You get God angry with you.
Then in verse 12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
Adam sinned, and therefore all men have sin and the penalty of death with it. On you own, when you go through Scripture you can start with Romans 3 and see God's diagnosis of man. About what's under his tongue, and what he does, what he is, and no man searches after God. You get to thinking about that, and from these verses alone you can see, without a doubt, that God is well aware of our ungodly condition--BUT HE LOVED US ANYWAY!
That's what you have to remember after you are saved also, because the devil will get you going on what you are doing wrong--and the next thing you are oblivious to your security in Christ. And that's what the devil likes to do to neutralize people. And they don't get closer to God, because they find themselves going further away. That old flesh will take you further than you want to go.
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