The Love of God Toward Sinners

Romans 5:1-9

I.    Verse 1-5 - Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.    Christ is speaking to full grown Christians who are baptized members of the church of God which is located at Rome, Italy.  He is speaking to them in their present condition, showing them such great things God has given to them.  In their present condition, they are  justified, have peace with God, and are able to understand why things happen to them the way they happen, and still give God complete glory.

A.            Justified.

1.   The word justified means they stand before God as if they had never sinned at all.

2.      Christ has washed their sins whiter than snow, and remembers their sins no more.

B.   Peace with God.

1.      They have no dread of meeting with God, because of past or present sinfulness.

2.      They have been accepted in the beloved.

3.      They, and we, are called the friends of God!

C.   Rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

1.      Their present standing before God is what gives them this great rejoicing.

2.      They do not rejoice because of outward circumstances, or because a lot of people like them, or their stand for God.

D.  Glory in tribulations.

1.      They are not asking that tribulations come to them, tribulations come as a natural part of life.

2.      They understand that tribulations cause them to grow to spiritual maturity.

3.      They are not asking for patience, which brings tribulations.

4.      This doesn't mean they desire tribulations to come to them, because that would be un-natural.

5.      They don't avoid tribulation because they understand that God will never put more on them than they are able to bear.

E.            Growing in patience, experience, hope, understanding, and love.

1.      Understanding that God only allows tribulations that are good for them is what allows them to patiently endure.

2.      They have contentment in tribulations, and have contentment when there is no tribulations.

3.      Tribulations give them patience, which gives them experience, which they can use to help others that are going through tribulations.

4.      Having tribulations not only gives them experience, it gives them hope - not despair, or depression.

5.      Tribulations give them patience, which gives them experience, which gives them hope, which gives them understanding of God's purposes in this earth.

6.      Tribulations give them patience, which gives them experience, which gives them hope, which gives them understanding, which increases their love of God and others.

F.   It must be understood by us that nothing that happens to these Roman Christians diminishes their faith in Christ, or hinders their spiritual maturity.

1.   God means all things that happen to them to help them, just as He means all things that happen to us to help us.

2.   God carefully measures each event in our lives, and will allow nothing to happen to us that will harm us in any way.

II.   Verse 6-8 - 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.    In these verses, Paul desires these Christians to take a look back at what they had before they were saved.  He wants them to understand that their present perfect standing before God has nothing at all to do with their good works, or their good attitude, or that they are better than any other person on the entire world.  Paul wants them to understand that their present perfect standing before God is the result of what God has graciously done for them, and He ought to receive all the glory and honor and they ought to receive none at all.

A.  Verse 6 - When they compare their present standing before God with their past standing (when they were lost), they understand they were ungodly in the past.

1.   God came to them when they were without strength, unable to help themselves up out of the pit and mire of sin they were in.

2.      Christ died for their sinfulness when they were ungodly.

a)   He didn't wait until their got rid of their ungodliness before He died for them.

b)   It was impossible for them to get of their own ungodliness.

3.      Notice that Christ didn't just die - He died for the ungodly.

a)   It is important to note that Christ died, but it is more important to note that He died for a purpose - that He died for the ungodly.

b)   Christ died for all the ungodly, not just for some of the ungodly: all of the ungodly will be drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit.

c)   Those that won't accept the fact of their ungodliness won't come to Christ.

d)   It is often very difficult for us to realize that we were ungodly, but that is the exact truth!

B.   Verse 7 - Some might die for a righteous man.

1.      Romans 16:3,4 - Priscilla and Aquila had laid down their necks for Paul's sake.

2.      Which has the greater love - Paul, or Priscilla and Aquila?

3.      Which is the better person - Paul, or Priscilla and Aquila?

C.   Verse 8 - God loved us and died for us while were yet sinners!

1.      John 15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

2.      Eph. 1:6-8 - 6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

3.   I Tim. 1:15,16 - This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

4.   I Peter 3:18 - 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:

5.   I John 3:16 - Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

6.   I John 4:9,10 - In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

7.      Isaiah 53:6 - All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

8.      There is no doubt who is the better person - God or wicked sinners?

9.      There is no doubt who is the better person - Christ or wicked sinners?

D.  Verse 9 - We shall be saved from the wrath of God because Christ has endured that wrath for us.

1.   We are saved from the present wrath of God.

2.   We are saved from the future wrath of God which He pours out upon this present earth.

3.   We are saved from the future wrath of God which He will pour out upon sinners in an eternal Lake of Fire.

4.      Saved people will never endure the wrath of God because Christ has endured that wrath in our place.