“Saved BY His Life”
Romans 5:9-11
Introduction: Today is the first Sunday in Advent. It is natural that we often begin to think about gifts at this time of year. We think of gifts to give others and gifts we will receive. Today as we focus on Romans 5,
I want us to think and appreciate the gifts that God has given to us. Think of these as God’s Christmas gifts to you because we have been justified by faith in the completed work of Christ for us. Among those gifts God has given us is peace with Him. He has also given us access into His presence as well as perseverance in the midst of suffering. All of this has led to assurance of God’s continued love for us. What is even more astounding is that these Christmas gifts were given to us when we were weak, when we were sinners, and when we were God’s sworn enemies. Such acts of love are unheard of in our world today. We love those who love us, not those who sin against us and are our sworn enemies. How often do you buy Christmas gifts for your enemies?
Beyond all this, Romans 5:9 says there is “much more” to be considered. If God did the really hard thing by reconciling us to Himself when we were weak, when were sinners, and when we were His enemies,
it only follows that we shall be saved from the future judgment. And even more than that we shall be saved by His life. Several statements in these verses are worth pondering.
First, verse 9 says we are justified by His blood. The whole idea of blood is repugnant to some people. Yet it is the very essence of life. Even the OT tells us that the life is in the blood. (Leviticus 17:11) While the OT passage is speaking of physical blood in a human body, there is much more implied in these verses in Romans. When an animal or a human has no blood in their body, the animal or human dies. Blood speaks of death in this verse and underscores the fact that Christ’s life was sacrificed for the forgiveness of my sins and yours. Scripture also says that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. (Hebrews 9:22) That was true whether one is talking about the OT sacrifices or the sacrifice of Christ. Christ’s death by the shedding of His blood was a once and for all event. (Ill.) That is why I am opposed to the teaching that says that the Eucharist is a sacrifice. As it turns out, this then is a re-sacrifice of Christ, though they try to explain it as a bloodless sacrifice. NO! Christ died once for believers. Christ died once for His people. The point to consider in all of this is that it was the blood of Christ that stilled the wrath of God against all believers.
So what does this mean for you and for me? When Paul says “much more,” he means that we shall be saved from God’s wrath. It means we will not stand before the bar of God’s great white throne judgment because only unbelievers will appear in that judgment. This declaration gives us absolute certainly that God has nothing against us. It assures us that we are at peace with God and look forward to spending eternity with Him.
In addition to being saved from God’s wrath verse 10 says we were reconciled through Christ’s death. The implications for the word reconciled are rich with meaning. First, please note that God doesn’t need to be reconciled to us. Rather, we need to be reconciled to God. It is God who takes the initiative in all of this. If it were left up to us in our natural state, we would never seek to be reconciled to God. The reason is that in our natural state we want our own way. ESV Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-- every one-- to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ESV 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Not only have we been reconciled to God, but He has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Thus, it is crucial that we understand the ministry of reconciliation. Too often well-meaning preachers have communicated a false idea about the ministry of reconciliation. For example, some preachers have exhorted unbelievers to give their hearts to God. As James McKendrick, the Scottish evangelist, said, “What would God do with a dirty thing like that anyway?” You will search the Bible in vain to find a verse where an unsaved man is ever asked to give his heart to God. Rather, God takes away the heart of stone and gives the believer a heart of flesh. Then He says, “give me your heart” (Prov. 23:26). This is not a request for the natural man to give his heart to God. Jeremiah (17:9) says the heart is deceitful and above all things is incurably wicked.
Take another example, where a well meaning preacher says, “If you do not receive Christ as your savior, you will be lost.” This is not the real ministry of reconciliation. It will not stand the acid test of Scripture. It would be more accurate, and more biblical, to say, “If you do not receive Christ as your savior, you will remain lost.” You always were lost. You were born lost. You are lost. Now I invite you to be reconciled to God by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. If God has taken away that heart of stone and given that person a heart of flesh, then he/she will believe and receive Christ. But if not, then he/she will remain lost.
At the heart of most of these mistaken notions is the preacher’s appeal to the human will. Most often that appeal is made through the emotions. Consider the following verses: ESV John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. ESV Romans 9:16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. Such preaching may be sincere, but it is not the ministry of reconciliation.
In a nut shell here is the ministry of reconciliation: It matters not whether I speaking to a Muslim, a Devil-worshiper, an atheist or agnostic, or a member of a cult. I then preach to you the gospel. To you I declare that you are a sinner, estranged from God. You have been going your own way all your life. But I have good news for you! In your helpless, hopeless, sinning, rebellious condition you are God’s enemies. In that condition God has dealt with your sin by sending Christ to die for you. Christ shed His blood so that God’s wrath has been fully satisfied
I say to you on the authority of God’s word that God is not holding your sins against you. Every sin you have committed, or will commit has already been taken care of in the death of Christ. God has nothing against you. You are to come just as you are. Be reconciled to God. He will accept you as you are. If you are a Muslim, leave your Koran and come as a helpless sinner. If you are a Pagan, leave your fetishes and come as you are. If you are an atheist or agnostic, leave your doubts, fears, and intellectual pride and come as a poor sinner. If you are a member of a false cult, leave your horrible caricature of God and come knowing that the blood of Christ has paid your fine. No matter who you are, drop your confidence in baptism or church membership and come to God and be reconciled to Him. Bring nothing, do nothing, say nothing. Simply come as you are because God has put away your sin.
That is the ministry of reconciliation. God commands you to repent, to turn away from all you are or have, and come to Him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let me close this message with some really good news for those who do know Christ.
Verse 10 goes on to tell us that there is still much more to be realized. Not only shall we be saved from wrath, but we shall be saved by His life. Why does the text say we shall be saved by His life? I thought we were saved by the shedding of His blood through faith in Christ. That of course is true, but this verse says we as saved by His life. What does that mean?
For those who have been reconciled to God the “much more” mentioned in this verse is speaking about the resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead. In others words, the same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in us! That is daily power for living the Christian life. Just before Christ ascended into heaven, He said:
KJV Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
And the Apostle Paul prays in Philippians 3:10
ESV Philippians 3:10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
ESV Philippians 3:10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
God has not only saved us from His wrath, but “much more” He has given us the ministry of reconciliation and provided for us the same power for daily living that raised Christ from the dead. I don’t know how much more we can ask from Him. Consider these as God’s Christmas gifts to us at the Christmas season.