A sermon from Brent Kercheville.
In our last lesson we began a series called Much More. In Romans 5 we read seven times where the apostle Paul makes a declaration and then tells us that we have even more than that (cf. Romans 5:3, 9, 10, 11, 15, 17, 20). We notice in our last lesson that the “much more” that Paul proclaims that is that we rejoice in our sufferings. In our text today we are going to see Paul give us three “much more” statements. Open your copies of God’s word to Romans 5:6-11 and we are going to see what more we have in Christ.
Before we can understand what the apostle Paul is going to show us, we need to remember what he taught in Romans 5:1-5. Paul has revealed that we have peace with God because we have been justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 5:1). Further, we have obtained access into this grace in which we stand (cf. Romans 5:2). Finally, we rejoice in our sufferings because we know that God is at work in us. God is using our suffering to produce endurance which produces character which produces hope which will not put us to shame. Notice how Paul ends this idea. Our hope will not disappoint because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. This is a key place of hope for us. God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. The question that immediately arises is this: What does this look like? How do I know that I have God’s love? What should I be looking at in my life? This is where Paul is going and what Paul is answering in these next verses.
God’s Love On Display (Romans 5:6-8)
Notice that the first word in Romans 5:6 is the word “for.” Paul is connecting this idea of God’s love being poured into our hearts with an explanation. Here is what we must observe. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6 ESV). We must let this very important truth soak into our minds. Christ died for us while we were dead in our sins. Christ died for the ungodly. Now the explanation in verse 7 helps us appreciate the gravity of this act of love. What strangers would you die for? But this is really not even accurately representing the situation. What wicked strangers would you die for? The point is that we might consider dying for someone that we consider a good or righteous person. But there is no way that we would die for the wicked. We would not die for someone who is our enemy. We would not die for someone who was against us. But this is exactly what Christ did for us. Look at verse 8. God has demonstrated his love for us by doing that very thing. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Here is what I want us to see: while this is not the behavior and character of humans, it is the behavior and character of God. God wanted to show us his love. Friends, God’s love is poured into our hearts when we understand this revelation of what God did for us in Christ. What more could God ever do to prove that he loves you? What more could God do to show how much he cares for you and wants a relationship with you? Self-sacrifice is the highest love we can possibly show for another. Giving yourself is the greatest display of love. This is the important foundation of God’s love. If we ever doubt or ever wonder if God loves us, all we need to do is take our minds to the cross and see God’s love poured out there for us. We can never doubt God’s love for us, no matter what happens in this life. Please connect this back to the rejoicing in our sufferings in Romans 5:3-5. We can rejoice in our sufferings because we know God loves us and is working through our sufferings to produce the endurance, character, and hope that we need. Now here is the amazing thing about this discussion. As amazing as this truth about God’s love is, this is not the end of Paul’s teaching. Paul has three “much more” statements in verses 9-11 that build off of this foundational truth. We must see this immense love that God has for us so that we can be all the more amazed at the three “much more” declarations.
Much More #1 (Romans 5:9)
Look at Romans 5:9. Since we have been justified by the blood of Christ, much more we will be saved by Christ from the wrath of God. We saw in Romans 4 that Abraham was counted as righteous and all who walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham are also declared righteous (cf. Romans 4:11-12). But the much more is that those who are in Christ and justified by his blood do not need to worry about the coming promised judgment against all unrighteousness and ungodliness (cf. Romans 1:18). Paul made this point to the Christians in Thessalonica.
For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 ESV)
This is a really important point because people bristle at the idea that God would judge the world and send them to eternal punishment. But there are two considerations that we must remember. First, every person desires justice. There is such evil that happens that everyone has some line in which we want to see justice served. When we see people harmed, we want justice. When we see wrong, we want justice. Everyone has within themselves some sort of meter in which they declare something to be wrong and want justice. God is the judge and God is the one who defines what is just and what is good and evil. No one should be upset that there is going to be a final judgment where all the wicked and evil acts that people commit will be brought into account and judged. Second, God gave his Son so that no one would have to experience the wrath to come. Listen again to what Paul said to the Thessalonian Christians.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 ESV)
God’s plan is not that would experience his wrath but that you would experience his salvation and then live for him and with him. So I want you to think about all the wrong things that you have done. Think about the sins you have committed against God. Think about the harm you have done to others. Every person is deserving of judgment. But we will be saved from the wrath of God since we have been justified by his blood.
Much More #2 (Romans 5:10)
Paul is not done. Look at Romans 5:10. If God reconciled us by the death of his Son while we were enemies, then how much more, since we have been reconciled will we be saved by his life? This is a powerful argument from the greater to the lesser. God has already done the hard thing. What was the hard thing? Christ died for the ungodly while we were still weak. God showed his love for us by sacrificing his Son on the cross while we were still sinners. That is the harder thing as Paul illustrated in verse 7. We would not die for the ungodly. But God did. Now follow the picture in verse 10. If God would demonstrate his love by giving his Son while we were sinners, what do you think God will do for us now that we are reconciled to him? If God would give his Son while we were in rebellion to him, what will God do now that we are his children? If we were reconciled through the death of his Son, how much more shall we be saved by his life? Listen to how the writer of Hebrews advances this idea.
Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. (Hebrews 7:25-26 ESV)
The picture that the writer of Hebrews gives to us is that now we are his children, we have a great high priest who always lives before the throne of God, making intercession for us. The apostle Paul will make this point at the end of Romans 8.
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:33-34 ESV)
If God would give his Son when you were standing against him, do we not think that God will forgive us now that we are seeking to love and obey him? Do we not think that God will forgive us now that we are in a relationship with him? Jesus lives to intercede for us. God will forgive his children. How can we doubt God’s love toward us? Listen to how John proclaimed this amazing love of God toward us.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. (1 John 2:1-3 ESV)
We have Jesus Christ, the righteous, as our advocate and as our propitiation. If God gave his Son for you when you were disobedient to him, what will he do for you now that you are reconciled and are now a child of God?
Much More #3 (Romans 5:11)
But there is one more picture in verse 11. More than all of this, which is just amazing to say. But there is even more. More than that, we rejoice in God through Jesus through whom we have now received reconciliation. When we see what God has done for us that we are called children of God, then we rejoice!
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1 ESV)
This is why we sing. This is why we worship. This is why we praise the Lord. This is why we teach. This is why we can have joy in our sufferings. We have been reconciled to the Father. We see the love of the Father that we are now his children. Do not drift away from the Lord. You might say that you are going through some really hard things in your life right now. But God saved you when you were enemies. He is not far from you now that you are his child. You might think that you have failed God, committing a sin in which you are carrying the guilt and you think you cannot be forgiven. But if God reconciled us while we were enemies, will he not intercede for us now that we are his children? Too often people come into a relationship with God. They are convicted by sin and the good news of the gospel. By faith they submit their lives to Jesus, are baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, washing away all the filth of their past. But then suffering comes and they throw away their hope. But then they hit a time of weakness and fail and think they need to quit. But then they commit sin and think they now they could never be a Christian again. Please listen to what God is telling us. He already did the hard thing by giving his Son while we were enemies. Therefore, now that you are a child of God, do not think that God is now not going to forgive you when you have a broken and contrite heart that turns back in repentance. Now that you are a child of God, do not walk away from the hope, peace, and grace in which we stand (cf. Romans 5:1-2). You have received reconciliation. Rejoice in that hope in the life of Jesus who is standing at God’s right hand, making intercession for you when you seek it from him. The parable of the lost son reminds us that this is the heart of God. When the son left his father’s house in Luke 15 and threw his life away on reckless living, the father did not think in his heart, “Good riddance. I am sure glad he is out of the house.” He longed for his son to return. When his son return, he exploded with joy and the house was to celebrate because the son who walked away returned. You can come back to the Father. The Son has made it possible. We have so much more in Christ as his children.