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Reconciling Love Of God (Romans 5:1-11; 8:31-39)
for people who had hostility toward the lover of their souls.
But humanity’s inability to live up to God’s righteous- ness is met by divine recon- ciling love.
Four phrases underline God’s desire to get back what rightfully belongs to him.
First, Christ died for the ungodly (“impious or wicked”).
Second, Christ died for us. There is power in certain prepositions. The word for could be translated “on be- half of.”
Third, we are saved from God’s wrath through him. The cross averts our biggest obstacle in getting to God, namely God himself.
Finally, we are reconciled to him through the death of his Son.
Reconciliation means to remove the alienation and enmity. It is a term in the an- cient world (as well as the modern) from the realm of marriage. A married couple
separates, but then they rec- oncile (are made friends again).
Justification (the penalty paid) has to take place before reconciliation (relationship restored) can happen. The stunning thing is that God’s love is not just for the right- eous or the good but for the ungodly, sinners, and ene- mies.
Reconciling Love Assures a Victory |
Romans 8:31-39
The “second Adam from above” died for those of Adam’s race (Romans 5:12-21). But sometimes even those redeemed by grace (Romans 3:24) com- promise their holiness and do not live out their victory in Christ. That is why it is be- lieved that Paul wrote Ro- mans 6–8.He basically gave three answers to this dilemma.
First, we must remember our death to ourselves in baptism (chapter 6). Since we died to the old way we should live in newness.
Next, we must remember that we are still in the flesh, and we are a walking civil war (chapter 7). We will make some mistakes along the way.
Finally, we walk by the Spirit even while we still groan for our glorious future (chapter 8).
Paul wrote using ques- tions as his method, he quoted from the Old Testa- ment to undergird his au- thority, and he made a list to challenge anything in the universe to separate him from the love of Christ.
Paul asked seven ques- tions. Most all of them can be answered with the negative response of “No” or “No one” (verse 32 is the exception— it gets a rousing “Yes!”).
We learn that God is for us, he gave up Jesus for us, he gave us all things, he defends us, he justifies us, and he in- tercedes for us.
Even though we face the prospect of death, we live out the theology of the lamb (Psalm 44:22).
How did the facts of Jesus’ death on the cross and his empty tomb set things right between God and humanity?
Twelve different New Tes- tament words and at least six different models have to be examined. Many of those are in Romans. Romans is a mul- tifaceted epistle. It is a theo- logical treatise, a unity document, and a missionary letter.
It touches on themes of alienation (chapters 1–3), justification (4–5), sanctifi- cation (6–8), election (9– 11), and implementation (12–16). But regardless of which section we are in, we never lose the reconciling love of God.
Reconciling Love Demands a Death | Romans 5:6-11
God’s demands are high.
Humanity’s ability to achieve those demands is impossible. Something had to happen to remove the alienation cre- ated between God’s demands and humanity’s ability. Enter the death of Christ.
Humanity’s needs are un- derlined by three phrases in our text.
First, humans are power- less. This word means “weak” and was often used in the New Testament to speak of physical weakness. Paul had already argued this point from a spiritual weakness standpoint (Romans 1:18- 3:20). Christ died for power- less people.
Second, humans are sin- ners. Christ died for sinful people.
Third, humans are ene- mies. This word means “haters of God.” Christ died
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