Romans 5:6-11

5:6. For then we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

What a wonderful sentence that is! Not, «Christ died for the saints, «not, «Christ died for righteous men;» but, «when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.»

Romans 5:7. 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.

What an argument this is for the final safety of believers! If Christ died for us when we were enemies, surely he will give us now that he has died for us and made us his friends, his reconciled subject»: «Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.»

Romans 5:10. 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.

There is a threefold argument there. We were enemies, yet God blessed us even then, so will he not bless us even more now that we are reconciled to him? When we were enemies, he reconciled us unto himself. Having done that, will he not certainly save us? We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; so much more shall we be saved by the life of the risen and glorified Jesus, which has almighty, irresistible power.

Romans 5:11. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

This exposition consisted of readings from Romans 3:9; Romans 5:6; Romans 8:1.