THE WORK OF CHRIST: OUR RECONCILIATION
Romans 5: 9-11
INTRODUCTION
Imagine that you are a citizen of a very wealthy country where you are
able to live at ease. However, your country has an enemy who is overwhelming
in his power and is implacable in his rage against you. He is mustering
his forces on your border and has a timetable laid out and a day when
he is planning to come and to destroy everything and everyone in your
country. It is a certainty that he is coming and that he will spare no
life but will kill everyone and reduce your whole country to rubble. His
attack could come at any moment. However, you and your friends never think
about your enemy. You have made no preparations for his coming but are
only concerned with the affairs of daily life. You are happy if the weather
is nice, or if your children do well in school or when they get married
or when you get to spend the weekends at your vacation home up north.
You talk about movies and sports and shopping and hobbies and yardwork.
The things you fear and worry about are where your children will go to
college or whether you will have enough money saved up for retirement
or how you will be able to stay healthy and avoid the nursing home. You
and your fellow citizens find hope and happiness in maintaining your way
of life and invest all your time, money and energy in making sure you
live as comfortably as you can in the moment and give no thought to the
imminent attack of your great enemy.
The hostility of your enemy towards your country is just. In fact, the
reason he is angry is that many years ago he discovered your people living
in stone age conditions and he emptied the treasuries of his own kingdom
to provide all the infrastructure, technology, health care, economic infrastructure,
education, training, etc. to make you the nation you have become. You
are living at ease because of his kindness. This king gave you good laws
to govern your country and promised to take care of your country forever
as long as you would respect him and obey his good laws. He placed consultants
and other workers, at his own expense, throughout your country to help
in whatever ways they could. However, your people, once you were established
ran all of his workers out of your country. You beat up many of them and
you killed others. You changed his laws and made what he called evil into
the expected conduct of your land. Your homes are full of songs that mock
him. Your places of worship criticize him and complain about how stingy
he has been and how uncaring he is towards you. At every turn your people
dishonor and disrespect this king even while enjoying all the good things
he has provided. The king sent his only son to try and persuade you to
live with him in harmony but you mocked him, tortured him and killed him
and threw his body in the dump. Your culture celebrates the day of his
death as the day of your liberation.
While no analogy is perfect, this is a good picture of how the Bible
views the reality we are living in. If this is indeed the situation you
are living in, does it make any sense to live as if the present conditions
are going to continue without interruption? Does it make any sense to
never think about the destruction that is about to come upon you suddenly
and do nothing to prepare for it? Let’s say that you became aware of the
danger you were in by living in this country. You know that everyone who
is living here is going to perish and the entire way of life you are enjoying
will be annihilated. The enemy will not relent and there is no defense.
What would be the best possible news that you personally could hear? The
best news you could hear is that the enemy has offered an amnesty to all
who will abandon their life in this country, stop living as his enemy,
join themselves to his cause and be waiting for him to arrive. The best
news you could hear is that the enemy has made a way for you and he to
be reconciled. The best news you could hear would be that your great enemy
is willing to become your friend and protector.
This is the good news that is contained in Romans 5: 9-11. There is an
important little word to be noticed in this passage if we are going to
correctly apply the promises contained here. Notice that this entire text
applies to a group of people that Paul calls "we" and "us". Of whom is
Paul thinking? Look back at chapter 4: 23-25. "The words ‘it was credited
to him’ were written not for him (Abraham) alone but also for us, to whom
God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus
our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and
was raised to life for our justification." You can see the same thing
in vv. 1-2 of chapter 5. The "us, to whom these promises in 5:1-11 apply
are all those who are trusting in the God who raised Jesus from the dead.
These promises do not apply to anyone else. Let me begin by saying to
each one of you that you must trust in Christ and in his Father who raised
him from the dead if you are going to obtain all these promises that I
am going to describe. You must stop despising Jesus and begin to depend
upon him for all your happiness. While I recount the amazing goodness
of God towards those who trust in Christ consider whether you want these
promises for yourself. Then go to him, even as I speak and trust in him
to do for you all that I will describe. I am going to focus my attention
on vv. 9-11. There are five things I want to point out.
MAIN POINT
All who have faith in Christ…
- Have been justified by Christ’s death (v. 9)
This is the point that I spent all of last Sunday’s sermon discussing
and so I will reluctantly pass over any further elaboration except to
say that if you have faith in Christ, right now you are pardoned of all
your sins and perfectly righteous in God’s sight. God does not treat you
as you actually are, a guilty criminal, but rather as if you have perfectly
obeyed every command he has ever given. You do not need to live in guilt
and fear because you are no longer condemned. There is no longer a warrant
out for your arrest. There is no longer an electric chair with your name
on it.
- At one time were God’s enemies and the objects of his wrath
I want you to notice how Paul describes those whom God has justified
and reconciled. In v. 6 they are powerless and ungodly. In v. 8 they are
sinners. In v. 9 they are under God’s wrath or to put it another way,
God’s fury is directed at them. In v. 10 they are enemies of God. You
will never understand the enormous love of God and grace of God unless
you understand your true condition as a human being. I know that some
think I overemphasize our sinfulness but I am only doing what I see the
biblical authors continually doing. The whole point of vv. 7-8 is upon
this stark contrast. The best that human love can do is that on rare occasion
someone will give their life to save the life of another person that they
esteem and consider worthy of the sacrifice. But you see, God did not
give the life of his son for people who are worthy or who he esteems as
valuable friends. Rather, God gives the life of his son for those who
despise him and his laws.
Let me just note here that God did not send his son to die for sins because
you are so valuable. He did it because he chose to love sinners like us.
The reason for his sending his son is in him, not in us. This is a reality
that you can never forget without imperiling your own soul. God is not
saving good people. He does not justify and reconcile people who are desperately
trying to obey him. He gives Jesus to reconcile his enemies. He loves
the ungodly; those who want nothing to do with God. The Bible talks like
this to humble us and to show off the greatness of God’s mercy.
We must understand that when Paul says that we were enemies he means
it. We must allow the full meaning of that word to hit us. The animosity
that exists between God and humans in their natural condition is deep
and implacable. The hatred that exists between the Israelis and the Palestinians
is as nothing when compared to the mutual hostility that exists between
God and humans in their natural condition. God and humans really do hate
each other. Now God’s hatred for humans is based upon his justice and
not upon some petty irritation. God is our enemy because he has real grievances
with us. Psalm 5:5 says that he hates all who do wrong. Psalm 11: 5 says
that God hates the wicked. Romans 3: 9-18 says every human being, without
exception does wrong and is wicked. It is right for God to hate and be
opposed to us. It is right for God to be full of wrath against us in our
sins. It would be wrong for God to not hate us in our sins. Over and over
again in the Scriptures God’s anger is kindled against those who disobey
his commands and despise his grace.
But not only does God hate us but we also hate God. Now I have been told,
with more than a little indignation, by those I have said this to, "I’ve
never hated God." It is true we have never hated the God we have made
up in our own minds. But the God who actually exists is your enemy as
surely as I’m standing here. Our hatred, in our natural condition apart
from grace, is expressed in innumerable ways. It is expressed in our unwillingness
to live in a state of perpetual gratitude for all his gifts. Our hatred
is expressed in complaining and grousing about the circumstances of our
lives. Your hatred is expressed in your dislike for reading his Word and
prayer and worship. Our hatred is shown in our deliberate disobedience
of his commands. But mostly our animosity towards God is shown in our
indifference to Christ and his death on the cross. Now I know that to
you it doesn’t feel like you hate God. You rarely have the emotion of
hatred in your breast. However, every parent knows that when your children
deliberately disobey your commands they hate you. On many occasions I
have tried to explain to my children when they violate my wishes that
they are hating me and despising me. They don’t think they are because
they didn’t feel hatred towards me when they disobeyed. But that doesn’t
change the fact they are treating me as their enemy when they disobey.
It is the same with us. You hate God whenever you do not love him with
your whole being. We are God’s enemies not because he has ever done anything
worthy of our hatred but because we hate to be told what to do and how
to live. We are his enemies because he rightfully demands that we submit
to him and we don’t want to submit to anyone but our own desires.
All who have faith in Christ…
- Have been justified by Christ’s death
- At one time were God’s enemies and under his wrath
- And…
- Have been reconciled to God by Christ’s death
I want us to think about what the word reconciliation means for us. That
God has made a way for us to be his friends is more amazing than if Ambassador
Zinni could figure out a way for the Israeli’s and Palestinians to love
each other. It is more amazing than if Osama bin Laden and George Bush
became best friends. Neither party wants to love the other. Both parities
have grievances and are opposed to the other. It is the same with God
and us. For us to be reconciled, God’s just anger against our sins must
be appeased. We must be righteous if God is going to befriend us. In addition,
our attitude of hostility towards God and his laws must be changed. Rather
than hating God we must love him. Rather than wanting to flee from God
we must be made willing to flee to God. Now what Paul says in vv. 10 and
11 is that the death of Jesus accomplishes both of these things. Jesus
appeases God’s anger by dying in our place. Then God credits his righteousness
to our account so that we are perfect in his sight, not because of what
we have done but because of what God has done for us in Christ. Then,
God, for the sake of Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit who changes our heart
so that rather than loving sin and hating God we now love God and hate
sin. On Sunday I’m going to describe how it is that God makes us into
new people who love God through the work of Christ. But right now I want
to show how the death of Jesus reconciles God to us.
Don Richardson tells the story of his work among cannibalistic tribes
in Papua New Guinea back in the 1950’s, in his book "Peace Child". He
and his wife and children moved into the jungle to live among these native
peoples. He cared for their medical needs and set out to learn their language.
He eventually learned the language and began to tell the people the story
of God’s love in Christ. He described the whole story of Jesus’ life.
When he told how Judas, one of his best friends, betrayed him into the
hands of his enemies the people began to applaud and cheer. Don was completely
perplexed. He presumed he must be using the wrong words. He studied the
language more and then retold the story in different ways and using different
words but no matter how he told it, the people continued to see Judas
as the hero of the story. He continued to live among these people and
translate the Scriptures and care for them. He continued to study their
culture. What he eventually discovered about this culture horrified him.
He found out that the greatest achievement that a man could do was to
befriend someone who was from an enemy tribe and make him believe that
he was an honored and valuable friend. Then when he was at your home for
dinner and relaxing in your company and enjoying your friendship you would
kill him and eat him. How in the world could he explain the gospel of
Christ’s sacrificial death when they would never see him as a Savior but
would always see Judas as the hero?
The tribes he lived among were continually at war with one another and
Don spent a lot of time tending to the wounds these people were inflicting
on one another. Finally, he got fed up and met with the leaders of both
tribes and told them that if they did not make a truce and stop fighting
he was going to leave. He had become a valued resource for both tribes
and so the leaders of both tribes agreed to make a treaty. However, Don
wondered how in the world could they make a truce when the highest virtue
in both tribes was betrayal? The two tribes met together in a large open
field. Then a leader from each tribe went between the two tribes as they
faced each other with their wives, each one carrying an infant son. Then
after a brief ceremony and some talking the wives traded infant sons.
These infants were called the "Peace Child" and as long as they lived
there would be peace between the two tribes.
Don immediately saw how he could present the gospel to these people.
Jesus is God’s peace child and he is alive forever so that he makes peace
forever with all who will trust him. God is reconciled to us and us to
him through the death and resurrection of his son forever.
All who have faith in Christ…
- Have been justified by Christ’s death
- At one time were God’s enemies and under his wrath
- Have been reconciled to God by Christ’s death
- And…
- Will not experience God’s wrath at the final judgment
In vv. 9 and 10 justification and reconciliation are placed in parallel.
They are both present realities. They are both true because of the death
of Jesus. And they both guarantee that when we stand before God at the
final judgment we will be saved from his just wrath because he has justified
and reconciled us. In both verses Paul is arguing from the greater to
the lesser. If God has done the hardest things, declare guilty sinners
not guilty but perfectly righteous and turn his enemies into his friends,
then he will do the simpler thing, rescue them from his wrath. The logic
is quite plain. If God pardons my sins, makes me perfectly righteous and
treats me as his dear friend, how could he not rescue me from wrath? God
can never allow a justified and reconciled sinner to be cast into eternal
sufferings.
Imagine that Julia, my daughter, got caught speeding. I know this would
never happen, but lets say she was going 60 in a 25mph zone. She is caught
and because she was going so fast she has to appear in court. For the
sake of the illustration, let’s say I’m the judge. Now, when she comes
into the courtroom I cannot simply say, "You’re my daughter and I love
you and so I declare you innocent. You’re free to go home." If I did that,
I’d be impeached. So what I have to do is ask her how she pleads. She
tells me she is guilty. Now the penalty is either $1000 fine or 10 days
in jail. Let’s say she doesn’t have the money and so I’ve got to slam
down the hammer and tell her she is sentenced to 10 days in jail. However,
I am free at that time to take off my judicial robes, come around to the
front of the bench and out of my love for her write a $1000 check to pay
her fine. When I do that she is saved from going to jail. It is the same
with us. God, in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus paid the penalty
that we owe and so we can be confident that when we stand before him in
the final judgment that we will be saved from his wrath. The reason is
because Jesus is alive and will be standing next to us as we come before
God our judge and will declare that he has paid our debt in full and so
we are free to enter into the joys of heaven by his finished work.
All who have faith in Christ…
- Have been justified by Christ’s death
- At one time were God’s enemies and under his wrath
- Have been reconciled to God by Christ’s death
- Will not experience God’s wrath at the final judgment
- And…
- Rejoice in God who is now their friend
The final result for those whom God has justified and reconciled is that
right now we are rejoicing in this great, merciful God who justified us
and reconciled us and who we are sure will save us from his wrath. What
Paul does here is return to our present experience. I have often in my
years of talking with people about this great gospel had people say things
to me like this, "That’s all well and good that God forgives my sins and
is going to save me from his wrath but I need help with my problems today.
That doesn’t really change my life in the present." What Paul is saying
here is that these realities produce a profound and glorious joy in God
that cannot be shaken by anything. If we go back to my original analogy
and think what it would be like to be a citizen of this wealthy country
who suddenly realizes the doom that hangs over him and his whole world
but then discovers that the king who is the enemy has made a way for you
to be forgiven and escape his wrath. Your whole way of living and thinking
would be dramatically altered. Everything would take on a new light as
you live in this country because you know that you are going to escape.
How can you live a peaceful, hopeful life when you know that destruction
is coming? But how peaceful and hopeful life will be if you know that
when the destruction comes you will be safe! How happy to know that this
great king, at the cost of his own dear son, has made it possible for
you to be justly forgiven and accepted as part of the kings own family!
This is not just some sort of positive thinking or wishful thinking.
Rather it is a joy that comes through Jesus Christ. We can rejoice in
God because we have the objective evidence of God’s love and God’s deliverance
in this bloody cross and in the empty tomb. We are not basing our joy
on some human beings’ words or thoughts. We rejoice in God because of
the cross. I don’t know how else to say this to you my dear friends but
this is the source of all my joy in these dark days that we are going
through. Jared has been justified and reconciled to God by the death of
his Son and will be saved from the wrath of God at the final judgment.
He has escaped the greatest threat he ever faced and so I rejoice in God
who killed his Son for my son. I rejoice in God who counts me, Jared and
all who trust in Christ as his dear friends rather than as his enemy.
Nothing greater can ever be done for a sinful human being than what Paul
says that God has done for every believing sinner. There is nothing greater
than having been justified, reconciled and so knowing that you will be
delivered from wrath.
All who have faith in Christ…
- Have been justified by Christ’s death
- At one time were God’s enemies and under his wrath
- Have been reconciled to God by Christ’s death
- Will not experience God’s wrath at the final judgment
- Rejoice in God who is now their friend
© Copyright 2002
John Swanson.
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If you would like to post this material to the web, or if your intended
use is other than outlined above, please contact River Hills Community
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