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Romans 5:6-11 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. (8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (9) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. (10) For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (11) And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Romans 5:6-11 continues to explore what Christ has achieved for us on the cross. It takes a closer look at the contrast between our relationship with God before Christ and after Christ.
This passage is all about God's love expressed in the reconciling power of the cross.
Verse 6: First of all, we need to focus on the phrase "without strength." To be without strength means to be powerless. We were caught in the vice-like grip of sin, alienated from God, and on our way to hell, and we were powerless to do anything about it. We were in a position of weakness, and unable to do for ourselves what needed to be done. This underscores the foolishness of trying to earn our own salvation through good works and self-righteousness.
Verse 6: Christ died for the ungodly. This tells us something more about our condition without Christ. We were ungodly, meaning that we did not revere God as we should. To remedy that situation, while were still ungodly and powerless to do anything to change that, Christ died for us, thus reconciling us with God. Paul says that this was done in due time. In other words, there was an optimum time for death of Christ to have maximum impact for the saving of souls.
It is not possible to deal with this in depth here, but here are four things that helped prepare the way for the gospel to spread as rapidly as possible. First, the establishment of the Roman Empire bringing what was referred to as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) making it relatively safe to travel. This was coupled with the Roman road system. Third, there was the establishment of Greek as the official language of the Empire. And fourth, the translation of the Old Testament into Greek (The Septuagint).
Verses 7-8: We were sinners when Christ died for us. Paul contrasts our condition with that of a good man or a righteous man. In Greek, being righteous could carry the connotation of clinically and coldly doing what ought to be done, whereas a good man is kind and there is a certain warmth to his goodness. Someone would probably not give his life for a righteous man, but might do so for a good man. In contrast with that, God did not expect us to be either good or righteous, but took the initiative to reconcile us to Himself, through Christ's death on the cross, even while we were still sinners.
Verses 7-8: Christ's death demonstrates the love of God for us. (See John 3:16) This is particularly true in the light of the fact that Christ died for us while we were sinners.
Verse 9: We have been justified by Christ's blood. Again, the spotlight is taken well away from our own works and shone completely upon the blood of Christ. The fact that we are now guiltless, uncondemned, and positively righteous does not come as a result of our own good works, but through the incomparable achievement of Christ's blood, and accessed by faith alone.
Verse 9: Having been justified - made guiltless, uncondemned, and positively righteous - by Christ's blood, we are now saved from wrath. Paul has already made reference (Romans 2:8-9) to the wrath that is to come. As he has already pointed out in Romans 3:23, all have sinned. There are no exceptions. The result of sin is being subject to the wrath to come. Justification saves us from that.
Verse 10: Christ's death has reconciled us to God. We were enemies of God, and while we were still in that condition, the death of Christ has brought about complete reconciliation.
Verse 10: We shall be saved by the life of Christ. Not only did Christ die, but He rose from the dead. This resurrection life is now available to us. (See John 10:10) It is His life that will raise us from the dead and save us. To be saved means to be rescued. Even though the resurrection life of Christ is available to us now, Paul is speaking about the future and is referring to our being rescued from the wrath to come.
Verse 11: We should rejoice in God. Sometimes in the busyness of life or during difficult times, it is easy to forget that we should be the happiest people on earth. Of course, rejoicing is a choice that we make. We can either get caught up in other things, or we can choose to rejoice in God through Christ for the amazing gift of reconciliation He has given us.
Discuss what it would be like if God had left us to our own devices, and expected us to perform the impossible task of saving ourselves.
How did having an official language for the Empire facilitate the spread of the gospel?
In what way does the cross demonstrate God's love?
What is the wrath that Christ's blood has saved us from?
If we used to be God's enemies, and have been reconciled, what does that make us now?
What reasons has the cross given you to rejoice, even during tough times?
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