"Much More"
(No. 2587)
A SERMON INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD'S-DAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1898.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ONLORDS-DAYEVENING, MAY 13,
1883.
"Much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Romans
5:10.
THE first great message of mercy to a sinner is put into four short
words in the eighth verse of this chapter–"Christ died for us." A
preacher can never be wrong in lifting up Christ Crucified! It is the
glory of a congregation if it can be truly said, "Before your eyes
Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you." Well
did the Apostle make this his boast–"We preach Christ Crucified."
Still, we must always remember that there is a great deal about Christ
besides His Crucifixion and, however glorious His death may be–and we
are not disposed to rank it second to anything else–yet there is
another glory, another form of His excellency which is seen, not in His
death, but in His life! It is of this that the Apostle speaks
here–"Much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
Before we come to the consideration of that subject, dear Friends, let
us think of what the death of Christ has done for some of us. The
former part of the verse from which our text is taken says, "When we
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." What
was that reconciliation? Of what did it consist? We will not talk so
much doctrinally, as practically and experimentally. We were once
enemies of God, but we are not enemies of God any longer. God was once
angry with us, but God is not angry with us any more. If we have
believed in Jesus Christ, a complete reconciliation has been effected
between the offended God and the offending sinner. In this
reconciliation, I see, first, that God, who is always Love, and has
always loved His people, being just, was unable to deal with the guilty
sinner except upon the footing of justice–and justice demanded that
the sinning soul should die! But Christ has come that God, as the great
moral Ruler, might be able, without violation of His holiness, to deal
mercy with sinful men.
Let there be no mistake about the objective and purpose of Christ's
Sacrifice! John Kent's hymn rightly says–
"'Twaas not to make Jehovah's love
Towards the sinner flame,
That Jesus, from His Throne above,
A suffering Man became.
'Twaas not the death which He endured,
Nor all the pangs He bore,
That God's eternal love procured,
For God was Love before."
He was always Love to His people, but, until Christ came to earth and
died, the Just for the unjust, that love could not freely flow. There
was a dam that blocked up the stream. There was a great rock in the
channel and the rivers of love could not flow. But by the death of the
Lord Jesus Christ, that impediment has been removed. God can now be
"just and the Justifier of him which believes in Jesus." I have already
said that in His heart of hearts, there was always love towards His
people, but as the Judge upon the Judgment Seat, He could not display
that love–He could only manifest His indignation against every soul of
man that did evil.
Now, this most righteous wrath of God was removed by the death of Jesus
Christ and could not have been removed by any other manner. The sword
must find its victim and Christ bared His breast to let infinite
Justice spend its full force on Him. The debt had to be paid and Jesus
paid it to the last penny with His own life which He poured out upon
the Cross. The cup of wrath must be drained–there was no putting it
aside–so Jesus took it and, after saying, "O My Father, if this cup
may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Your will be done." He
put it to His lips and never took it away till He had drained it to its
last drop. There was a necessity for Christ's death, "it behooved
Christ to suffer," and by His suffering He appeased the wrath of the
great Judge of All, so that He could justly look upon guilty men with
complacency. That wondrous change was worked by Christ's death and now
the very justice of God demands our salvation. It is indeed marvelous
that the righteousness of God, which was against us, should be made to
be for us and that the Justice of God, which pronounced the sentence of
death upon us, should be so transformed that Justice, itself, now
decrees our eternal life! This is a wonderful part of the
reconciliation.
But the Apostle speaks of our being reconciled–our being reconciled.
Well, that comes about in this way. We felt in our conscience that we
had sinned against God. I am not speaking of all here present, but I am
speaking of all those upon whom the Spirit of God has worked
salvation–our conscience felt a secret sting, as though a burning
poison had entered into the veins of our spirit. I remember when the
thought that I had offended God seemed to drink up my very life. Of
course I did not love Him and I could not, for it is according to the
nature of our sinful heart that if we do anyone an injury, we are sure
to hate him. We do not always hate the man who injures us, but if we
injure him, our hatred is almost certain to follow. And inasmuch as we
had broken all God's Laws and did not wish to admit it, we hated the
Law itself. We kicked against it and tried to persuade ourselves that
it was the root of the offense instead of our own willful hearts being
the source of the evil. We knew God to be holy, but we did not love
holiness–in fact, having no holiness of our own, we could not endure
even to hear or read about it! We set up a counterfeit righteousness of
our own and pretended that we were good, and all the while we were
despising the true holiness and the perfect righteousness of God.
But, Beloved, when we saw Christ dying in our place, "the Just for the
unjust, that He might bring us to God," then conscience said, "God is
satisfied and so am I." When we saw that God's anger was removed
because Christ had died, then our pettish, proud anger was removed,
too, and we said, "Now are we reconciled to God by the death of His
dear Son." Oh, with what swift feet we fled to the Mercy Seat! With
what confidence, though with a holy trembling, we pleaded the merits of
the dear Redeemer! And what joy and peace filled our mind! Then we no
longer hated God, or hated holiness, or hated the Law of God, but we
submitted ourselves unconditionally. We said, "The Law is holy and God
is gracious–blessed be His glorious name." Thus, the death of Christ
worked reconciliation, the anger of God was removed and so was the
trouble of our conscience. Then were our hearts won! Shall I speak for
all God's people here? I think I shall if I speak for myself and say–
"Law and terrors do but harden All the while they work alone, But a
sense of blood-bought pardon Soon dissolves a heart of stone."
Oh, how our hearts were dissolved when we found that Christ loved us
and that He had given Himself for us! When we saw God to be reconciled,
how we longed for Him! Our heart and our flesh cried out for God, for
the living God, and we said, "When shall we come and appear before
God?" And that longing is still upon us–we delight in fellowship with
Him. We are longing to be like He and we are expecting to be with Him
where He is! And this is all the Heaven that we desire. Oh, blessed be
God, it is a bleeding Christ who has reconciled us even on earth! It is
a bleeding Christ who has put out the fires of enmity! It is a bleeding
Christ who has slain forever the warfare in our spirit against God. Now
are we reconciled unto God by the death of His Son.
Do not let me go a step further, dear Friends, until you can all get as
far as this. If there is any man here who is not reconciled to God, let
him remember what a terrible state he is in. He is God's enemy! How
would any one of you like to have that title branded on your brow
tonight, "God's enemy"? Remember that you will never be reconciled to
God except through the bleeding Savior, so seek Him now! Before even a
word is said about the ever-living Christ, come and put your finger
into the print of the nails of the dead Christ! Come and wash in the
fountain which He has filled from His own veins! Come and accept the
great atoning Sacrifice now! God help you, by His Divine Spirit, to do
so, for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake!
This brings us to the special subject mentioned in our text. "Much
more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." The Apostle
Paul here bids us remember that Christ is still alive and that although
we are reconciled to God, we still need to be kept and preserved, or,
as he calls it, "saved." And he tells us that as Christ's death has
been effectual to reconcile us, we may be quite sure that His life will
be effectual to save us. No, he says, "Much more." If the death of
Christ has reconciled us, "much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by His life."
I want you, dear Friends, to do three things as you think of our text.
First, consider what the life of Christ is to us. Secondly, consider
why the words, "much more, "may be applied to it. And, thirdly,
consider how we can use this life.
I. First, then, briefly consider WHAT THE LIFE OF CHRIST IS TO US. If a
man were to show me a picture of Christ on the Cross, I would say to
him, "What is that?" If he were to answer, "A picture of my Lord," I
would reply, "It is not a picture of my Savior as He now is. It may be
a representation of Him as He once was, but not as He is now, enthroned
in Glory." If a person were to carry about in his pocket the likeness
of his mother taken after death, and were to draw it out, and say,
"That is my mother," I would say, "I would prefer to remember her as
she was at her best, not as she was in the agonies of death, or after
death." So, I pray you, do not look upon any representation of Christ
upon the Cross as the main representation of our Lord Jesus! He was
dead but for a very little while. He was on the Cross only for a few
hours. Our Savior lives, never more to die! The Christ of the Church of
Rome, as I have often told you, is a dead Christ on the Cross, or else
a baby Christ in Mary's arms–but the Christ of the Church of God is a
living Christ! We say of the grave, as the angel said to the women, "He
is not here: for He is risen, as He said." We say of the Cross, "He is
not here. He has put an end to death in making an end of sin by His own
death." The main thought concerning Christ, to those of us who really
know Him, should be that He is the livingChrist–
"He lives, the great Redeemer lives, What joy the blest assurance
gives!"
What has Christ's risen life to do with us? Well, first, Christ's
resurrection from the dead is to us who believe in Him the pledge that
He has saved us. When our Lord Jesus Christ died, He was, as it were,
put in prison as a hostage for His people. And He was kept there till
Divine Omniscience had searched His Sacrifice and searched His
obedience to see whether they were complete. And when it was certified
that Christ had finished all the work which His Father had given Him to
do, then the sheriffs officer of Heaven, "the angel of the Lord," was
sent down to roll away the stone and bid the Captive come out. And when
Jesus Christ came out of the grave, all His people came out of prison
with their great Representative! In His own release from the tomb there
was a token given to Him from God that their sins were forgiven and
that His righteousness was accepted on their behalf. "He died for our
sins," says the Apostle, but He also "rose again for our
justification." Therefore, wrap not your hearts in the grave clothes
which He left behind, but clothe them in the golden apparel wherewith
the rising Christ girded Himself, for you are justified because He has
risen!
Believing in the resurrection of Christ, we view Him as living and
continuing to live–"Christ being raised from the dead dies no more;
death has no more dominion over Him." What has that to do with us? Why,
just what our Lord said to His disciples–"Because I live, you shall
live also." Beloved, because Christ has risen from the dead, so all His
people shall rise. And because, having once risen, Christ dies no more,
so His rising saints shall be perfectly safe through all the
future–they shall live forever because they are partakers of His
eternal life. Is not that a subject for great rejoicing? I live because
He died, for that death redeemed me from death. But yet more, I live
because He lives. "For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ
in God. When Christ, who is your life, shall appear, then shall you
also appear with Him in Glory."
Now follow with me this living Christ. We have seen that He is risen
and living, what comes next? A few days after this living Christ rose
from the grave, a little throng gathered about Him on "the mount called
Olivet" and, to their surprise, He began to ascend. Scattering
benedictions with both His hands, He confirmed to ascend till, at last,
"a cloud received Him out of their sight." What has that ascension to
do with us? Why, just this. He said to His disciples, "I go to prepare
a place for you." He has gone up into Glory, as our Representative, to
take possession of eternal joy for us. He has gone within the veil that
He may represent us before His Father's face, that, by-and-by, we may
join Him and be with Him where He is, to go no more out forever!
Therefore, Beloved, let us rejoice. As the Lord our Savior has ascended
into Heaven, so shall we, in His own good time. I always admire that
line of Dr. Watts, where he says that our Lord, in His ascension to
Heaven, has "taught our feet the way"–
"Up to our Good our feet shall fly, On the great rising day."
Earth cannot permanently hold us down now Christ has gone up into His
Glory! The living Christ is a greater attraction than any other force.
We who believe are one with Him and, as He has ascended, we also shall
rise to Him and be forever with Him!
After He had ascended, He took His seat at the right hand of God, even
the Father, clothed with honor, majesty, power, dominion and might.
Listen, Brothers and Sisters! What has this fact to do with us? Why,
just this–you who believe cannot perish, for Christ lives! You must
conquer, for Jesus reigns! All power is given unto Him in Heaven and in
earth and, "He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come
unto God by Him, seeing He alwayslives to make intercession for them."
A reigning Christ, an enthroned Christ–this is the Christ to depend
upon! I can risk my whole soul upon His blood and know that there is no
risk in the matter–I feel a deep and growing confidence in the life
that He now lives upon the Throne of God.
But what else? Well, our glorified Redeemer spends much of His time in
intercession. Up there at the right hand of God, He continues to plead
for His people. He can truly say in the fullest meaning of the words,
"For Zion's sake will I not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I
will not rest until the righteousness thereof goes forth as brightness,
and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burns." Continually does He
present the rich incense of His merit before the eternal Throne of God.
And here is something more for us, for if Jesus pleads for us, we are
forever safe. If He is pleading before the Throne, we may come to it
with holy confidence. If Christ is there, the way is clear for you and
for me to approach! We have only to get behind Him and to look through
His wounds at God, as God will look through the wounds of Christ at
us–and all will be well! Oh, what do we not owe to the living Christ!
My theme expands as I try to handle it. How my heart rejoices in it! Do
you not know, Beloved, how every part of that risen life of Jesus–His
Second Coming, His final conquest of Satan and of the world, His
eternal Glory–all has to do with us, for we are sharers in all that
Christ has! We are joint-heirs with Him of all His glories and His
triumphs!
This, then, is just a brief summary of what the life of Christ has to
do with us.
II. Now, secondly, WHY DOES THE APOSTLE PUT A, "MUCH MORE," IN HERE?
"Much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
I think it is because we are so apt to put a, "much less," to it It is
not often that we preach and talk as we ought about this living Savior
of ours. Brothers and Sisters, the great Testator is dead. That makes
His last will and testament valid. Listen once more–He who made the
will is alive, again, so He is His own Executor to carry out His own
will! Is not that a blessing for you and for me? He made the will valid
by His death, but, by rising again, He has come to see that every jot
and tittle of it shall be carried out! We have not to depend upon
somebody else executing our dying Savior's will. He has risen from the
dead, clothed with all power and might, to accomplish that upon which
He has set His heart!
Paul says, "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." How can it be much more? I answer, first, because when our
Savior reconciled us by His death, it was the time of His weakness.
Look, He is nailed to the Cross, the fever burns Him up, He cries, "I
thirst." He says, "I am a worm, and no man." Weakness has come upon Him
to the uttermost. He closes His eyes in the last dread sleep of death.
They take down His poor body and wrap it in white linen, with sweet
spices, and put it away in Joseph's tomb. There could not be greater
weakness, could there, than in the Crucified Christ? Yet, even then, He
reconciled us! But now He is clothed with power! He is Head over all
things, Lord of angels, King of kings! All Heaven resounds with His
praises. Do you not see the drift of my argument? If, when He was in
His uttermost weakness, He redeemed us by His death, "much more," now
that He is in all His power and Glory, He must be able to save His
people by His life!
Look at this expression again. When our Lord died, He was in the
servant's place. He had, for our sake, laid aside His Glory. "He made
Himself of no reputation." He emptied Himself. He had become like
ourselves, feeble and weak. But, beside that, He was bound to do the
Father's will and to suffer it even to the last extremity! As the
Mediator between God and man, He had made Himself inferior to God. He
had taken a subordinate place so that He could truly say, "My Father is
greater than I." But remember, Brothers and Sisters–
"The head that once was crowed with thorns,
Is crowned with glory now!
A royal diadem adorns
The mighty Victor's brow!
The highest place that Heaven affords Is His, is His by right, The King
of kings and Lord of lords, And Heaven's eternal light"
Now He wears again the Glory which He had with His Father before the
earth was. Do you not see, then, that it is, "much more," that He can
do for His people under such circumstances? If, when He took an
inferior place and condescended for our sake to be a servant, so that–
"With cries and tears He offered up
His humble suit below"–
if then He reconciled us–"much more" can He now save us when He has
taken to Himself His great power and with authority pleads before His
Father's face, "I will that they, also, whom You have given Me, be with
Me where I am; that they may behold my Glory, which You have given Me:
for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." If I can trust a
dying Savior with my soul and feel perfectly safe in doing so, how easy
it is to trust a living Savior and to roll myself upon His almighty
love and feel eternally secure!
Furthermore, dear Brothers and Sisters, when our Lord took upon Himself
the work of saving us, He did, in a certain sense, come under the
displeasure of God. Not that He ever could be really displeasing to
God, for in Him was no sin, and the Father never had a greater delight
in Christ than when He hid His face from Him. Still, according to the
Word of God, Jehovah bruised Him–Jehovah hid His face from Him till
Jesus cried, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" He came under
the curse, for, "cursed is every one that hangs on a tree." For your
sakes and mine, He bore the scourging of Infinite Justice and the frown
of the offended Majesty of Heaven! This was diving very low and if,
even then, He was able to reconcile us to God, how, "much more," must
He be able to save us now that the Father's well-beloved Son has come
Home, again, and lives in the eternal sunlight of His dear Father's
smile? "Much more" now that God delights in Him, all Heaven is lit up
with the gleaming of the Father's joy, every angel bows before Him and,
night and day, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" rises in perpetual
waves of praise up to the Throne of Glory where He is adored and
worshipped!
Yet once again, when the Savior died, there was a certain aspect of
defeat about His death He stood alone, that dreadful day, in deadly
conflict with the powers of darkness. All the battalions of Hell were
mustered and they made one tremendous attack upon the Prince of Life
and Glory. Single-handed He fought them all and His own right hand and
His holy arm gained Him the victory! But, for a while, it looked like
defeat. He closed His eyes in death, saying, "It is finished," and He
gave up the ghost. Those nail-prints, that gory side and that pallid
Countenance looked as if Death had won the victory, though it was not
really so. Yet, Beloved, He reconciled us even then! Oh, could we see
Him now! I suppose we could not–our eyes are not yet formed for that
Beatific Vision. But what a sight it would be if we could see Him with
His eyes like a flame of fire and His feet like fine brass, as if they
burned in a furnace! One said, "You cannot see Christ's face and live,"
and another answered, "Well, be it so. Then let me see His face and
die." And I have often felt that I could say the same and I have sung,
with good Dr. Watts–
"Oh, for a sight, a pleasing sight,
Of our Almighty Father's Throne!
There sits our Savior crowned with light,
Clothed in a body like our own.
Adoring saints around Him stand,
And thrones and powers before Him fall!
The God shines gracious through the Man,
And sheds sweet glories on them all.
Oh, what amazing joys they feel
While with their golden harps they sing,
And sit on every heavenly hill,
And spread the triumphs of their King!
When shall the day, dear Lord, appear,
That I shall mount to dwell above,
And stand and bow among them there,
And view Your face, and sing, and love?"
Well now, if, when He lay there, all blood-bespattered and dead,
defeated as it seemed, He reconciled us to God, my Brothers and
Sisters, what can He notdo, now that He is in all the splendor of His
majesty, the delight of Heaven and of all holy beings? He must be able
to save us! Well may we entrust our souls to Him and say, with the
Apostle, "I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am
persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him
against that day."
III. So now I close by asking you to CONSIDER HOW WE CAN USE THIS LIFE
OF CHRIST.
If Christ is still alive and if there is, in a certain sense, "much
more" power to save in His life than there was of power to reconcile in
His death, then, first, all fear of our being overcome ought to vanish
He is victorious! Therefore we shall be victorious! Christ was
assaulted by all the powers of death and Hell, and yet He conquered and
He lives. We, too, shall conquer, for He is in us, He is with us, He is
over us–and we shall live though we die–and we shall win though we
are apparently overcome!
How shall we use this life of Christ? Why, next, let us use it in
prayer When you feel that you cannot pray–and there are such times
with all of us–then say, "He can pray, for He lives to make
intercession for us."–
"Give Him, my Soul, your cause to plead, Nor doubt the Father's Grace."
When it goes hard with you on your knees and you seem as if you could
not prevail, then remember that Jesus is pleading, and He must prevail!
Put your case into His hands and He will present His mighty pleas on
your behalf–and then you cannot be baffled. Is not that a sweet
thought?
Another use to make of Christ's life is this. Are you lonely?In this
modern Babylon of London, there are many persons who are quite alone,
and there is no solitude so terrible as that which can be found in a
great city. Perhaps you live in a street where there are hundreds of
Christians, but you do not know one of them. I will tell you what to
do–Jesus lives, get away to Him, for there is no company like His. If
He comes into that little room of yours, it will be like a temple!
Solomon's Temple, in all its glory, was never so bright as that upper
room of yours will be when Christ comes there! I know how you have to
stitch away all day long to earn a scanty living. I know, too, how
sometimes you cannot sleep at night because of the severe pain you have
to suffer. But if your Lord is there, it shall be sweet work, and sweet
suffering, too, with that best of workers and sufferers to sit at your
side! Jesus l ives! Jesus lives! You have not to go to Calvary to think
about His Cross. You have not to go to the tomb and weep because He is
dead. He lives and He is with His people always, even unto the end of
the world. Therefore, in your prayers, and in your solitude, comfort
yourselves.
I suppose, too, that many of you are sorely tempted. Is there a
Christian man or woman among us who is not tempted by the devil? Well,
Jesus lives, and He was tempted in all points like as we are, though
without sin! He is able to sympathize with you, for He, Himself, was
compassed with infirmity. Get to your living High Priest! Tell Him what
the devil is trying to do to you. It is a good thing to never dispute
with the devil. I have heard that if a man brings a lawsuit against
you, you had better never say anything to him, but transfer the whole
affair to your lawyer. And if the man writes to you, say, "I have
nothing to do with the matter. You must apply to my legal adviser, he
will attend to it for me." "He who is his own lawyer has a fool for a
client," says one of our proverbs. So, whenever the devil comes to you,
remember that he knows a great deal more than you do, and if you try to
answer him, he will soon trip you up. You had better say to him, "I
will have nothing to do with you, Satan. I refer you to my Solicitor,
my Advocate." Then the devil will ask His name, and when you give him
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, he will drop that suit, for he has
suffered severe defeat many a time from that same Jesus Christ, ages
and ages ago! He remembers the wilderness and how the Master soon sent
him about his business. So, refer him to Christ. Do not be your own
champion–let Christ be Champion for you and all will be well!
In other words, dear Brothers and Sisters, since Christ lives, let us
live with Him, let us make the Lord Jesus Christ our daily Companion. I
know that there are some Christians who cannot understand this advice,
or cannot believe that they may put it into practice. But you will
never know the very juice and marrow of the Gospel until you do
understand it and get to feel that Christ is not a mere historical
Person who was upon the earth hundreds of years ago, but a living,
personal Christ who is, even now, accessible, who can be spoken to and
who can speak to us in reply–and with whom we may live even now! Oh,
if you can get into personal contact with Jesus Christ, then you have
learned how to live! Then is the dying Savior inexpressibly dear to you
and then, also, the living Christ is, if possible, even more dear as
you live through Him–with Him–for Him–and He lives in you!
So may God make it to be, for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake! Amen.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: ROMAANS5.
Verse 1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Do not let us simply read these words,
but let us, each one, say in our hearts, "That is true. I have believed
in Christ, therefore I am justified in the sight of God and, therefore,
I have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord." There is nothing
in the world that is half as valuable as the two precious gems in this
verse–justification and the peace which follows it.
2. By whom also we have access by faith into this Grace wherein we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the Glory of God. See what we owe to
Christ–not only justification and peace, but we have access into the
Grace in which we stand, for, when a man is at peace with God, then he
longs to get to God and to speak with God. Christ is the Door, and
Christ is the Way–we come to God by Jesus Christ. This is no small
privilege. Oh, you who have ever felt what it is to be shut out from
God, let your heart sing as you know that you now have access by faith
into this Grace wherein you stand! Well may the Apostle add, "We
rejoice in hope of the Glory of God." Or, if there is any man who may
and must rejoice, it is the man who has peace with God and expects to
dwell with God forever, having access to God by Jesus Christ!
3. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also. Paul is going
upstairs, as it were–rising from one platform to another. There is
enough of Glory in Christ to wrap up all our troubles–it makes the
black, white, and the dark, bright.
3. Knowing that tribulation works patience. A man who never suffers
does not know what patience means. But trial works patience, yet not of
itself. Trials work peevishness and murmuring and discontent–but Grace
brings sweet out of bitter and–"tribulation works patience."
4, 5. And patience, experience, and experience, hope: and hope makes
not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. Do you know what this means,
dear Friend, or is it all Greek to you? The Lord make it, indeed, plain
everyday English to you! May you understand it, feel it, know it, prove
it, taste it, enjoy it! If you do so, happy, indeed, are you.
6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for
the ungodly. Not, "Christ died for saints, because the saints were such
gracious people." No, no! But, "when we were yet without
strength"–when we could lift neither hand nor foot to help
ourselves–"in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. For a man who is
perfectly just, there are few who would be willing to die for him.
7. Yet, perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. For a
generous, noble-hearted man, some might be willing to die. Yet there is
a, "perhaps," even about that.
8. But God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. When we were not righteous, when we
certainly were not good, when the whole description of our character
could be summed up in that one word, "sinners"–rebels offending
against God–"while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
9. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through Him. He died for us when we were unrighteous, so now
that He has made us righteous in His own righteousness, He will never
cast us away! That doctrine of Believers falling from Grace and
perishing is clean contrary to Scripture! "Much more then, being now
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."
10. 11. 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. And not only so, but we also joy in God. See, the Apostle has
gone up to another platform. The Gospel is a tale that we may be always
telling, but it can never be fully told! It is a light that keeps on
breaking upon us more and more–and even when we have come to what we
suppose is the full noontide of it, there is still seven times as much
Glory yet to be revealed! Yes, we go "from strength to strength." "And
not only so, but we also joy in
God."
11-21. Through ourLordJesus Christ, by whom we have nowreceived the
Atonement. Therefore, as by one man sin enteredinto the world, and
death by sin, andso death passed upon allmen, for that allhave
sinned–(for until the Law, sin was in the world: but sin is not
imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to
Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of
Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him who was to come. But not
as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of
one, many are dead, much more the Grace of God, and the gift by Grace,
which is by one Man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many. And not as
it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one
to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto
justification. For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much
more they which receive abundance of Grace and of the gift of
righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ). Therefore as
by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even
so by the righteousness of One, the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made
sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.
Moreover the Law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin
abounded Grace did much more abound: that as sin has reigned unto
death, even so might Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal
life by Jesus Christ our Lord.