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The Epistle to the ROMANS.
No.9.
5: 5 - 12.
pp. 1 - 4
The climax of the blessings that result from justification by faith is found in Rom.v.5:
"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
In chapters 9: 33 and 10: 11 the Apostle quotes the Septuagint of Isa. 28: 16,
"Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed". A hope that is not realized does
lead to shame and embarrassment, but a hope based on God's promises is certain of
fulfillment, and believers have the God-given assurance that His love is poured out in
their hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit. That exceeding love (Eph. 3: 19) which did
not find its cause in any action on our part:
"But God commendeth (or proves) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5: 8).
God gave no less than Himself in the Person of His Son on behalf of sinners. This is
the consistent testimony of the New Testament. He died for the ungodly (verse 6)
(compare John 10: 11; Rom. 8: 32; 14: 15; I Cor. 15: 3; II Cor. 5: 15; Gal. 1: 3, 4;
Eph. 5: 2, 25; I Thess. 5: 9, 10; I Tim. 2: 5, 6 <and see 1: 15>; Titus 2: 11, 12, 14;
Heb. 2: 9, 10, 14; I Pet. 2: 21-24; 3: 18; I John 3: 16). God's love is not just an
emotion. Real love is shown by the constant spending and giving of one's self for others
without any thought of return, and when that giving goes so far as giving of a life for
others, that is not a common human experience as verse 7 of Rom. 5: testifies.
But God did this very thing in the Person of Christ for His enemies, not His friends,
for "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (verse 8) and the glorious result is:
"Since we have been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from
God's wrath through Him" (verse 9, N.I.V.).
This verse reminds us again, as in Rom. 3: 25 that the shed blood speaks of life laid
down on our behalf as a sacrifice for our sin, and it is only in this way that a thrice holy
God can justify sinners! (Rom. 3: 23-26) thus exempting them from condemnation and
wrath:
"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" (verse 10).
Colossians 1: 21 is parallel to this:
"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death."