Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled… I. THE BELIEVER'S RECONCILIATION. 1. The previous character of the partakers of this benefit; they "were enemies to God." But it is no easy thing to induce men to acknowledge this. They may indeed acknowledge that they have some imperfections and infirmities; but they cannot be persuaded that they are "enemies to God." 2. This inestimable boon itself. There are but few who do not know the value of reconciliation. Who has not tasted the bitterness of estrangement? Who has not enjoyed the deliciousness of renewed friendship? How delicious is national peace, domestic peace, ecclesiastical peace. But the blessing of reconciliation must be judged of by the Being whom we have offended and provoked. Who knoweth the power of His anger? And oh, to know that we are one with God again! Why, then, trials have no curse, death no sting, and all things work together for good. 3. The reconciliation is perfect and perpetual. A breach may be so far made up as to exclude hostility. Absalom was allowed to live three years in Jerusalem without seeing the king's face. There may be an admission of civilities and even general intercourse, where there may be no admission of cordialness. But how is it here? (Romans 8:35-39). 4. The medium of it. "The death of His Son." We escape, but He suffered. There are some who deny the vicariousness of the sufferings of Christ. But upon their principles it seems hard to account for His sufferings at all. According to these, He died not for others' sins, and we know He could not for His own; so upon this ground He suffered in every respect as innocent; and if this were true, we may well ask, Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. Why is He thus making Him to be sin for us who knew no sin? Why, if our tears, or repentance, or alms could have made reconciliation with God, He never would have been pleased to bruise His only begotten Son; and if in His sacrifice God did nothing needlessly or in vain, then there must have been a propriety, a necessity in the great transaction. So the apostle affirms, "It became Him to make the Captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings." Thus your reconciliation is made in a way that is as honourable to God as it is safe to us. The just God appears a Saviour. Now, this blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel, having spoken to the justice of God, and satisfied it, speaks to the conscience of the sinner, and gives it quiet and peace. Thus have we boldness to enter into the holiest of all by the blood of Christ. II. THE BELIEVER'S SALVATION. 1. We are "saved by His life." But are we not saved when reconciled? No. The one regards God, the other regards ourselves. But did not He exclaim when He expired, "It is finished"? Yes; but what was finished? The work of redemption, or the procuring of the thing; not the work of salvation, or the applying of the thing. The case is this. We were guilty, and by the death of God's Son expiation was made for our offences. He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and thus removed every hindrance on God's side to our return to Him. Yet we are not actually saved till we receive Christ, and are found in Him. Indeed, as to the commencement of the work, and the certainty of the issue, Christians are said to be saved already. "By grace are ye saved through faith." But as to the actual consummation, they are not saved till death is swallowed up in victory. This work of salvation is a gradual work carried on through the whole of the Christian's life on earth. We go from strength to strength, and in the Divine image we are "renewed day by day." 2. How this salvation is achieved. By His life; His mediatorial life; that life in which He is now living in our nature in heaven. This is what He referred to when He said, "Because I live ye shall live also." Had He not risen, our hopes would have perished in the same grave. "But we are begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Everything that concerns our salvation is now to be viewed in connection with His life. He is now making intercession for us. He is a living Saviour, and as such He received the whole dispensation of the Spirit for men (Ephesians 4:8, etc.; Acts 2:33). It is as a living Saviour, "it hath pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell, and out of His fulness have all we received grace for grace." 3. From hence you should learn to dwell more upon the present life of Christ. Christians love to hear of Christ's death. But it would be in vain to view Him as the crucified One, unless we could view Him as the glorified One. Here is the ground of our highest triumph (Romans 8:34). III. THEIR CONFIRMATION; derived from an inference drawn from one to the other. "For if...much more." Observe the conclusiveness of the inference. What can be more natural than for us to argue from the past to the future; from what has been done to what may be; to feel the remembrance of one favour encouraging our hope of another, especially when we argue from the greater to the less; as Romans 8:32 does? It was wonderful that God should have provided an ark for the saving of Noah and his house; but it was not wonderful, after He had provided it, that He should not suffer him to sink and go to the bottom. It is wonderful that God should have given us exceeding great and precious promises; but it is not wonderful, after He had given them, that He should fulfil the same. It is wonderful, Christians, that He should have begun a good work in you; but having begun it, it is not wonderful that He should perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (W. Jay.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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