Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans chapter 5. Romans chapter
5. For the sake of context, I will
begin in verse 1. I've actually dealt with verses
1 through 5 last week. But for the sake of context,
I want to read verses 1 through 11. My message will be mainly
on verses 6 through 11. But let's get the context. Being
justified by faith, what kind of faith? The kind of faith like
Abraham had. Therefore being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace where we
stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only
so, or we can say not only that, or not only this, we glory in
tribulations also. knowing that tribulation worketh
patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, 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. And remember,
I said this, I tried to emphasize this. Yes, God's people love
him. There is no doubt about that.
The Apostle Paul is quite clear when he says, if any man love
not, our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha. But the love Paul is speaking
of here is God's love for us. But then he goes on, and here
is my actual text. For when we were yet without
strength, we're going to look then at this love, this love
that's shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given
unto us. For when we were yet without strength, In due time,
Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, so now we're called
ungodly, we're told we're strengthless, and we're told we are what? Sinners. But God commendeth his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then. It's even beyond
that. Now he's not belittling that.
By any means, no. But much more then, being now
justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, so he's going to explain
what he's just wrote in this letter. For if, when we were
enemies, so now we're told we're strengthless, we're ungodly,
we are sinners, and now we're told what we are, enemies. For if when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his son. So when
were we reconciled? Not when we were believers, but
when we were enemies, when we were sinners. when we were ungodly,
when we were without strength, even then we were reconciled. Because he 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. Now
what has he just said? That everybody that he reconciled,
they're going to be saved. Those that he reconciled by his
death, he is deathly going to save them by his life. Now that
is set forth and translated into clear plain English for us. And
not only so, it's even more than that. And not only so, but we
also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have
now received the atonement. Now, since God says. And God has said so in many different
ways, varying different words throughout varying different
ages and through varying prophets and apostles. Since God says
he loves his people, then God loves his people. Period. Period. Their condition by nature
does not matter. when it comes to whether or not
God loves them. Now their condition by nature
does matter, but it doesn't guarantee nor
thwart the love of God. God loved us when we were strengthless,
when we were ungodly, when we were sinners, when we were enemies. So much so that his son died
for us. So again, since God says he loves
his people, then he loves his people, even when, yea, even
more than that, especially when he wisely brings tribulations
that work, patience, experience, hope, and no shame in God's great
love for us. I am not ashamed of God's great
love for me. Now I know there are those who
accuse us of limiting God's love. No, they limit God's love. And
let's get that right from the get-go. I preach clearly, according
to this book, God does not love everyone. This book is clear. God does not love everyone. But
that is not a limitation of God's love. That is God's sovereign
right to love whom he will. And to hate whom he will. Those
who preach as he loves everybody, Many of them don't make it to
glory. Many of them perish under the very wrath and judgment of
the very same God they say loves them. They limit God's love because
they are basically teaching God's love, at least for some folks,
ain't worth spit. Someone says, preacher, that's
way too bold. No, I'm afraid it's not bold
enough. And what I do know, what I do
know is this. I know that man is an unregenerate
rebel by nature and despises the truth of God and hates God
for who he really is. And as Joe pointed out, especially
in his son. It's just like when, remember,
was it Peter? Peter John, or Peter was there.
You remember they had the one guy that was lame, he's sitting
at the temple, and he was begging for some money, a little bit
of money to help him along. It was lame, he couldn't work.
Back then, they didn't have computers where you could sit at your desk
and earn a living. And Peter said, silver and gold
have I none, but such as I have, give I unto thee. And he said,
behold, rise up and walk. Did he not? And you know what
the religious leaders, they brought Peter and John, I think it was,
they brought them under charges. Now Peter could have said, they
said, in what name are you doing this? He could have said, I do
this in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the
God of Israel, and he'd have been exactly right in saying
so. but he would have been hiding
the truth. Because what he said is, I do this in the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Now do you see the difference?
How both are fact, but one is the truth. Because Peter could
have spared himself some trouble. I'm sure those old Jews would
have said, well glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
But when he mentioned Jesus Christ of Nazareth, it set the fuel
flames of their hatred against God, because while they even
looked for a messiah, they hated him when he showed up. They didn't
like him for who he was. But let's note here, here is,
this is my subject, this is my title, the pinnacle of God's
love. The pinnacle of God's love, there
is no doubt. that God sending his son into
this world in human flesh was the act of the power of God in
love. For God so loved the world that
he gave, he gave. It doesn't say that he sent him
to the cross. He gave his only begotten son. As one preacher
said, there ain't a bit of gospel in that verse. And boy, if they
said people's mouths just dropped. He said that's all testimony.
He said the gospel's up there in verse 14. Even as Moses lifted
up the serpent on the wilderness, even so must the son of man be
lifted up. What I'm saying is this, God's
love was manifested in Christ coming into this world. God's
love was manifested in the son of God subjected himself to all
of the hatred and the despising that men could throw at him.
There is no doubt God's love is seen there. There is no doubt
that God's love was seen when Jesus Christ healed countless
myriads of folks that had all kinds of maladies. But here is
the pinnacle of God's love. For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. There's the pinnacle of God's
love. Right there. But God commendeth his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Now when we were strengthless,
when we were ungodly, God fixed an absolute, immutable, certain
time for Christ to die. Isn't that what it says? For
when we were yet without strength in due time. God had the exact moment in time,
picked out, ordained, and decreed when Jesus Christ would die. And he would die for. Now remember,
we've looked at that little word for. Here the word means in the place
of. Or as old Scott Richardson used to say, in the room instead
of. Christ died for me. And you, if you are strengthless,
if you are ungodly, if you are a sinner, if you are an enemy
of God, that's whom the book says Christ died for. It doesn't say Christ died for
the world. It said, for God so loved the
world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish but have everlasting life. God clearly
declares who he loves and clearly declares for whom Christ died,
strengthless people, sinners, ungodly, and enemies. Are you strengthless and ungodly? that I can say these words, Christ
died in your place. Christ died in your place. But
let me tell you something, now listen now, before I go any further,
I can say it. Are you strengthless? Are you
ungodly? Are you a sinner? Do you see
yourself as for what you are? By nature you are an enemy against
God, then Christ died for you. But it's not just saying it that
makes it real in you. It's God Almighty teaching it
to you by his spirit and by his gospel. Because I know this,
every person God's ever shown, shown to be strengthless, ungodly,
a sinner, and an enemy, they do something. They flee to Jesus
Christ. So you could come, I've had people
right here, people come to this very building, and they would
say, oh yes, I'm ungodly, oh yes, I'm a sinner, oh yes, I'm,
oh I know, that's so true about me, and maybe even shed a few
tears, but they've not yet fled to Christ. So they still haven't
really seen that they're strengthless, ungodly, and enemies, and sinners. The writer of Hebrews says that
we have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is set
before us, and even Paul winds at least our text up with, and
not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Everybody whom
God teaches that they're strengthless. ungodly, they're an enemy, they're
a sinner. They will flee to Christ because
if you haven't fled to Christ, God ain't really taught you that
yet. You're just saying it with your mouth. I went for an x-ray one time
and people began, a couple, an elderly couple were there and
I mentioned something about being a sinner. Oh yes, that's right,
that's just right. All over the place, everybody,
people know they're a sinner. Now granted, there are some exceptions,
I understand that, but most everybody will say, they're a sinner, but
I'm not an ungodly sinner. Or well, yeah, I'm a sinner,
but I'm not an enemy of God, I don't hate God, I'm not against
God. No, you're not against your idea
of God. But when the true God is preached unto you, your enmity
will show itself. Or, well yeah, I'm a sinner,
that's almost like a cliche today, yeah, I'm a sinner. but they
don't believe they're a strengthless sinner. Well, I got free will. Right? No, when we were yet without
strength, even if you had a free will, it's strengthless. For when we were without strength,
the problem is our will is not free, our will is as bound as
we are. Because if you will come to Christ,
you can come to Christ. And if you can come to Christ,
you will come to Christ. But unless God Almighty does
something for you first, you neither will come to him nor
can you come to him. Because he said so. And I take
his word over my feelings about the matter or anyone else's feelings
about the matter. Are you again, are you strengthless
and ungodly? Then Christ died in your place.
That's the pinnacle of God's love. The holy God man died for
ungodly people. How many of those do you find
at Walmart? How many of those do you find
at Walmart? Now compare human love. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die. Yet peradventure, for a good
man, some would even dare to die. Now, I must say this, I
realize, Paul has just said, there's none righteous, no, not
one. Has he not? That's what we read this in this
letter. And now he turns around and talks about a righteous man.
Was Paul contradicting himself? No, not that he was, because
here he is comparing men to men only, and not comparing men to
God's law, yea, not comparing men to God. For scarcely for
a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man
some would even dare to die. So this is Paul expressing a
fact or a couple facts about human love. So what's he talking
about? Now I wanna try to give you a
paraphrase of this. In other words, man sees love
as true love when one dies for a noble cause. Right? I mean, you see somebody
harming a child and you put your life on the line for that child
to stop that harm coming to that child, people would say, what
would they say? That's love. And Paul is not saying that's
not love. He's saying that is love, but
it's not God's love. Because God commended his love
toward us while we were yet sinners. We're the offending party and
God loved us. not the offended party, and God's
taken up for the offended party. Do you see what I'm saying? This
is what Paul's getting at here. In other words, this is from
the Amplified Bible. Remember, it's not a translation. It is just a paraphrase, but
it's pretty good on this one. In other words, as I said, this
is me again, man sees love as true love when one dies for a
noble cause. In other words, as Paul puts
it here, and I'm paraphrasing now through that other Bible,
it is an extraordinary thing for one to die for an upright
man. And perhaps for a noble, loving,
and generous benefactor, some white might even dare to die.
Now, does that make a little sense to what he's saying there?
For scarcely for a righteous, a good upright man, one might
die. They might die. Yet for adventure, for a good
man, what's a good man? Somebody who's doing good. They
might even dare to die. But God commended his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That's a totally different kind
of love than the way we look at it as human beings, is it
not? Now, I don't mean to throw, well, yeah, I do mean to throw
out the grenade and pull the pin on it. It's illustrated. Remember I told you about the
child, some child being hurt by, say, an adult. God came and
took the side of the one who was doing the hurting. Now, do
you hear what I'm saying? Somebody says, I don't like that.
I know that's why you don't believe God. That's why you're lost,
because you don't like those. That's God's true love. But when
you say God don't love everybody, they think, well, that's not
fair. Not fair? God, if God were fair, he would
hate us all cleanly into the lake of fire. We deserve damnation. But not everybody knows it. Not
everybody really knows it. You see, I've preached for 36,
37 years now. I've not earned one speck of
merit before God that would get me into his presence. I've tried
to tell the truth for 37 years now, but it's not earned me one
speck of merit before God Almighty that would cause him to receive
this strengthless, ungodly, enemy, sinner into his presence. Only
the death of Christ could do that. And the death of Christ
is specifically for that cause. And for those kind of people. And this is much more than a
fact of Christ's death, because he says, much more than. Do you see it? But God commendeth
his love toward us in that while we were the offending party,
Christ died for us. Much more than. Being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Now granted,
and it is included, most religious people that profess to be Christians,
when they hear of, we shall be saved from wrath through him,
what do they think of? The final judgment, right? Or
maybe all of the calamities that are to come upon the world in
the last days, right? The wrath of God, and that is
certainly true. That is certainly true. But that's
not the context here. That's not the context. And it's
much more than a fact of Christ's death. Much more than Christ's
death. This is what he says here. Christ's
death. Christ's justification by Christ's
blood. Assured, secured, and guaranteed
some things. According to the Apostle Paul
right here. It assured, it secured, and it
guaranteed some things. False religion, the Antichrist
gospel that's put off on men and women as God's gospel. It
ain't God's gospel. It's the gospel of Antichrist.
It's the message of Antichrist. It is a perversion of the gospel
of God. They basically teach that Christ's
work, his death, his blood assured, secured, and guaranteed nothing. It only made it what? Say the
word. Possible. I'm not building a
straw man and beating on him. That's exactly the word they
use, possible. Paul ain't talking about possibilities. He's talking about absolutes
here. Somebody said, you're telling
me I gotta believe that Jesus died only for the elect. No,
that's not what I'm saying. I'm telling you, you're gonna
believe that Jesus Christ accomplished what God the Father sent him
to do, and when he did it, he did it when he died, and he accomplished
what God intended for him to accomplish when he died, or you
don't believe Christ. Or you don't believe Christ.
You can believe Christ died only for the elect and still go to
hell, because you don't believe in Christ himself. because you have never
received the atonement. And to jump ahead, even the word
received in scripture is used in different ways. Sometimes
it's used in this sense. Penny took two goblets and she
poured water, one for Joe and one for me, and she poured water
into those goblets and put them in the refrigerator for us to
have this morning. This glass received the water.
Passively it did nothing. She said it on the counter. She
opened the water poured the water in It received the water Did
nothing, but now I'm going to receive the water That's receiving too And I was
active in it But you know why I did that for two reasons one.
I was thirsty and two to illustrate what I'm talking about And not
only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is not just a shout-out to Jesus. Y'all heard of a shout-out? Give him a shout-out. Give him
just a little bit of credit. This ain't about giving him a
little bit of credit. This is saying he's the one that assured
that this would come to pass. It ain't a shout-out. You don't
give the God of all glory a shout-out. You praise him and worship him
and bow down at his feet in the person of his son. Our world
is they they they think God is their buddy Jesus Christ never said he was
our buddy, but he does say he is our brother He is our husband. Those are the words he uses and
other like words think about it again, I say much more than
Paul said that Christ's death the justification he accomplished
by his blood, it assured, it secured, it guaranteed some things. And let's examine the results
of the pinnacle of God's love, one we, we, the strengthless. Isn't that who he's writing to?
Nobody else. If you got strength this morning,
then he's not talking to you. If out there, you hear this,
and you say, well, I've got some power, then this don't apply
to you, correct? For when we were yet without
strength, we the strengthless, we the ungodly, we the sinners,
we the enemies of God, we shall be saved from wrath through Christ. Saved from wrath we deserve from
God? We deserve God's wrath. I can
say that it's true, God's elect were never under wrath, but we
deserved it. We deserved it. We deserved it
just as much as the reprobate. Jacob deserved the wrath of God
just as much as Esau deserved the wrath of God. So we're saved
from wrath through Christ, saved from wrath we deserve, and saved
from our own damning wrath toward God. Because one time we were
enemies. Right? What's an enemy? Somebody
that has wrath, enmity with, hatred, variance against someone
else, right? That's what wrath is. That's
what hatred is. That's what variance is. And
we had wrath toward God. And Paul was clear about that
when he wrote to the church at Ephesus. He wrote these words. Let me find it now. among whom
also, he's writing to people he calls the elect in chapter
one, right? Predestinated people, people for whom Christ died.
And he writes this about among whom also, we all had our conversation,
that is our way of life and time past, in the lust of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were
by nature, We were by nature the children of wrath, wrath
for one another, wrath for God, wrath for God's law, wrath for
God's son, wrath for God's book, wrath for God's gospel, wrath
for anything that had to do with God Almighty and His absolute
holiness. We were the children of wrath,
even as others. Aren't you glad God saved you
from that? Folks, I don't hate God anymore. but my flesh still does. And
Paul will deal with that. We're getting there. Paul's gonna
deal with that, but I don't hate God no more. I'm glad God is
who he is. And he's revealing this, revealing. He hasn't revealed it all yet,
but he is revealing these things to me, Joe, and my flesh recoils. But the new man says, I thank
God.