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Studies in Romans

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 25, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 13.

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Studies in Romans

Salvation for the Weak.

Rom. 5:6-11.

LAST week our studies in Romans brought us to consider the first verses of the fifth chapter, which tell of the blessedness and joy that come to those who have accepted the righteousness that may be had as a free gift by every one thru Christ Jesus. The next verses to be considered are full of the most blessedly comforting statements that we find in all the Bible.
"For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man would one die: for peradventure for the good man some one would even dare to die. But God commendeth His own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God thru Him. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God thru the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life; and not only so, but we also rejoice in God thru our Lord Jesus Christ, thru whom we have now received the reconciliation." Rom. 5:6-11.
"While we were yet weak," "Christ died for the ungodly." Man was weakened by sin; he was ungodly, out of harmony with God. In this state of man's rebellion against God, if we were to follow the rule of human nature, there would be such feelings of antipathy between God and man that God could not and would not reach out the helping hand. "But God commendeth His own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Yes, God commends His love by this wonderful act of giving His Son to die for man, even while man was yet in rebellion against Him. Since God loves us so much that He will give the dearest object of His affections to die for us while we are yet rebels against Him, can there be any doubt about the depth and genuineness of His love? "For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God thru the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life."
God loves us while we are enemies to Him. He reaches out for us by His love, and we yield to Him and thus become His friends; we are no longer at enmity with Him. Now according to the clear logic of the apostle's words last quoted above, if the Father reconciles us from this enmity, how much more will He save us when we are no longer in this state of rebellion? There is a wonderful power in this great truth.
In the Master's Sermon on the Mount, He expressed the character of the Father in respect to loving our enemies in the following words:
"Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same? Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matt. 5:44-48.
It is perfectly natural to love them that love you and to hate the ones that hate you. But when it comes to loving a person who is such an enemy that he persecutes us, it takes divine power. The human being is not equal to the task, except as the divine power takes hold of him and thus enables him to love his enemy. This manifestation of God's character, which shows Him in the attitude of loving and helping those who are rebelling against Him, is one of the most marvelous things that the human mind can contemplate. The fact that the heavenly Father loves His enemies, and is doing all that He can to save them, is calculated to inspire the sinner with hope, and to lead him to the feet of his Master.
In asking His children to love their enemies, the Lord does not require of us a thing that He does not do Himself. He is simply inviting us to take our stand with Him on the very thing that is set forth to commend His love to the human family. The Lord loves His enemies. It is one of His divine attributes, and He asks His followers to learn of Him how to love those who persecute us so that we may be His sons and daughters. The prophecies show that we are in the closing days of time, and furthermore that there will be much persecution in many places before the Lord's work in the earth is finished. Then it is an important lesson for all to learn how to love those who are doing the persecuting, so that proper effort can be made to seek and save them.
"And not only so, but we also rejoice in God thru our Lord Jesus Christ, thru whom we have now received the reconciliation." We have now received the reconciliation. He puts it in the present tense. We have the reconciliation now. We are reconciled to God.
And, having received this reconciliation, we rejoice in God. There is an indescribable joy that comes to every one who is reconciled to God. Not that God is reconciled to us; but we are reconciled to Him. God has always been reconciled to us in order that He could love us and save us. But what He is working for is to get us to become reconciled to Him. He is not reconciled to our sins, and we should praise Him all the time that it is so. But He does love us, even tho we are His enemies, and is seeking to fill us with the joy of being reconciled to Him.