The Introduction
The Text
Romans 5:6–11 (CSB)
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die.
8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath.
10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.
11 And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.
The Support
Ephesians 1:3–14 (CSB)
3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.
5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ
10 as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.
11 In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will,
12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.
13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.
14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.
Where do you see God in the text? What does the text say about God?
God
All of our sin is future sin in light of the cross.
Christ did not wait for you to clean up your act and choose you. Christ was mindful of you before the foundations of the world were in place.
He was mindful of you–saw your wickedness, depravity, sinfulness, and rebellion–and loved you. God loved and desired you so much that the Father and the Son decided to rescue you. The Son went out to rescue his bride–but he will need the fullness of the Spirit to do so.
Ephesians 2:1–10 (CSB)
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins
2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.
3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us,
5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—
9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
Who loved whom first? Was it God or you?
Did God start loving you when you decided to clean yourself up, presented yourself a pretty good person or did God love you when you were yet a sinner?
The Gospel
Titus 3:3–7 (CSB) For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another.
But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
Are we saved by our good works? Are saved to God by ourselves first? How did God save us?
Our Response
Consider this, if you are in Christ:
1 Timothy 1:12–17 (CSB) I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry—
One, Christ has called you
He has considered you faithful because He along is faithful. And because we are the saint of God, we are all appointed to ministry1, starting with the Great Commission2.
13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief,
Two, you are a sinner
By birth and by choice. And as a sinner, you were a prisoner of a spiritual war, captured by sin and sentence to death.
14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Three, God saved you
And in the midst of your sin, God saved you. In Christ, He overflows for you three things: grace, faith, and love.
15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them.
Four, God is just
Our sins are an abomination to God. We rightly deserve all the wrath of God upon our lives.
16 But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life.
Five, God is merciful
But God, being rich in mercy, saved you so that Christ alone will receive all the glory and praise for your salvation. And that your life would a testimony that salvation belongs to the Lord for He is the mighty one who saves!
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Last thing: go and worship God all of your days
With your song, your words, your breath, your work, your play, your rest and your life–in all that you do–do it to the glory of His name. Amen.
Pray
Call me to you. Ask of me and save me!
Amen.
The Resources
Calvin’s Commentaries.
by John Calvin.
Baker. 2009.
Olive Tree
No Condemnation in Christ Jesus: As Unfolded in the Eighth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans
by Octavius Winslow.
Banner of Trust. 1991.
Goodreads
Romans: An Expositional Commentary
by R.C. Sproul.
Reformation Trust Publishing. 2019.
Goodreads
The Letter to the Romans (New International Commentary on the New Testament (NICNT))
by Douglas Moo.
Eerdmans. 1996.
Goodreads
New Testament Commentary: Romans: Chapters 1-16
by William Hendriksen.
Baker. 1992.
Goodreads
Romans
by William S. Plumer.
Kregel. 1993.
Goodreads
Romans: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture (The New American Commentary)
by Robert Mounce.
Holmon Reference. 1995.
Goodreads
Romans (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT Volume 6)
Edited by Gerald L. Bray.
IVP Academic. 2005.
Goodreads
Commentary on Romans
by Martin Luther.
Kregel. 2003.
Goodreads