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Romans 5:6-11

ALL THIS, JUST FOR US

Intro: This passage of Scripture joins others like Isaiah 53; Psalm 23; Hebrews 11; Philippians 4; and John 3 in being among the greatest in the Word of God. All these passages that I have mentioned, as well as others, have long brought comfort to the hearts of men.

In this passage, we find the Apostle Paul still rehearsing the benefits that are ours as children of God. These verses makes plain the great provisions that have come our way through the death of the Lord Jesus and by virtue of our placing our faith in Him for salvation. These verses tell us of the wonderful things we have in Christ. I want to draw your attention to verse 8, and the last phrase of that verse, then look at the last 2 words: "for us". Those two words sum up the content of this message. As the Lord gives me liberty this evening, I would like to preach for a while on the thought, "All This Just For Us."

I. V. 6-10 MAN'S HOPELESS CONDITION

(Ill. In these 5 verses, Paul tells us that man's condition can be summed up by four descriptive terms: Without strength, v. 6, ungodly, v. 6, sinner, v. 8, enemies, v. 10. These four terms describe the condition of all men who are lost in sin. This is God's portrait of humanity apart from Him. Let's take just a minute to look at Man's Hopeless Condition.)

A. V. 6 Man Is Weak - "Without Strength" - This carries the idea of being "powerless". It speaks of people who are "utterly helpless with no means of escape." The idea is that the lost sinner stands before God with absolutely no ability to change what he is. We are powerless to escape sin, to escape death, to resist the devil, to please God in any way. The whole essence of this statement is that man is unable to change his sinful nature by his own effort. He is totally without strength and weakened by his sins.

B. V. 6 Man Is Wicked - "Ungodly" - This word refers to those who, "without reverence for or fear of God." It literally means to "live your life as if God did not exist." Because we are helpless to change our sinful nature, we live our lives as we please without regard for God, or for His Law and will.

(Ill. To be "ungodly" does not mean that one must wallow in sin! The unsaved church member is just as godless as an Adolph Hitler! When a person refuses to bow before the Lord in salvation, he is essentially setting himself up as his own god. Therefore, he does as he pleases, he worships himself without any regard for the true God. Hence, he is "godless".)

C. V. 8 Man Is Wayward - "Sinners" - This word means "to miss the mark." It carries the idea of an archer aiming at a bulls eye to the best of his ability, shooting his arrow and then missing the whole target. It pictures man as he tries and fails his way through life. No matter how good man tries to be, he can never be good enough. Though he may aim high, and set high standards, still he always falls short of God's standard. Man always misses the mark.

(Ill. This is why attempting to get to Heaven by good works will never work. Man can never be good enough to get himself to God! No matter how close he comes, he will always fall short. To be almost right is to be forever wrong!)

D. V. 10 Man Is Warlike - "Enemies" - The word mean "an adversary". Basically, what the Bible is telling us is that when we are lost, we are in the devil's camp. We are opposed to God and we are the enemy of God. No matter how much a man may talk of loving the Lord, if that man is unsaved, he is a liar! God says the lost are His enemies.

(Ill. I hope you can see that people, apart from Jesus, are in a hopeless situation! The fact is, there is no hope in man! All hope will only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. As a sinner, man is totally hopeless and helpless before the Lord. He needs something he can never produce from within himself. He needs help! His help must come from the only source that can provide it: God! But, man is God's enemy! Thank God, there is more tot he story than just our wretched condition.)

I. Man's Hopeless Condition

II. V. 6-8 CHRIST'S BOUNDLESS COMPASSION

A. V. 6-7 His Compassion Exceeded The Love Of Man - Paul tells us that there are a few people in life that men might die for. Who would those persons be in your own life? Perhaps it would be mother and father, husband or wife, son or daughter, or even a few very close friends. If you really take the time to think it through, there are probably only a very few people for whom you would give your life without a moment's hesitation.

(Ill. Imagine that you are eating a meal in a restaurant with your son when, suddenly, a gunman enters the place and begins shooting people all around you. What is your immediate response? Hide under a table? Try to get away? Attempt to overpower the gunman? Or, somehow, protect you son? For a man named James F. Kidd, of Wheaton, Illinois, the answer was easy. He was visiting his son, who was stationed at Fort Bragg. They went to a nearby Italian restaurant to eat. While they were eating a gunman entered the building and began firing into the customers. When it was over, 11 people had died, including James Kidd. When the shooting started, he had used his own body to shield his son from the bullets, and he, himself, had died from a gunshot wound to the back. Later, his wife said, "He was a good man, a good father and a good husband. He died saving his son. What more can you say?")

(Ill. Another true story involves two miners who were trapped in a cave-in. They were trapped in the mine. They had two oxygen masks, but one was damaged. Only one of these men would be able to get out alive. One of the miners, a single man, handed the good mask to the other miner and said, "Here, you take it. You've got a wife and children. I don't have anybody. I can go. You've got to stay.")

(Ill. We have all heard stories of soldiers who have given their lives for their comrades. Maybe a grenade will be thrown into the midst of a patrol and one of the men will fall on that grenade and absorb the blast with his body. He will be blown to pieces, but the rest of the men live.)

(Ill. All these are examples of rare courage and sacrifice. However, they all have one common theme: they demonstrate the human capacity to give ourselves for the sake of those we love. Family, friends and fellow soldiers are one thing, but can you imagine giving your life for an enemy? Human love has its limits, thankfully, the love of God does not! Verse 6 tells us that this is exactly what Jesus did! He didn't die for the good, but for the ungodly!)

B. V. 8 His Compassion Exhibited The Love Of God - Notice how the love of God transcended anything humanity is able to produce. He put His great love on display when Jesus Christ died for those who "were yet sinners." You see, while we were still weak, wicked, wayward and warlike, Jesus died for us! He did not die for His friends. He died for His enemies! He did not die for people who loved Him, but He died for the very people who had crucified Him. He died for the ungodly!

(Ill. Let's return to that restaurant near Fort Bragg. Suppose that young soldier is a total stranger. What if James Kidd had protected a total stranger? What if, instead of that grenade being thrown into the midst of a Marine patrol, it had been thrown into the a group of Vietnamese soldiers guarding an American prisoner. Suppose that American soldier, who had been abused and beaten and was permanently scarred and disfigured by his captures, fell on that grenade and gave his life to save his enemies. You say, "People don't do that!" That's right! Human nature recoils at the thought of doing good to one's enemies. However, while man doesn't do that, God does! That is exactly what happened at Calvary! Jesus Christ died for the sins of His enemies. He threw Himself on the grenade of God's wrath ans when it detonated, He died to deliver those who hated Him. What love! What boundless compassion!)

(Ill. May we never look at this crazy, confused world and say "If God is a God of love, then why do bad things happen." That is foolishness! If there is a doubt in your mind as to the love of God, I challenge you to take a look back at a place called Calvary. There you will see a holy and a sinless God, the Creator, dying for the creature that hates Him. Watch as the life leaves His body. Watch as His blood runs down the cross. Listen as His blood drips in great pools on the ground. Hear Him as He gasps for His last breath and gives His life a sacrifice for sin. Look at that broken and bleeding form hanging there lifeless on that cross and tell me that God doesn't love you! There never has been, nor will there ever be a greater demonstration of God's love than that of a broken and dead Savior on a bloody cross.)

I. Man's Hopeless Condition

II. Christ's Boundless Compassion

III. V. 9-11 OUR MATCHLESS COMPLETION

(Ill. In these verses, Paul tells us what we have become through the selfless sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. Because He loved us when we were unlovable, we have received some blessings from Him that we need to know about this evening. Notice the expression, "Much more then". We have been completed in Him. Let's notice what we have because of Jesus.)

A. V. 9a Our Position - Justified - We have covered this word thoroughly in other messages. Basically, this word means to declare a person "not guilty". Even though we are sinners and deserve to go to Hell. God is able, through the blood of Jesus, to look at us and declare us "righteous". He says that we are pleasing in His sight. We are accepted by God. God sees us as if we had never been stained by sin. He sees us like He sees His Son: perfect and fully right with Himself!

B. V. 9b Our Protection - "saved from wrath" - Because we are in Jesus, we are protected from th e wrath of God. Simply stated, no child of God need ever fear dying and going to Hell! Jesus has already paid the price and quenched the wrath of God toward those who believe in Him. No longer does the wrath of God abide on us, John 3:36. No loner are we the children of wrath. Eph. 2:3. No we are free from the penalty of sin through the blood of the Lamb!

C. V. 10a Our Peace - "reconciled" - This word means "to take enemies and make them into friends." No longer are we in opposition to God. We have been brought together through the blood of Jesus! God has called a truce and put away the battle flags. We are no longer fighting, but we are at peace with God. In fact, our relationship is so close that He is ever with us, Heb. 13:5, and we have direct, unimpeded access to His very throne, Heb. 4:16. We are at peace with God!

D. V. 10b Our Preservation - "saved by His life" - These words tell us that Jesus is alive this evening. This has nothing to do with the life He lived here on the earth. It has everything to do with the life He lives in Heaven today. Because He lives, you and I have absolute security as believers. Nothing can ever come between us and God, because Jesus is there standing up on our behalf. Notice two great texts that bear this out:

1. He Is Our Advocate - 1 John 2:1 When we are accused before God, the Lord Jesus takes our part before the bar of Heaven. He stands up for us as our defense attorney and pleads our case. He shows the Father His wounds and tells the Father that we are the children of God. The Father responds with, "Case dismissed!"

2. He Is Our Intercessor - Heb. 7:25 - Simply stated, He is praying for you and me as we journey toward our heavenly homes. I am glad for all who pray for me, but it thrills my soul this evening to know that even now, while I am preaching, my Savior is talking to His Father and mine and asking God to bless and use me. He is our prayer partner! Even when I am not on praying ground, Jesus always is!

E. V. 11a Our Praise - "We joy in God" - That is, because these things are true. Because we are saved and secure in our salvation, we are filled with praise to the King. My friends, if there was ever a reason to praise the Lord, God has given it to you this evening through His Word.

(Ill. These may be difficult days for you as a believer. You may feel that there is no real reason to praise the Lord tonight. However, if you are saved, then you have all the reason you need! Remember Luke 20:10!)

F. V. 11b Our Privilege - "given the atonement" - This phrase reminds us that we have been made "one" with God. Think of it, old, lost, hell bound sinners have been brought into a personal relationship with the God of Heaven! It isn't just any relationship, but that of a Father and child! We have been brought nigh to God through the blood of Jesus! Ours is a great privilege that should not be taken for granted! All through history, man has wanted to be brought near to God. That is why Israel sacrificed millions of sheep, cows and birds on their altars. That is why, every year, Muslims sacrifice millions of animals on Mecca. What the blood of those dead animals could never do for them, the blood of Jesus has done for us, Heb. 10:11-14.

Conc: I look at these verses and I marvel that God would do all this just for us. But, He did! Our blessings are far greater than the mind could ever begin to comprehend. In light of these truths, where do you stand with God this evening? Are you saved? Are you as close to Him as you need to be? Are you guilty of being in love with Jesus with every fiber of your being? Oh, my friends, we should be! He should fill our hearts tonight! If other things have begun to crowd Him out, why not come and let Him clear the clutter and take His rightful place in your heart? Maybe some would just like to come and tell the Lord you love Him and to thank Him for His great gifts to your life. Let's obey Him this evening.

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