The Magnificent Demonstration of God's Eternal Love

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

As we came into chapter 5 we notice that Paul has shifted from justification by faith to reconciliation with God, which is the ultimate purpose of our justification. The goal of this reconciliation, as we will see, is that we be restored into the relationship that Adam had before the fall. This restoration is accomplished by the second Adam or Jesus.

He told us in the first 5 verses that we can rejoice in the hope of this ultimate restoration even when we face hardship because our hope is sure and God has poured our His love through the Holy Spirit

It’s important to know that we are loved. A child gets a great deal of stability and comfort knowing that their parents love them no matter what. It is fulfilling and comforting within a marriage to know that your spouse loves you even with all your faults.

How much greater is the importance of knowing without a doubt that our heavenly Father loves us. If we live in doubt of the Love of God we will be continually struggling simply to earn His affection.

Paul encourages us with the fact that God has poured out his love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit

In verses 6-8 he tells us how that God love has taken action in the death of Christ on the cross.

Romans 5:6 NKJV

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Without Strength

Just as in chapter 4 Abraham was as good as dead and Sarah’s womb was dead They were without strength, helpless unable to have any children.

Total and complete helplessness.

Romans 3:9–18 NKJV

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” 13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Ephesians 2:1–3 NKJV

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

A dead person is helpless. Just as Lazarus could not raise himself from the dead, he was without strength, we too are in a helpless state in our sins.

Why do you have to be so negative? you may ask. I am convinced that we cannot receive God’s greatest gift of love until we first come to terms with our helplessness.

Romans 5:6 NKJV

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Matthew 9:10–13 NKJV

10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

In Due Time

Just a brief point here. Why did Paul write “in due time”?

He did it again in

Galatians 4:4–5 NKJV

4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

God has set a time for everything and everything that God does happens according to that schedule. When the fullness of time had come God sent His Son into the world, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Before his time had come Christ said many times “my time has not yet come”. When the fulness of time had come God called me, a sinner to repentance. In due time God will take me home to be with Him.

Perhaps today is the appointed time for you to come and repent of your sins and to look to the great physician for healing.

God’s Amazing Love

To die for someone else is the greatest expression of love. Jesus Said

John 15:13 NKJV

13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

But Gods love to us was so great that Christ died for us as ungodly,

Romans 5:6–7 NKJV

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

Paul points out that it is a rare kind of love for someone to die for someone else. And yet for a good man someone that we love and or respect perhaps some would die for someone under those circumstances. However, who would did for a sinner? Who would go down to death row and find some vile person who is facing the death penalty and say I’ll take their place? I’ll give my life so that they can live? Christ died for us while we were dead in our sins, we were enemies of God and Jesus said I’ll take his place, I’ll die for them.

SO the question is if God loved us so much while we were yet sinners how much more does He love us now that we have been justified? And what does He have in store for our future?

Romans 8:28–39 NKJV

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Related Media

Related Sermons