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9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ~ Romans 5:9-10
Today, we continue in our study of Romans 5. You will remember that the book of Romans is divided into five sections: Romans 1-3 is about the sinful condition of man, Romans 4-5 is about salvation or justification by faith, Romans 6-8 is about sanctification, Romans 9-11 is about the sovereignty of God, and, Romans 12-16 is about service. Today's study is found in that second section of Romans: salvation: the justification of the believer in Christ.
In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!"
Even though we deserve the wrath of God, when we believe in Christ as our Savior, we are rescued from God's wrath. This fact is underscored by the choice of the Lord Jesus from eternity past to become the Savior of all who are humble enough to believe that His sacrifice earned our rightness before God. We were doomed. We had absolutely no hope. But God intervened. His wrath was removed from us because we came to the place where we chose to believe that the death of Christ on the cross was the fulfillment of all of the Old Testament types and prophecies.
Our justification required Christ’s blood to be shed for us. He is the faithful offering, the satisfactory substitute for all sinners willing to believe that His perfection replaced our imperfection. This is what it means when it says "His blood" which is a graphic way to symbolize the sacrifice the Lord Jesus made on our behalf on the cross. Through His death, the Lord Jesus not only absorbed God's wrath but He absorbed our sin. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, "For God made Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, he acted as the representative for all of humanity. That's why the Lord Jesus is called the last Adam in just a few verses. Everything Adam messed up in the Garden of Eden, the Lord Jesus came to undo. And, once we have believed in Him, our sin is forgiven us through Christ. That means we will never have to worry about being the object of God's wrath. And, in accordance with the promise of God through Christ, He will never leave us or forsake us.
In John 5:24 the Lord Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life." Note that He did not say, "will have." Nope, He said, "has everlasting life." This promise is given by God to those who believe in Him and this promise is given throughout the Bible. In fact, right on the heels of man's rebellion in the Garden of Eden, God responded for the first time in the Bible with the promise of salvation. In Genesis 3:15 we are given the first promise of salvation in the Bible. In that verse God promised that the Seed of Eve would one day crush Satan and sin and death. Everyone knows that the woman doesn't have the seed, the man does. And, this Seed is not man's seed, it is God's. The "Seed" points us to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ so many years later.
In v.10 of today's passage we read, "For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"
The Apostle Paul argues from greater to lesser, and his words are both logical and theological. His main argument is: If the dying Savior reconciled us to God, then surely, a living Savior will keep us reconciled to God. If God can bring a sinner to heaven, then surely God can keep a saint while on the earth.
Since our sin could not keep us from God's love before we were saved, nothing can keep us from his love now that we're saved. Since our sin was not a barrier to the beginning of our salvation, then it will never be a barrier to the completion of our salvation. If our past and our future salvation is secured by God, and it is, how can you and I ever be insecure about our status as children of God?
God is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is the One who has begun a good work in us, and, He will complete what He started. Our safety depends on God's nature and promise, not ours. Our access to His love does not depend upon us, but upon Him. This means the Lord Jesus not only pardons us, He also preserves us. He not only heals our souls, He keeps our souls for eternity.
