The result of justification (8):
God’s love being poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:5-6)
In Romans 5:6, the Korean Bible says, ‘While we were still helpless, …’, but in the original Greek there is a conjunction “therefore”. So the Bible Romans 5:6 says, ‘Therefore, while we were still helpless ….’ Here, “Therefore” (v. 6) connects (continues) with the saying, “God has poured out his love into our hearts” (v. 5). In other words, the Apostle Paul explains from verse 6 what God's love is poured out in our hearts, which he said in verse 5. Also, Romans 5:6 says, ‘While we were still helpless.’ It means that when we were very helpless, when we are so weak that we cannot do very little things. In those days before we were justified by faith (v. 1), when we could not have peace with God (v. 1), when we did not have access to this grace by faith (v. 2), when we did not have the hope of the glory of God (v. 2) nor rejoice in the glory of God (v. 2), when we could not rejoice in our sufferings (v. 3), and before God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (v. 5). In Romans 5:6, the word “just the right time” refers to an appropriate time. It means that God ordained us to save us from the beginning, and the appointed time has come. At that appointed time, the Bible says, “Christ died for the ungodly” (v. 6). This is the love of God (v. 5). Look at Galatians 4:4 – “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law.” Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, will come in the fullness of the time through the offspring of the woman. God gave birth to his only begotten Son, Jesus through the woman Mary. Look at Matthew 1:16 – “and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”
Romans 5:6 speaks of “the ungodly”. It refers to those who suppress the truth by their wickedness (1:18). The ungodly are those who rebel and betray the truth. And when it says “for” in Romans 5:6, there is a difference between “for” in Romans 5:6 and “on our (their) behalf” in 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15, 21. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15, 21: “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” “For” means that we can die for our children. We may die for many, but we cannot die for them. “On our (their) behalf” means that we cannot die for others because we are sinners. Only Jesus, who was without sin, could die for us. As perfect God and perfect man, only Jesus can die for us, and we can never do it. Jesus died on the cross for each of us. The reason is because Jesus loves each and every one of us. So God chose us, justified us, and so on. To die “for” that person does not mean that he will live forever, but to die ‘on behalf of’ that person means that he will live forever. So, in the Bible, the death of our saints is expressed as ‘asleep’. The Bible describes the death of Stephen, saying, “When he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:60). The Bible says, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15, the Apostle Paul speaks of ‘those who fall asleep” three times: “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.”
When we think of God's great love of Jesus Christ dying for the ungodly at the right time when we were still helpless (Rom. 5:6), we should be thankful and moved. This great love of God is as strong as death, even stronger than death (Song 8:6-7). This love has been poured out on us by God through the Holy Spirit, so with that love we must obey the twofold commandment of Jesus. Look at Matthew 22:37-39: “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” With God's love, we must love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves. We are no longer helpless, but we are strong. We are justified by faith (Rom. 5:1). We have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 1). We have gained access into this grace in which we stand by faith through the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 2). We hope and rejoice in the glory of God (v. 2). We rejoice in our sufferings (v. 3). God's love has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom God has given us (v. 5).