Comprehensive Doctrine of Justification (25)
[Romans 5:6-8]
We, amidst contemplation of nine sub-themes under the overarching theme of “Comprehensive Doctrine of Justification,” are currently reflecting on the eighth sub-theme, 'The Result of Justification.” Today, we aim to meditate on 'The Result of Justification (6)” with a focus on Romans 5:6-8.
Look at Romans 5:6-8: “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The Bible states that Christ died for the ungodly (v. 6), and looking into the Greek dictionary, it refers to those who do not worship, do not serve God, and are irreverent. Before receiving righteousness, we were among the ungodly (the irreverent). However, Christ died on the cross for those who do not worship God, the irreverent. The Scripture mentions, “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die” (v. 7). Here, “a righteous” denotes one who practices righteousness, lives justly according to the law, and is respected by others. And “the good man” refers to someone not only living righteously but also embodying kindness and generosity. However, Christ did not die for the righteous or the good but for the irreverent sinners.
Jesus Christ died for us "while we were still helpless" (v. 6), where "helpless" refers to a state of extreme vulnerability and powerlessness, as in a helpless condition. He died on the cross for us, ungodly sinners, in our state of powerlessness. Jesus Christ died "at the right time" (v. 6) for us ungodly sinners. In other words, God, before the creation of the world, planned to save us. He progressively carried out His plan of salvation, and at the appointed time, sent Jesus Christ to this earth, who was crucified for us. Galatians 4:4 says, "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law." Romans 8:29-30 also affirms this plan of God: "For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." Here, "those God foreknew" refers to those God chose or predestined before. God, in His plan to save them, predestined them, called them, justified them, and finally glorified them, allowing them to share in heavenly blessings. How great, wide, and deep is the love of God? It is through this love of Christ that, despite our lack of righteousness, we obtain righteousness and enjoy blessings.
For example, a mother, out of love for her children, rescues them from death at the cost of her own life. How great is the love of this mother? The love of a mother is greater than the sky and deeper than the ocean. We cannot fully comprehend the love of this mother. However, even the love of this mother cannot be adequately compared to the love of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for the ungodly. While a mother's love may lead her to sacrifice her body for her children, they, too, will eventually die, and their bodies will go to the grave. In contrast, when Jesus Christ died for the ungodly, it did not end with His body going to the tomb; He endured spiritual death (separation from God the Father, the ultimate rejection) and even received the punishment of hell. His purpose was to save us, allowing us to enjoy eternal blessings. How can we describe this love of God? It is truly an immeasurable and astounding love of God. The lyrics of hymn "The Love of God is Greater Far," capture this sentiment: (v. 1) The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell; It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell; The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from His sin. (v. 3) Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill And every man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Tho' stretched from sky to sky. (Chorus) Oh love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forever more endure, The saints' and angels' song. Even if the heavens become a scroll and the sea turns into ink, it still wouldn't be enough to record the boundless love of God; how can we exhaustively describe the great love of God? Stacking up to the high heavens wouldn't be enough to fill it. No matter how vast the universe may be, it is insignificant compared to the love of God. For the sake of the ungodly, God the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ, poured out their love—a love so vast that not even an ocean of ink could sufficiently record it. We must know, believe, and enjoy this love of God. Living in response to the love of God demonstrated in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, following the dual commandments of Jesus (Mt. 22:37, 39).