Romans: Loved at Our Worst

Romans 5:6-11

Through Jesus, we have been justified—declared “Not guilty!” and credited with Jesus' righteousness. Because of Jesus, we are no longer subject to God’s wrath for sin, as he took care of that for us. Now, through Jesus' work, we have peace with God. When we know Jesus, no matter where we are in our faith journey or even during times of suffering, we can rejoice knowing that God is at work in our lives to grow us in our relationship with him. We also look forward to the certainty of eternity. Paul calls this hope the “hope of the glory of God.” I will discuss five characteristics of hope in this week’s Weekend Recharge. 

This right standing before God, the peace we experience, the hope we hold, and the confidence in eternity all come from Jesus. Paul said that through Jesus, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:5). 

In our passage today, Paul explains the nature of God’s love that gives us confidence in our relationship with him and the certainty of eternity with him. 

Romans 5:6
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 

God sent Jesus at just the right time in history (Gal. 4:4). Additionally, he sent his Son to die for the “ungodly.” When Jesus died for us, we had no spiritual advantages that made us first-round picks, figuratively speaking. We were “ungodly”—spiritually weak, helpless, and hopeless. We showed no reverence for God or desire for him. 

Paul stresses once again that we did not reach God on our own. We were “weak,” meaning powerless to fix our spiritual condition. We were “ungodly,” lacking spiritual virtue and character. Our relationship with God rests entirely on the work of Jesus. 

Note that Jesus died “for” the ungodly. The preposition “for” (Grk: huper) means “for the sake of, in behalf of, instead of.” In Galatians 3:13, Paul said that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us,” or it could be written, “instead of us.” Bible scholar Kenneth Wuest notes that in both of “these passages the context clearly indicates that substitution is meant.”[1]

Note that Christ came to us at precisely the right time in our lives. I had someone tell me recently, “I trusted in Christ in my forties. I can’t believe I wasted all those years of my life.” I understand the sentiment. However, since God oversees our salvation, he comes to each believer at precisely the right time. God never wastes our experiences. 

Romans 5:7-8
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

In rare moments, someone might choose to die for a good person, but God sent Jesus to die in our place when we were undeserving. God expressed his love by sending Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. 

Again, this is such a profound and essential theological truth. God did not send Jesus to die for us after we had cleaned up our act. He demonstrated his love by sending Jesus to face his wrath when we were spiritually helpless, turned against him, and wanted nothing to do with him. It’s easy to love someone who loves you back; however, God showed his love toward us when we were unable to love him and had absolutely no desire to do so. 

Because of Jesus, we are transformed. 

Romans 5:9
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  

Here again, Paul emphasizes the theological truths of justification and propitiation. Paul says that we have been “justified by his blood.” In Scripture, “blood” is a metaphor for death. When we say that Jesus “shed his blood,” we mean Jesus died; he gave his life. Through Jesus' death, we have been justified. Justification involves two actions: first, since Jesus died in our place, we are declared “not guilty” of our sin; second, Jesus' righteousness is credited to our accounts. 

I love the way Isaiah expresses this spiritual truth. Instead of using an accounting term, he utilizes the analogy of being clothed. He says, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness…” (Isa. 61:10a). 

Propitiation is another spiritual truth found in Romans 5:9. Through Jesus' death on our behalf, every believer escapes the “wrath of God.” Propitiation means “to appease.” God’s wrath is directed at “all unrighteousness and ungodliness.” When Jesus was on the cross, God poured out his wrath on Jesus. Only through Jesus can we be eternally saved from God’s wrath. Without Jesus, we will face God’s wrath forever.  

And let’s remember that Jesus did all of this for us when we were his enemies. 

Romans 5:10-11
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 

We were enemies of God. But God’s love overcame our blatantly sinful hearts. Through Jesus, we are justified (declared “Not guilty!”), and God’s wrath on our sin is satisfied (propitiation). We are also reconciled with God. Reconciliation removes the hostility that separated us from God (see Col. 1:21) and lays the foundation for a personal relationship with him (2 Cor. 5:20-21).

Paul reminds us to never forget that this is all because of Jesus. Bible scholar Robert Mounce explains it like this: 

At the heart of God’s redemptive plan stands one solitary figure—Jesus Christ, his Son, our Savior. Through his death he has made it possible for those who believe to receive forgiveness for their sins and enter into an eternal relationship of joy with God the Father.[2]

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD 
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Romans 5:6-11. Focus on the unconditional love of God, who demonstrated his love even while we were helplessly lost and his enemies.

Talking to God: Do you genuinely believe that God loves you—even at your worst? Or do you still think you need to "clean up" before you can be close to him?

Have questions?  Please send your questions to our team. We're happy to help as we study God's Word together. Submit your question below, and we'll respond soon. Let us know if you want to learn more about a relationship with Jesus or if you seek spiritual guidance.