For Whom Did Christ Die?

Tom:

Well, we’re continuing with the gospel and Dave, I enjoy doing this program.But this segment always blesses me incredibly.Today, we are going to go through Romans 5 starting with verse 6 and hopefully we’ll get through the end.I don’t know if we’ll do it today exactly, but through verse 21, beginning with verse 6):For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.Now Dave, I’d like to go over this verse by verse, so when something hits you, just jump in, okay?But “…in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”What does that mean?

Dave:

Well He wouldn’t have needed to die if we weren’t ungodly.Salvation is for sinners.The righteous don’t need salvation and Jesus said I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.And when Jesus told Nicodemus except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God he meant what He was saying.If you’re going to be in the kingdom of God you have to be born again.And He said whosoever believeth in the Son that whosoever, you know, well let me say it, John:3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
See All...:“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…”(This is what it is talking about.) “…that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Well then obviously if you don’t believe in Him you perish.So we are ungodly people who are under the judgment of God and Christ came and died for us because He loves us.

Tom:

So this is an incredible verse of encouragement.People want to know, well do I qualify?Here’s the qualification.Christ died for the ungodly.Verse 7:“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.”Now this is simply telling us that who would go about dying for someone else?I mean you are not going to die for a scoundrel, that is we are not going to die a scoundrel, and maybe for a guy who has some good values and morals, I don’t think so, but there might be somebody out there that we, finite and fleshly, might give our lives up for somebody else.

Dave:

Yes, but not for rascals, scoundrels and rebels.How about dying for someone who hates you and mocks you, and slaps you and crucifies you?And yet Jesus as He hung on the cross said Father forgive them, they know not what they do.That, I mean Tom, the love of God, His grace, His mercy; I mean it’s just beyond our comprehension. And we need to meditate upon it more for encouragement. So many people can come under a load of guilt and “Oh I just haven’t been living the Christian life as well as I should and I just feel so bad and so forth.Well, rejoice in God’s love and in his grace and mercy.

Tom:

Verse 8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.How many times can we hear that?Not enough really, but as we keep going to God’s Word and being encouraged by it, this is just wonderful.

Dave:

The logic is so simple Tom.And I love Paul.Some call this the greatest legal brief ever written.Required reading in some law schools because it’s just—he lays it out.“While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”Well he didn’t say clean up your lives and get good enough and then I’ll die for you.Because then if we were good enough we wouldn’t need Him to die for us.But some people get the idea that somehow we’ve got to be made good enough—we have to have, you know, the difference between imputed and infused righteousness.The Catholics, (you were a Catholic for many years) you’ve got to become righteous enough to get to heaven.No, our qualification for heaven is the blood of Christ.That Christ died for our sins.Not that we have become righteous enough.So again Paul makes it very clear.

Tom:

Right.Dave going back to infused and imputed, as a Catholic we did believe, or I did believe that yes I needed to be righteous, but it was going to come by God’s grace.But I was a sinner, and the stain of sin—grace was not going to take that away in and of itself.It had to be in Christ.He had to do it.

Dave:

But as a Catholic you didn’t understand that.You had to be purged in Purgatory.You had to somehow be righteous within yourself.Rather than relying on Christ’s righteousness credited to your account, you had to become righteous.Anyway, that’s not what Paul is saying.He’s saying the opposite.

Tom:

No, and just go back to verse 6, “Christ died for the ungodly.”Verse 8: “…while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Dave:

Praise God that’s wonderful!

Tom:

There’s no expiation, there’s nothing we can do except receive what He has and what He alone could do.Verse 9:“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”Two things in this verse Dave: justified by His blood—simply blood being symbolic of His death, that’s all it represents here.

Dave:

Well “…without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.”And His blood was poured out upon the cross in death for our sins.This is where our justification comes from.Justified—we are made as though we had never sinned and counted righteous before God.He’s paid the penalty for our sins.

Tom:

“We shall be saved from wrath through him.”Now there’s something that you don’t hear much about today.But the scripture says “wrath.”What does that mean?Well the wrath of God in Romans Chapter 1, the wrath of God is revealed in heaven against all unrighteousness and all ungodliness of man who hold the truth in unrighteousness.God’s wrath is against sin, God is angry with sin.He doesn’t like sin and it must be punished.And of course in 2 Thessalonians 1 we read 7) “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord shall be revealed from heaven [with his mighty angels,] 8)In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”I Thessalonians 9 and 10 there about it says “…and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10) And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”There is a wrath of God that will be poured out upon this earth because of man’s sin.It was once poured out in the flood you remember?God became so angry that he couldn’t take it anymore.Man’s thoughts were evil continually and he sent a flood.One man found grace in his sight.It doesn’t mean that Noah was without sin.All have sinned, but he found grace in God’s sight or none of us would be here.So the judgment of God is going to be poured out upon this earth.Peter tells us II Peter 3 that the world that then was being destroyed by water perished.So the world that now is, is held in store unto fire.It’s going to be destroyed by fire.So what Paul is saying, you know the fact that Christ died for our sins and paid the penalty and we’re saved.We have the promise of eternal life.His life, he is at the Father’s right hand making intercession for us.He’s our advocate and He repeatedly; I suppose reminds the Father, although the Father doesn’t need to be reminded.It’s just the fact that he is there in a resurrected, glorified body.The throne of God will always be the throne of God and of the Lamb, so there will be a continue remembrance of Him before God that the penalty was paid for our sins by Christ and all those who put their faith in Him are sheltered by His blood as the Israelites where sheltered by the blood of the Passover lambs.So we, having been declared righteous through His blood, so much more are we saved through Him now.

Tom:

Yes, and through Him means that Jesus took the wrath of God in our place.

Dave:

Yes and He ever lives to make intercession for us it says.

Tom:

Verse 10:“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”That is awesome, awesome!I mean not only what Christ did for us, but what He then has for us.

Dave:

Yes, Jesus told His disciples that because I live, you will live also.Buddha never said anything like that.Buddha’s dead.They go and visit the grave of Buddha. You want to find the grave of Jesus?It’s empty and Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us.In Colossians 3 Paul says since you then are risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God.Set your affection on things above not on things on this earth for you are dead.Your life is hid with Christ in God.The life that we have is in God when Christ who is your life so the very life that I have is the life of Christ.It’s resurrection life and resurrection life is only for dead people.You have to acknowledge that when Christ took your place, the penalty that he accepted from God was the penalty that I deserved.That’s death.So I have died with Christ.Paul said I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.So having been reconciled by His death, much more, the fact that he was raised from the dead proves that His sacrifice was accepted and now He has come to live His life in each of us.In fact, Christ in you is the hope of glory and he is our very life.Tom, it is so wonderful.It is nothing like Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, you name it, this is absolutely unique and this is what God has done through Christ.

Tom:

I think of John:10:10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
See All... and Jesus saying I have come that people may have life and have it more abundantly.

Dave:

Amen.

Tom:

He paid for it and he offers it to us as a free gift if we are willing.

Dave:

And He maintains it.Praise God.