Romans 5.9-10
More on Romans 5
“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
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.”
So, which is it? Are we “justified by faith” as in verse 1, or “by His Blood” as in verse 9 or “justified by works” referring to Abraham in James 2.21 or even yet “justified by His grace” as in Titus 3.7?
Answer: All of these and yet none of these. God Himself is really the one doing the justifying and these are just some of the means mentioned. Are His plans opposable? Can anyone unjustify what He has justified?
“Saved from wrath through Him”? This is serious business. No one should ever forget how serious. It is also one of the many reasons that the world is so offended by the truth claims of Jesus Christ. It is simply a perfect party killer for an unsaved person. God bless them all!
“For if, when we were enemies”, wait!! Who is an enemy? Who considers themselves an enemy of God? Not many. Let me say this; before I totally trusted Christ and took a real good look at where I stood in the universe. I can honestly say that Anthony Saracini was a nearly perfect enemy to the only Person who ever really loved me. And are you ready…. I still am! Much much more often than not I prefer everything my way, on my terms, in my time (who is not guilty of this same degree of selfishness?) Ultimately in me, (and you) there is no real faith, there is no real love there is no real patience. None of that. (Most Christians despise this reality because they prefer things their way -see previous point, and they prefer to have some part in their own salvation and like to be considered a good person. This and the fact that others will nail you to a cross if you slip even one time). My point is this. Why lie and put on airs. If my salvation was based in any way, to any degree on my performance I would of lost it the day I got it.
I was saved because God Himself in the reality and person of Jesus intervened to the very foundation of who I was and left me no choice. Hell or Him. Those were my choices.
I was literally reconciled by His death and saved by His life, but I don’t really understand the depth or science of that. What I do understand is that I needed a savior and I was only presented with one at the time. I needed a savior from sin and there weren’t many of those running around that I could see.