Have you ever asked yourself whether God really loves you? And considered how you can know with certainty that he does? Current racial, political, and international turmoil swirling throughout the world might cause some to ask, “If God does love us, how do we know?”
Perhaps there are many answers to that question. But Romans 5:6-11
says God demonstrated his love toward us by offering his son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, and by raising him from the dead, so sinners would be justified by faith, reconciled to God, and delivered from God’s wrath.
says God demonstrated his love toward us by offering his son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, and by raising him from the dead, so sinners would be justified by faith, reconciled to God, and delivered from God’s wrath.
Romans 5:8 and God’s Love
and God’s Love
In Romans 5:6-11, Paul supports his preceding argument found in 5:1-5 that Christians have hope when they suffer. He introduces a reason for this hope in verse 5 when he says “because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” In 5:6-11, Paul provides an additional reason for hope: namely, Jesus’ death for sinners and his resurrection from the dead that guarantees future salvation from God’s wrath for those sinners for whom he died.
, Paul supports his preceding argument found in 5:1-5 that Christians have hope when they suffer. He introduces a reason for this hope in verse 5 when he says “because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” In 5:6-11, Paul provides an additional reason for hope: namely, Jesus’ death for sinners and his resurrection from the dead that guarantees future salvation from God’s wrath for those sinners for whom he died.
Paul introduces the death of Jesus in 5:6 with the words “Christ died at the right time for the ungodly while we were still weak.” He identifies the “weak” and the “ungodly” from 5:6 as “sinners” in verse 8 in order to specify that Jesus died for unrighteous people to accomplish their salvation. And these sinners, for whom Jesus died, are both Jews and Gentiles (Rom. 1:16-3:30). Paul emphasizes the uniqueness of Jesus’ death for the ungodly with the word “still” in 5:6. Jesus’ death for the ungodly happened while they were “still” sinners in a state of ungodliness, not when they were righteous.
). Paul emphasizes the uniqueness of Jesus’ death for the ungodly with the word “still” in 5:6. Jesus’ death for the ungodly happened while they were “still” sinners in a state of ungodliness, not when they were righteous.
In verse 7, Paul now clarifies the kind of death that Jesus, the righteous one, died for the unrighteous by contrasting Jesus’ ignoble death for sinners with heroic, patriotic, noble deaths in the ancient world. Ancient deaths were for a good or noble cause (e.g. Rom. 5:7). But in 5:6, Paul refers to Jesus’ death as a death for “ungodly” sinners. Unlike the kind of death mentioned in verse 7, Paul states in verse 6 and again in verses 8-10 that Jesus died for unrighteous people to achieve their justification, salvation, and reconciliation.
). But in 5:6, Paul refers to Jesus’ death as a death for “ungodly” sinners. Unlike the kind of death mentioned in verse 7, Paul states in verse 6 and again in verses 8-10 that Jesus died for unrighteous people to achieve their justification, salvation, and reconciliation.
In Rom. 5:8, Paul explicitly mentions God’s love for sinners in association with Jesus’ death. He states “God demonstrated his own love for us like this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This statement echoes John’s remarks in John 3:16. Both John and Paul suggest God’s love is an action instead of a personal emotion.
, Paul explicitly mentions God’s love for sinners in association with Jesus’ death. He states “God demonstrated his own love for us like this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This statement echoes John’s remarks in John 3:16. Both John and Paul suggest God’s love is an action instead of a personal emotion.
In verses 9-11, Paul mentions a few of the benefits that his love achieved for us because of Jesus’ death: justification, salvation, and reconciliation. First, justification refers to God’s verbal declaration of not guilty. This declaration provides legal and divine exoneration for the sinners for whom Christ died (Rom. 1:18-3:20). The verb translated as “to justify” basically means to declare to be in the right, and God’s justification comes to the sinner by means of Jesus’ blood.
). The verb translated as “to justify” basically means to declare to be in the right, and God’s justification comes to the sinner by means of Jesus’ blood.
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