While We Were Still Sinners

Romans 5:5-11 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

The bible tells us that the human condition is that we all are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. Original sin is death. Jesus Christ came into the physical world, in the fullness of historical time, to bring salvation. I learned that the death of Christ was not a tragic event in time, or a grave injustice of an innocent man, but the moment in time of God’s love and mercy, in due time, of the atoning sacrifice to pay the just penalty for all sinners who belong to Jesus, believe and accept His redemptive salvation.

When sovereign God decrees and appoints dates and actions, it is going to happen by the purpose and reason of Divine Providence; despite the circumstances around it, it will come to pass. Christ’s atoning death is sufficient for all, but efficient for Believers by saving faith through the grace of God. More than making salvation available, Jesus saves his helpless in sin flock. God’s “love of benevolence” is His “good will” towards man. God’s love of “beneficence” is His “kind acts” towards mankind.

Habakkuk 1:13 “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.”

Love is a natural attribute of God, but God does not love unconditionally. God does not love sin. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “Sin” as: The voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. Sin is either a positive act in which a known divine law is violated, or it is the voluntary neglect to obey a positive divine command, or a rule of duty clearly implied in such command. Sin comprehends not action only, but neglect of known duty, all evil thoughts purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God's commands or law. Sinners neither enjoy the pleasures of nor the peace of piety. Among divines, sin is original or actual. Actual sin, above defined, is the act of a moral agent in violating a known rule of duty. Original sin, as generally understood, is native depravity of heart to the divine will, that corruption of nature of deterioration of the moral character of man, which is supposed to be the effect of Adam's apostasy; and which manifests itself in moral agents by positive act of disobedience to the divine will, or by the voluntary neglect to comply with the express commands of God, which require that we should love God with all the heart and soul and strength and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. This native depravity or alienation of affections from God and his law, is supposed to be what the apostle calls the carnal mind or mindedness, which is enmity against God, and is therefore denominated sin or sinfulness. 

Sin is, by definition, against God. God’s “love of complacency” is the love that our Heavenly Father has for His Son and those who belong to Christ. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. All have sinned and Jesus died for sinners, but all are not “saved” or going to Heaven. Many choose to remain in their sin. God sent His Son to die for us, receiving God’s righteous and just wrath for Sinners. Believers are rescued from God’s wrath by the atoning salvation of Jesus Christ. While neither “righteous” or “good”, God sent His Son Jesus – the Christ to die for us, that we may live.

In Christ, Brian