The result of justification (9): God demonstrating his own love for us (Romans 5:8)

The result of justification (9):

God demonstrating his own love for us

 

 

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

 

 

                When Romans 5:8 says “While we were still sinners” refers to the past, before we believed in Jesus and before we were justified by faith (v. 1).  Now, as believers in Jesus, we have been justified by His blood (v. 9).  And when the Bible speaks of “sinners,” what is “sin” here?  The Bible speaks of “sin” in four ways:

 

                First, sin is illegal.  In other words, to sin is to break the law.

 

                Look at 1 John 3:4 – “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.”  For example, Adam, the first human being, sinned.  He broke the law.  God's law was, ‘You shall not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ (Gen. 2:17).  However, Adam and his wife Eve disobeyed God's command and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  This is the first sin (original sin) of mankind.

 

            Second, sin is knowing how to do good and not doing it.

 

                Look at James 4:17 – “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.”  In the three parables of Matthew 25, let's look at those who knew how to do good and committed a sin that they did not do:

 

(1)   The parable of the ten virgins (Mt. 25:1-13):

In this parable, it is the five foolish virgins who sinned because they knew how to do good but did not do it.  The sin of these five foolish virgins was that they took their lamps, but did not prepare oil (v. 3).  As a result, while the five foolish virgins went to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and the five wise virgins (vv. 8-9) who had prepared oil along with their lamps entered the wedding feast and the door was shut (v. 10).  Then the five foolish virgins came and cried out, “Lord, Lord, open up for us,” but the bridegroom said, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you” (I do not love you) (vv. 11-12).  The Lord's command in this parable is, “Be on the alert” (v. 13).  If we are now breaking this command, we are sinning.

 

(2)   The parable of the talents (Mt. 25:14-30):

 

In this parable, a man who sinned because he knew how to do good but did not do it is he who received the one talent (v. 18).  The sin of the one who received the one talent was that he went to dig a hole and hid his master's money (one talent) (v. 18).  To be more specific, like the one who received the five talents (vv. 16, 20-21) or the one who received two talents (vv. 17, 22-23), the sin that the one who received the one talent committed was not being faithful over a few things (vv. 21, 23).  In a word, he was a wicked and lazy slave (v. 26).  He was guilty of being lazy and not doing what he was supposed to do.  He worked with one talent from his master and did not bear the fruit of another talent.  In this parable, the Lord's command is to be a good and faithful servant, be faithful over a few things and bear fruit with the talents the Lord has entrusted to us (vv. 21, 23).

 

(3)   The parable of the sheep and the goats (Mt. 25:31-46):

 

In this parable, those who sinned because they knew how to do good but did not do it are “the goats” (vv. 32, 33).  The goats here are the accursed ones (v. 41).  The sin committed by these accursed ones (“the goats”) was that they did not do what they were supposed to.  They did not give the Son of Man (v.31) anything to eat when He was hungry, did not give Him nothing to drink when He was thirsty (v. 42), did not invite Him in when He was a stranger, did not clothe Him when he was naked, and did not visit Him when He was sick and in prison (v. 43).  In this parable, the Lord's command is to do what we must do.  What we must do is that when the Son of Man is hungry we give Him food to eat, when He is thirsty we give Him something to drink, when He is a stranger we invite Him, when He is naked we clothe Him, and when He is sick and in prison we visit Him (vv. 35-36).  These righteous (v. 37) are “blessed by my Father” (v. 34), and the Lord said for them to take their inheritance the kingdom prepared (v. 34).

 

What these three parables have in common is ‘He did’ and ‘He didn’t’.  In other words, those who know how to do good and did good and those who know how to do good but did not do it are separated.  We must become people who know how to do good and do it.  We must do the Lord's work diligently and faithfully.

 

            Third, sin is not acting by faith.

 

                Look at Romans 14:23 – “But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”  Good works must be done by faith, and not doing it by faith is a sin.  Therefore, we must do good works, the Lord's works, by faith.  Look at Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'  Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”  It is a sin to say “Lord, Lord” (or “Amen”, “Hallelujah”) only in words without faith.  We cannot prophesy in the Lord’s name without faith, cannot drive out demons in His name without faith, and cannot perform many miracles in His name without faith.  But all these things done without faith are sin.  Jesus said to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness” (v. 23).  What is there that the Almighty Lord does not know?  The word of the Lord is 'I do not love you'.

 

            Fourth, sin is not reaching the measure even though we do by faith.

 

                Sin is a lack of obedience.  The answer to the question and answer Q14 of the Presbyterian Church of Korea in America is as follows: (Q) ‘What is a sin?’  (A) ‘Sin is the lack or violation of the law of God’ (1 Jn. 3:4; Jam. 4:17; Rom. 3:23; Jam. 2:10).’  Look at James 2:10 – “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”

 

                There is none who do not fall under these four sins: (1) breaking the law, (2) knowing how to do good but not doing it, (3) not acting in faith, (4) lack of obedience.  Look at Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Sin entered the world because Adam, the representative of the mankind, sinned (5:12).  Although there were fallen angels in the angelic world, there was no sin in the human world, but sin entered this world because of Adam's sin.  And because of Adam's original sin, all sinned (v. 12).  Everyone broke the law, everyone knew how to do good but did not do good, everyone did not act in faith, and everyone lacked obedience.  Death came through this sin.  Death came to all (v. 12).  Because Adam disobeyed God's command, his communion with God was cut off and he faced death of the soul (spiritual death) (Gen. 3:9-24).  Then he died physically at the age of 930 (5:5).  When Adam died, his body and soul were separated and his body returned to the dust but his soul went to the eternal world (eternal hell).  At the Second Coming of Jesus, his rotten body and his soul in hell will unite to be punished in hell for eternity.  Because all of us sinned because of Adam's original sin (Rom. 5:12), we also became sinners (v. 8) and enemies with God (v. 10).  Therefore, we too had no choice but to face the spiritual death like the first Adam at the second coming of Jesus, and to be punished for eternity in eternal hell.

 

                But Jesus Christ, “the one man Jesus Christ” (v. 15) or “the last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45), died for us while we were still sinners (Rom.5:8). Jesus Christ took on all our sins (original sin, past sins, present sins, future sins) and took on the eternal punishment we deserve.  Therefore, God demonstrates his love for us (v. 8).  The holy and righteous God, who hates and destroys sin, made clear to us his love for us, sinners, who were eternally punished and condemned to death on the cross, through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Therefore, when we believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, we must realize God's love and offer thanks and praise to Him.  Hymn “On a Hill for Away” goes like this: (v. 1) On a hill for away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain, (v. 2) Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, Has a wondrous attraction for me; For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above To bear it to dark Calvary.  (v. 3) In the old rugged cross, stained, with blood so divine, A Wondrous beauty I see; For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died To pardon and sanctify me.  (v. 4) To the old rugged cross, I will ever be true, Its shame and reproach gladly bear; Then He'll call me some day to my home far away, Where His glory forever I'll share.  (chorus) So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it come day for a crown.  Hymn “Jesus Comes With Pow’r to Gladden” goes like this: (v. 1) Jesus comes with pow'r to gladden, When love shines in, Ev'ry life that woe can sadden, When love shines in.  Love will teach us how to pray, Love will drive the gloom away, Turn our darkness into day, when love shines in.  (v. 2) How the world will glow with beauty, When love shines in, And the heart rejoice in duty, When love shines in.  Trials may be sanctified, And the soul in peace abide, Life will all be glorified, when love shines in.  (v. 3) Darkest sorrow will grow brighter, When love shines in, And the heaviest burden lighter, When love shines in.  'Tis the glory that will throw Light to show us where to go O the heart shall blessing know, when love shines in.  (v. 4)  We may have unfading splendor, When love shines in, And a friendship true and tender, When love shines in.  When earth vict'ries shall be won, And our life in heaven begun, There will be no need of sun, when love shines in.  (chorus) When love shines in (2x), How the heart is tuned to singing, When love shines in (3x), Joy and peace to others bringing When love shines in.  As God's love shines through our hearts in this crisis right now, I hope and pray that all anxiety, worry, darkness, sadness, and fear will all go away and we will be filled with peace and joy that the world cannot give, so that we can reflect God's great love.