Once A Foe Now God’s Friend!
“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.-{Romans 5:10-11}
Jesus Christ is the Believers Delight and worthy to be worshiped, adored, followed and trusted. He is to be celebrated, exalted, contemplated and shared. He is GOD’S Good News!
Here Paul Gives us several reasons to praise Him and we contemplate the benefits, blessings each follower enjoys at His expanse.
“FOR“- {gar}. Gives an explanation. “If” -{ei} is not speaking of something that is doubtful, uncertain. It is speaking of a fulfilled condition doubtful but can be translated “since,” or “in view of the fact” that we were enemies of God. The assurance and fact that before we came to the LORD we were enemies.
“While we were God’s enemies.” The word “were” is speaking of our continual condition of living as enemies of God. It was not a one time event but continual in this state. “Enemies” {echtros} speaks of animosity. A deep seated hatred either known or hidden beneath the surface of our lives. It is a “deep seated hatred,” that characterized our attitude towards God. This was our condition before Christ and is everyone’s attitude towards the One true and Living God without Christ. This is the state of all people you see or know who have not come to God in repentance and placed their trust in the LORD Jesus. Enemies, hostile, the word speaks of being “hateful, hostile an adversary of someone.” Scripture often uses “echtros” to describe satan. This is the attitude, action of those who are enemies of God, reflecting their father satan! Having an extreme negative attitude which is the opposite of love and friendship. This is who we were!
1.RECONCILED THROUGH THE DEATH OF HIS SON.
“… we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, “
“Reconciled- {katallasso}. The word comes from the world of Money changer.
The word means to change, exchange one thing for another and was used of exchanging coins one for another of equal value. It spoke of equal exchange. The Greeks used it to speak of people being opposed to each others and being made friends again. The word is in the “aorist tense” speaking of a completed event in the past. And the “passive voice” indicating it happened as a force, and that being God! And it happened outside and independent of the person! Wow! Think on that. God did this! God is to get the glory and be in awe over what we could not do, God did! BUT GOD… did not receive of “equal value” in the exchange, Christ got our sin, we received His righteousness. God did a marvelous, miraculous, merciful, gracious act of love when He “reconciled” us.
Katallage is used 4 times in the NT…
Romans 5:11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Romans 11:15 For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (in the gospel)
God has brought us from a state of habitual animosity, deep seated hatred towards Him into a relationship of friendship, family, fellowship, love and peace! This is a new relationship never experienced before by the individual. GOD did this miracle in each who are His children through the “new birth.” Reconciliation is a gift from God. God is the author and giver and we receive this gift from Him! He is the Author and Provider of a Way for people to have all sins forgiven.{Read Col 2:12-13}. The persons attitude of hostility, settled anger is replaced and exchanged for peace and friendship! And such is the love of God to us, as Paul is showing God demonstrating His love to us which is a continual love and for the suffering ones to know this amidst their suffering that God Loves them continually and nothing, not even suffering can dent or take away from them.{v3-5}. If He has done this great deed while we were His enemies, “much more then” will He provide all we need, now He has made us His friends! What a wonderful deed of GOD, to take us from hostility, animosity, settled hatred exchanging it for love, friendship and peace! And GOD who initiates salvation has done this through this wonderful deed through and only through His Son, Jesus Christ. With reconciliation comes restoration and peace with God!
“MUCH MORE THEN,” speaks of the certainty. It speaks from the Greater – what God has done to the lesser, future salvation from God’s wrath.
If God showed such love for us when we were enemies how much more will HE show us now we are His friends.
Paul uses this argument “much more” four times in chapter 5. { Ro 5:9, 10, 15, 17 }. Since God had the will, desire, power and love to redeem us, has the power, will, to keep us saved. Our salvation is secured for us! If God has gone to such great lengths to pursue and save us while we were His enemies “much more then” will He care and love us now that we are His friends!
2. SAVED THROUGH THE LIFE OF HIS SON.
“…shall we be saved through His life“
“We shall be saved {in} by His Life.”
“Saved.” -{sozo}, it speaks of rescuing someone from great danger! It was used in a Physical sense in Matt 8:25; Physical healing from sickness in Matt 9:21. And deliverance from demonic possession in Luke 8:36. It is used in a Spiritual sense to rescue, deliver a soul from the great spiritual dangers of the penalty of sin, the power of satan and the wrath of God!
“By {In} His Life.”– This speaks of our intimate relationship between the LORD and the believer. The Christian has two address’s, a physical location and a spiritual location, “In Christ.” And in Him we find…and can say based on His Word,
Christ is now my Life-{Read Col 3:4}.
Christ Died for Us- Christ Lives for us- Christ is Coming for us!
“…By {In} His Life” -This is speaking about His present resurrected Life! His death saved us but His resurrection life sustains our salvation! ” He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.“-{Hebrews 7:25}. His death was the cost, the price of our justification, His resurrected life sustains our salvation and guarantees our final deliverance -{glorification}! “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.“-{John 14:19}. He promises us we too will live! “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day. “-{John 6;40}. “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. “-{1 John 5:11-12}
Jesus Died and Jesus Lives! He gave Himself to save us! He died as our Savior to bring us to God. He lives to preserve, keep us secure!
3. EXALTING – {BOASTING,”JOYFULLY CONFIDENT.”} “THROUGH HIS SON
“…boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.“
“..And Not Only This but…”– We delight, rejoice in His blessings , benefits He lavishes us with, but we we exult, joy in GOD Himself! Not only what he gives but the GIVER! And how does this come about? “…Through our LORD Jesus Christ.” This exulting, joy comes through Him! This is the second time Paul uses “And not only this” he uses it in verse 3 also. He has been going from great privileges to great privileges, and as wonderful, marvelous is our inheritance he then goes on to the next blessing, transition from one to another, “and not only this…” There is Yet more! We not only joy in salvation, but joy in suffering, knowing God is producing perseverance, proven character, hope that does not disappoint because of the Love of God poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been gifted to us. While those outside Christ have no understanding or benefit in suffering the believer “knowing” meaning “to be fully aware…” of what God is doing in love. We rejoice in salvation, we rejoice in suffering not for suffering sake but because of what we know based on Scripture, we Joy, rejoice in GOD Himself! The angels do so, ” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” -{Luke 2:13-14}. “…Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said,“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”-{Isaiah 6:2-3}. We JOY in GOD. He has reconciled us and in Him we JOY, Exult.
“EXULT“- {Kauchamoi}- means “to Boast over a privilege or possession.” It means to rejoice, and so to feel, experience joy, great delight and combining the ideas of jubilation and confidence in one word. To be “Joyfully confident!” It speaks of a high degree of confidence in God. It is a triumphant confidence. It is in the “present tense,” implying this is to be the habit, pattern of the new life, “In Christ,” and this is only possible through the Gift of the Holy Spirit in us controlling us as we submit to Him and His WORD. We BOAST in God! We can “Exult” in His Person and the Psalmist shares some ways to EXULT in God… “But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts,Whose name is the Lord, and exult before Him.“-{Psalm 68:3-4}
Note; In Romans there are three tenses…in which we have reason to Rejoice.
FUTURE REJOICING – “We EXULT {Rejoice} in Hope of the Glory of God.” -{Rom 5:2}, Not a wishy, doubtful”hope so, with no certainty,But confident expectation based on His promise. Guaranteed! Certainty!
PRESENT REJOICING- “We EXULT {Rejoice} in our Tribulations.”-{ Rom 5:3}
PAST REJOICING- “We EXULT {Rejoice} in God through our LORD Jesus Christ through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”-{Rom 5:11}
We can rejoice, be inwardly glad, exult, be “joyfully confident” because our reconciliation has taken place {Past} and we can rejoice because God is maturing us {Presently} and because we have a bright and brilliant future our glorification! {Future}
We can joy in our friends, joy in our circumstances, joy in a potential, joy in wealth, but all these can be taken from us, but not God, He is eternal!We have reasons to boast, joy, exult in GOD Himself! His character, attributes! Himself our Joy!
Think of it we were “enemies,” hostile, animosity, deep seated hatred is what characterized our attitudes and He reconciled us and He gave us a new life, justified us, granted us access to Him, peace with Him. Hope of Glory, Insight into reason for tribulations and what He is doing, assurance of His love, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the demonstration of His love in sending His Son to the cross for us, all this and more and He has changed us from helpless, ungodly, sinners, enemies to now He we once hated now we Exult, delight in confidently hoping in Him who continually loves us. Therefore we exult in GOD, Himself! He is enough!
“THROUGH WHOM” – It is entirely, exclusively only through The LORD Jesus Christ do we have any of these blessings, nothing, absolutely nothing “through” ourselves! He is “The Door” through whom we have Access…{John 10;9} He is “The Way”…{John 14:6}
“RECEIVED” {Latano}- literally means “to take” or”grasp.” Here is used in a spiritual sense of being a recipient of reconciliation.”Aorist tense” is a past completes action, an historical fact. Reconciliation is a gift, something we receive!
“RECONCILIATION”-{Katallaga} speaks of a change of position from enemies to friendship. The word speaks of exchange. God changes us from foe’s to Family! This reconciliation is “Through” Jesus Christ! We were separated from God because of our sin. God who made us for friendship, fellowship and family has restored that “through” Reconciling us Through Jesus Christ!
We Focus on God as revealed in His Word and meditate upon Him who continually loves us and we “exult,…Boast… are joyfully confident”in God because we are…
RECONCILED “THROUGH” JESUS CHRIST.
SAVED “THROUGH” JESUS CHRIST.
BOASTING in God “THROUGH”- JESUS CHRIST!