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Romans 5:5-11
Justification is by faith alone, in Christ alone so Paul has established, with the assemblies in Rome. For
the believer, justification is now past tense; it is an accomplished work in his life, by Gods grace, through
his faith.
Paul is now moving on in his letter with what resulted from that justification: peace with God. The source
of the enmity with God, sin, has been washed away from the believer, by the blood of Jesus. Peace has
been made with God, through the cross of Christ; the enmity of the believer is also something of the past.
Which takes us to the present. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, the believer has been granted access into a
standing of grace with God; he is now and forever in a position of favor with his heavenly Father. This is
the believers permanent standing. It was secured by Christ, and therefore cannot be lost by the believer.
Just as Grace holds the believer securely throughout his life, it has already secured his destiny, in the future.
Therefore, the believers hope is not like the hope of this world, filled with uncertainty. The believers
hope is absolutely certain; it has just not yet been realized, in time. But in eternity, it is reserved in heaven
for the believer.
And what is that hope? It is the hope of the glory of God the glorification of the believer, as a son of
God, in a body of glory and in that hope, we are joyfully confident.
This is the course that God, in His grace, has established for all believers; a course of grace. The starting
line was our justification; and at the finish line, we will receive the victors crown; our bodies of glory.
But what about in between? Well, from the heavenly perspective, we are simply standing in grace. Outside
of time, its all finished; so we are standing. But from the earthly perspective, as Paul has shown, the
course of grace looks a little different. Under time, we are walking through the course. And what does it
lead through? Tribulations. The trials, of this life.
But Paul shows that this is actually a cause of further rejoicing on the part of the believer. Why? Because
tribulations work, for the believer; they work for his good.
As the believer walks in the Spirit, through the course of his life the course of grace when he encounters
tribulations, what does he do? He learns to persevere through the trial. And as he patiently endures, his
thinking is being changed, more and more, to be the thinking of His Lord. He is being transformed,
through the renewing of his mind (Rm 12:2).
That transformation is a refining of his character; a building up in him of the pure character of His Lord, so
that the believer reflects His Lord, more and more; like a metal purified and strengthened through the fire;
proven character.
That is why Paul indicates that character produces hope. This refining process in the inner man, which is
transforming him on the inside to be a glorious reflection of his Lord, is what is fitting him for when his
lowly body is conformed to His Lords glorious body (Phil 3:21), on the outside. A character of glory is
what fits us for a body of glory. And when that work in us is complete, all will be glory.

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In his second letter to the assembly in Corinth, Paul wrote that as we behold, as in a mirror, the glory of the
Lord His glorious image, reflected to us as we take that in we are being transformed into that same
image, from glory (theres the transformation of the inner man) to glory (theres the body raised in glory)
(2 Cor 3:18).
Having shown believers their future in glory, and how God is preparing them for it in the present, Paul then
went on to show the believers why their hope is absolutely certain. Implied in Pauls statement is that since
their hope is assured, believers should and even must count on it.
Were going to read from verse 1 to verse 11, to maintain Pauls train of thought.
[Read Romans 5:1-11]
Paul is indicating that the surety of this hope he has expressed the hope of glory is based on no one less
than God Himself, on His love for us. And Paul points to both the Holy Spirit and to Christ as the means
through which God communicates His love to us.
Paul brings out that the certainty of our hope is rooted in what God has already done for us, working
through our faith, to justify and reconcile us to Himself.
And Paul indicates this as a final cause of rejoicing, on the part of the believer for in having been
reconciled to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, we have Him as our friend, in the here and now, even
before we ever see Him in glory.
Lets return now to verse 5.
v. 5 Now, what hope is Paul referring to? What hope has he been talking about? The hope of the glory of
God (v. 2); that is, the future hope of the believer, that as a son of God, he will receive a glorified body, in
which he will live forever with God.
Paul says that the believer will not be disappointed in this hope. In the Greek, the word for disappoint
has two shades of meaning, both based on the idea of a failed expectation or deliverance.
The first is our translation in the NKJV disappoint; the frustration of ones hope. The second meaning
can be found in the KJV to be put to shame; to dishonor or disgrace. The OT frequently connects being
put to shame with being taken in judgment (eg Is 28:16). In fact, both of these nuances are meaningful in
terms of what Paul is saying, here.
Paul is saying that the believer will not be disappointed in this hope, of being glorified; it will be realized.
And Paul is also saying that the believer will not be put to shame; that is, his hope is a guaranteed one,
which will preserve him from the final judgment. This is a hope that delivers; delivers from judgment,
delivers to glory.
How can the believer know this? How can he be sure? Paul indicates this because the love of God has
been poured out in his heart, by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. It is because of Gods love for us, that
we can be sure that our hope will be realized.

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In the Greek, God has the definite article in front of it literally, the God. When used in juxtaposition
to another member of the Godhead, as is here, with the Holy Spirit and later, Christ, the definite article
denotes that it is the Father who is being spoken of. Paul is saying that we are secure in the Fathers love
our heavenly Father.
But Paul says a very particular thing about the Fathers love here. He says that it has been poured out in
our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
The idea here is of a fluid being extravagantly dispensed in great profusion; an overabundant pouring out,
an exceeding supply, from a bottomless source. The KJV renders it shed abroad, and thats very
picturesque of what Paul is describing; God lavishing His love on His loved ones.
But I think that the term poured out is an excellent translation, here. Besides being the literal meaning of
the Greek word, it evokes certain images in our minds that Paul is very much intending to draw forth. For,
how can we read of the Holy Spirit, without thinking of how the Spirit was poured out, on the Body of
Christ?
The Holy Spirit was the Fathers loving gift to Christs Body, collectively on earth (Acts 10:45); the
Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4), of whom Jesus spoke to His disciples, in the upper room, shortly before
His death. The Holy Spirit is the Helper, the Comforter, the Teacher, who testifies of Christ to the believer;
who glorifies Father and Son to the believer (Jn 14:16-17, 26;15:26-27; 16:13-14).
After Jesus returned to heaven, being exalted to the right hand of God, He received from the Father the
promise of the Holy Spirit, and poured out the Spirit on His Body on earth, who were waiting to receive the
Spirit (Acts 2:33). And since that time, as each person believes into Christ, he is added to Christs Body on
earth, and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
Now, does God give the Spirit by measure? No (Jn 3:34); the Spirit cannot be given by measure, because
the Spirit is a person. Therefore, when you receive the Spirit, you receive Him not partially, but
completely.
And the Spirit is God Himself; He is limitless, immeasurable, eternal. So when you receive the Spirit, you
receive all of His fullness, for always; forever. No wonder that the giving of the Spirit by God was
described as a pouring out, to reflect the continuous, effusive, endless supply, to the believer!
Now elsewhere, Paul indicates that the Holy Spirit who has been given to us as believers is the guarantee
of our inheritance. Were going to just glance at that in Pauls letter known as Ephesians. Turn to
Ephesians chapter 1. Paul was writing of the spiritual blessings of those who are in Christ.
[Ephesians 1:13-14] In that day, documents were sealed with an official mark of identification of the
owner. The seal indicated the document was traveling under his authority, and ensured that the document
was not tampered with, and arrived secure.
Paul indicates that believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. The Holy Spirit is our seal showing
that we belong to the Father, that we will reach the destination He intends heaven, and that we will arrive
safe and secure just like the official sealed document of ancient times.
Paul says further that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance. What is that inheritance? The clue
follow: until the redemption of the purchased possession. This refers to the deliverance of the body from
death, when it is transmuted into a body of glory.

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[Return to Romans 5]
So we see that elsewhere, Paul wrote of the Holy Spirit given to believers, assuring their hope of glory; and
Paul will be making that point in a different way later in this letter (Rm 8:14-23).
But that is not Pauls point here. He is not yet speaking of the Spirits role in securing our hope of glory,
which awaits his discussion of sanctification. Nor is Paul emphasizing the Holy Spirit being given to the
Body of Christ although Paul knew that his choice of words would evoke that thought in their minds; the
Promise of the Father, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.
What Paul is actually saying here is that the Holy Spirit is the one who is doing the pouring; He is pouring
out the Fathers love into our hearts. How does the Holy Spirit do this? The Holy Spirit leads us into all
truth (Jn 16:13); He enlightens us to the Fathers love, for us.
Before you knew God, did you really know love His love? No; the only love we know, before we know
God, is selfish. We experience our own selfish love; we observe the selfish love of others. Before we
know God, we know nothing of His unselfish love, His agape, that gives us exactly what it is we need, for
our good.
Without the Holy Spirit, we have no point of reference within ourselves to understand the love of God; it is
completely foreign, strange to us. But the Holy Spirit gives us the understanding. He bears witness to the
being of our spirit, that God is love.
And as the Father lavishes His love on us, pouring out His love through the many-colored circumstances of
our lives through His merciful love that protects, His patient love that trains, His gracious love that
provides the Holy Spirit glorifies the Father to us, so that we can see, with the eyes of our understanding,
that this is genuine love; the love of the Father for a true son.
This experiencing of the outpouring of the Fathers love that Paul is describing here is subjective. It is
personal; it is revealed to each believer within their hearts by the Holy Spirit, so that they can know that the
Father does indeed love them.
What Paul is saying is that as we experience this outpouring of the love of our heavenly Father, it confirms
to us that God will be faithful to do for us everything He has promised (1 Th 5:24). This is the constancy of
true Love, who will never abandon the object of His love.
Paul has begun with the believers subjective experience of the Fathers love. But now he takes us to where
that experience of love began; to the beginning of our love story, you might say, with God; to where we
first met.
v. 6-8 So here is where we first met God, and encountered His love; at the cross. Pauls purpose here is to
show the magnitude of Gods love, for us. And what he shows is that its off the scale.
Nothing on earth is more precious, more costly, more valuable, than a human life. The giving of ones life
is the greatest sacrifice possible, for a man. Therefore, for a man to given his life for the sake of others is
the greatest possible expression of his love; the ultimate act.
Understanding this, Paul takes this ultimate act of sacrifice available to men, and compares it to what God
has done, in Christ. His double statement in verse 7 are parallel, but slightly distinct.

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In this context, a righteous man is speaking of a man of integrity, who does the right thing; a
respectable man, of upright dealings. This might be an upstanding member of the community. Paul is
saying that it would be difficult to find someone who would be willing to die for such a man, meaning its
highly unlikely that anyone would do this. Hes upstanding, but who would care enough about him
personally to die for him?
The good man here speaks of one who does good to others; a benevolent man. This might be a loyal and
helpful friend, to whom one would have a strong personal attachment. Paul says that for such a man, you
might find someone who would dare to die, out of gratitude for what the man had done for him. That is to
say, the good that the man had done for another would be the motivation.
But God had no such motivation with us, did He? There was no good in us, to die for; as Paul said, we
were without strength. We were powerless to do any good; we were powerless to do anything but sin.
And we were ungodly. We were completely rebellious against our Creator God; without any fear or
reverence of Him. God was in none of our thoughts. In that state, while completely undeserving of His
love, and actively rebelling against Him, Christ died for us.
Here Paul is showing the surpassing greatness of the love of God, as compared to the love of man. The
greatest love that a man might have is to die for another who has done him some good; for a friend. But
Gods love is exceedingly greater than this, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us; He died
for us while we were at enmity with God; with Him.
This is how God demonstrates His own love toward us. That word demonstrate in the Greek means to
place together before someone; to make known or conspicuous.
God takes the ultimate act of love the death of His Son on the cross and places it against the backdrop
of our sin, laying it before our eyes like a jewel on a piece of black velvet. The contrast brings out the
inherent brilliance and luster of the jewel, so that it can be seen in all of its glory, through the many facets
of its beauty. So is seen the love of God in Christ on the cross, against the dark palette of our sin.
You see, God so loved the world; He loved every one, just where they were at, while they were yet in their
sin, in the world. God is holy; He is completely other than ourselves. He is sinless perfection; absolutely
righteous; utterly just.
But God so loved His creation of mankind. Because of His great love with which He loved us (Eph 2:4),
God gave His Son. The Son, full of grace and truth; His glory, as of the only begotten of the Father (Jn
1:14). The Son, whom John describes as being in the bosom of the Father (Jn 1:18). Jesus was the Fathers
very own heart; the Son of His love (Col 1:13).
The Son came to earth, and lived a life of perfect righteousness. He was always obedient to His Father,
always doing what pleased Him (Jn 8:29).
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; to make His soul an offering for sin (Is 53:10). In due time, Christ
died for the ungodly; while we were yet in our sins, powerless to save ourselves, without help and without
hope. Out of His love for the unlovely, out of His desire for the undesirable, the Son was obedient to death,
even the death of the cross (Phil 2:8).
The sinless Son of God suffered a criminal death; the death due to sinners. This is where we see the love of
God in all of its splendor, in its surpassing greatness; the Jewel of God, against the black backdrop of sin.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us (1 Jn 3:16).

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Once again, we recognize the motif of Pauls poured out. The Servant of Jehovah poured out His soul
unto death (Is 53:12). The pouring out of the love of God began with the shedding of the blood of Jesus;
the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8). The Rock was struck, in order for the rivers
of Living water to pour out (Ex 17:1-7, Jn 7:38, 1 Cor 10:4); the Holy Spirit, given to believers.
What Paul is bringing out is that the subjective love of God that we experience in our hearts is based upon
and rooted in the objective love of God as demonstrated in the work of Christs death for sinners on the
cross.
God so loved; the Father gave; Christ died; we believed and received His act of love on our behalf; and we
now experience the fullness of the Fathers love, as revealed by the Spirit to our hearts.
It is the love of God offered in Christ and received that forever binds us to the Father, ensuring that all
He intends for us will be fulfilled, giving us a sure hope of glory. And now, as we look back, what we see
is the love of the Father, the light of the Spirit, and the life of Christ, the triune Godhead, together in the
work of securing our glorious future.
The Preacher said, a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Eccl 4:12). And when that threefold cord is
Father, Son, and Spirit, it can never be broken. Paul will eventually conclude the matter by saying that
nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rm 8:39).
Here is the safety and security of the children of God, in the everlasting arms of their Fathers love.
Paul now continues in a slightly new direction to show the certainty of the believers hope.
v. 9-10 First, I want you to notice the parallel wording in verses 9 and 10. What do you see, that is the
same in both verses?
Much more, having been and we shall be. This is important to what Paul is saying. What tense is
having been? Past tense. This speaks of something that has been done. What tense is shall be? Future
tense. This speaks of something that will be done, in the future. So far, so good.
Now we need to understand what Paul means by much more, here. Some think Paul is saying that what
God will do in the future is much more, or greater, than what He has done in the past. And some think
that its exactly the opposite; that if God did what He did in the past, the rest will be easy; easily more.
But if we examine the text, we cant help but come to the conclusion that both of these thoughts make no
sense. In what way is justification greater or lesser than being saved from wrath? Both are equally
necessary for the believer, and equally great works of God. Likewise concerning being reconciled, and
being saved in not by His life Christs life. Which one was easy?
Pauls much more in these verses doesnt refer to greatness, but to certainty. While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us, to justify us to free us from all charges of sin and guilt. That took care of our past; but
what about our future? What if we sin now, or in the future? What about the wrath of God, in the final
judgment; can we be certain that we will not come into condemnation?
Having been justified through the death of Christ, having been freed from all charges of sin, we can be
certain that we will stay free of all charges of sin, and therefore we shall be saved from the wrath of the
final judgment.

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How can we be sure of that? Because by faith, we have taken Jesus as our Advocate before the Father, and
He is always interceding on our behalf. As the author to the Hebrews put it, Therefore He [Jesus] is also
able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make
intercession for them (Heb 7:25).
All of our sin past, present and future has already been taken care of by our Advocate, Jesus Christ. If
any of us sin, we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous (1 Jn 2:1).
In His death, Jesus, who knew no sin, was made sin for us but did God stop there? No; Jesus was made
sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God, in Him (2 Cor 5:21); in the life He brought
forth out of death.
In Christ, we are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Old things have passed away; we are no longer children of
wrath (Eph 2:3). Behold, all things have become new for now we are born-again, children of God.
Having believed into Christ, we shall not come into condemnation; we have passed from death into Life
everlasting (Jn 5:24).
We now live in Him, as sons of righteousness. So having been sinners who were justified through the death
of Christ, it is absolutely certain that as righteous sons, we shall be saved from the wrath of Gods final
judgment.
Likewise, in Christs death, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2 Cor 5:19); the world,
that is at enmity with Him. While still His enemies, we chose to accept Gods peace terms the blood of
the cross and we laid down our arms, to be reconciled to Him; united as friends. That took care of our
enmity, from the past; but what about our future? How far does that friendship go?
Well, our new-found peace with God does not just benefit us in this life. If in this life only we have hope in
Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable as Paul wrote elsewhere (1 Cor 15:19).
When Paul says here that having been reconciled, we shall be saved in His life, he is not talking about
Christ delivering us from sin, but from death; our last enemy (1 Cor 15:26). This is the redemption of the
body, as we have just seen in Ephesians; the redemption of the purchased possession (Eph 1:14);
delivered from death.
Having surrendered to God, having received the peace offered to us through Christ, we are now friends of
God, and subject to His favor, to His grace. We have become recipients of His blessings, and are included
in His plans.
And His plans for us have an assured destiny, to be with Him; in a dwelling that will fit us for our heavenly
home, with Him; when mortality is swallowed up by Life (Jn 14:2, 2 Cor 5:1-2), in the glorified body.
That destiny has been secured for us through the resurrection of Christ; Christ, the firstfruits from the dead
(1 Cor 15:20); the sure promise of a full harvest, of glorified sons of God. This is the future salvation of
which Paul is speaking here; that we shall be saved in His life; saved, to the uttermost.
Pauls point is that since God has freed us from our sin and made us His friends, and done so when we were
rebellious enemies, His love would never abandon us now. He will see us through to the end. Our future is
secure; He holds it in His very own hands.

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To the Philippians, Paul will write, Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work
in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:6); that is, until the day that Christ returns for
His church. And when Christ does, He will present her to Himself a church of glory (Eph 5:27).
Having shown believers the security of their future glory, Paul once again returns to the present.
v. 11 And not only that; as if all that Paul has said was not enough we have a final cause of rejoicing.
This brings us back to the beginning of this passage, to verse 2. We rejoice in our future hope, of being
glorified, in a body of glory; we even rejoice in tribulations (v. 3), because they are working glory into our
inner man proven character fitting us for those glorified bodies.
But what does Paul say here, in verse 11? We rejoice in God Himself in God the Father (the God). We
can do so because we have come to Him, we have been reconciled to Him, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Notice exactly what Paul says: we have now received the reconciliation. At the moment we placed our
faith in His Son, Holy God made us His friends. We can have intimate fellowship with Him, here and now,
before we ever come into His presence.
God doesnt say, When you are holy as I am holy, then you can come to Me. He says, You have come
to Me, through My Son. In Him, I see you as complete, sanctified, righteous. Welcome.
We can come boldly to the throne of grace, and obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb
4:16) while still here on earth. We can have true fellowship with the Father and with the Son (1 Jn 1:3),
to sustain us here. Behold what manner of love! (1 Jn 3:1); how can we help but rejoice?
Next week: Read Genesis 1-3, finish Romans 5.