Home

 Services

 Location

 Ministries

 Beliefs

 Studies

 Calendar

 Missions

 Pastor

 Contact

 Search

 

 

 

Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 -

 

 

 

 

THE RECONCILIATION OF MAN TO GOD

 (Rom 5:9-11)      8/12/07

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    As Paul continues to work through all of the spiritual blessings bestowed upon the believer through justification, he now comes to the spiritual blessing of, “Reconciliation.”

B.    Reconciliation was alluded to in Rom 5:1 where Paul stated that the one who has been justified has peace with God. Reconciliation is bringing peace to two estranged parties (sinful man and a holy God). Paul expands upon the teaching of reconciliation.

 

I.     RECONCILIATION REMOVES THE WRATH OF GOD (9)

 

A.    In vs. 9, the expression, “much more” (pollō mállon) is introduced. This expression is used four times in this chapter (9.10.15.17). It is frequently used with a fortiori arguments (Lat. “from the stronger (greater)” to the lesser, 8:32; 11:12, 24; Mat 6:30; 7:11; 10:25b; 2Co 3:11; Heb 12:9, 25).

B.    Here, the greater is the fact that the believer has already been justified (aor pass part - dikaióō - same word as 5:1). If the greater difficulty of justifying a helpless ungodly sinner was accomplished, surely a believer standing in Christ’s righteousness will be saved from the wrath of God.

C.    Again, note the agency of Christ. The believer is justified, “by His (Christ’s) blood.” In addition, the believer is saved from wrath, “through Him (Christ).” Christ’s blood is a reference to His propitiatory death that has satisfied the wrath of God (Rom 3:25).

D.    What is the believing sinner saved from? The believing sinner is saved from the wrath (órgę - God’s personal emotional response against unrighteousness) of God. God’s wrath is His response of righteous indignation against any and all unrighteousness both now (Rom 1:18) and in the future (Rom 2:5).

 

II.    RECONCILIATION REMOVES MAN’S ENMITY (10)

 

A.    Paul explains (“for,” gàr) in vs. 10 the removal of God’s wrath by teaching the doctrine of Reconciliation.

B.    In teaching the doctrine of Reconciliation, he starts with man’s lost estate. In fact, a fourth description is used in chapter five to illustrate man’s spiritual and lost estate.

1.     “Helpless” (6)

2.     “Ungodly” (6)

3.     “Sinners” (8)

4.     and now, “enemies” (10)

C.    The word for “enemy” is echthrós, which means hatred, hostile, or enemy. Echthros can be defined as the personal and inner disposition from which hostility arises and describes the enmity of natural man’s relationship to God. Natural man is an enemy of God and is:

1.     hostile in mind - Col 1:21;

2.     hostile in deeds - Gal 5:19-20;

3.     hostile to God’s Lordship - Luk 19:27;

4.     hostile to God and his Word - Rom 8:7; Jam 4:4

5.     hostile to the Gospel - Rom 11:28; Phi 3:18;

6.     hostile to believers - Mat 5:43-44;

D.    However, in the same fashion as vs. 6 and 8, while being (pres part - óntes) helpless, ungodly sinners and enemies, Christ died for us. The result of the “death of His Son” was not universal salvation, but that man was reconciled in the sense that he now had an atonement for his sin, his enmity could be removed, and he was now in a savable position.

E.    “Reconciliation” (katallássō) literally means, “to effect a change from enmity to favor.”

 

Reconciliation means a change of relationship from hostility to harmony and peace between two parties. (Ryrie)

 

The emphasis of reconciliation is that of making peace with God. Man who was estranged from God is brought into communion with God. (Enns)

 

F.     Paul then speaks to the reality of reconciliation for those who have trusted in Christ’s death; i.e. “having been reconciled” (aor pass part - katallássō). At the moment of faith, the sinner is changed from a position of enmity to a position of favor (cp. Rom 5:1). Thus, the believer’s enmity is removed along with God’s wrath.

G.    Reconciliation necessitated the mediation of Christ’s death (through” - diá with genitive - agency) in order to remove God’s wrath from man and change man’s state of enmity.

1.     God’ Part - The phrase, “we were reconciled” is reconciliation in the sense that even though we were enemies, reconciliation was now made possible through the death of Christ.

2.     Man’s Part - The phrase, “having been reconciled” is the reality of reconciliation to those who have embraced reconciliation by faith in Christ’s death (cp. 11). It is man who ultimately needed to be reconciled to God. God did not move away from man, but man separated himself from God by choosing sin.

H.    The full argument of v. 10 is as follows, that “if” (1st class condition -“if” ei - assumed true for the sake of argument) while man was in his unsaved condition as an enemy, God initiated reconciliation (the greater), then having been reconciled, the believer will surely be saved (the lesser).

 

III.  RECONCILIATION REMOVES ETERNAL INSECURITY (11)

 

A.    There is one additional thought (“and not only this”) and that is the fact that the believer exults in God because he has eternally received this great reconciliation.

B.    The believer “exults” (kaucháomai - boast, rejoice) and confidently rejoices in the fact that he has received (aor - lambánō) reconciliation now (nun).

C.    In fact, we are taught that the believer is able to exult and confidently rejoice in:

1.     future glory (5:2)

2.     present tribulation (5:3)

3.     present reconciliation (5:11)

D.    The believer need not fear of eternal “insecurity.” Reconciliation is a present positional possession “in Christ.”

E.    All spiritual blessings spring out of Christ’s work on the cross (“through whom” - diá oú). If all of man’s spiritual needs are met in the cross, and love is meeting the needs of others, then it is apparent why God declares that his ultimate love is demonstrated in the cross (Rom 5:8).

 

IV.  APPLICATIONS

 

A.    God’s Wrath Is Part Of The Gospel Message

 

1.     Though God’s wrath is an unpopular idea, unbelievers need to know of God’s present (Rom 1:18) and impending wrath (Rev 20:11-14) so that they flee to the cross. This truth is the first part of Paul’s gospel presentation.

2.     The “good news” of the gospel is that Christ will save the believing sinner from the wrath of God (Joh 3:36; Rom 5:9; 8:1).

 

B.    The Believer Has Been Given The Ministry Of Reconciliation

 

1.     God now works through reconciled believers to appeal to the world that man is now savable and reconcilable through Christ (2Co 5:18-20).

a)    Believers were given the privilege of the ministry of reconciliation (18).

b)    Believers are responsible for giving out the message of reconciliation (19).

c)     God makes His appeal of reconciliation through believers (20).

d)    On Christ’s behalf, believers are to implore unbelievers to be reconciled (20).

 

C.    Reconciliation Should Effect All Relationships

 

1.     Reconciliation with God teaches us to have reconciliation in all relationships.

a)    Reconciled with all men (Rom 12:18).

b)    Reconciled to other believers (Mat 5:24).

c)     Reconciled to believing spouses (1Co 7:11).

 

 

Return to Romans Menu