Serendipitous Doctrine – Romans 5:6-12

 According to my records, this is the 208^th message that I have prepared and preached on the subject of sin. Spread over 35 years that may not sound like a lot of sermons – just 6 per year. But then again, when we are talking about only 3 congregations that is nearly 70 messages per church. And there are just so many ways that a person can spell or pronounce a simple 3-letter word like “sin.” There are only 3 definitions in my dictionary and only 32 synonyms – some of which are really weak. Nevertheless, sin is one of those subjects which must be preached again and again. Not only do successive generations need hear the earlier warnings, definitions and exhortations, but the elder saints of God need to be taken back to the “rock from whence they are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence they are digged.” Then too, as I said Wednesday, sin has a naturally sedating effect – against which we must all be warned.

But the scripture that we have before us this morning, is not an exposition of the Doctrine of Hamartiology. This is not an exposition of sin, but of its solution – salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is another declaration of the Doctrine of Soteriology. “In due time Christ died for the ungodly.” “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” “Through our Lord Jesus Christ … we have now received the atonement.”

This chapter isn’t an exposition of sin – Paul has dealt with that in chapters 2 and 3, nevertheless salvation cannot be studied outside the context of sin. “Christ came not the call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Obviously, the only people that the Lord has ever saved have all been sinners. Until someone recognizes themselves as needing a Saviour, they are never going to seek the Saviour or be found by the Saviour.

So this chapter isn’t an exposition of sin, but sin exposes its ugly head 4 or 5 times in these few verses. You could say that we have a serendipitous discovery of sin in these verses. It’s a good, but an accidental discovery – if the discovery of sin can ever be considered to be good. We even have something new added to what Paul had previously taught us. Because of that, I feel obligated to return to a subject that I have preached 207 times. So you have heard this subject before. Without a doubt it has entered your ears many times, and for some of you it has entered your mind. But has it ever entered your heart? That is the important question.

I know that last week I referred to this first point, but I must return to it once again at least in passing.

“Christ Jesus died for – on behalf of – the UNGODLY.”In English, this word “ungodly” has three simple definitions. The third definition is outrageous – the third definition is “outrageous.” The young lady who has to sort packages for UPS has to leave for work at the ungodly hour of 3 a.m. The second definition for “ungodly” is – “wicked” or “sinful.” And the first is – “not revering God,” “impious,” or “not being worshipful.” The third dictionary definition is unrelated to the Biblical word, but the other two are quite accurate. Ungodliness is one form of sinfulness. It is to have a heart and mind that refuses to bow before the King of kings – Jehovah – the Lord. And of course, when the heart is irreverent, a whole host of other evil symptoms spring up.

Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, wrote a very helpful little letter of just 25 verses. At one point he makes a verse serious statement, but which comes across in a comical sort of way. He mentions that “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.” Then he says that the purpose of the Lord’s coming at that point will be – “To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” In one form or other Jude uses the same Greek word first as a noun, then as an adverb and then also as an adjective. The ungodly do ungodly things in ungodly ways, because they are ungodly sinners. Then he specifically mentions that they are “murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.”

Ungodly people – irreverent sinners – those who refuse to give unto the Lord the glory due unto His Name are often characterized by their complaining, moaning and groaning. Israel, as a prefect example, was a very ungodly nation following their exodus from Egypt. Rather than praising God for the food upon their tables, the ungodly want what the other person has. Rather than joyfully living under father’s roof and rules, they want to join the prodigals in the distant land. Instead of being thankful for mother’s provision of clothes, they want to dress like harlots and pimps. Rather than thankfully respecting the limitations that God has given them for their safety and well-being they want to tear down the fences and throw caution to the wind. They walk after their own lusts because they have no heart for the things of God – they are ungodly. They have the idea that since they are 12 or 16 or 21 or 35, they think that they have more wisdom than God Himself, and so they follow the lusts of their ungod-like hearts. And oh, how they can talk – how proud they sound – what foolishness they utter. The respect they show towards others is given only with the hope that they will be rewarded for it. Ungodly people are all about themselves, rarely about others and certainly not about the Lord. And yet Christ died for – on behalf of – many of those ungodly people. How can that be anything but divine grace? For a bird or a mouse to love and willingly give his life to save a cat, is makes more sense than for the Son of God to give his life to save the ungodly.

You are that ungodly bunch – we are those ungodly.

And “while we were yet SINNERS, Christ died for us.”We are quickly approaching my thousandth week as your pastor. It hasn’t come up in every message, but I wonder how many of those thousand weeks we haven’t used the word “sinner” at some point? It is one of those ubiquitous words that constantly fly around the services of any Bible-believing church. But it’s another word which we don’t often stop to consider.

It is simple enough, and maybe that’s the reason that we don’t apply our hearts and minds towards it very often. A sinner is someone who sins or transgresses; he is a wrong-doer. And of course we use it in the context of transgressing the law, or will, of God. Could it possibly be that even Christians think too lightly of what it means to transgress the heart of God? James Strong defines “hamartolos” (ham-ar-to-los’) as someone “devoted to sin, a sinner, not free from sin; pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked.”

When I read that definition I had to ask myself if perhaps Bro. Strong wasn’t being just a little too strong. And then I read through all of the 45 verses where that word is used. When I got finished, I began to realize that my perception of the word was just a little weak. For example, did you know there are only 2 verses where adjectives are used to intensify “hamartolos”? One verse speaks about “exceeding sinfulness.” And as we’ve already seen Jude refers to “ungodly sinners.” In all the other 43 verses “sinner” is already at its most ungodly, despicable, and reprehensible strength.

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save (people devoted to sin, pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked) sinners; of whom I am chief.” Christ Jesus is “such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” We should be “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye (people devoted to sin, pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked) sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” “The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” Why didn’t the humble, repenting publican – tax collector – call himself a “wretched sinner?” Because the word “wretched” is already implied in the word “sinner.” Why didn’t he call himself an “unworthy sinner,” a “dying sinner,” or a “worthless sinner”? Because all of these are implied in the word already. He was a stinking sinner, a disgusting sinner, a vomit-covered, puss-oozing, vile and despicable sinner. The word “sinner” doesn’t need any help to become worse, because it’s already at the bottom of the barrel covered in the worse smelling, decaying, slimy stuff imaginable. A sinner is someone “devoted to sin, pre-eminently sinful, and especially wicked.”

That is a theological principle which few of us have any problem accepting. The difficult part is accepting the fact that WE are those sinners “devoted to sin, pre-eminently sinful, and especially wicked.” But remember that it was for this kind of people that Jesus gave His life on the cross. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

A third thing which Paul says about us is that ungodly sinners are the Lord’s ENEMIES.Let’s say that you work for a big corporation as some sort of manager. A vice-president’s job has become available, and you are one of the people in line for that promotion. But there is someone else who wants that position, and he begins to campaign very hard to get it. First, he tries to become a buddy and pal to the people who will make the final decision. Then he tries to use various tricks and bribes to buy the office. Of course, as a Christian you aren’t willing to play those dirty games. Then your opponent begins to spread lies about you, besmirching your record and belittling your abilities. Has that man become your enemy? Despite all that he has done, whether or not he is your enemy depends entirely upon you.

When Paul says “enemy” he uses the word “echthros” (ech-thros’) and its root is “echtho” which means “to hate.” As long as you keep from hating that man who is doing everything to keep you from that promotion, he is not a true “enemy” to you. He may consider you to be his enemy, and he may consider himself as an enemy to you, but these are another matter.

Paul says that “when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.” Was he saying that we were the enemy of God, or was it that we considered God to be our enemy? According to the Bible both are true, but I don’t think that Paul was referring to both sides of the issue. Paul was implying that sinners are the haters – we are the ones who consider God to be our enemy. We want the promotion – to deity – to glory – but that despicable Jehovah stands in our way. We want to do the things that our wicked hearts desire, but the laws of God stand in our way. “I hate God for making such demands upon me – where does He get such gall? And this business of Creation – I hate the idea that He made me, and so He can be my King.” “We will not have this God to reign over us.” Didn’t the Lord Jesus give us several parables which illustrate this? For example, there was the land-owner who had a group of servants care-taking his property. When he sent word to them that it was time to render unto Him the profit from that crop, they refused. Then when he sent his Son to make the collection, they killed him. They became His enemies after they chose to make themselves enemies to Him. They hate Him, and they hated His son.

John Gill in his commentary said of this verse, that we … “Were enemies; to God, to his being, perfections, purposes, and providences; to Christ, to his person, offices, grace, and righteousness; to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit, and his divine operations and influences; to the people of God, and to the Gospel and the ordinances of Christ; which enmity is deeply rooted in (our) minds, is causeless, and undeserved, and is implacable.” “Implacable” means that, humanly speaking, this problem is impossible to fix. And then Gill added that this enmity is “irreconcileable without the power and grace of God.”

But Christians are people who “when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.” There is not a saint of God today in either Heaven or on earth, who was not at one point an out and out, overt, and open enemy and hater of God. Until you come to that realization, there is very likelihood that you will ever become a child of God. Only enemies can be reconciled to God.

Then another thing which Paul says about sinners is that they are all WITHOUT STRENGTH.“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

In Acts 3 Peter and John were going into the Temple in order to spend some time in prayer. There at the Beautiful Gate was a crippled man – one who had never walked and never would. His family, probably his father or brothers, because it’s unlikely that he had ever married… someone in his family carried him every day to that spot in order to beg for a few coins. When he saw the two Apostles he asked them for an alms, but the disciples were as poor as he was – at least in the things of the world. “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.” This miraculous healing caused quite a stir, and Peter was given a chance to preach the gospel. But that got them arrested. The next day they stood before the chief priests to answer for their crimes. “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.”

When Peter said, “If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the IMPOTENT man, by what means he is made whole,” the word translated “impotent” was the same that Paul used here in Romans 5:6 – “without strength.” Although this Greek word can be translated other ways, it means – without strength – totally helpless. That man sitting in the doorway to Zion and the presence of God was completely unable to enter. And he is a picture of every other man, woman and child on earth – not just unfit for God, incapable of making any approach to the Lord except by grace.

The Bible teaches that sinners are totally helpless and without strength when it comes to serving, pleasing or approaching the Lord. They have nothing to offer God, and thus are not permitted to enter His presence. “They that are in the flesh cannot please God.” And it is not merely that they are wicked, foul and filthy – disgusting in the sight of the holy God. They are impotent and unable to do anything to please God. They have to be regenerated before they come to the Lord, before they can repent, before they can trust. The Lord Jesus Himself has said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”

In reality, the illustration of the impotent man falls just a bit short, as Paul explains in the context of this verse. How powerless is the sinner? He is as helpless and impotent as a dead person. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” There is a sense in which physical death, whether of a favorite pet, a favorite uncle, or a parent…whomever. There is a sense in which physical death is only an illustration of a more important death – Spiritual death. On the day in which our first father sinned, Adam died. His death wasn’t just in the omniscience of God – the Lord foresaw that Adam was going to die sometime before a thousand years transpired. No, Adam died – his spirit became lifeless – at that very moment. And as a result – he became impotent, without strength and incapable of doing anything to please God. And this became a part of the very being of Adam, which he then passed on to his children and all his descendants.

But praise God, “when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” The omni-potent Son of God gave his life so that the im-potent sinner could have strength, access – salvation. This is what salvation is all about. It’s not a matter of going to heaven and taking up residence in mansions above. Salvation is about life and strength and the opportunity and ability to fellowship with the Lord God. Sinners – you and I – are dead in trespasses and sins, but Christ died that we might have life. Can you see, why I say that to understand the nature of sin is important in the study of salvation?

You must be born again because you are dead already. In Christ Jesus there is life and eternal life. Without Him you are nothing but a spiritual corpse, soon to be cast into the lake of fire. You need Jesus. You are a sinner – “devoted to sin, pre-eminently sinful, and especially wicked.” You are ungodly. You are an enemy of God. But “when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. And God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Are you a sinner enough for the Lord to save this morning? Come to His cross. Repent and acknowledge that you are a sinner and an enemy of God. And trust the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver you of your sin.