Romans 5:6-11

Being the New Testament this evening, the book of Romans, chapter 5, which is a pretty well-known section of Scripture.

! The entire fifth chapter of Romans really is a very simple gospel message.

For us to preach other than the gospel. Leading up to Romans 5, of course, we have four other chapters. And Paul, well actually, Brother Ellis was in Romans chapter 1 this morning in Sunday school.

But Paul, in the first few chapters of Romans, first four chapters, he spends those chapters explaining how it doesn't matter if you're a Jew or you're a Gentile, that you are a sinner, you're a rebel against God.

But none of us can stand before God in our own righteousness. Romans 3, of course, we find the very popular quoted phrase, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

But Paul makes it very clear, because the audience that he was writing to was a mix of Jews and Gentiles alike, that it doesn't matter what your background is, doesn't matter your heritage, none of those things matter.

You are a sinner in the eyes of God. And you will stay that way in the eyes of God outside of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that's what Paul is getting at.

Now, when he gets to Romans chapter 4, he uses a couple of examples there, showing it doesn't matter personally or specifically who you are. He uses the examples of Abraham and David.

But anyway, I said all that as kind of an introduction as to what we've been learning about or what Paul has been writing about throughout the book of Romans.

So all that being said, Romans chapter 5, beginning at verse 6, says, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

For scarcely for a righteous man would one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God committeth his love toward us, and 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.

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Back to verse number 6.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. And Paul makes a very distinct remark here.

He says that we were without strength. Again, when he writes it, he says, For when we were yet without strength. He wasn't talking about people here who just needed a little nudge from God.

He wasn't talking about people who needed a little nudge from one another. He was talking about people, as he was writing this letter to the church at Rome 2,000 years ago, give or take.

He was talking about people that were just like you and I, before the gospel light ever entered our heart, before the Holy Spirit of God ever convicted our heart. He was talking about people that were just like you and I, and quite frankly are just like you and I now, outside of God and outside of relationship with Almighty God through Jesus Christ.

He says, For we were yet without strength. Again, he wasn't talking about people who were just messing up once in a while. Folks, he was talking about rebel sinners against God.

People who hated God. People who hated His Word. People who wanted nothing to do with God. People who would rather choose themselves and their own ways, instead of choosing God and His way.

And because of that, because of our attitudes, folks, this makes Ephesians chapter 2 so much more abundantly clear. When Paul writes to the church at Ephesus, and says that we were dead in our trespasses and our sin.

We were yet without strength. According to what Paul writes to the Roman church here in Romans chapter 5, we were dead in our trespasses and sin. According to what Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians in chapter 2, either way, we could not do anything for ourselves.

We could not make ourselves better. We couldn't just turn over a new leaf. We couldn't take another path. It was impossible for us to do that. God is the initiator of salvation.

God is the initiator of the gospel plan. God is the initiator of it all. You and I were incapable of initiating anything. We were incapable of following through with anything.

It is God and God alone who saves souls. And He does so by His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet we were without strength. You were without strength.

I was without strength. But God in His mercy and God in His love and God in His compassion reached down to wherever you were at whatever time that it was and pulled you up out of the place that you were in and made you one of His.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I thank God that it's all according to Him. I thank God that it was by His purpose and by His plan and by His action.

Because if not for God, you and I, all of us, we would all still be on a road to hell because none of us would seek after God. The Bible makes that abundantly clear.

In fact, Paul quotes the Psalms a couple of chapters before this when he says that there are none righteous. No, not one. There is none that seeketh God. No, not one.

But God, God does the seeking. Even Jesus, in the Gospel accounts, Jesus said He came to seek and to save that which was lost.

That was all of us. And again, just as Paul makes clear in the first few chapters of the book of Romans, that was Jews and Gentiles alike. All were lost. And all needed seeking.

And all needed Christ. All needed His atoning. All needed His sacrifice. All need the Gospel. And God initiated it all when we were yet without strength to do it ourselves.

I thank God that it's all of Him for when we were yet without strength in due time. That's another very important part of this. In due time.

Folks, Christ did not come here and suffer by accident. Christ did not come here and suffer by happenstance. Paul writes to the churches in Galatia.

And he says, When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son. In the fullness of time and in due time, God sent His Son to do what?

To seek and to save that which was lost. To be the propitiation. To be the atoning sacrifice. To be the Lamb of God that had taken away the sin of the world. God sent His Son at the exact moment that He had planned before the foundation of the world was ever laid.

Hallelujah! For the Lamb of God. And for the plan of Almighty God. It was in due time. Christ did not come one minute early. Christ did not come one minute late.

But the sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient God of the universe knew exactly the time that Christ would come. He knew exactly the time that Christ would be conceived by the Holy Spirit of God in Mary's womb.

He knew the time that He would be born. He knew the time that He would die upon Calvary's hill. God knew it all! And He knew the exact time that it should happen.

And it did happen that way. There are people out there that will tell you now that Jesus Christ was a fake. That He was a fraud. That He was a phony. That His death meant nothing.

But folks, it was in the fullness of time that God sent His Son. God sent His Son for a purpose. And that purpose was the redemption of the lost souls of everyone who would repent of their sin and believe on Him.

Believe in His sinless life. Believe in His death. Believe in His resurrection. Believe in His ascension. And believe in His coming back as judge one day.

This is the Christ of the Scriptures. That we must believe. And it was in due time that God sent Him. In due time Christ died for the ungodly.

I thank God. I thank God that He did not wait on me to clean up my own act. I thank God that He did not wait on me to better myself. I thank God that He didn't wait on me to turn over the new leaf that I was talking about earlier.

Or to take the new path that I was talking about earlier. God did not wait on me to turn over the new path. The Bible plainly says here that Christ died in the due time that God had foreordained.

Christ died not for the righteous. Not for those that deserved it. Not for those that were worthy. But for the ungodly. That was you and that was me.

Before God. Hallelujah. That's who He died for. That's who He died for. That's the lost that He came to seek and to save. That's the ones that He came to redeem.

Is the ungodly. And there are too many people out there right now. I'm talking about Christians. I'm talking about people that have been in church for decades. That say, I've never really been that bad.

I've really never sinned that bad. I've never done anything that really deserved forgiveness. I've never done this and I've never done that. You were ungodly according to the scriptures.

You were just as ungodly as I was ungodly. Be careful how you see yourself. Be careful what pedestal you put yourself upon. Be careful what spotlight you put yourself under.

Because the scripture has concluded all under sin. That's you and that's me. James makes it very plain in his book.

When he says, if a man keepeth the whole law, yet offendeth in one point, he is guilty of all. It doesn't matter if you've never killed anyone. Physically. It doesn't matter if you've never committed adultery.

Physically. According to the scripture, if you have offended in one point. That's not my interpretation of the scripture. That is what scripture says.

If you have offended in one point. You are guilty of all. But praise be unto God. You were part of the ungodly. As I was part of the ungodly.

That Christ in the due time came to die for. Hallelujah. I thank God it was that way. He came to die for the ungodly. Not for those that deserve it.

Not for those that... I mean folks, it is not like God was looking down from heaven. And said, there's a pocket of people down here. That are worthy of dying for.

There's a pocket of people down here. That the very crown jewel of heaven is worthy to die for. God had no thought like that. Because God knew your sin.

He knows your sin. Just as He knew my sin. And knows my sin. And yet Christ still came. Christ came and died for the ungodly. That we might be made the righteousness of God.

In Him. In Christ. We are made the righteousness of God. Not of ourselves and not by ourselves. But through Christ. All of these things are possible. Verse number 7.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Yet per adventure for a good man some would even dare to die. Just like I just said. It's not like God was looking down.

And found some people worth dying for. Folks, none of us. None of us were worthy. None of us were worthy of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. None of us were worthy of dying for.

And Paul addresses that here in verse 7. He says, For scarcely a righteous man will one die. Yet per adventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

Now, in our own lives. In our personal lives. I'm sure you have just as I have. People that you would happily and gladly lay down your life for.

Whether it's a spouse. Whether it's children. Whether it's grandchildren. No matter whom it is. We all have somebody that we would happily die for. And folks, that should be the way that every one of us thinks.

That should be the way that everyone in the world thinks. Everyone should have at least one person that they are willing to die for. But folks, the love of God.

Why do we feel that way? Because they're family. Why do we feel that way? Because they're a friend. Why do we feel that way? Because they've been good to us.

That's how we see it. But God's love does not work like that. Because we were never good to God before salvation. We were never righteous toward God before salvation.

God loved us while we were ungodly. God loved us while we were sinners. God loved us before we were saved. Before we were ever made righteous in the blood of His precious Son.

God loved us. You and I, we have to have a reason. We have to have a reason. Someone treats us bad. Someone treats us ill. Someone wishes ill will toward us.

Or does something mean to us or whatever. How much do you love them at that point? God's love isn't like that. And I praise God for it. I praise God that it's not. Because every one of us would still be walking around in our sin.

And without hope. If that were the case. But God sent His Son. In due time to die for us. To die for the ungodly. Regardless of how man sees it.

Regardless of how man's love works. God's love does not work that way. And I praise God for that. Verse number 8. Probably the most quoted verse in all of Romans chapter 5. But God commendeth His love toward us.

And that while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us. Amen. Again, couple this with verse 7. What we just talked about. Because this begins with the word but.

So we need to go back to verse 7. Talking about how a righteous man. Or how someone might die for a righteous man. Or how someone might die for a good man. He says, but God.

But God. In our unrighteousness. In our heathenism. In our paganism. In our evil. In our wickedness. In our denial of God.

In our hatred of God. Praise God. But God commendeth. He demonstrated. His love toward us. And that while we were yet sinners.

Christ died for us. Back up two verses. Who is us? The ungodly. Christ died for us. And who better. To write about this very thing.

Than Paul. Romans chapter 5. And verse 8. Was written by the same man. Who persecuted the church. He hated the church of Jesus Christ.

He wanted to imprison them. He wanted to have them killed. And on his way. To Damascus. To do those very things. God met him. In that path.

And saved his soul. Hallelujah. Christ. Redeemed. Paul. In his ungodliness. He redeemed Paul. While he was a sinner.

He saw Paul. While he was a sinner. People. Make the bad assumption. I've been in church all my life. Thinking.

That that somehow saves them. No. No folks. When it comes to the end of the line. I tell you now. If you say. I think that my good works. Is it going outweigh my bad?

You're relying on self. If you think that your church attendance. Is going to. Is going to. Outweigh. Anything else. Folks. You're relying on your past.

You're relying on your record. At that point. If you're relying. On mama. Or daddy. Or grandma. Or grandpa. You're relying on their faith. On their church attendance.

On their praise of God. On how much scripture they knew. Or on their salvation period. You are relying. On someone else. Folks. We must. Depend upon something.

Outside of ourselves. And that something. Or someone. Is Christ. And Christ. Alone. He's the only one. That we have any hope in. He's the only one.

That is able to redeem. He is the one. That John the Baptist said. Behold the Lamb of God. Which taketh away the sin. Of the world. He. Is the only one. That can take away your sin.

He is the only one. That was righteous enough. To do this. Act. You look back to the Old Testament. You look back to the Old Testament. All the animal sacrifices. Thousands.

Upon thousands. Just at the dedication. Of the temple. Thousands. Upon thousands. Upon thousands. Of animals. Sacrificed to God. You look at the day of atonement.

That you read about. In Leviticus chapter 16. Over the course of years. And decades. And centuries. Hundreds. And thousands. Of animals. Slain. For what? To all point towards.

Jesus Christ. To all eventually point towards. The ultimate sacrifice. That's why the writer to the Hebrews. He made that distinction. He knew that. He made that distinction.

Between the Old. And the New Testament. He said. Neither of the blood of bulls. And ghosts. Are able to cleanse us. Forever. He said. But Christ. Once and for all. Entered into the holy place.

And offered up. His own blood. On our behalf. Hallelujah. It was once and for all. That he done this. No other sacrifice is available. And no other sacrifice.

Is needed. Christ. Is all. It is in Christ alone. That we have salvation. It is in Christ alone. That we have hope. For salvation. That God.

Committed his love. Toward us. And that while. We were. Yet. Sinners. Christ. Died for us. What was the whole point. Of the Old Testament. Sacrifices. It's because the people.

Were sinners. And God. Is the one that initiated that. I'm not saying that. They were doing anything wrong. Because God. Came up with the. Sacrificial system. And he is the one. That gave that system. To the Israelites.

But it was never. Meant to be. For a permanent. Wiping away. Or a permanent. Cleansing. Of the sin. And we know that. Because the day of atonement.

Was once per year. It had to happen over. And over and over. That doesn't even include. The trespass offerings. That doesn't include. The sin offering. That doesn't include. The burnt offerings. That is just for.

The day of atonement. All of these offerings. None of them. Out of none of them. None of them. Could completely. Wipe away sin. Right.

But. It brought those people back. Into a relationship with God. When they did sin. That's what's so beautiful. About the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We'll get to that here.

In just a moment. Verse number nine. Much more then. Being now justified. By his blood. We shall be saved from wrath. Through him.

Being now justified. Folks. We are made right. Through Jesus Christ. Why do we need to be made right? Because we were all wrong. In the eyes.

Of almighty God. God. In the garden. Placed a curse. On all of mankind. And on the entire earth. That only Jesus Christ. Was able to lift. He.

He is the one. Who was able to lift that curse. By Adam. And you read about that. In the latter part. Of chapter five. We ain't going to get into it. This evening. But by Adam. Sin and death.

Entered into the world. Sin and death. Entered into the world. If you continue reading. In Romans chapter five. You'll read that. Although. That sin. Could not be imputed. To those people.

Before the law came. But death was still there. Which. Which. In time. Teaches us. That sin was still present. Because death was happening. But folks.

It is through Jesus Christ. That the curse. Is lifted. That death. Is lifted. It is like Paul. Wrote to the Corinthian church. He said.

On death. Where is thy sting? On grave. Where is thy victory? And he goes on to say. I thank the Lord. I thank God. Through the Lord Jesus Christ.

What was he thanking him for? That death sting was gone. That the grave's victory was gone. Because the curse. Had been lifted. Through Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. He says.

Again. And much more than. Being now justified. By his blood. He keeps bringing us back. To the sacrifice. Of Jesus Christ. We are made right. We are made holy.

We are made righteous. We are made pure. In the eyes of God. Through the blood. Of Jesus Christ. And by no. Other way. Hallelujah. Amen. Your righteousness.

According to the book of Isaiah. Is as filthy rags. Our righteousnesses. Are worth nothing. But the righteousness of Christ. And the work of Christ.

The finished work of Christ. On Calvary's cross. God is well pleased. With that work. Much more than. Being now. Folks.

I don't have to wait on this justification. Being now justified. This present tense. Being now justified. By his blood.

We shall be saved. From wrath. Through him. Being now justified. I am presently justified. In Jesus Christ. Through his blood.

And I shall be saved. From the wrath. Of almighty God. Through the same one. Whom I am justified in. Praise God. What a plan God had.

What a plan he had before this. And what a plan he's had since then. Folks. It's all the same plan. The plan of salvation. That God. Had in mind.

Before you and I were ever born. Before Adam was ever created. Before sin ever entered into the garden. God already had this plan in mind.

Because he knew what we would become. He knew that we would need to be sought out. And saved. He knew that we would be sinners. He knew that we would rebel against him. And yet.

And nothing more than sheer grace. And mercy. God. Has made a way. Of propitiation. God has made a way. Of atonement.

Through his only begotten son. Jesus Christ. Folks. Do not ever. Do not ever forget. The cross. Do not ever forget.

The savior that was on the cross. So often. And I've seen it. Folks. I've been saved 17 years. And I still. Have not gotten over. The cross of Calvary.

And that Jesus Christ died. For me. But I've seen it. In a lot of older Christians. They've gotten so. I won't say callous. But they've gotten so used.

To hearing about the gospel. They've gotten so. So accustomed. To John 3.16. They've gotten so accustomed. To Romans 5. And chapter 8. That God commended his love.

Toward us. And that while we were his. Sinners Christ died for us. They've gotten so used. To hearing it. That it doesn't move them anymore. God. Help me to never. Get in that shape.

I always want to be appreciative. Of the gospel. Because I did not. Deserve it. I know who I was. I know what I was. I know what I've done. And I know.

That God. Saved me. And I know. That I. Would not have saved. Someone like me. But God doesn't work like that. And I thank God for that.

Again. Much more then. Much more then. Being now justified. By his blood. Not of our own works. Not of our own righteousnesses. But by his blood.

We shall be saved. Folks. We are currently justified. Being now justified. But the saved. This is talking future tense. We shall be saved.

From the wrath to come. Folks. There's a wrath. Coming on this world. People think that it's rough right now. People think that the economy is tanked right now. We ain't seen nothing.

We have seen nothing yet. This is a walk in the park. Compared to what I can read about. It's coming in the future. And it ain't just in the book of Revelation. That you read about that. You can read about a lot of that.

In the Old Testament. Friends. Folks. There is wrath. From Almighty God. That is still to come. But because. We are now. Presently justified.

By the blood. Of Jesus Christ. We shall be saved. In the future. From that same wrath. I thank God. That the scripture teaches. That I.

Being one of God's children. I am not appointed. Unto wrath. If I belong to God. If I've been washed in the blood of the Lamb. If I've been redeemed. And brought back into the family of God.

I am not appointed. Unto wrath. Right. And it is my desire. It is my desire. To tell as many people. About the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

As I can. Before my time here on earth is done. Because I know what God has done for me. And I know that He has saved my soul. People I run into.

That used to know me. Talk about the change that is in me. And I say that was not me. I was incapable of it. I didn't even want to do it. But God saved my soul. And I present the gospel to those folks.

Folks. The gospel is the power of God. And the salvation. Not me. And not my former actions. As compared to my present actions. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Share the gospel with all. Whom you run into. Verse number 10. 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. For if. When we were enemies. Folks. This takes us back to verse 6.

It takes us back to verse 8. It takes us back to verse 6. Because we read there. That Christ died for the ungodly. We read in verse 8. That God commanded His love to us.

And that while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us. We were enemies of God. According to verse 10 here. Folks. It's not that we were having a struggling relationship with God.

It's not that we were trying to be friends. But God just didn't like a certain thing about us. And we didn't like a certain thing about Him. But we could still walk down the sidewalk and hold hands. No folks. We were at enmity with God.

We were His enemy. And because we were His enemy. He was also our enemy. But again. The love of God.

And the compassion and mercy of God. Is shown in Jesus Christ. Notice. He goes back again. To the death. To the crucifixion of Christ.

For if when we were enemies. We were reconciled to God. By the death of His Son. Folks. I thank God. For the teachings. That we have in the scripture. From Jesus Christ.

I thank God. Of the accounts that we have. In the scriptures. Of His healing. I thank God. For all of those things. But ultimately though. Folks.

His life is not what saved me. Without the shedding of blood. There is no remission. His death. Is what provided a way to salvation. Now.

Had He not had the sinless life. That led up to that death. I would still be without hope. But. We know that He did have a sinless life. For no. No God was ever found in His mouth.

According to the scriptures. He is not a man that He could lie. He is not a man that He should lie. He was the perfect. Sinless.

Blameless. Spotless. Lamb. Of God. And He died. For me. For if when. When. We were enemies. Praise God. When we were. That's past tense.

We were enemies. We were reconciled to God. By the death. Of His Son. While we were enemies. Just as I was talking about earlier. When Saul of Tarsus.

Was made the friend of God. When he was made one of God's own. When he was born in. To the family of God. Placed into the church. Of Almighty God. Through Jesus Christ.

Just before. That happened. He was the enemy. Of God. But. And just like you and I. We were the enemies of God. Before salvation.

But we were. Enemies. And we were reconciled. Praise God. What does that word reconcile mean? That means that something that was broken. Has been put back together.

Something that was apart. Has now been made together. That's what it means. To be reconciled. Someone. Or. Or. Two parties. That were at difference with one another.

Have now. Been put together. Amen. Just like the Old Testament says. How can two walk except they be agreed? Folks. We didn't want to walk with God.

Because we did not agree. With the ways. Of God. But when God saves our soul. God brings us into agreement with him. God brings us into agreement.

That Jesus Christ. Is the only way to heaven. God brings us into agreement. That we are sinners. Undeserving of salvation. And God brings us into agreement. That he is the savior.

And that he will save through. Jesus Christ. While we were sinners. We were reconciled to God. By the death of his son. Much more. Being reconciled.

We shall be. Again. Future tense. We shall be saved. By. His life. Folks. We are not talking about the life.

That he lived. While he was here on planet earth. We have gone from his death. To his life. In this verse. We are talking about the life. That he now. Currently has.

What is that life. That he now currently has. He is. He is ascended. To the father. He sits at the right hand. Of majesty. He sits at the right hand. Of glory. Doing what?

Mediating. On my behalf. And intercessing. On my behalf. Praise God. That is the life that he lives. Right now. But he only does that.

For those. Who repent. And believe. He makes it very plain. In John chapter 17. He said. I pray not for the world. He said. I pray for those. That thou hast given me. But I pray not.

For the world. Christ is not up there. Mediating. On behalf. Of unrepentant sinners. Christ's mediation. On behalf. Of unrepentant sinners.

Was made. On the cross. And they. Are required. Per the scriptures. To repent. Of their ways. Repent. Of their evil. Repent. Of their sin. And their unbelief.

And believe. On him. And believe. In the gospel. Of Jesus Christ. Christ. Then. He can mediate. In his present life. Then.

And only then. Can he do that. When sin is repented of. And Christ is believed on. Verse number 11. And we'll be done. And not only so.

But we also. Joy in God. Through our Lord. Jesus Christ. By whom we. Have now received. The atonement. Not only so. What? If you go back to verse number 10.

Again. For if. Where. 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.

And not only. In other words. In addition to. That. Folks. Is that not enough? Has God not rewarded us. Enough with salvation? Has God not rewarded us.

Enough with heaven? That's not an insult. Toward God. God. And not only so. But we also. Joy in God. Through our Lord. Jesus Christ.

Almost this entire passage. Of scripture. That we have read. In fact. You can back up. To verse number 1. And read. On through to verse 11. In the same chapter. The death.

Of Jesus Christ. Is brought up. Multiple times. In all this. Jesus Christ. And Paul here at the end. Says. Not only so. But we also. Joy in God. Through our Lord.

Jesus Christ. Folks. I appreciate heaven. I appreciate the promise of heaven. I thank God. For the forgiveness of sin. I thank God. For redemption.

I thank God. That he is with me. Always. Even to the end of the world. I thank God. That he's the same. Yesterday. Today. Forever. I thank God. For all those things. But here in this verse.

We find. That Paul. Is showing us. That through Jesus Christ. We are brought back. To God. Because we were not with God.

We were alienated from God. We were strangers. To God. Before. Jesus Christ. And that is. What ultimately. Jesus Christ. Came for.

Again. It's not because. God. God looked down. And saw. A few people. That he thought. Was worth saving. God looked down. And said. Those people need saving.

And they need. A perfect sacrifice. They need. Pure blood. They need. An ultimate. Sacrifice. And it is through. Jesus Christ. That sacrifice is made.

Not only so. But we also. Joy. In God. We could not. Joy. In God. Before. Jesus Christ. Saved our soul. But folks.

The joy that we have. As children of God. No matter what comes our way. No matter what hardships come. No matter. And no matter what presents itself.

In our lives. We can still have. Joy. In God. But it is only. Made possible. In. And through. Jesus Christ. It is through.

Jesus Christ. That it was made possible. We could be redeemed. It was. It is through. Jesus Christ. It is made possible. That we can even access. The throne of grace. To make our petitions.

And supplications. Known. Under God. And it is through. Jesus Christ. And He alone. That we. Can joy. In God. So if you're trying to. Joy in God. Outside of Christ.

Ain't much joy. Happening there. But we joy in God. Through. Jesus Christ. And not only so. But we also joy. In God. Through our Lord. Jesus Christ.

Oh. We are not just. Saved. Again. From our sins. We are not just made. Friends of God. On the. On the right side.

Per se. We are not. Not just. Made these things. We have not just. Been. Forgiven. Of sins. But we have been. Brought into. Relationship. With. God.

And that is the entire. Purpose. Of Christ. Coming. Was. Because. We had no relationship. And it's through Jesus Christ. This happens. By whom we now. Have now.

Received. The atonement. We hear a lot about atonement. We sing a lot about atonement. We hear prayers. With the word atonement in them. And I appreciate the atonement.

And I believe in the atonement. But this here. Romans 5 verse 11. Is the only time. In the new testament. That you will read the word atonement.

Atonement. That means. Something's been covered up. That means something's been done away with. That's what the old testament sacrifices.

That's how they are described. As atoning word. As atonement sacrifices. To make an atonement. For them. But folks. All throughout the. You read in the book of Leviticus sometime.

Just the first seven chapters of Leviticus. You read about all those sacrifices. And you read over. And over and over. Yes. The Israelites can come. And yes. The Israelites can bring their sacrifices.

Yes. The Israelites can lay their own hands. On those sacrifices. Yes. The Israelites can do this. And do that. But over. And over. And over. We read. But the priest. Shall make atonement.

For him. Right. The priest. Shall make atonement. For him. Who is. Jesus Christ. He is. Our great. High priest.

And he. Has made atonement. For us. He has made atonement. For me. If you are here born again. He has made atonement. For you. And he has made atonement. For everyone. No one excluded.

He has made atonement. For everyone. Who repents. And believes. Hallelujah. Having received. And. In whom. We have now. Received.

The atonement. Again. That's present tense. We go from. Future. In verse number 10. We shall be saved. By his life. And not only so. But we also.

Joy. That's present tense. We joy in God. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom we now. Present tense. We have now. Received. The atonement. We can presently.

Joy. In God. Because we have presently. Received. The atonement. And because of these things. We have our forgiveness of sin. We have reconciliation with God.

Because. Of the atoning sacrifice. Of Jesus Christ. That was. And is able. To wash away all sin. And to make us whole. And pure.

And upright. And holy. In the eyes of God. Folks. It all brings us. Back to God. In verse 11. Everything we read about. Brings us.

Back. To God. The same God. That we read about. In these few verses. This evening. The same God. That we were enemies with. We have been brought.

Into right relationship. With him. God. Had every right. In the world. To cast. Every one of us. Off into hell. And let us burn. For all.

Of eternity. And he would have been. Completely. Just. In doing so. But again. In his mercy. And again. In his grace. God chose.

To make a way. And that way. Is solely. By. Jesus Christ. His son. Have you received. This atonement. Have you.

Received. Salvation. Have you been. Brought. And bought. Into the family of God. Through Jesus. Christ. I hope so.

My prayer is. That everyone here has. God bless you all. That's the message. For this evening. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.