For many of you like myself, today is the first day back from a long vacation, and the first work day of the new year.  As we ease back into work mode, we too are going to ease back into Romans 5, before we get really, really deep in the next few messages.  My hope is that as always you are encouraged in knowing and following Jesus Christ our Lord.  There is no greater joy than fellowship with God.  So that is my goal today and everday – to lift up the name of Jesus Christ to you, and pray that if He wills, He will reveal more of Himself to you through the Word.  My hope is that your true teacher, the Holy Spirit within you, would grant you renewal, fresh eyes to see and savor God in Jesus Christ – for your joy.

Romans 5:6-11 – “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.  More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” 

Its the most common lie Satan attacks us with;  “You are not good enough for God to love you”.  Do you know how Jesus responded to that lie?  Mark 2:15-17 – “And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.  And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  

Everyone is born a sinner.  Unlike how most people commonly refer to “sin”, our sin is a state of being rather than sinful actions we commit.  The sinful actions are simply fruit of sin that is already within us.  This will make more sense next time if this idea is unfamiliar to you.  So in one sense, our “sin” problem is much greater than we might think.  If you are waiting to arrive at a point where you are accepted by God on your own merits, it will NEVER happen.  I’ve got about 10 good years under my belt really pursuing Christ well, and I would tell you that I still sin everyday, still have to ask God’s forgiveness everday and the forgiveness of others often, but don’t take my word alone for this.  I recommend you talk openly with a Christian in their 70s or 80s about the sin they are still fighting.  You will always be battling sin on this side of eternity.  There was sin in you when you were born, you have sinned all your life until today, you will sin today, and you will sin every day until you die.  I says this not to make light of sin, but to make much of the holiness of God.  Even as a Christian, on this side of eternity your best prayer carries in it enough sin to merit God’s damnation of you for all eternity.  However, Psalm 32:1-2 tells us – “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity”   A good question here to answer for yourself, is “what sin did the blood of Jesus cover”?  Did it cover my sin yesterday?  Did it cover my sin today?  Did it cover my sin tomorrow?  The answer to all of these questions is Yes and Amen.

Let’s circle back to the text above.  When did Christ go to the cross?  Was it while His people Israel were triumphing over their enemies?  No, Israel had been conquered by Rome.  Was it while the religious leaders were passionately pursuing the Lord?  No, Jesus spoke most critically of the religious leaders of that time as hypocrites, who were in love with the world rather than its Creator.  Was it at a time when the people would see their God persecuted and cry out to save Him?  No, the people chose to save a murderer, Barabbas, instead of their King, who they cried out to have crucified.  That was the state of God’s people when He chose to die for them.  That was the “right time”.  Why?  It was to show that Christ saves sinners and to demonstrate the great love with which God loves us.  That truth of the gospel is for you; God’s encouragement to you as you put to death sin in your life and defend against the lies of the enemy.

Paul continues above by asking rhetorically, if God loved you enough to die for you while you were an enemy of God, how much greater love and joy must he have for you now that you have been reconciled to Him?  There is a sense in which God loves everyone.  We all breathe the same air and when it rains, it benefits us all.  However, there is a much greater love and plan for those who by faith are in Christ Jesus; covered by His blood; reconciled to God.  God’s love is poured out to us through Jesus Christ, perfect fellowship with God for our joy, a joy unspeakable without end.  My lawyer logical side is coming out here, but I think it will be helpful for me just list out a few things to help you see God’s plan for His glory and your joy through Jesus and the gospel.

1. God having infinite power is working at all times to maximize His own joy
2. Given God is perfect, having no imperfection, therefore there is nothing (no created thing) capable of producing greater joy outside God Himself
3. God therefore pursues His own joy through enjoying Himself and Making His Glory (Perfections) known
4. If there is nothing greater than God Himself, no greater joy to be found, the best “good news” of the Gospel of Jesus for us would be fellowship with God