No Sin Is Too Great for Him
Adoption Series
"If we have been damaged by sin in the past, we have valuable experience that can help to guide others.”
“6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
Explanation:
It is part of Paul's mission to communicate the Gospel in ways that can be immediately applied. Paul is concerned not only that the true gospel is preached, but that It Is applied in ways the bring comfort to God's people. Paul initially does this in verse 7 by pointing out that someone may indeed give up their own life for someone they love. A mother may lay down her life for her child. A soldier might sacrifice himself for his friends. However, what sets God's love apart is that he laid down his life while we were still his enemies.¹ Paul then moves from the incredible love of God to what his death means for us. Because we have been justified and made righteous before God, we are now saved from the wrath of God. As Paul notes, if Jesus' death was able to reconcile his enemies, what wonders are done by his resurrection? For this note we should rejoice, that we have the certainty of reconciliation with God.
Connection:
When we feel guilt and shame over our sin, the Devil pounces in order that we might condemn ourselves and cut ourselves off from God's life-giving grace. Although he knows he has been defeated, he gets a sense of accomplishment if he can drag down God's people along with him. Paul knows the schemes of the Devil, so he makes it a point to preach to people where they are. He wants to stress the importance of the fact that Jesus comes to die only for sinners (Mark 2:17). He did not lay down his life for those who needed no forgiveness. Rather, God delights in our redemption. It gladdens the heart of God that we are reconciled to him through his son.
Action:
Discern Your Heart -
When we are mired in guilt, our feelings can sometimes be difficult to parse out. Often we are trying to make heads or tails of our situation. We evaluate and analyze our actions to the point where we become paralyzed. Thus a time of reflection and prayer is vital, that we might be able to discern our hearts and repent of our sin.
Confess Your Sins -
The scriptures tell us that it is a great deception to convince ourselves that we have no sin. However, our God is faithful to quickly forgive us and renew our hearts if we confess our sins (1 John 1:8). Therefore, it is important to confess our sins to God in order that our conscience might be set free. We can also confess our sins to our Pastor or a trusted confidante. Confession relieves the conscience and restores our soul (Psalm 51:4).
Encourage Others -
Often we are able to channel our guilt into something constructive. If we have been damaged by sin in the past, we have valuable experience that can help to guide others. Make It a point to reach out to others whom you are aware are struggling with guilt. Through you. God may be able to speak the Gospel to them and help them in their affliction.
¹ Douglas J. Moo, Romans (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2000), 277.