ROMANS UNWRAPPED 76

"Much more then being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him"  Romans 5v9.


Paul introduces here an "A fortiori" argument, which is a legal mechanism for logical reasoning from the greater to the lesser. If something great is true, then the lesser issuing from it must also be true! He uses this a lot, and in this chapter, many times, by the phrase "much more". The force of this could be considered as follows: "since it is a fact that God has declared me to be righteous, because, and only because of the merit of the shed blood of His Son Jesus Christ at Calvary, and that God went to all those lengths to demonstrate His love towards me, it is absolutely certain that we shall not come under His wrath in the future."   Paul is focusing here on the absolutely certainty of our justification, and in the process is under pinning the faith of believers.   It is alright to say that at one point in the past I was saved, but much time, and many events must transpire before the day of judgement, and Paul is using this to instill confidence into the believers.  

Let us get here the proper perspective; the day of God's wrath upon this world will surely come.   He makes this clear in chapter 1 when he says "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men."   In chapter 2 he continues this awesome theme when he describes "the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God."   There is nothing surer in this world than that the Day of Judgement, the day of God's wrath will come.   The Lord Jesus made this clear when He said "the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation."    John 5 v 28-29    Paul states in that fearsome passage in Ephesians chapter 5  "for this you know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.   Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things comes the wrath of God on the children of disobedience."   Ephesians 5 v 5-6    There is nothing clearer in the Bible than that everyone of us shall one day stand before God and give account.    There is equally nothing clearer than that God will eradicate all sin, and sinners from His universe for ever and that those not covered by the blood of Jesus will perish.   God's disposition to this world, in the past was one of forbearance.   This we see in Romans 2 & 3.   His disposition to the world presently is one of grace.   This we see all over the New Testament.   At some point in the future, we know not when, His disposition will change to one of wrath.   God will not allow this world to continue for ever in its sinful ways.   Jesus announced, when He was here that this was "the commencement of the acceptable year of the Lord"  -   the time period when God would be graciously disposed to this world, but the scripture from which He quoted was followed by "the day of vengeance of our God."   That day will surely come, and it will come suddenly, "like a thief in the night;" there will be no prior announcement, and the day of God's grace will pass, and the day of His wrath will come.

Paul is saying here, that Christians need not fear that day, because the God who loved them, loved them while they were sinners, loved them when they were ungodly, loved them when they were enemies, and in that awful state of distance from God, of rebellion against God, God set His love upon them to the extent of the shed blood of His own Son at Calvary.   Christians need not fear the Day of Wrath, because all the wrath of God against them fell on Christ at Calvary.   By an infinite act of divine mercy and love towards sinful man, which God sealed and signed in the blood of His own Son, He will not bring wrath, which is what we deserve, on any believer.   Paul's argument is that divine love displayed to such an extent, will not suddenly turn to hatred in the Day of Judgement.   The Judge of all the earth has declared me to be righteous on the basis of my faith in the blood of Christ.   There is no rescinding of this, because Jesus shed His blood  "we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

All this is reminiscent of the Passover story in Exodus, when the avenging angel was about to pass through Egypt and destroy all the first born God declared to Israel "when I see the blood I will pass over you."

My salvation ultimately depends on God's word, and His honour.   He has made it clear, I believe it, and there is no fear for the future.  

For those who do not have such assurance, seek His mercy immediately, only this will protect you from certain oncoming judgement.   Today we see that we are saved by His death, tomorrow d.v. we will see that we are saved by His life. From the greater to the lesser Paul argues, at Calvary God did the big thing, in the day of judgment He will also do the small thing. He will honour the sacrifice of  His Son.