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!
Romans 5:6-10
By nature we weren’t friends of God, we were enemies. Paul writes, “the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’ s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” How often does the hostility of our sinful nature show itself in our daily lives? Jesus once said, “you are my friends if you do what I command... if anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” One might say, “Halt! Who goes there? Friend or foe?” Friends speak well of others and take their words and actions in the kindest possible way. Foes gossip about others and put the worst construction on the words and actions of others. Friends seek to be kind and compassionate, forgiving others as they have been forgiven. Foes seek to take advantage of others in order to serve themselves. After Jesus served his disciples by washing their feet, he said, “now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’ s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you...Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Friends seek to love and serve their Lord by the way they love and serve their neighbor. So are we Friend or Foe?
For the many times we’ve played the part of the foe, we can rejoice that Jesus calls us friends. Not because of anything in us, but rather because of everything in Him! Paul tells us, “very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.” Using the movie, “Saving Private Ryan,” an article describes how eight soldiers went behind enemy lines to save a man known as Private Ryan. Why so much time and effort for one man? Because three of his brothers had already died in combat. To spare his mother the grief of possibly losing her final son, eight men were sent on a rescue mission. Would his rescued life be worth the sacrifice? Would yours? God thought so! So much so that he sent his one and only Son on a rescue mission to save you! Would you be willing to lay down your life for someone else? I suppose it might depend on who that someone is. Would you lay down your life for your spouse? Would you lay down your life for your child? Would you lay down your life for a friend? Would you lay down your life for an enemy? Probably not, but that’s exactly what God did for us!
Paul says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The disappointing end we deserved because of our sins is something we won’t receive because of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus our Savior. He willingly endured the pain and suffering, the punishment for sin and the agony of hell so that we would never have to. The innocent one was declared guilty to declare the guilty innocent. That’s what it means to be justified! In the eyes of God, it’s “just as if I’d never sinned,” and, “since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
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