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“Christ Died for the Ungodly”

Romans 5:6

Here is the glorious doctrine of the Gospel. Never did human ear listen to more astounding and, at the same time, more cheering truth than that which Paul declares in this simple statement. —– “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Angels desire to look into it; and if men were wise, they would study it night and day.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, himself God over all and blessed forever, the infinitely glorious One, Creator of heaven and earth, stooped to become a man and die in the place of sinners, because of his great love! Christ Jesus, the thrice holy God, the pure-hearted man, in whom there was no sin, took upon himself the salvation of wicked men. That Holy One of Israel, whose doctrine makes deadly war on sin, whose Spirit destroys evil, whose whole being abhors iniquity, and whose second advent will prove his indignation against every form of transgression, undertook the cause of fallen man. The Christ of God, though he had neither part nor lot in the fall and the sin which has arisen from it, died to redeem us from its penalty. By his obedience unto death he restored that which he took not away (Psalm 69:4).

In Romans 5:6-10 God the Holy Spirit uses four terms to describe the miserable condition of those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ gave his life a ransom at Calvary.

“Without Strength”

The Lord Jesus Christ died for those who were “without strength.” This is the condition in which he found us. We were lame on both feet through a fall. We had fallen among two thieves, sin and Satan, who had beaten us, stripped us, robbed us, and left us for dead. In a word, we were weak. We were legally weak. We had no strength to obey God’s holy law.

We were morally weak. We were prisoners under bondage because of iniquity. We were in bondage to the law and justice of God. We were prisoners of Satan, taken captive by him at his will. We were captives to our own hearts’ lust. Frequently, we resolved to do better, only to find ourselves sinking deeper into our vile appetites.

And we were spiritually weak. We could not redeem ourselves. We could not save ourselves. We could do nothing good. We could do nothing to help ourselves.

Are you “without strength?” I have good news for you. Christ has all power to do for you what you can never do for yourself. His strength is made perfect in weakness. — “He is able to save unto the uttermost them who come unto God by him.”

“Ungodly”

The Lord Jesus Christ died for “the ungodly.” To be ungodly is to be without God. We lost all godliness by the sin and fall of our Father Adam. God was not in all our thoughts. We cared nothing for God’s righteousness.

To be ungodly is to be blasphemous. Christ died for the irreverent, the blasphemers, those who had cast off God and all desire for that which is upright, holy, and good. — “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Psalm 36:1; Romans 3:18).

To be ungodly is to be idolatrous. All men must have a god. Therefore, they choose something that is not God to worship as their god, and make a refuge of lies for their souls (Isaiah 28:14-22).

“Sinners”

Paul goes on to say that, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” — That’s the third word Paul uses to describe those for whom Christ died: (1.) Those who are “without strength.” (2.) “The Ungodly!” and (3.) “Sinners!” ——— “This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). We all became sinners by the fall of our father Adam. We are all sinners by birth. We are all sinners by choice. We have sinned from our youth up. We sin willfully. We sin repeatedly. We sin needlessly. We sin relentlessly!

Understand this. — Your ungodliness, your irreverence, your exceeding sinfulness is the strongest argument you can use in coming to Christ for mercy (Psalm 25:11). Cry to him, “O Lord, I am only a poor sinner! But Christ came to save sinners. Your own dear Son died for sinners. O hear me, and have mercy upon me for Christ’s sake!”

“Enemies”

Here is the fourth word by which we are described — “Enemies!” The Apostle reminds us that, “when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (v. 10).

In his holy justice, God was alienated from us because of sin. But his justice was satisfied and his anger turned away by the death of his dear Son for us. We were enemies to God, but Christ’s shed blood, being sprinkled upon our hearts, has removed our natural enmity against God.

For whom did Christ die? He died “for us,” who were without strength, “for us,” the ungodly, “for us,” sinners, “for us,” enemies! If we were weak, ungodly, sinners, and enemies of God and of Christ, it cannot be supposed that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us because we were more noble or excellent than other men. Oh, no! The Lord Jesus Christ died for us because he and his Father loved us!

If you would know the love of God, look to Calvary. The greatest, fullest, and most marvelous display of divine love is the substitutionary death of Christ.

“Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan,

Oh, the grace that brought it down to man,

Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span,

At Calvary!”

Our blessed Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to die in our place because he loved us.

Don Fortner

Pastor Fortner’s