Notes of Readings by F. W. G.: Romans 5

This is the conclusion of the first part of the epistle, in which the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is seen meeting our sins. As yet there is no question of nature; it is the sin we have committed, and which is what exposes us to the judgment of God. " All have sinned;" that is what we are responsible for, for whatever our nature, there is not a sin we have committed of which we can truly say we could not help committing it.
The great point here is not that God is love, but how His righteousness can be for me too, for He is righteous. He cannot give that up. Now the blood of Christ, while it fully reveals His love, puts His righteousness also on the side of sinners, and this is Why the apostle is not ashamed of the gospel (1:17), because in it-in good new to sinful man-His righteousness is declared; hence the gospel is the power of God for salvation, positive present deliverance for the soul, a thing unknown before.
Justification is a distinct thought from forgiveness. In ordinary human affairs a man justified could not be forgiven. Forgiveness is love acting; justification righteousness acting. Rom. 4:7,8, gives both: "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." What covers is the blood of Christ, the token of the penalty of our sins having been met.
We are justified by His blood actually, by His resurrection declaratively (4:25); for in it we see the work accepted. Death is the Lord's part in this; the resurrection God's part, He coming out thus openly for us as soon as His love had title to show itself.
Faith is counted for righteousness, not as being actually such, but as what God takes now instead. By the law He had been looking for righteousness, and had found it nowhere-" none righteous, no, not one." Now he looks for faith in place Of a righteousness impossible for man to produce. Chapter 3:25,26. " Sins that are past" are not the sins of one's past life, but sins past before the cross. "This time" is in contrast with it it, and " I say" should be omitted. In the "past time" there was a passing over in the forbearance of God, and God's righteousness in doing this is now seen by the cross. For the "present time there is a positive pronounced justification of all who believe in Jesus.
Verse 1. We do not speak of being justified from future sins, but we are assured as to all that may come, because we " stand in the grace of God "-His unconditional favor. We have grace as to the past, grace in the present, "hope of the glory of God" for the future. The things from which, under the law, men were shut out, come short of (3:23). So in the mount of transfiguration the disciples feared as those (Moses and Elias) entered into the cloud; it was a bright cloud; Peter calls it the " excellent glory;" the Father's voice conies out of it they see two men go right into that which they had always been taught was absolute death to see.
At the first giving of the law there was no glory even in Moses' face. At the second, God connected His goodness with it, proclaiming the name of Jehovah (not the Father) showing mercy, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, while yet, as still dealing by law, not able to clear the guilty; just what is spoken of in Ezek. 18:27. The wicked man has to turn from his wickedness and do that which is lawful and right, and then his sins will be forgiven, and he shall save his soul alive. This is what people often take up now and call Christianity. They are taking God's mercy to clear off the past, get a fresh start, and go on to meet the day of judgment. But this is all the "ministration of death and condemnation," as 2 Cor. 3 terms it. Moses sees God with His back to him, and not his face (Ex. 33:23). That is still law-God unknown and with his back to you. As John 1:18: " No man hath seen God at any time." But now, in contrast: " The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He bath declared Him." " The Word was made flesh and tabernacle (dwelt) amongst us, and we beheld His glory" (John 1:14). We see God face to face, and without a veil. He who could not clear the guilty, now justifies the ungodly. Israel could not behold even the reflected glory in the face of the lawgiver, nor can people still who see the glory in Moses' face; nor could Israel understand even the Scripture while under the law; the veil remains. They could not look to the end of that which is abolished. There is no veil now, except for unbelief.
Verse 3. Now we have the effect upon the difficulties of the way. Knowing that tribulation worketh patience," an internal conscious knowledge, not as I might read about it in a book. Patience, in a certain sense, is everything. (James 1:4.) If patience have her perfect work we are perfect and entire, wanting nothing, because patience is a broken will which lets God have His way, and then that works experience, we find how good His way is. Experience thus works hope (v. 5). " Hope maketh not ashamed."' Compare Isa. 1:29: " Ashamed of the oaks which ye have chosen." A false hope leaves the soul in disappointment and shame. " Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts; " i. e. God's love to us, ministered by the Holy Ghost, divine influence, like rain upon a garden. It is such a love as we can carry with us through all circumstances, God's own love, commended to us in Christ's death for us while we were yet sinners. He is explaining how this love is shed abroad, for "when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Human love always needs something to draw it out; divine love finds its motive in itself, and misery gives only the occasion for its display. If it could take us up with the perfect knowledge of what we were, and that there was nothing in us to love, then it can never give us up again; so if we are now justified by Christ's blood all is sure forever. Much more, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. " If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son; " if He was at such pains to win our hearts when we were His enemies, "much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Our salvation thus depends upon His life, that is, upon His life in glory. " Because I live ye shall live also." The fact of wrath to come is recognized, but the believer is now delivered from it through Christ. The point where God meets us is shown by these " yets: " " yet without strength; " "yet sinners " " when enemies." The " yet " stands here in relation to God's dispensational dealings with men. There was a " due time" for Christ to die. "Yet without strength," after law, prophets, and even the corning of the Son of God in grace had been in vain; when God had done all He could do short of this, then was the due time in which Christ died for the ungodly. These are the two parts of the condition to which Christ's death applies: " ungodly and without strength." The dispensational fact is true in the individual history of every soul. We have to be brought down to receive Christ as ungodly still, not godly. The two ways in which the law was given prove these two things. Given the first time without any display of mercy shows man ungodly; he makes a golden calf. The second time man says, " Give me time and help," and God does so. It is now " Break off your sins by righteousness," and " save your soul alive. Here God has long patience, and man is tried again and again. The truth of his condition more and more comes out. "Make you a new heart," etc., that is man's need,, but it is still put upon him to do it. In the end of this trial Israel are given up as Lo-ammi-not God's people (Hos. 1:9).