#23. Romans 5:10-11 - For the Love of God Overflows… (Conciliation Series, Part IV)

  Part IV: God’s Conciliation, Confirmed

For if, being enemies, we were conciliated to God through the death of His Son, much rather, being conciliated, we shall be saved in His life.

The start of this verse contrasts the previous one. Whereas Romans 5:8-9 explicitly states that sinners are justified in His blood, thus saved from indignation, here we have enemies being conciliated through His death, thus saved in life.

Such a crucial and critical contrast. It must be spelled out for us, too. We start off as enemies. This does not mean God did not love us at this time – it merely means He was, literally, not at peace with us. I would hope that we are not so callous as a race (I may be a bit too favorable toward man, here,) that we may realize that, though we enter wars with other nations, they are still other people that have their own way of life! Though they may be enemies for a time, they do not stay enemies. Is Britain still our enemy because of the Revolutionary War?

The contrast in my silly example is love – whereas we may not have loved Britain (before or after, and especially not during, the Revolution,) God does love His opponents, as this chapter began with the theme of His love in mind (Rom. 5:1, 5, 8.) This is where the letter expands, not merely to one of grandeur – magnificence in righteousness, and true graciousness in imparting such righteousness into us – but to one now contrasted by a complete love for the very enemies (ourselves,) who once opposed Him.

This is, by definition, conciliation. A peace, now established. This hasn’t delivered us from God’s coming indignation – that was justification’s job, per the previous verse. Remember: God has revealed an indignation on the sin, not the sinner. He takes issue with the irreverence and injustice of man, not man ourselves. Sinners are justified when Christ’s faith is ‘installed’ in them (3:22,) which concludes with them believing.

Yet conciliation, peace, is unveiled on the enemies, the living enemies, being ourselves, as the sin is inside of these mortal frames. The word “enemies” here discusses believers, yes. But all in the flesh are subject to sin (3:11, 23.) Enemies, the entire human race, are not justified, but conciliated. God makes peace with the individual through His Son’s death, and justifies believers in His blood. Read the verses again – they build on each other, and are similar in structure, but are not repeating the same idea. Not all are yet justified, as not all yet believe – but all are conciliated, as all are enemies.

But that makes the above verse even more powerful, doesn’t it?? We were enemies, conciliated through the death of His Son. We are no longer considered enemies, as a result of His Son – God is not worried about the human race. He’s at peace with them. He’s relaxed. He’s currently effecting the removal of sin by allowing the experience of evil to run its course, contrasting said evil with Himself by justifying us.

There’s a divine contrast here between the previous verse, verse 9, and this one. Justification itself is more technical – it’s a righteousness manifest through Christ’s faith, in His blood. Conciliation, on the other hand, is revealing itself to be more personal. It’s not concerned with the action of making us anything, but displays this righteous level of peace that God has with the person. It’s not concerned with the intricacies of His blood, but considering the whole – His Son’s death. The loss of the Son of God. His loss is for our life.

You may hear some in the ‘atheist’ category that want to criticize God, now. “Oh, He hates when we do wrong, but says He is at peace with us! How can He be throwing indignation on us if He’s at peace?” You’ve probably heard this, in one way or another, a million different times. Yet here the difference is presented logically, for us to comprehend. Again: indignation on the sin, peace with the sinner. Jesus became sin for our sakes (2 Cor. 5:21.) See the might of the suffering He endured? This is sin’s consequence. He gave it a death blow in the death of His Son. The justification is in His blood, applied in His faith. Yet conciliation impacts us all. He does not distinguish between believers and unbelievers here, but calls us enemies.

This topic of conciliation is going to be discussed here, in great detail, throughout the next few chapters of Romans, but it will be elaborated on in later letters as well. God describes conciliation in 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 as well. There’s been this rhetoric, for nearly 2,000 years now, that Christ gave us the opportunity for peace, the option of salvation. We have not read this at all, in the chain of events Romans presents. Let’s let the controversy (at least among believers) be settled in this verse! The world is confused – they do not realize that sin has been dealt a death blow. They do not realize that, because Christ became sin, that all died, having been created in Him (2 Cor. 5:14, Col. 1:15-17.) They believe that, because God differentiates between believers and unbelievers, that salvation must be optional! Where is this option presented??

It follows: if you are not justified, you do not know of this conciliation. Consequently, you can see the entire world today, not at peace with others. At best, they spend their entire lives living at peace with themselves and their actions, and not others. These folk may be at peace with man, but they are not at peace with God. I may have said this before, but can’t remember, so let me clarify here: there’s a divine contrast between “conciliation” (from God,) and “reconciliation” (toward God.) Man is reconciled (Col. 1:20,) while God “conciliates” (Rom. 5:10.)

Let’s talk about “His Son.” There’s a contrast here between “His Son” and “Christ,” from 5:8. Yes, they are the same One, but they cover Him from different perspectives. “Christ” is “Anointed,” while “His Son” is, literally, “His Son,” Who died on the cross. Authority is presented in verse 8, while love is apparent in 10. It’s a much more intimate recognition of Jesus and His suffering. It really highlights that “personal” message of “God at peace,” doesn’t it? Whereas justification is legalistic in nature – dealing with blood, with faith – conciliation is revealing itself to be primarily focused on the person. The sin, having been dealt a death blow, is now second to God’s peace with the world. You can see this peace manifest, literally, in the world today. It may sound strange to say this, noting how corrupted and FUBAR the world is, but really, think about it. Knowing God is the Subjector and Placer of all, it makes complete sense that He is not, as man supposes, inflicting a series of attacks on man, but allowing the sin to run rampant on the planet, to display its corrupting factor in man. He could easily crumple up the universe like a paper ball and move on to the next project, but He doesn’t. He is dealing with the world with patience, allowing us to play our reasoning to the very end (Rom. 2:4, 9:22.) He knows we will checkmate ourselves, because that’s what man does – we argue with ourselves, forcing our ideas, until they fail.

Why does conciliation apply to all, while justification to some? God makes it clear that, in being justified, Christ’s faith is established in you (Rom. 3:22.) He goes on to clarify that this justification is in Christ’s blood. It is indeed for all (Rom. 3:22,) but, as we can clearly see in the world today, the world is not currently believing with Christ’s faith established in them. When Christ’s faith is established in an individual (and this will eventually become the case for all – Rom. 5:19, 1 Cor. 15:23-28,) they are then made righteous.

Yet, on the other hand, conciliation deals with the enemy, and establishes a peace with the enemy through the death of His Son, which is a done deal. God now has a peaceful disposition toward His opponents, of which we all are. If you recall, God’s very first issue presented, the issue that earns His indignation first, is irreverence, or disrespect, toward His creation. He lists irreverence first. It makes sense, then, that the first major teaching in here that does not only apply to believers at present, but all mankind (as we have all been enemies, disrespectful to Him,) deals with “irreverence” first and foremost. Whether we are disrespectful or not, now, doesn’t change His disposition of peace.

Dwell on it for a while. When God calls out disrespect, it’s not your 3rd grade teacher calling you ‘disrespectful’ for throwing a paper plane across the room. We are speaking of a disrespect toward the very One that gave you life to begin with, One with an overwhelming love for you. We are so flawed as to ignore Him entirely, believing to be the root of “great” deeds, when God is the One telling the story (Rom. 9:16.)

Do you see how important it is to distinguish between justification and conciliation? The two topics are separate. Justification is technical, while conciliation is emotional. Justification is already great enough, right? We have such a blessing to be made right, or constituted righteous on God’s level of perfection, in His sight. Yet sin isn’t man’s only problem! Death pains us. Death scares us. Dying is the natural effect of sin – nothing more. The result, the ration, the outcome, of sin, can only be death. The expectation of the world is to die. They have hopes, yes, but hope isn’t fact. They expect death. It’s the only thing they can be sure of. Yet God, in grace, imparts His true word to us in the midst of this chaotic life. Yes, we are in the death state – relatively, thanks to Adam, but ultimately, God created death to begin with. All is out of God (Rom. 11:36, 2 Cor. 5:18) – still, nowhere in these passages, have we read anything that we should be doing. It’s all been God’s chain of events, leading us to being saved in Christ’s life – His resurrection. We need not worry about the indignation, through justification. The suffering of sin is dealt with, in our justification. He literally deals with the curse Adam endured! Moreover, He covers our death, through reconciliation. We now have His life. This is a critical component to the teachings that will follow in later chapters.

Yet not only so, but we are boasting also in God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom we now obtained the conciliation.

I’m surprised there’s no “wherefore” at the beginning of this sentence, as this statement is another effect of the previous one. Thus, God’s love, from verses 6-10, is displayed in full force. No other deity can provide this – a righteous spirit, peace beyond this flesh, peace within, peace with all. This, this here – this is something to boast in. This is something to really appreciate. The world is still focused on ‘how to fight sin,’ how to fight imperfection, how to calm greed on their own terms, and feel fit to turn to God ‘when they can’t do it themselves.’ My guy – Who made you?? Who made you to be able to handle it or not? Who gave you breath? Who built your figure? Crafted your form? Considered your name? Rigged your environment? Imparted and departed whatever knowledge He pleases? You can’t do anything on your own. Apart from love, we are nothing (1 John 4:8, 1 Cor. 13:1-3.)

That’s right. We can boast in Him. Notice how this is the same Greek word used as “glorying” from the beginning of the chapter. We are glorying, now, or boasting, in our God, Who can do greater than any other – including the false Christian god. No other God gave His Son that we may realize peace at the center of the universe. It’s so simple, in conclusion – Christ covers our sin, covers our death. We are now okay.

- GerudoKing