Romans 5:6-16
Sunday Morning – 11 Feb 2018 11:30:24 am – Pastor James Yang
“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.”
Romans 5:6-16 NKJV
If you believe in God, should you become the good people or the evil people? Now we have some confusion. Raise your hand if you think the former. If you have raised your hand, then this is a problem; it represents corruption.
We asked the pastors this question and they raised their hand thinking that they have to be a good person after believing in Jesus. We told them that this is a sign of corruption and they were shocked.
“Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.””
Romans 3:4 NKJV
Here it says clearly that every man is a liar. They why do we try to become good people. It is because we have not received God’s word in the correct manner. This is why we get led by the thought that we have to be good. There is a condition that we must need.
Here, folks, I brought two magnets. Can you see this black is the “South pole” and the red is the “North pole”. When you put the south and the south poles together, can you? If you can, then I will give you anything you want.
However, the north and the south poles, when put together, attract and stick together.
Now many people in the world preach like this. Let’s say the south side represents God. Now, God is good. But what does the world teach? The world meaning schools, colleges, society and other religions? They teach that we must all be good people. However, if they become good and try to stick to God, who is truly good, then like the magnets on the same pole, it will repel each other. They just cannot stick.
The world teaches us to be the good person. Not to smoke, not to take alcohol, etc. So they try. They constantly try to be good and then stick to God. This is never possible.
Rather, we should be on the opposite so that we can stick to God like how different poles attract.
Why do we have to become evil so we have to start spiritual life? Spiritual life is about looking at God. So that God can deliver and work for us.
You and me have to be evil so that we can be one with God. If you try not to, then in the church, you will be busy judging others, etc. You will be oblivious of the fact that you are evil.
Last week, I preached the word in brother Tony’s house. His sister was there. I asked whether she was evil or good and she said she was “good”. So I asked her if I beat up someone then would I be evil or good. She said “evil”. But if I was praying to God, then she said that would be “good”. And if I have evil thoughts, then I would be considered evil. So she was looking and judging me not based on the bible, but through her works and deeds.
In the bible, is the special character called Noah. In the era of Noah, the word was delivered to mankind by God that all humans were only evil continually. Noah received this Word into His heart. So what did he begin to do? He began to build the ark. As Noah obtained the heart and united his heart with God, then he started building the ark. He saw the world through the eyes of God from then on. When God’s heart and Noah’s united together, although he was living like one of the people in the world, his heart became different. He thus began to despise the world. He just disliked it. He disliked sinning and all the worldly things. The one thing that was firmly established in the heart of Noah was that this world was firmly established.
The problem is that so many people these days try to be just and this is a sign of corruption. I have met so many pastors from the beginning and so many are trying hard to be good. One believes in oneself which is why this is a sin. This is the symptom of corruption. This is what pastor Lim spoke about to the pastors in the Christian Leaders’ Forum in Papua New Guinea last week. The pastors who listened were shocked.
Once there was a goat who was so shocked as it saw lion. Then a monkey appeared and whispered to the goat telling him how to become a lion. The monkey said “Now I am a teacher and I will make you into a lion”. So the goat said “Baah”. So the monkey taught the goat how to roar like a lion. After a few lessons, the monkey certified the goat as a lion and put a label on its chest saying “Lion”. So the goat now had learnt how to walk like a lion and to sound like one. But as it saw a pride of lions, it was too scared and it went back to the monkey. The monkey affirmed that the certificate of the lion was real and so the goat went back to the pride of lions and tried to roar. However, it was soon eaten up by the lions.
Folks, we are sinners and we can never be good.
Corruption is thus trusting in ourselves. So many people trust in themselves.
So what do true pastors do? They lead you to the heart of God. The first thing then is to realise how evil you are. Many of us however learn it the wrong way. They learn “You must do good” or “You must do better”. In the eyes of God, there is nothing we can do to better ourselves to be good.
I have a new mobile phone. All the apps from my old mobile phone got transferred to the new one. As I tried to use the dictionary, I realised that the dictionary was not compatible. So I had to re-download it again. Folks, likewise, the notion that we are evil only continually is lost in our hearts as we live and learn from society. We need to obtain it from the bible as per Genesis 6:5.
Once there was a disabled woman who was trying to get by on a daily basis. One day, a lady who was very good came to her and said “Today I’d like to take you into my house and give you clean clothes, feed you and allow you to shower and give you money that you could not earn for today.” The disabled woman was so so thankful and so followed the woman and the woman did everything as she promised. The disabled woman burst into tears as she obtained everything and left.
As the disabled woman left, the lady then started to clean all her house. Starting from the bath-tub she started disinfecting everything, she chucked the disabled woman’s clothes and in doing so, she got so angry. She realised this one thing “There is no goodness in my heart”.
Everyone, there is no goodness in our heart.
Many churches in the world do not teach people about these things. Many pastors even trust themselves and so end up teaching other people to trust themselves.
“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
Romans 5:6 NKJV
For whom did Christ die? For the ungodly.
When you realise that you are the ungodly person, then only then can you build the relationship with God.
Most people worship and praise God without knowing who they are.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—”
Romans 5:12 NKJV
As Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, what entered the world? Sin and death. We are descendants of Adam so it means we are sinful and dead people. So for such people to say that they did something well, does not make sense. This is why God wants to teach us so He gave us the laws.
Have you ever murdered anyone? According to the bible, which says that if we swear at someone or call someone stupid, then we are already murderers.
“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
Romans 5:10 NKJV
When we are enemies to God then only can we be reconciled.
If you are constantly trying to be on the same side of God, then you will always have problems. This way, your heart can never be one with God. Why? It is because you do not believe in the heart of God.
Why does God love us when we are indeed so evil?
“Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?””
II Samuel 9:1 NKJV
Now there was Mephibosheth who was left in the house of Saul. He was lame in his feet and he was in fear because he thought that David hated his grandfather Saul. As David summoned him, he fell in great fear. But David said that because of the promise between his father and him, he would bestow grace on him.
If we are evil then God can bestow His grace of Jesus Christ upon us. This is why when we are evil, and know it and believe it, then only Jesus Christ can be bestowed upon us and we can rely totally upon Him.
Even if the slightest little bit of yourself is involved, then that is corruption.
In terms of salvation, only Jesus can do it, not us.
When we are included, things are very difficult. But when we are excluded then it is very easy. It is not us, but Satan who tells us to include ourselves in everything and the things of the world.
Thus, when you put yourself down and realise how evil you truly are, then God’s grace can be upon you.