You see, at just the right time,(A) when we were still powerless,(B) Christ died for the ungodly.(C) Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.(D)

Since we have now been justified(E) by his blood,(F) how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath(G) through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies,(H) we were reconciled(I) to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!(J)

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6-8 Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

9-11 Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!

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While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time Christ died [as a substitute] for the ungodly. Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to willingly give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a good man [one who is noble and selfless and worthy] someone might even dare to die. But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the [a]wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 5:9 The “wrath of God,” with the definite article in Greek, anticipates the outpouring of God’s wrath on rebellious sinners in the tribulation period (cf Rev 6:16, 17).

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

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For (A)while we were still weak, at the right time (B)Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but (C)God shows his love for us in that (D)while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, (E)we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from (F)the wrath of God. 10 For if (G)while we were enemies (H)we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by (I)his life.

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