no ROMANS 5: 1—11.
his favour and access to the Father, v. 18. 4. The context obviously requires this sense here. " Being- reconciled by the death of his Son," evidently corresponds to the phrase " Being justified by his blood;" the latter cannot mean that our feelings towards God are changed, but is ad- mitted to express the idea that we are forgiven and restored to the divine favour. Such, therefore, must be the meaning of the former. Besides, it is the object of the apostle to illustrate the greatness and freeness of the love of God from the unworthiness of its objects. While sinners, we are justified; while enemies, we are reconciled. To make the pas- sage mean, that when enemies, we laid aside our enmity and became the friends of God, would be to make it contradict the very assertion and design of the apostle.
We shall be saved hy his life. This rather unusual mode of expression was doubtless adopted for the sake of its correspondence to the words hy his death in the preceding clause ; and is a striking example of Paul's fondness for such antithetical constructions ; see ch. 4 : 25. Gal. 3 : 3. 2 Cor. 3 : 6. The meaning is obvious. ' If while we were enemies, we were restored to the favour of God by the death of his Son ; the fact that he lives will certainly secure our final salvation.' 1. His life is a pledge and security for the life of all his people ; see .Tohn 14 : 19, " Because I live, ye shall live also ;" Rom. 8:11. 1 Cor. 15: 23. 2. He is able to save to the uttermost, " because he ever lives to make intercession for us ;" Heb. 7 : 25, &c. &c. 3. At his resurrection all power in heaven and earth was committed to his hands. Matt. 28 : 18 ; and this power he exercises for the salvation of his people ; Eph. 1 : 22, ' He is head ovei all things for the benefit of his church ;' Rev. 1 : 18. Heb. 2 : 9. 1 Cor. 15 : 25, &c. &c. ; see also the passages cited on the last clause of v. 9. There is, therefore most abundant ground for confidence for the final blessedness of believers, not only in the amazing love of God by which, though sinners and enemies, they have been justified and reconciled by the death of his Son, but also in the consideration that this same Saviour that died for them still lives, and ever lives to sanctify, protect, and save them.
(11) Not only so^ hut we also joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christy &c. That is, ' Not only are we secure of future salvation, but we now rejoice in God as our reconciled Father and portion.' This includes all other good. If God be for us, who can be against usl If we have the infinite fountain of blessedness, it matters little what streams may fail. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul never forgets to acknowledge that all the blessings of redemption are through Jesus Christ ; not only recon- ciliation and salvation, but present joyful intercourse with God, Heb. 4: 16.
By whom we have now received the atonement, or reconciliation, as the Greek word here used is always elsewhere rendered, Rom. 11 : 15. 2 Cor. 5: 18, 19, and in which sense our translators probably used the word atonement. To reoive reconciliation and to be reconciled, are, of
ROMANS 5: l—ll. Ill
course, synonymous expressions. This clause, therefore, is but a repeti tion of verse 10, 'We rejoice in God through Jesus Christ, by whom, i. e. by whose death, we have been restored to the divine favour.' Paul says we have now received reconciliation ; because reconciliation is a present good, and pledge of future blessedness. " If children, then heirs," Rom. 8 : 17.