Romans 5

“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ (Messiah) died for us!  Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath.  For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, being reconciled, will we be saved by His Life!  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have now received this reconciliation through Him.” Romans 5:8-11 (HCSB)

It has been said that people come to faith in Jesus for three reasons: Past, Present, and Future. We feel guilt over our past, overwhelmed by our present situation, and uncertain of what lies ahead.

In the passage above, Paul addresses each reason and weaves them together. He demonstrates how they relate to each other and how they are inseparable.

Past: We WERE still sinners and enemies when Messiah died for us. He WAS aware of our past yet loved us anyway. His love results not from the abundance of our goodness but from the greatness of His affection and holiness.

Present: We have NOW been declared righteous by His blood. We are NOW reconciled to God through the death of His Son. We NOW rejoice in God because of Messiah’s life (resurrection). With the weight of our past and future being removed, we are free to enjoy life TODAY.

Future: Since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we WILL BE saved, through Jesus, from wrath. If, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, being reconciled, WILL WE BE saved by His Life!

I was receptive to the gospel because my Past had really messed up my Present to the extent that I believed I had no hope for the Future. No matter our particular areas of spiritual struggle, if we are genuinely seeking salvation and the truth, we must all enter into a saving relationship with God through the “door” of Messiah Jesus. He loves you despite your past, will give you hope for today, and secures the future of all true believers with the promise of eternity in Heaven.