06/14/2026
Pentecost 3 June 14,2026
Farmersville, Il.
Grace Alone!
Romans 5: 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Is the gospel reasonable?
• Does it make sense that a good man would make propitiation for the sins of dirty rotten scoundrels and die for them?
Of course … that doesn’t make a bit of sense.
The Apostle Paul in our text admits that. He says, “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person.”
That’s why your neighbor, your family member, and your best friend rejects our gospel words, “while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” It doesn’t make sense.
Let’s go through the logic of this a bit more.
If God is truly God, then He is supreme. He is the creator of everything. He is also the one who makes the rules. We know this by simple natural knowledge.
• We know in our hearts there are absolutes, certain things are right and certain things are wrong. We just know that.
• Our consciences tell us that murder is wrong, that stealing, certain sexual acts are wrong, speaking unkindly of others for no justifiable reason, and wanting things that we have no right to are also wrong.
• We know by nature that there is an order in our universe, we didn’t create it, but it was created by someone greater than we.
• We understand that parents are God’s representatives. And certain other people represent our parents who represent God. Police, government officials, teachers are people who should be obeyed unless they violate these natural laws.
Therefore, if God is truly God; it doesn’t make sense that, while we were still sinners, (disobeying his rules for Godly living), that Christ would die for us.
Now, let’s just suppose, sinner that you are, you tried to make up for the sins you’ve committed. You’ve dedicated your life, heart, soul, your entire being trying to make up for the sins you have done. Would your life of repentance be enough?
What does the Bible say? That’s simple. We all know what it says. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). (That passage is burned into most of our minds, isn’t it?)
So where does that leave us? What hope do we have? The waters are rising and soon it will be over our heads and we drown in our sins.
And that could be the end of the story. For most reasonable, intelligent people, the idea that a person can appease God by their works makes no sense at all.
But that is exactly what many religions tell people.
• God will forgive and forget, if you do what you can.
But, again, that makes no sense.
• God is holy. God hates sins.
• God promises to punish the sinner.
• The idea that we can buy off God, that we can ever do enough to placate Him for violating His holy will just simply doesn’t fly. “That dog doesn’t hunt,” as the saying goes.
And yet every other religion and philosophy in the world, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormons, Christian Science, Jehovah Witnesses, Zoroasterism, Islam, liberal Christianity, and all the others teach some form of “works righteousness.” Do this! Do that. God can be manipulated into forgetting that you and I are sinners through and through.
And now, against all of these mighty religions of the world, past, present, and future comes the Word of God proclaimed by God messengers, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptizer, Peter, and the Apostle Paul. Men appointed by Jesus Christ Himself.
And they clearly speak a different message.
• They speak the truth as revealed to them from God Himself.
• They say something we can hardly believe. They offend the panoply of priests, pastors, mullahs, elders, brothers, philosophers of all the religions of the world when God says,
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
What does that mean? Isn’t it clear? “Christ died for the ungodly.” “God shows his love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
• Does that say you have to give your heart to Jesus? No, it doesn’t.
• Does it say that if you come to believe, and if you stop sinning you will be saved? No, it doesn’t.
What does it say? It says that Christ died for me and you – the ungodly. Period!
But, now understand, that doesn’t mean that Christ’s suffering and death are automatically applied to you. Like God just saves everyone, because Jesus died for everyone – all sinners.
That is not what Paul is saying. I’m taking one sentence. Christ died for you and trying to show you that Christ’s death is the payment for our sins, but John 3:16 says, you have to believe that. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
And how does one come to believe? That is really the key question. And there are at least three key Bible answers/teachings to that question.
First, Paul in Romans 10 says this, “So faith comes from hearing the message, and the message that is heard is what Christ spoke.”
Secondly, the Apostle Paul is addressed by Ananias the prophet in Damascus in Acts 22. Ananias says, “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins.”
And finally in the Lord’s Supper, Jesus assures the disciples that sins are forgiven, not by searching their hearts, not by works but in their partaking of His body and Blood in the Holy Supper.
“The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take eat, this is my body, which is for you …. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
And all of this – (the forgiveness of sins, God remembering your sins no more, God calling you His sons and daughters, are as true as verse four of our opening hymn is true.
“Be of good cheer, for God's own Son
forgives the sins that you have done.
And justified by Jesus' blood;
our baptism grants the highest good.” LSB 571
All of this is yours by God’s grace, not by anything you have done, but by God’s grace (God’s riches at Christ’s expense) who has assured every sinner that his/her sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ.
Amen. This is the Word of the Lord.
