The Blood of Jesus: Declaring Righteous and Saving from Wrath
Thinking about Romans 5:9.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. (Romans 5:9)
It’s important that we remind ourselves of some things Paul wrote earlier about being justified.
You cannot be justified by the law (Romans 3:19-20). We have broken the law and sinned - therefore, the law condemns us.
God’s righteousness is revealed apart from the law (Romans 3:21-22). God’s righteousness is revealed through faith in Christ Jesus.
Jesus paid the ransom to justify us (Romans 3:22-24). A price had to be paid for the guilty to be pronounced righteous.
The death of Jesus on the cross was not merely an exhibit of God’s love for us - although it is certainly that (Romans 5:7-8).
Justified by His blood.
The NET Bible translates verse nine like this:
Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath.
So by the blood of Jesus Christ…
The unrighteous are declared righteous.
The weak (Romans 5:6) are made strong (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
The enemies of God (Romans 5:11) become the children of God (1 John 3:1).
The sinners (Romans 5:8) are made saints (Philippians 1:1).
The Hebrews writer points out that Jesus’ death was necessary because without the shedding of His blood, our sins could not be forgiven (Hebrews 9:16-10:18).
This is such an essential point in Scripture, and I think sometimes we miss the significance of Jesus’ blood. Not a single person can be “declared righteous” without the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because “all have sinned” and have fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).
Saved from wrath through Him.
Paul also returns to a previous point he made about the wrath of God.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,…who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:18, 32)
As sinners, we deserve to stand before God in Judgment and face His wrath. We have committed the crime, and so we deserve to face the consequences for our sins.
But by the sacrifice and blood of Jesus, we as the unrighteous can become the righteousness of God.
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus bore our sins so that we could die to sin and live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). Paul explains later in Romans 6 that our baptism is the moment when we are set free from sin, buried with Christ, and raised up to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-7).
The blood of Jesus declares the unrighteous to be righteous. His blood also saves us from facing God’s wrath at the Judgment. You come into contact with the blood of Jesus when you submit to baptism in humble, penitent faith.
By continuing to “walk in the light,” you continue to have access to the blood of Jesus which keeps on cleansing you from sin (1 John 1:5-10).
Without Jesus’ blood which He shed on the cross, we would have no hope whatsoever.