• The Bible Studies for Life lesson for Dec. 15 focuses on Romans 5.
In December 1943, American bomber pilot Charlie Brown struggled to get his limping plane out of German airspace. Guns frozen, two engines down, the left stabilizer missing and half his crew either dead or wounded, Charlie asked his navigator to chart a course for home. Trying to avoid German flak lines, neither Charlie nor his remaining crew realized their course would take them directly over a German airfield.
On the ground below was Franz Stigler, a German pilot who only needed to shoot down one more bomber to earn his Knight’s Cross. Stigler scrambled to get his plane in the air. He put his finger on the trigger as he approached the wounded American plane. Then he saw the bomber’s left stabilizer had been shot through. Amazed the plane still was in the air, Stigler circled the plane to inspect the damage. Nose missing, holes in the wings and sides, the plane few as if held up by an invisible hand.
He could see the crew struggling to care for the wounded through holes in the fuselage. Stigler met eyes with the surviving airmen and knew he could not shoot this plane down. Others would not be so merciful; the German coast and barrage of anti-aircraft guns rapidly approached. Stigler knew sparing the enemy could be considered treason, but he wanted these men to live. Stigler did the only thing he could think to do: he flew in formation with the American bomber, escorting it across the German lines to the open sea. Still in shock, Charlie didn’t understand what had just happened. But as Stigler saluted the crew and flew away, Charlie knew one thing: the German pilot was a good man.
Mercy and compassion
Stigler’s actions in the German skies that day were a remarkable demonstration of mercy and compassion. It is rare for a man to take a risk to save his friend, much less his enemy. Yet this is what God has done for us; while we still were sinners, Christ died for us (v. 8). God proved the depth of his love for us when he sent Jesus to die for us before we had ever done anything to deserve it. Jesus died for the enemies of God.
Our sin put enmity, or hatred, between ourselves and God (v. 10). Sin sets us in direct opposition to God. Our sin, self-indulgence and self-justification demonstrate hatred and contempt for the Creator. Darkness hates light. Sin makes us refuse to face our own darkness and lash out at anyone who “judges” us or shines the light into the dark corners we have kept hidden.
While our sin reveals our enmity against the Lord, we also should understand that in our sinful state the enmity was on both sides. A holy God who did not judge sin would cease to be holy, and it would be a terrible thing to live in a world governed by a god who was anything less than good. God’s holiness puts him in opposition to sin. Our sin makes us objects of God’s wrath—not human anger, but divine judgment (Romans 5:9, Ephesians 2:3). While we were enemies of God, there was a sense in which he also was our enemy.
While we were still enemies, Christ died for us
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And yet God loved us. While we still were sinners—while we still were enemies of God—he sent Christ to die for us. God is perfect in his judgment and perfect in his love, like a father who lets his prodigal child experience the consequences of his own choices but still leaves the porch light on every night so he can come home. In Christ, God not only justified us, declaring us righteous, but also reconciled us to himself. Christ’s death satisfied God’s wrath and put to death the enmity between us and God.
This idea of reconciliation sets Christianity apart from other world religions. The God we serve is not an impersonal force or a distant ruler, but a loving father who relentlessly pursues his children. God’s goal was not just to spare us punishment but to open up the way for us to have a relationship with him. Reconciliation is intimate and personal. Justification removes guilt, but reconciliation restores relationship. And this is not just something we anticipate in heaven’s glory; it is an offer available to us in our present experience (Romans 5:10). We now enjoy the fruits of Christ’s labor: reconciliation with God.
Our response to this great gift should be celebration (Romans 5:11). We don’t boast in our own accomplishments or good deeds. Instead, we boast in the goodness of our God who reconciled us to himself on the cross. We celebrate God as we come together as his people in the spirit of worship. We celebrate him as we find quiet moments of prayer and as we learn to walk in the moment-by-moment intimate dependence on him that is our birthright as the children of God. We celebrate him as we tell of his goodness and faithfulness and as we testify to how he has shown us his love. While we still were his enemies, Christ died for us and reconciled us to God. It is a reason to celebrate.
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