Charles Spurgeon Commentary Romans 5:11

"and not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." — Romans 5:11 (ASV)

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Now comes an admonition.

But we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Then he begins to explain the great plan of our salvation.

And not only so,-

There is no end to the blessing, dear brothers and sisters. The apostle seems to be always going up, and up, and up. This Paul, calm and cool and logical as he is, makes the fire burn most wondrously: And not only so, –

But we also joy in God –

We are glad that he is God, glad that he is such a God as he is; we would not wish to have him altered. The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, – the God of the Old Testament, and the God of the New Testament, – we love him altogether just as he is, and we joy in God –

But we also joy in God –

That is a delightful experience, joying in God himself, in the very character and person of God. So perfectly reconciled are we that, not only do we rejoice in God's gifts, and in his mercy, but we swim in a sea of delight in God himself: We also joy in God –

And not only so,

The blessings of the covenant of grace rise tier upon tier, mountain upon mountain, Alp on Alp. When you climb to what seems the utmost summit, there is a height yet beyond you. "And not only so" –

By whom we have now received the atonement.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are at one with God; we are reconciled to him by the death of his Son. All our sin is forever put away; we have received the atonement, and we rejoice in the God of our salvation. Glory be to his holy name forever and ever!

But we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Romans 5:11)

Christ has made atonements for us, and God has accepted that atonement on our behalf. We also have received it ourselves and now we are glad in God, glad that there is a God, glad that there is such a God, and glad that he is our God and Father in Christ Jesus.

And not only so,-

Paul seems to go up a ladder, and when he gets to the top of it, he sets up another on the top of that one, and proceeds to mount that. This is the second time that we have read, "And not only so," –

And not only so,–

We cannot get to the end of these priceless blessings. These precious pearls are too numerous even for the apostle to count, although he was a man who knew how to "reckon" up spiritual treasures: And not only so,–

And not only so, –

Surely we have got high enough when we have reached an absolute certainty of our eternal salvation. Yet we are to go still higher: And not only so, –

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

We are at one with God, we are perfectly reconciled to him, and we have at present, at this very moment, a great joy and delight in God.

Now we shall read together the 71st Psalm, so that we may see how good men in all ages have been assisted by their experience and their hope, and how their hope has grown out of their tribulation, their patience, and their experience.

The old man's psalm. You can recollect it, dear friends, who are aged, by its being 71; it is just past the threescore years and ten.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, –

Every blessing comes to us through him. How Paul delights to harp upon that string! He says continually, through our Lord Jesus Christ, –

But we also joy in God—

Even now we joy in God, although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olives shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet we do joy in God—