While We Were Still Sinners

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”

Romans 5:6-8

This is an amazing passage of Scripture, but more so when we take a step back and see the larger context. Paul said we rejoice in hope of the glory of God, then he surprised us by saying that we also rejoice in our sufferings. He pointed out that God is at work during our suffering to cause us to grow in our faith and have a deeper hope in God. This hope does not lead us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. It is amazing to think that we are the objects of God’s affection and that he lavishes his love on us that we should be called children of God. (1 John 3:1)
 
This is even more amazing when we consider how unworthy we are of God’s love and goodness. Jesus did not die for us because we were so good and worthy of his love. It was not that God looked ahead and saw our potential or he knew if he just gave us a shot, we’d show him how worthy we were. No, Jesus died for us when we were ungodly. This is the whole idea of grace. Grace is God’s free, uncoerced, unmerited goodness to those who in no way deserve it. We were helpless and hopeless. Left to ourselves we would never seek after the true God, although we might have pursued false ones. Even our good works were filthy rags because they were self-motivated and ultimately self-serving (Isa 64:6).
 
We struggle because it puts all of us in a negative light. It makes sense that someone would die for a righteous person. We can even understand if someone dies for a good person. In fact, I think this is the biggest struggle with many people towards the gospel is that they want to think well of themselves. They want to see their accomplishments adding up to something and their self-perceived goodness to be credited to them. The gospel destroys these false notions. The gospel says that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus did not die to make good people better. He died to redeem helpless and hopeless sinners purely motivated by his love. God loves the unlovely. Christ died for the unworthy. We became the object of God’s love because God chose to love us, not because we were lovely.
 
This year we are focusing on the theme of grace. The more I dwell on it the more unworthy I realize I am and the more overwhelmed I am at the reality that God loves me despite me. It is nothing that I did and nothing that I do that garnered his favor. That for some mysterious reason God loved me because he loved me. I didn’t come to Christ because I was smarter than the next guy or more worthy. I didn’t come to Christ because I was better than others. This has resulted in awe of God’s goodness and mercy. This is humbling to know that I am not better or more worthy than anyone else. I am also reminded that the same grace that saved me can save the most hardened sinner. No one is beyond God’s grace and no situation is too difficult for God.