6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
Demonstrating Love
I’m always amazed when people focus in the later part of this verse and seem to forget the beginning part. People will ask me why it says we were “God’s enemies.” They focus on the negative wording rather than on the part that says how God demonstrated his love for us by sacrificing his son while we were still sinners.
Since some will have trouble moving forward unless I explain the “enemies” part of this passage, let me take a minute to give you my thoughts on it. Yes, we were once enemies of God. But it wasn’t the real “us” that was his enemy. It was the sin that had control over our lives. You see, God is absolutely holy. All sin is his enemy. And so, the sin that was within our nature battled against a holy God who wanted abundant life for us.
And yet, it was while we were still in that state: sinners, opposed to God, that he sent Jesus. And it was through Jesus’ death on the cross that the power of sin over our lives was broken and suddenly our nature was free to be connected once again to God.
But think about how he did it. While we were still enemies he demonstrated incredible love. Would you do that? Could you do that? If someone was directly opposed to you, their very nature hated everything you represented. They denounced you, mocked you, blamed you. Could you show the depth of love that God demonstrated? Would you sacrifice your family for an enemy?
God did. How incredible is that?
My prayer: Lord, it’s truly amazing. Grace. Undeserved merit. No, it’s more than just undeserved. It’s not just that I didn’t deserve your love. It’s that I deserved your wrath. I deserved punishment. And yet, while I was in that place of deserving the worse, you instead gave me the best. You gave me your son. Wow. Thank you. Amen.
Until tomorrow.
