DAILY TRUTH – Christ Died for Our Sakes

“For Christ, while we are still infirm, still in accord with the era, for the sake of the irreverent, died.  For hardly for the sake of a just man will anyone be dying: for, for the sake of a good man, perhaps someone may even be daring to die, yet God is commending this love of His to us, seeing that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes.”  (Romans 5:6-8)

God’s superb grace and unfathomable love is magnificently revealed to us by the fact that His Son, Jesus Christ, gave Himself, His whole life for the sake of sinning and irreverent people. 

It is easy to love, do good things, and make sacrifices for those who love us back and show an appreciation for what we do for them.   It is not easy to sacrificially pour ourselves out and our love and grace to others when they have animosity towards us and return our goodness with ungratefulness, hatefulness, anger, or resentment... 

This is what Christ did 2,000 years ago.  “While we are still infirm, still in accord with the era…”  While the people in the world were behaving in raunchy, unlovable ways and could not care one iota of the amazing love and grace being poured out for their sakes and the sacrifice being made on their behalf, Christ died for them.  While they were spitting in His face, calling Him names, cursing at Him, treating Him like He was an idiot, Christ died for them.  Christ gave Himself completely for every person who lived before them and has lived after them.  Christ gave Himself for every single person on this earth—past, present, and future.  Not one is discounted.

The truth that Christ has died for our sakes with a boundless love, and continues to love us the same, does not change with the passing years.  That truth stands solid and firm today even when His name is still mocked, ridiculed, and cursed.  The love that willingly took Christ to the cross so long ago is the same, exact love He has for us all today.  It doesn’t matter whether you profess to love Christ, to curse Him, or to not even know Him.  The love doesn’t change.  What He did for all of us doesn’t change.  It is what it is.  The meaning and value of what He did doesn’t change, and the ultimate benefits of His sacrifice also do not change.  You can ignore Christ, you can curse God, or you can pretend they do not exist.  It does not change what Christ has done for you, the grace God has poured out for you, or the ultimate benefits you will receive from their unfailing love.

Even as enemies of God, “…we were conciliated to God through the death of His Son…”  (Romans 5:10)  And through that conciliation we also experience and know God’s boundless and supernatural grace.