Tuesday, September 11, 2018: Romans 5:6-11

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

If we’re honest, most of us like to spend our time with and give ourselves to those with whom we have natural connection. People come together through proximity and affinity. You are friends with people with whom you work, go to school, or attend church. Simply put, we tend to be drawn to people who are like us. Yet God, being rich in love, chose to die for people who were not like Him in proximity nor affinity. We are not close to God’s incomprehensible holiness and majesty. Oceans of sin once separated us from God. Yet despite the distance between us, God brought us near in Christ. We were helpless, but Jesus helped us.

On our own, we do not love God (Rom. 1:18-32; Ps. 14:1-3). What would you do for someone who did not love you? Would you be helpful and generous with him or her? Probably not, but as we have seen God, is not like us. Christ died for the ungodly (v. 6). “Ungodly” means “not like God.” The Lord did not send someone else to love us. He could have condemned us or He could have saved us in any way He saw fit. However, God chose to save us through sending His own Son to a people who opposed Him. Now we are forgiven sinners who live through the grace and love of Jesus.

1. Who are the people for whom you would willingly lay down your life? How did you get in this type of relationship with them?
2. What does it mean to you that Christ died for you? How does it impact your daily life?
3. Thank God for the depth of His love and forgiveness toward you.