Romans 5:8 "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."
Paul is describing to the Christians in Rome exactly what Christ did for us and accomplished on the cross. God loved us so much that he sent his Son to die for us and pay the price for our sins. Not only did he do that, but he did this before we ever loved him, before we ever repented, and before we ever asked for forgiveness! God preemptively showed us what we mean to him. Christ died for us while we were still sinners and separated from him. God loves us a great deal!
God's love for me is so great! Even in my sin and rebellion, he still loves me. He didn't wait until I had my act together, my sins under control, or my bad habits subdued. He died for me in spite of all that. And he doesn't love me any more when I am good, or any less when I am bad. He loves me because that's what he is-he is love. He loves me because that's what he does-he loves. Elsewhere Paul tells me that nothing can ever separate me from the love of God found in Christ. Not heights or depths or Satan himself can separate me from God's love. That my friends is good news! So what is my response to that? How do I apply this to my life? I share this good news with others. I love others today because he first loved me.
Dear Jesus, thank you for dying for me even when I was wretch. Thanks for loving me still even though I am a wretch. Amen.
