CHRIST DIED FOR SINNERS

Romans 5:6-8

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Paul is describing the immensity of the love of God for his children.  At the beginning he points out that Jesus did not die for people who loved him or people who were like him.  He died for people who were ungodly.  He died for helpless people; people who were spiritually powerless.  There was nothing they could do to save themselves from death because they were condemned and justly condemned.  But because of God’s great love, Christ came and died in the place of wicked people.

Paul gives a kind of cryptic illustration.  He makes a statement, “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.”  I’ve heard pastors talk about how men would lay down their lives for their wives or for their children.  Perhaps they would even lay down their lives for their best friends.  But Paul isn’t talking about wives, children, or best friends.  He specifically speaks about a righteous or good man.  We might say, “It is possible that someone might possibly step in and die in the place of a good and innocent man.”

The apostle was writing to the Christians in Rome.  There was persecution of the church at the time.  Let’s create a hypothetical situation.  Imagine Roman soldiers showing up at the church meeting with an order from the emperor.  He’s blaming a crime on the Christians and they have come to take the guilty man to be executed.  They choose an innocent man.  Everyone knows he’s innocent.  He has a wife and children and didn’t commit the crime but they are going to take him anyway.  The emperor is going to execute some Christian no matter what.  In such a situation it might be possible that another man would step forward and volunteer to die in his place.  He would be taking the place of a good and righteous man.  It would certainly be a worthy sacrifice!  That would be a powerful demonstration of love, wouldn’t it?

But that’s not what Jesus did.  Jesus came to die for ungodly sinners!  He came to die for those who were not innocent!  He took the place of people who were justly condemned to death and hell!  So Paul is showing just how great the love of God is!  It’s beyond our imagination.

What is our response to such love?  I fear too many of us take the sacrifice of Christ for granted.  We don’t look at ourselves as ungodly enemies of God.  Some of us might even have a subconscious idea that we were worth saving!  We were powerless.  We were justly condemned.  If God chose to deal with us justly rather than in mercy and grace we would be on our way to hell!  Such love calls me to give my all to Christ.  Such love compels me to live every day for his honor and glory.  Such love demands my love and worship.  Jesus did not die for good people.  He died for people like me!