Romans 5:8 |
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5:9-11)
All
three members of the Trinity are involved in salvation. The Father loved us so much that He sent His
Son to bridge the gap between us (John 3:16).
The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit to fill our lives with love
and to enable us to live by His power (Acts 1:8). With all this loving care, how can we do less
than serve Him completely!
We
were weak and helpless because we could do nothing on our own to save
ourselves. Someone had to come and
rescue us. Not only did Christ come at a
good time in history; He came at exactly the right time - according to God's
own schedule. God controls all history,
and He controlled the timing, methods, and results of Jesus' death.
While
we were still sinners - these amazing words.
God sent Jesus Christ to die for us, not because we were good enough,
but because He loved us. Whenever you
feel uncertain about God's love for you, remember that He loved you even before
you turned to Him. If God loved you when
you were a rebel, He can surely strengthen you, now that you love Him in
return.
Christ
died for sinners; not only such as were useless, but such as were guilty and
hateful; such that their everlasting destruction would be to the glory of God’s
justice. Christ died to save us, not in our sins, but from our sins; and we
were yet sinners when he died for us.
The
carnal mind is not only an enemy to God, but enmity itself (Romans 8:7;
Colossians 1:21). But God designed to
deliver from sin, and to work a great change. While the sinful state continues,
God loathes the sinner, and the sinner loathes God (Zechariah 11:8). And that for such as these Christ should die,
is a mystery; no other such an instance of love is known, so that it may well
be the employment of eternity to adore and wonder at it.
Again;
what idea had the apostle when he supposed the case of someone dying for a
righteous man? And yet he only put it as
a thing that might be. Was it not the undergoing this suffering, that the
person intended to be benefitted might be released there from? But from what are believers in Christ released
by his death? Not from bodily death; for that they all do and must endure. The
evil, from which the deliverance could be affected only in this astonishing
manner, must be more dreadful than natural death.
There
is no evil, to which the argument can be applied, except that which the apostle
actually affirms, sin, and wrath, the punishment of sin, determined by the
unerring justice of God. And if, by
Divine grace, they were thus brought to repent, and to believe in Christ, and
thus were justified by the price of His blood shedding, and by faith in that
atonement, much more through Him who died for them and rose again, would they
be kept from falling under the power of sin and Satan, or departing finally
from Him.
The
love that caused Christ to die is the same love that sends the Holy Spirit to
live in us and guide us every day. The
power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that saved you and is
available to you in your daily life. Be
assured that having begun a life with Christ, you have a reserve of power and
love to call on each day, for help to meet every challenge or trial. You can pray for God's power and love as you
need it.
God
is holy, and He will not be associated with sin. All people are sinful and so they are
separated from God. In addition, all sin
deserves punishment. Instead of
punishing us with the death we deserve, however, Christ took our sins upon
Himself and took our punishment by dying on the cross. Now we can "rejoice in God." Through faith in Christ's work, we become
close to God (reconciled) rather than being enemies and outcasts.
The
living Lord of all will complete the purpose of His dying love, by saving all
true believers to the uttermost. Having
such a pledge of salvation in the love of God through Christ, the apostle
declared that believers not only rejoiced in the hope of heaven, and even in
their tribulations for Christ’s sake, but they gloried in God also, as their
unchangeable Friend and all-sufficient Portion, through Christ only.
Father
God, it is my prayer this morning that whoever reads this post will cry out to You
for forgiveness and accept Your Son, Christ Jesus, as their Savior and
Lord. My precious and Holy God, I want
to thank you for all of the blessings you have given too me. It is hard to comprehend the love You have
for a sinner like me. Lord Jesus, I want
to thank You for having mercy on my soul and giving me the gift of eternal life
which I could have never received on my own account. Thank you Jesus for taking my place on that
cross. I pray this all in Jesus’
name. Amen.
I
want to personally wish each and every one of you a HAPPY NEW YEAR and may God
bring showers of blessings upon you and your families.
References: NKJV Holy Bible, Life Application Bible
(NIV), and the Nelson Study Bible.
12 comments:
You always write so well, and your love for the savour shines through.
I pray you have a wonderful New Year and keep on witnessing the wonderful way you do. CM
A very encouraging post! By reading it I too rejoice in the salvation the Lord Jesus had given us.
May God bless you richly and may your blogs continuously be a blessing to all your readers.
And a happy new year.
Frank
May all those for whom we are praying for salvation come to know the Lord who loves them and died to pay the penalty for their sin.
Happy New Year Lloyd to you and your family.
Happy New Yea, Lloyd.
Great post and a clear explanation of how much God loves us, that He'd die to save us even when we were his enemies. Thank you.
What a wonderful way to start the New Year! This is a wonderful encouragement to all us sinners.
Very nice post, comforting...
I see you follow my sisters http://mazzoumemories.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012.html
you might be encouraged by my posts like I was by yours.
Following you back :) God bless!
Glory to God. Great Post. God bless you.
Good morning dear Lloyd, my name? Salviano Ad? Of
blog; A? only truth in his pr? pria b? BIBLE. The
reason for my contact? because I wanted to make a
partnership in the name of Jesus, j? I posted the blog
dear in my blog list or the list of blogs
crist? it, is there? then to take a given, and
I wish you? too? m post my blog on your
blog, but this partnership? s? if you want.
May God bless? Oe and look forward to hearing from you.
So true, great post!
Thank you for being His witness! "Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven." ~Matthew 10:32
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