While We Were Still Sinners

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly; but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (Romans 5:6; 8 ESV)

Beloved,

      Some days feelings of guilt and shame can be overwhelming.  We make another mistake and hurt someone we love. We fall again into a sin that we said we were never going to do again.  We feel alone, condemned and start to lose hope.  Regardless of where you are at on your spiritual journey, we all have days when we feel weak and our sin feels overwhelming. We may even doubt God’s love for us.

      In those moments, we must remember the great compassion and the immense grace that has been given us in Jesus Christ.  Jesus died for us while we were still weak.  Jesus died for us while we were still sinners.  Before Jesus died, he knew who he was dying for: wretched sinners.  But the truth of our sin should not overwhelm us in grief, but should cause our hearts to overflow in love.  For “God shows his LOVE FOR US in that while were still sinners, Christ died FOR US.”  This is a profound truth.  When we understand the truth about our sin, we only begin to understand how great God’s love is for his people.  God did not come to crush his people in there sin, but graciously and lovingly save them from their sin.  “As sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:21).”

    Beloved, grace is always more powerful than sin. We can trust that whenever our sin feels overwhelming in our life, the grace of God abounds all the more.  We will have days of guilt and grief over our sin. But in those days we have a choice: condemn ourselves or rejoice in that while we were still sinners, Christ was condemned for us. Oh what a great God we serve!!! “Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God shouldst die for me?” 

In Christ,

Pastor Dave