“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)
Don’t you feel loved when you read that verse? Being loved by God is a luxury we often take for granted. It’s the most fantastic, yet hard to fathom love there is. Think how many people alive in our world don’t realize that God loves them, much less what that love feels like. We sometimes have a hard time believing ourselves.
Context: Paul talks about the benefits of having faith. When we know who is by our side cheering us on, it’s a lot easier to face the tough stuff that is going to give us character and endurance. When we trust God, we acknowledge our need for his rescue as lost sinners. We should also keep in mind that God loves us no matter how unlovely we might be. That goes for our neighbor, too!
Have you ever struggled with the idea that God loves us all, even the real “bad” sinners? We sometimes fall into the trap of comparing ourselves and our sinfulness to others. We think our sins aren’t as horrible as our neighbor — at least, we haven’t done “that!” But a sin is a sin to God. Sadly, none of us can escape sin in our lives.
This verse is a great one to memorize but it puts us in our place a little bit. Just as we are feeling humbled by our sin, we are reminded of the promise. Even while we are all sinners, God loves us all. He loves us so much that he sent Jesus. This memory verse sets aside John 3:16 nicely. John’s gospel says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Right there, again we see that sending Jesus was God’s way of showing us his love.
Taking God’s love for granted is another reality we sometimes struggle with. We may try to brush off our sin because we know Jesus has died for us. That used to be me to a degree greater than I’d like to admit. Getting to know Jesus through God’s word, extended prayer time, and getting lost in praise music, I’ve come to want to be the best I can be. That means, hopefully, that I’ll do a better job of not allowing my sinful tendencies to take over.
God’s love is right there in plain sight for all to see. I, for one, want to have my eyes wide open to see and my heart wide open to receive that love. How are you going to respond to God’s love today?
Let’s pray. Lord, my life is in you, my life is in you. Thank you for bringing me to this moment. Your love for me knows no bounds. Help me to fathom that much love so that I can return as much as possible. I’m overwhelmed that Jesus gave his life for me. Your love was poured out that day, too. I want to dedicate my life to serving you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
