Christ
Paid the Penalty
"But God commendeth
His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us" (Romans 5:8).
We've all read of the
fabulous gifts that the celebrities of the world give to each other to prove
their love. They give a diamond necklace, a Rolls Royce with ermine upholstery,
a birthday party where hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent on
entertainment, food and refreshments. Be that as it may, all of them put
together would not equal God's great demonstration of love for you and me.
His gift was given to an
unusual group of people. It was given to the helpless and the hopeless. The
context of the verse says we were without strength, altogether unable to help
ourselves. We were lost, unable to find the way back and utterly without
strength.
If you can picture a man
lost in a vast wasteland without food and water, all of his strength gone;
that's the picture. And then, wonder of wonders, just as all hope was lost and
the situation at its most desperate point, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. And notice ‑ for the ungodly! Not only helpless and likely to
perish, but ungodly and therefore deserving to perish ... totally unworthy of
the love, favor and sacrifice of a holy God.
And what did He do? He
extended a gift of love to you and me, yes, to the whole world. That should
have settled the matter once and for all. No more would there be any doubt
about God's love. His grand and glorious manifestation of love would be the
wonder and admiration of the universe. He would do something without parallel
in the annals of history.
He would prove His love in
the most winning, affectionate, and endearing way imaginable. He would give His
Son to die in our place. And wonder of wonders, He would do it for a people who
were not only helpless and hopeless, but still enemies of God.
Think of it! That Christ
should die for the likes of us is such a mystery, such a paradox, such an
unprecedented instance of love that it may well be our business for all eternity
to adore Him for it.
Rightly should He make it
one of the laws of His kingdom on earth that we who have been thus loved should
love our enemies. Jesus taught, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you,
and persecute you, for if ye love them who love you, what reward have ye? Do
not even the publicans the same?" (Matthew 5:44,46).
Let me ask you, have you
ever thanked God for the death of His Son for your sins? Have you ever turned
in repentance to God and placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Behold,
now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.
This vital Bible verse is
just one of 60 carefully selected scriptures that are contained in the Navigators
Scripture Memory course. If you want to memorize
Scripture, but aren't sure what to memorize or how to get started, this is
exactly what you need. The Topical Memory
System includes memory verse cards in four
different Bible versions - NIV, KJV, NASB, NKJV. Topics include all of the
basics of the Christ-centered Spirit-filled life, sharing your faith, and
growing on to maturity in your walk with God. May God bless you as you
fill your life with His Word.
© Copyright 2002, LeRoy Eims