AUGUST  11

THE GREATEST LOVE

ROMANS 5:1-8
 

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)

Jesus said. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). These verses take that thought a step further. It’s conceivable that a man would die for someone he loves. That’s happened before. There are some people who would dare to put their lives on the line for the sake of principle. But God sent His only Son to die for us while we were still sinners!

The Lord didn’t just die for those who were godly. The truth is that we’ve all “sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). There were no “godly” people from His perspective. And the Lord didn’t limit His sacrificial death to only those He knew would accept it, either. He died for the sins of the whole world, not just those who believe on Him ( John 2:2). Jesus is, “the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe” (I Tim. 4:10).

Christ died for us before we accepted His love. He died for the sins of the world knowing that most would reject His act of love. This goes beyond any love we can find outside of God. God’s love is totally independent of any worth on our part.

Understanding this is a major ingredient for enjoying a healthy relationship with the Lord. If we feel we must be worthy of His love and goodness, we’ll never accept it. God loves us because He is love, not because we are lovable. (AW)