Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~Romans 5:1
In the fifth chapter of Romans, Paul points out some benefits and results of being justified by faith; not the least of which is we are at peace with God. He goes on to explain how we also have access into the grace of God (v. 2), we now rejoice in the prospect of sharing in God’s glory (v. 2), and we can rejoice in our sufferings (vs. 3-4). All of these benefits are possible because the very love of God has been poured into our hearts through the gift of God’s Holy Spirit indwelling us.
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. ~Romans 5:5
Paul then goes on to describe the character of that love is expressed in the death of Jesus… not for good, righteous and deserving people, but for ungodly, hateful sinners.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:6-8
This past Sunday, Pastor explained how unlovable, undeserving and unworthy the human race is of this tremendous and merciful expression of love by describing our condition before we are saved. Pastor gave us four descriptions from verses six through ten; God loved us when we were:
- Weak (v. 6)
- Ungodly (v. 6)
- Sinners (v. 8)
- Enemies of God (v. 10)
There is no greater expression of love than that of God redeeming and saving fallen sinners, who are at war with Him; God sent His only Son to take the punishment for our crimes and receive His wrath by dying in our place. Do you know that love? What a blessing it was to be a witness to the receiving and embracing of that love this past Sunday as three souls were baptized. It never ceases to amaze me how God saves such wretched and beggarly sinners by loving them so much.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” ~John 15:12,13
When Jesus spoke with His disciples the night of His arrest, He defined what the upper reaches of love looks like. He not only described it, but went on to “live it out” by dying for those who He came to save. The thing we don’t want to miss, as we marvel and rejoice in this expression of God’s love for us, is that we are to love each other the same way. Ask yourself if the amazing love of God which He poured into your heart and expressed in the death of His Son for you is being shown in your relationships with others. It is by that sort of love people take notice you are His…
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” ~John 13:34,35