Romans 5:8 is well known. “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” But the thought that Paul is expressing actually begins in verse 6. Here is the whole thing:
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
While we were still weak. At just the right time. While we were still sinners. At the very point where we were ungodly and nothing in us was worth dying for.
Do you see? We bring nothing to the table except need. We need forgiveness. We need healing. We need a Saviour. Every single one of us born into this world needs Christ. And just at the right time, He died for us.
These verses are the point of this story from Matt Chandler’s talk at the 2009 Desiring God Pastor’s Conference. which I found courtesy of Vitamin Z
This break in me happened during my freshman year of college when I sat next to a 26-year-old single mother trying to get her degree. We began a dialogue about the grace and mercy of Christ in the cross. Some other guys and I would go over and babysit her child and try to talk with her. A friend of mine was in a band playing in the area and we invited her to hear him. She agreed. She thought it would be a concert. I knew better. It was shady and she agreed to come.
The minister got up and said we would talk about sex. He took a red rose, smelled it, and threw it out in the crowd and told them to smell the rose. He then began one of the worst, most horrific handlings of what sex is and isn’t that I ever sat through.
I’m thinking, with Kim beside me, “What are you doing?” As he wrapped up, he asked, “Where’s my rose?” Some kid brought the rose back and it was broken. His point was to hold up the rose and say, “Who wants this rose?” Anger welled up within me and I wanted to say, “Jesus wants the rose!” While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus wants the rose. Jesus wants you and me too. He wanted us enough to die for us and on our behalf. Just as we are. flat on our backs, without anything to offer back to Him. Won’t you let him have you, to love you, protect you, lead you, save you?