Rom 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
The Book of Romans teaches us that we are all sinners (3:23) and that the wages of sin is death, (6:23). Left in this state we would be hopelessly and helplessly lost without any way of redeeming ourselves before our just God. In chapter (5:8), the very heart of the gospel is discussed, “Christ died for us.”
The SUBJECT of the gospel is “CHRIST!” Notice what Paul wrote to Timothy, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” 1 Tim 1:15. Jesus Christ left His home in glory and came to earth as a man. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” Jn 1:14. He was not coerced into laying down His life, He did it voluntarily. “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father” Jn 10:17-18. God’s love for us is demonstrated through Christ’s obedient sacrifice (Rom 5:8).
The ACTION is “Christ DIED!” Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, Heb 9:22. The blood of bulls and goats was not sufficient to get the job done. The sacrifice had to be perfect and without blemish. The only one that could satisfy the conditions necessary as a complete sacrifice was Jesus Christ. Jesus prophesied in Jn 12:32-33, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” He said, signifying by what death He would die.” The death of Christ may have been common and showed His mortality, but early that Sunday morning He demonstrated His legitimate power by the resurrection. Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
The OBJECT of His death is “for US.” Notice that this love and sacrifice was extended to us when we were sinners and undeserving of such a wonderful gift. In Jn 3:16, the Bible reads “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” He didn’t just die for the good but also for the ungodly, Rom 5:6. Notice Rom 5:10, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life”. Read Eph 2:5, “even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” Notice, the “US” was who Jesus died for. The “US” is the ungodly, the enemies of God, and we were dead in sin. Such amazing love that would motivate the Son of God to leave the security of His heavenly home to live like one of us and to die like a common criminal. The rest of the story is that the grave could not keep Him captive.
1 Cor 15:1-4 “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Terry Jackson