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 5:6-8Would you die for someone? Do you think anyone would ever die for you? What would it take for you to give up your life, say, for a stranger? One trillion dollars? Here's an even better question: are you worth dying for?
If you take a good look at the things you have done in your life, maybe you'll say that you
are worth dying for. Perhaps you have volunteered at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Perhaps you donate a good chunk of your hard-earned money to the less fortunate. Perhaps you have used your abilities to help someone who needed it. On the other hand, what about the times that you scoffed at someone who asked you for money? What about the times that you were rude to a coworker or gossiped about someone? Have you ever lied? You're a liar. Have you ever wanted something someone else had because you thought you deserved it? You're a covetous person. Have you ever thought of someone other than your spouse in a sexual way? For single people, have you even had the remotest impure thought? You're an adulterer. There is no way you're going to make it through this life and not be a horrible, sinful person. Even one seemingly small mistake or slip-up makes you damnable in God's eyes. All you get to look forward to is eternal torment. Suffering. Pain. Heartache. Multiplied more times that you can even begin to imagine. There is no escape from that.
And yet, someone went through all that pain. The pain that everyone on this earth--for all time--deserves was compounded into one excruciating event. Why would someone choose to die for you and everyone else on this earth--even the people we don't think are worth saving? It's amazing to me to think that for all the things that I've done, someone could still say, "I love you so much, I want to do this for you." God, because of what Jesus did on that cross, doesn't see the liar. He doesn't see the coveting that happens. He doesn't see the sexual sins that happen so often, even when we don't realize it. How can any one person love the whole world that much? It's a mystery to our simple minds, but Jesus did, does and will keep on doing. He forgives us as we fall every single day, even as we grumble and complain before we roll out of bed! All he asks is that you believe in him. Repent and ask forgiveness for your sins. Let him fill your heart with his love, that you can better love others.
This doesn't mean that it will all of a sudden start dropping rainbows and flowers on you. You will struggle. In the verses before the ones quote above, it says we should "rejoice in our sufferings!" Rejoice? In sufferings? Even through the trials of this life, it will not even hold a candle to the flaming fires of hell. We can rejoice knowing that even through our trials, God is there with us. He will never let us fall. Thank Jesus for that!
Lord, I call to You. In Your great mercy, hear my prayer. I
have disobeyed You and fallen short of what You have required of me and
my life. I am unable to keep Your Holy Law perfectly. I know there is
nothing I can do of myself to improve my relationship with You and to
attain Heaven. Rather, my thoughts, my words, and my actions show that
I am fit for hell instead. But Your Holy Spirit has worked through Your
Holy Word to give me the faith to truly believe that Your Son Jesus
died in my place, on my behalf. He did this and arose from death that
I, too, may be saved from hell. Have mercy upon me, a sinner. By the
power of the Holy Spirit I desire to know that in You I am a new
creation. Thank you for making me Your own, for coming into my life and
giving me new life. Amen.
(Prayer borrowed from a question at the WELS Q&A: http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?process&procID=1518&cuQA_qaID=1&cuTopic_topicID=49&cuItem_itemID=23209)
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