#DailyDevotion Weak, Ungodly, Sinners & Enemies Of God

Romans 5:6–11

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.  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.  More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Ungodly, the weak, sinners, and enemies, is who Christ Jesus died for. If you are not one of these or if you have never been one of these Jesus didn’t die for you. His death on the cross does not avail for you. For those are the people St. Paul says Christ died for. It’s not a very complimentary thing to say. Then again, no one likes it when the doctor diagnoses us with something terminal or anything bad. Sometimes there’s no nice way to say something.

If you do not think this applies to you, Paul says earlier in Romans about you, Rom 3:9-12 “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,  (10)  as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one;  (11)  no one understands; no one seeks for God.  (12)  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” He writes elsewhere, Eph 2:1 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins…”

Thanks be to God “at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” Yes it was at the right time this happened. All of history was moving to this point on Good Friday. It was the time when the Gospel would spread quickly because the Pax Romana and the hellenization of the world in which the good news of Jesus would spread. He died for those who did not hold to the confession of Jesus’ name.

We were sinners when Jesus died for us. This demonstrated God love for us. He would sacrifice his son on the beams of the cross. Pouring out his life for death that our death may be overcome with his life, the death we deserve he takes as his own. His blood justifies us, declares us not guilty and calls us innocent and righteous. His blood saves us from God’s wrath as the blood of the Passover lamb saved those firstborn when the angel of death went over Egypt.

Jesus’ death reconciled us who were God’s enemies. Not only does the wrath of God not fall upon us because of Jesus’ death but Jesus’ life now becomes our life. He gives us eternal life now as we put our trust in work at Calvary. Nothing can take this eternal life from us. Now we rejoice in God through Jesus Christ. We are new people, a new creation, no longer weak, ungodly, sinners and enemies of God we have become his beloved children.

Merciful God and Father, through the shedding of blood and death of your only begotten son Jesus Christ you have reconciled yourself to us and to the world. Grant us faith that we may receive this reconciliation, be joined to his life and praise you unto eternity. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.