While We Were Still Sinners - Romans 5:8

  
 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
 - Romans 5:8

    I know of many folks who just can’t grasp the idea of “grace.” It’s ok, it isn’t an easy subject to wrap our heads around. Works righteousness just makes more sense. We’ve committed some terrible transgressions against God’s laws so it only stands to reason that we should have to make some restitution or pay the consequences. And the logic here isn’t wrong; but identifying the party that stands accused is where all the confusion comes in. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21.
    So who drew the unlucky short straw? Why, Christ Himself, in a manner of speaking. And the same way many object that they didn’t vote to have Adam represent mankind in the Garden of Eden, they say the same thing about Jesus being our sin substitute. But just like the situation with Adam, no one asked us. And there is an incredibly great reason for that fact. You see, one doesn’t ask the spiritually dead if they want representation before the wrath of the Almighty God! “Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.” - Ezekiel 37:11-12.
    So we, like the Valley of Dry Bones are without option or recourse. We are spiritually dead in our sins. And since dead men and women are capable of doing or achieving nothing, we certainly can’t save ourselves; we desperately need someone to bring us back to spiritual life. And that Someone is Jesus Christ. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 6:23.
    It is Christ’s loving self-sacrifice upon the cross that paid the wages for our sins. In His physical death upon the cross, Christ propitiated God’s wrath. He took our sins upon Himself and in turn, God reckoned Christ’s righteousness unto us. But He wasn’t done with us. There was one more task for Jesus to complete and it would be the task that would give significance to His death.“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” - 1 Peter 1:3. We have been forgiven our sins and saved for eternity by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
    Still concerned about having had too much to drink last Saturday night? God has already forgiven us for worse sins. Feeling guilty about the crosswords we had for a co-worker? He has already forgiven us for worse. Lust built up in our heart - he has already forgiven us for worse. If we believe that Jesus Christ died and was raised from the dead for us, all our sins have already been forgiven. “Well,” some might imagine, “does this give me the go-ahead to sin again?” “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” - Romans 6:15. The grace of God never gives us over to our sins. The answer is, “No!”
    This is the providence of God’s grace upon us. He has granted us forgiveness when we couldn’t pay the wages of sin for ourselves. Jesus did that! We were powerless to save ourselves. We could never recompense God enough to appease His holy wrath; only Jesus could.
    So let us take stock of our lives and remember the words Jesus had for a woman of sin, a woman who was thrown before Him after being caught in sin! “Jesus stood up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ 11 She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.’” - John 8:10-11.
    Let us remember Jesus last words to her - “Go, and from now on sin no more.”