The Gift

The book of Romans, Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome, is a beautiful letter. While there are many sections that could be discussed, I am choosing the passage in Romans 5, beginning with verse 6; it says, "...in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die." We are like this. We might risk our life to help someone; we might even give our life for a loved one. But we would never, ever give our life for someone who was treating us badly, beating us, spitting on us, lying about us and plotting our death.

Note the next verse, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He didn't die for good people or for people whom knew and loved; He died for the "ungodly." The fifth chapter of Romans continues, describing His death as a gift to us; and what a gift it was.

All of this is followed by the discussion in Romans 6 of God's grace. The writer begins chapter 6 by saying: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" The reader should note that all of this is written to Christians, people who have been baptized into Christ, not to people who should become Christians.

In summary, we should appreciate the free gift of God, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Following that, we should, once we have become Christians, live like it. Don't trust the grace of God to save us by just sinning more and more so that God can send more grace. We must act like Christians and live for Him.

Have a good week.....and come back next week when God's Word will speak again.