THE AMAZING LOVE OF GOD!
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" Romans 5v6.
A truly amazing statement, which, if you are not completely taken with the enormity of it, you have either forgotten what you were in the sight of God, or you are in disagreement with His estimate of humanity. There are three such statements in vs.6-10, stating three aspects of Divine love towards us.
- "When we were yet without strength .........." This speaks of God's ETERNAL love.
- "When we were yet sinners ............." This speaks of God's INCOMPARABLE love.
- "When we were enemies.........." This speaks of God's INCONCEIVABLE love.
In each case the human condition is hopeless, Divine intervention was necessary, and involved the ultimate sacrifice by the supreme being of the universe, the death of Christ. This is love beyond compare and we ought to be moved by it.
There is a tie up in verse 6 with the word "yet" and the phrase "in due time". This suggests a long period of testing, not for God's benefit, for He knew all along, but for ours. Jesus Christ entered the world scene some 4000 years after the Fall of Adam. Long years passed by, in which the period of God's dealings with Israel ran for some 1300 years. During all this time not one human being measured up to God's standard, not one was righteous, not one was good (as stated in Romans chapter 3) and the verdict at the end of this long time period was "we were yet without strength". The word literally means "helpless". Thousands of years of human history has proved that man is separated from God and is totally helpless to do anything about it, he cannot in any way save himself. This fact is a re-iteration of statements made before such as "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight." The modern trend of self help, self improvement, behavioural evolution are all to no avail, humanity has been proved to be helpless to save himself. Not only helpless but ungodly "Christ died for the ungodly". Man was made in the image of God, to reflect God's character, to live for God's glory, but every living person has tarnished the glorious image that God gave us, living ungodly lives, without reverence to God, without respect of God, without fear of God.
It was into this situation, and just at the right time "IN DUE TIME" Christ died for the ungodly. Just when all seemed lost and the entire human race perish without hope God intervened. "When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law." Galatians 4v4 Other scriptures which state this are 1st Timothy 2v6 and Titus 1v3. There is a very clear statement in Hebrews 9v26 "but now once for all in the completion of the ages hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." R.V. The apostle John in his gospel marks the fact that everything in connection with God's work is down to specific and accurate timing . This can be seen in John 2v4; 4v21;4v23;5v25; 5v26;7v6;7v8;7v30;12v23;12v27;15v1.
There is nothing haphazard about God's work, everything goes to plan and in perfect timing, He never makes any mistakes. What happened in that Divine intervention, which He calls "DUE TIME"; this historical event that became the focal point of all history, the centre of all time, indeed of all eternity? What happened was "Christ died for the ungodly." Let this awesome truth sink deep into our beings. We are talking here of a love which is eternal, which spans all time and beyond. All through that time period and even before God knew what He would do, and gave an illustration from the very beginning with the sacrifices that had to be made for sin, that Jesus Christ His Son must die for sin. Calvary was no after thought, there was no plan B. The Bible speaks of "the lamb slain from the foundation of the world." When God laid earth's foundations He had in His mind's eye this stupendous event, the death of Christ for ungodly men and women. It was in the heart of God in eternity, and as the years rolled on, the time would come which had been set in Divine counsels before the world began. What kind of love is this? Just ask yourself two questions; who was it who died there at Calvary; for whom did He die there at Calvary? The first is not so easy to answer, because it will take all eternity to unravel the glory of this One who died, the second is easily stated, we were ungodly, we were helpless, there was nothing appealing or attractive about us, no reason for God to love us except that deep eternal love which He is, and which He has shown. Here is God's eternal love.
"I HAVE LOVED THEE WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE ; THEREFORE WITH LOVING KINDNESS HAVE I DRAWN THEE." Jeremiah 31v3
Would you be drawn by such love? Whether for the first time, or if you have known it for years, would you be drawn again by a compelling eternal love the power of which is beyond compare?
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