How Much More
Romans 5:6-10 CSB
For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someonemight even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.
Even after coming to faith in Christ, many people struggle with the question: Does God really love them? If they are basing God's love on their performance, then they are missing a key element of His love. God's love for us has never been performance-based. Paul describes the unconditional love of God in our verses for today.
We were not in a state of strength when Christ died for us. The CSB says we were helpless, and Christ died for the ungodly. Helpless and ungodly, two areas of severe concern, if we are looking for performance. Most people would be unwilling to die for an upright person. Maybe for a person who was particularly good, someone might be willing to die. But the results are still a bit iffy. It's one thing to be good to a good person, but another thing altogether to die for that person. But God proves His love for us in that while we were not doing good, we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Let those words sink in. When we were not good, when we were sinners and opposed to God, Christ died for us. That is a level of love that we are not accustomed to seeing. Maybe a mother or father dying for their children, but dying for someone who is offensive is amazing.
If Christ died for us when we were not doing well, how much more are we loved and saved by God? We were made right with God through the blood of His Son. We will be saved from any of God's wrath because we put our faith in that blood. God reconciled, restored our relationship with Him, through the death of His Son. How much more now that we are restored to God are we saved and safe because of our relationship with Christ? God's love for us was not based on our performance. His love for us is based on His character. And it was His love that caused Christ to die for us so that we might be restored to a relationship with God. We can see that this is a whole lot more about God and Jesus than our goodness or efforts.
Application
This is where we kick condemnation and a sense of unworthiness to the curb. If you grew up in an environment where love was based on your performance, the God kind of love is a new concept. We have to renew our minds to the idea of someone loving us enough to send His Son to die on our behalf. God loves mankind so much that He sent Jesus to die for us. This is love. Not that we loved God, and He responded to our love. Instead, it was God who loved us first, and we have the opportunity to respond to His love.
We know of God's love that led to our salvation. We know we had not been good enough to earn God's love. And we have to maintain that same appreciation for grace. We are still not basing our relationship on what we have earned, but rather on the love of God that is revealed to us in Christ. Now we respond to God's love not out of fear of losing His love. We respond out of the confidence this how much more love brings.
Prayer
Thank You for Your love for me. Your love was revealed in Christ and has never stopped. I have more confidence in Your love than in my performance.