Romans 5:8
While
we were
still
sinners
Christ
died
for us
The good news is this: Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Even though all of us deserve punishment for our sins, rather than God sending all of us to Hell, He did something that was so radical, that I don’t ever think we will fully understand: God actually sent the Son, Jesus Christ into this world in order to take the punishment of our sins. He paid for our sins by being nailed to a cross and dying in our place. 1 Peter 3:18 says that “Christ died for our sins once for all...in order that He might bring us to God.”
In Hebrews 9:27 it says that “Man is destined to die once (physically), and after that to face judgment.” Try to imagine yourself standing in the presence of God and about to be judged for how you lived your life. If you are found innocent you will be ushered into Heaven (into eternal life), but if you are found guilty of even committing just one sin you will be sentenced to death (that is, spiritual death). Guilty, guilty, guilty. Over and over and over again. You, me, and every human being on the face of the planet would be guilty of sinning against God’s moral laws and standard. What would you do? There would be no retrial (this is God’s courtroom, not man’s). Perhaps you would fall to your knees begging and asking for forgiveness. Maybe out of desperation you might ask if anyone would take your place so that you could be set free.
This scenario does not need to take place if you have already confessed your sins before God and accepted that Jesus Christ took your death sentence by dying on the cross. He died in our place so that we could receive eternal life. In fact, before that day would ever take place God predetermined that Jesus Christ would take our sin and give us eternal life (2 Timothy 1:9). If you have ever seen the movie “The Passion of the Christ” you saw the physical torture that Jesus went through. He didn’t have to, but no one else could have offered themselves as a sacrifice for our sins, so He endured the punishment out of His obedience to God the Father, and out of His love for you and me. Then three days later the Bible says that He also rose from the dead. If He hadn’t died and then risen from the dead then we would have no hope of eternal life. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:17 that “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; and you are still in you sins.” But praise be to God, “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20). And therefore we can have eternal life.
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