While We Were Still Sinners

“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person, one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8 ESV)

While we were still sinners, while we were not even conceived, God knew we were sinners. Knowing our faults, rebellion, and failures before birth, Christ died so that we might be transformed and rejoined in a righteous relationship with God through the power of the gospel.

Ask a someone if they are a good person, and most will say yes. Ask them how many lies they have told in their life. Have they ever looked at a man or woman with lust, even if they did not act on it? Have they ever taken something that does not belong to them, in a store, at work, or wherever? We are not good; only God is good because he defines good, which to God is being morally perfect.

This message is clear in scripture. Paul writes in Romans 3, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In Matthew 18, Jesus said, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” The psalmist of Psalm 143 wrote, “Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you,” or Malachi, who wrote, “The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind.”

One of the most harmful messages one can hear is that “all you need to do is be good, and God will accept you.” This message leads people to either of two places: to their pride, “been there done that,” or to despair, “ I cannot be good. What can I do.” In between the pride and despair is the gospel. We might think we are good, but when we realize we are not, the gospel tells us Jesus was good for us in our place.

Christ has gifted us his righteousness through our faith in Him. A free gift that cost and was paid for with the blood of Christ. For the gospel message to be heard, we must acknowledge our depravity and the depth of our sin. In many churches, pastors are afraid to preach this message.  I believe the gospel should be preached in every sermon. Every foundational aspect of Christianity is centered on Christ. It all ties back to the gospel, whether it is sin, tithing, salvation, or whatever subject is chosen for the message.

We must be salt and light (Matt 5). There are those who sit in a church and believe they are saved but have never known our Savior. We are not just called but empowered to speak the gospel, every one of us. When we meet people who are caught in the grip of false teaching, we must talk about the gospel with love and teaching just as Christ did. We use ourselves and our testimony as to the power of the gospel, our faith acting as that beacon of light to the lost.

I see that light in everyone I know who speaks with me about the gospel. There is warmth, a smile, excitement, and hope in their voice, face, and heart. When others see this, they want it. They want to feel that way, and they want to know how. Share the gospel; it is your calling and a joyous one. There is no wrong way; do not worry about what to say; the Spirit will give you the words.

Grace and Peace!