“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 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 5:6-7)
These verses are quite significant for most if not all Christians. They give us the great news that through the work of Christ we now have peace with God. This is the essence of God’s grace: Christ died to justify us, to make us righteous before God so that we may be saved from His perfect justice and so escape His wrath against sin. We did not deserve His grace because we were His enemies, alienated from and hostile to Him. Even so, God sent His Son Jesus to die for us. There was nothing worthy or desirable in us, yet He created and chose to love us. And because He loved us so much, He showered His grace on us and reconciled us to Himself.
And though we know we are justified by God’s action in and through Christ we have difficulty appropriating, understanding or believing it. We must always bear in mind that salvation comes all by God’s grace and His work, lest we become conceited and think we have earned or merited it because we are such good and righteous people. And, in addition, we have an obligation to share God’s grace and pour it out upon others as the Lord has poured it out on us. This is so that others may know the truth and repent and rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ who has bought us reconciliation with His own blood. For if the Lord did this great thing for us while we hated Him, so ought we to give our lives in love to those who hate us as well as Him.