“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)
All men and women are sinners, even those who the world admires and applauds as well as those who claim to be without sin. These days there are many who claim to be the moral authority for the rest of the world, telling others what is right and wrong based on their own credentials. thoughts and inclinations. Yet if they lack faith in Jesus as their Savior they are lacking in true wisdom and godly authority for they are dead in their sins. Truly they cannot even help anyone else to live in righteousness and peace because they cannot even help themselves.
And yet there is good news: the words of Paul tell us that we have been reconciled to God, not by our works, but by the work of Jesus on the cross. Because of His sacrifice for us 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 chose to love us. And because He loved us so much, He showered His grace on us by reconciling us to Himself.
We believers have a calling, a great commission, 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.