But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
These words take my breath away because they proclaim a love I can’t fathom. God the Father loved us so much that He offered up Jesus to die for us. The words come so easily, too easily perhaps. We’re so used to saying them that I sometimes wonder if we’re really hearing them.
Think about what God the Father did from the perspective of being a parent. When the nurses put that new life into our hands, we know from that moment forward that we would give anything for our child. Although there may be times when we think the nurse gave us the wrong child or times when we’re ready to pack them off for a long visit, if our child was really at risk, what would we do? If they were under attack, we would protect them. If they needed anything to live, we would give it.
In these words, Paul proclaims that God gave up His beloved Son for us. Our language can’t fully describe such love. Our thinking can’t fully grasp it.
God gave His son for us—we, who have been disobeying God from the beginning; we, who have been trying to be our own gods and who sometimes blaspheme the heavens; we, who do terrible things to ourselves and to God’s other children and who are “still sinners.”
There’s no greater gift that God could have given, or that could have cost God anymore. That’s how much we’re loved. The gift of His son “proves” God’s love. What greater proof could God give than the gift of who was most precious?
The next time we look at a cross, I encourage us to really pause, look, ponder, and pray. We’re looking at the proof.
Do we ever wonder if we’re loved? Then look at the cross. We don’t merit God’s love. We could never deserve such a gift. Jesus on the cross is proof that God loves us.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you ever—like me and like just about everyone else—sometimes feel unlovable? If so, what’s hindering you from really trusting that God loves you always and forever?
- What would help you to always remember that God’s love for you doesn’t depend upon what you do but upon what Jesus has already done for you on the cross?
- We see the proof of God’s love with Jesus on His cross. We can’t earn that love or lose that love. We can only accept that love. What difference does that love make to your life and to how you treat others?