“Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 KJV
IF YOU watched Schindler’s List, you probably came away asking, “How could they do it?” The showers…the ovens…the smokestacks belching out human ashes. Trains arriving every day with mothers, fathers, children, and old people—herded like cattle on the way to a slaughterhouse. And worst of all—soldiers who carried out orders without a shrug of conscience. How could they do it? The answer is sin! And if you think Hitler and his henchmen had a corner on it, think again! David says, “I was brought forth in iniquities, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5 NAS). His own sordid chapter of adultery and murder confirms that. Read this résumé; it describes each of us: “They’ve all taken the wrong turn…all wandered down blind alleys…Their throats are gaping graves, their tongues slick as mud slides…They open their mouths and pollute the air. They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year” (Romans 3:12-15 MSG). If God did an evaluation on any one of us, that would be it. And you must understand that in order to appreciate this: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NKJV). When you read that Scripture, the question changes to, “How could He do it?” Thank God we didn’t get what we deserved—punishment. We got what we needed—grace! Hymnist William R. Newell wrote, “Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan! Oh, the grace that brought it down to man! Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!” Take a moment today and thank God for the grace that redeemed you. It’s what Good Friday is all about.
Soul Food Reading: 2 Ki 5:1-27, Matt 6:19-34, Acts 5:1-11
