GOD REALLY LOVES US

Proclamation:

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: ‘While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’” Romans 5:8

Explanation:

In his letter to the believers in Rome, the Apostle Paul tied to encourage them and give them hope.  He told them that God’s love had been poured out onto them through The Holy Spirit which was given to them (Romans 5:5) and was within them. (Ezekiel 36:27)  Then he told them that God proved that He love them by sending His only son to die in their place for their sins.

Application:

As a child I learned the song, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so ..." I sang that song as a child without an appreciation for the real meaning behind it.  Now I know that God loves us.  God loved us in the past, loves us now, and will love us in the future.  God proved His love for us, while we were still lost in sin, He sent His only begotten Son to die for us (John 3:16 and Romans 5:8) even before we loved Him.  Most of us would not sacrifice our child to save someone else, even if that someone was a good person.  We definitely would not do it for a bad or evil person, especially one who does not even love us. (Romans 5:7)  That is what God did for us.  We did not deserve such a love.  As bad and as sinful as we are, we are never without God's love and He is always with us. (Matthew 28:20)  No matter what happens to us or what we do. God never gives up on us and He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  God really loves us, let us love Him and let us act like we love Him.  I can now sing a new song, "I really love The Lord.  I REALLY love The Lord.  You don't know what He's done for me.  He gave me the victory.  I love Him. I LOVE Him.  I REALLY LOVE THE LORD."  Let's all sing it and mean it.

Once Forgiven Christ Won't Remember Our Sins

"But when This Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.  Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.  The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.  First He says: 'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says The Lord.  I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.'  Then He adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.' "  Hebrews 10:12-16 (NIV)

This unknown author of the Book of Hebrews clearly stated to the scattered people of God that Jesus sacrificed Himself once and for the sins of all, and that He is now in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, The Father.  His sacrifice paid the price for those who were being imputed with righteousness.  Once they believed, He put His Word in their hearts and on their minds.  Then he said that He would no longer remember their sins.

Today, we need to know that Christ died on the cross for our sins.  Once we believe, we are forgiven and declared righteous.  The Holy Spirit of God has entered us to bring to our remembrance The Word of God and all that Jesus taught us. (John 14:26)  When we choose to follow Him, our past sins are forgiven.  Christ has forgiven us, so we no longer have to beat ourselves up for our past sinful mistakes and indiscretions.  We are now new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  Thank God, we are not who we used to be.  As we daily strive to be more Christ-like, we are not as good today as we are going to be. 

The Blood Of Christ Still Works

"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him." Hebrews 9:22-28 (NIV)

Without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sin. The unknown author relates the Old Testament animal sacrifices for the atonement of sin repeated annually by the High Priest with the sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness of sin once and for all.

For believers, the blood of Jesus covers all of our sins. Our salvation is only possible because of the blood of Jesus, who was without sin, was shed for the remission of our sins.