Remember that God created us out of love, and had to
give us the choice to choose Him or reject Him. So God also knew that he
would have to provide a way for us to be restored to Him. The second part
of the previous verse says this,
But God gives us a free gift --
life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23b - NCV).
God provided a way to bridge our separation and to give
us the only gift that would pay for the penalty of our sin. That gift was
Jesus Christ, His son.
For Christ died for sins once for all. . . to bring
you to God" (I Peter 3:18 - NIV).
It is like us standing before the Judge of our lives.
The Judge declares us guilty and hands us the sentencing - eternal death,
punishment in Hell. But because of THIS Judge's love for us, he took off
His robe, came down
from the bench, and received the sentence in our place.
Jesus, who is God, came from Heaven to take the
punishment for the guilty. He came down from the judges bench. . . out of
love.
"But God demonstrated his own love for us in
this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8
- NIV).
God's love is not conditional on us being good or trying
hard. If we could get to Him and bridge the gap ourselves, why would Jesus
have had to die? God's love was for us in spite of the fact that we were
sinners, separated from Him. We, as mankind and all people because of our
choice, sin and are in need of His unconditional love reaching to us. . .
coming down from the judge's bench.
Because Jesus died on a Roman cross nearly 2000 years
ago, He did what God demanded as payment for ALL of mankind. That was all
a part of God's incredible plan. He created us with a choice so we would
not be robots, pre-programmed to follow God. He knew we would sin. And
that one sin would separate us from Him. Because of his just character he
would have to punish all sinners (everyone), but His love provided a way
that all men could be saved from their punishment and ultimately restored
back to a loving, chosen, relationship.
Jesus brings us back to God. He said that he was the only way.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth
and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me"
(John
14:6 - NIV).
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