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 5:6-8)
Look at how Paul describes us in this passage: “weak” “ungodly” and “sinners.” These are certainly not flattering descriptions. But, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that, apart from God’s grace, these are indeed accurate descriptions.
Contrary to what Western culture and our narcissism might tell us, we aren't awesome. But there is a sweet freedom in discovering that we no longer have to try to pretend that we are.
The scandalous gospel of grace says that, in Christ, God loves us anyway. He sees us as we truly are. He sees our pride, lust, greed, and apathy. We are perfectly and piercingly known, yet loved in Christ. That is liberating news! That tells us that we are free from having to impress God or anyone else and can simply rest in the finished work of Christ on our behalf.
While we were sinners, Christ died for us. It doesn't get much better than that.
He didn't come for those who had already cleaned up their act. He didn't come for perfect people. He came for the sick, the wicked, the desperate, and the poor in spirit. He came for real people with messy issues. He came and died for real sinners like us. That’s good news.
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