“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8
The ramifications of that simple phrase blow me away. While we were depraved and wallowing in sin, while we were infinitely far away from God’s perfection and holiness, while were as different from him as it is possible to be, he loved us enough to suffer hell for us, to shed his Godhood and walk as a man, to be beaten to death. Because he loved us so incredibly much.
He didn’t wait for us to change first. He didn’t say, “If you make a little effort then I’ll love you”. He didn’t try to first convince us that his way was actually the best. He showed his love by dying for us.
Because of my sin God had to come down from heaven and get completely wrecked. Because of my failings, my hated, my judging heart, my insensitivity, my lies and excuses, God suffered the worst death imaginable. The depth of his love is so far beyond anything I can possibly imagine. And yet, we are called to imitate him and follow his example of completely and utterly selfless love.
Not to only love those who look and act like us but to love those who are as different from us as it is possible to be. Not to only love those who love us back but to love those who hate us and spit in our faces. Why? Because we spat in the face of Christ with our sin, yet out of his love he still died for us.
He did not call us to get indignant and political when people disagree with us. He didn’t call us to find 5 verses in the bible that support our argument. He didn’t call us to judge others lifestyle choices and treat them as if they were leprous because of it. We are called to pick up our crosses and follow Christ by loving the people around us completely and without fail. No matter what.
