Romans 5:6-8

We humans really struggle with believing that we are loved by God. Especially in light of the pain and suffering that is going on all around us. How can we know that God loves us? God says: "Look at the cross of Jesus and see my love for you." Read Romans 5:6-8. The passage begins, "for a while we were still weak", not physically weak but spiritually. We were powerless, helpless to save ourselves. Then it says, "at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." He didn't die for the "good people" he died for the ungodly. Three indictments: weak, ungodly, sinners. We were rebels to God at heart, no way to save ourselves, under the wrath of God, deserving of judgment and eternal condemnation. Christ died for us while we were weak, ungodly, sinners. God's love goes to undeserving people. We cannot understand God's love apart from this. Despite the fact that we were weak, ungodly, sinners, rebels, ingrates, undeserving... he still loves us! God's crazy about you, not because of your performance, but just because he loves you! It is undeserved. The fact that Christ died for weak, ungodly, sinners is so unexpected and surprising. Paul elaborates the point in vs. 7. Read Romans 5:7. He points out that we might possibly die for a good person, but Christ died for rebels, sinners, people that didn't love him back. The first thing to understand about God's love is that it is undeserved.

The second thing to understand is that it involves sacrifice. Because God loved us, he gave his own Son. John 3:16. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the love. What sacrifice could God have made greater than this? God sends his own Son, eternal Son of God, to become a man, to die an excruciating death, to bear the sin of the world, to be separated from his Father, so that Jesus cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" What more could he have done? God's love for you is sacrificial love.

The evidence of God's love is not found primarily in the life of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, examples of Jesus, miracles of Jesus, and healings of Jesus. But the evidence of God's love is found in the death of Jesus. That's why Romans 5:8 points to the death of Christ. Love is sacrifical, read John 15:13. Jesus laid down his life for us. Jesus laid down his life for you. What more could God have done to show you how much you matter to him? Romans 5:8 teaches us that the heart of God's love for us is, while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Make the cross the center of your life. Focus on the cross, it is what shows us God's love and his heart to us.

Discussion Questions
1. Do you get God's heart? Have you felt it or experienced it? (share)
2. Do you see God as this vast, infinite God with no heart? Or, have you seen, touched, felt the rentless love of God? Give an example.
3. When you are discouraged do you tend to look to the cross? Or at other things?
4. When you think of the cross what comes to mind?