Many people believe that they will achieve God’s favour through their good behaviour or religious observance. They think that in doing their best or trying their hardest, God will be pleased with them and perhaps they can hope for a chance at maybe being granted access to heaven when they die. The Bible says otherwise. All the religion in the world cannot make a soul fit for heaven. This verse describes us as “without strength”. We are completely incapable of helping ourselves. Even the best we have to offer God is tainted by our sin. “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). We need God to save us, fix us, and make us ready for heaven. There was only one way he could do that.
We consider it a very noble feat for someone to die for someone else. But most people would not give their life for someone if they don’t believe that person is worth dying for. Why would you lay your life down to allow a guilty convict to go free? People would much rather give their life for a loved one, or someone that they care for. If you were to read the next few sentences of this passage in Romans 5, you will see the distinction between how we think, and how God thinks. God did not send his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for good people. The Bible describes us as wicked rebels and enemies of God. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). This is truly immeasurable love!
The goodness, mercy, and grace of God are all available to sinners, but only the one who believes that he or she is a sinner will ever take it for themselves. The verse does not say that Christ died for religious people, or for good people, or for people with money, or a good family, or even people who read the Bible and pray everyday. It tells us that Christ died for the ungodly; wretched, guilty, hell-deserving sinners. What a wonder that God would ever love us. Have you ever taken God’s gift personally, and believed that when the Bible says that Christ died for the ungodly, it means Christ died for you?