The greatest manifestation of God's love in all of history is this: "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom. 5:6). "In due time" (v. 6b) or "at just the right time" (v. 6a, NIV), "when we were still powerless" (v. 6b, NIV), "Christ died" (v. 6b) for us. We were "ungodly" (v. 6b) and unable to help ourselves. We had no hope of salvation. We couldn't save ourselves. So God did it for us "at just the right time" (v. 6a, NIV).
God's great love is demonstrated in the fact that Christ died for "the ungodly" (v. 6b). By contrast Paul notes in verse 7: "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die."
The point is this: rarely would a person sacrifice his own life to save the life even of someone seen to be of upright character, though Paul concedes that on a rare occasion perhaps someone would "dare to die" for one thought to be "good" (v. 7b). It is even less likely that anyone would sacrifice himself to save someone who is known to be evil. Yet that is just what Christ did. He died for the "ungodly" (v. 6b), and in that we find our security.
Paul continues: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (v. 8). This is the main point of verses 6-8. It was for "sinners" that "Christ died" (v. 8b). He died for people who were neither "righteous" (v. 7a) nor "good" (v. 7b). He died for the "ungodly" (v. 6b)—for "sinners" (v. 8b). He died for you and me when we were helpless sinners. God loves you; Christ died for you. That is the bottom line.
"For" (v. 8b) means "on behalf of." Christ died on your behalf. God's love poured out at the cross of Christ, shows again that you are eternally bound to the Savior. Amen.
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