But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 NIV
Still Sinners
Hamed Esmaeilion has to watch his back wherever he goes — unable to escape the oppressive and violent regime that rules his homeland of Iran, even when he’s in Canada. When he first arrived in 2010 with his wife Parisa and daughter Reera, Esmaeilion thought he had come to the safest country in the world. “But it’s not,” he says. His wife and daughter were among 176 people killed, including 55 Canadian citizens, when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 on Jan. 8, 2020.
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Every single one of the disciples, with the exception of the apostle John, died as a martyr for the cause of Jesus. They knew the Master, they knew how good He was – not once did they see Him do anything sinful, not once did he give bad advice or not love perfectly or make the wrong decision. Who wouldn’t die for someone like this. He had revolutionized their lives and He had redeemed them by His death, setting them free from their sins. Over the past 2000 years, many thousands had also lost their lives because they loved Him. This makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is the reverse. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” When Jesus died for us, we were far from perfect. We still are. It was His agape love that caused Him to die for us. Only His death would set us free from our sin. Jesus loves you so much that in spite of your sin, He died for you.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley