6 "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."
Romans 5:6
It's been a week since we started a series that aims to find biblical support for the expression "God helps those who help themselves." Our fifth and last point should drive home the message.
Let's bring this series to a close and drop our last spiritual nugget:
Jesus died for the helpless.
In today's verse, the Apostle Paul writes about the transcendence of God's love. At the right time, Jesus came into the world for the benefit of the helpless. The Greek term "asthenēs" literally means "feeble." It emphasizes our inability to work out any righteousness for ourselves. Because we were unable to make ourselves right with God, Jesus came to rescue us. He did so by living a perfect life and shedding His precious blood on the Cross.
Christ did not die because we were good; He died while we were helpless, ungodly sinners. We sometimes question God's love, especially when we go through a difficult time. "If God loves me, why would He allow this to happen to me?" is what we often ask. We think that we are somehow entitled to only the best things in life. We forget that we live in a fallen world that God has justly cursed because of man's sin.
It was we who sinned, but it was God who made a way to reverse the effects of sin by sending His only begotten Son to earth. God proved His love by letting His Son take our punishment, shame, and guilt on that wooden Cross.
Conclusion
While "God helps those who help themselves" seems like a good saying, the truth is quite the opposite. God is not a boost; He is God, and outside of Him, we will always find ourselves falling short. On our own, we will not measure up to His standards of righteousness.
Thankfully, the salvation that He offers does not depend on our worthiness, but on the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the biggest favor we can do for ourselves is to acknowledge our incapacity to be our own Messiah and recognize that God Himself is our greatest need.
Pursue the Savior today!
Photo by Luke Vodell on Unsplash