"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." — Romans 5:8
You know, there's a hymn that's been sung in churches for over a hundred and fifty years now, and every time I hear it, I find myself stopped in my tracks by one particular verse. The hymn is "At the Cross," written by Isaac Watts way back in 1707, and the verse goes like this: "Was it for crimes that I have done, He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity, grace unknown, and love beyond degree!"
When Isaac Watts wrote those words, he was wrestling with a question that should stop all of us dead in our tracks: Why would Jesus do that for me?
Think about it. The Creator of the universe, hanging on a cross. And for what? For crimes that I have done. My sins "Big" and "Small" (no such thing as small really) the lies I've told. The times I've chosen my way over His.
I'm too soon old and too late smart on this, but one thing I've learned is that we have a tendency to minimize our own sin while we maximize everyone else's. But when we look at that cross, we have to face the truth: it took the death of God's own Son to pay for those "slip-ups."
But here's where it gets really amazing. That verse doesn't stop at the crime. It goes on: "Amazing pity, grace unknown, and love beyond degree!" The cross isn't just about what we've done, it's about what He's done for us.
When Jesus hung on that cross, He wasn't dying for some abstract concept. He was thinking about you. About me. And He didn't do it because we deserved it. He did it because that's who He is.
The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." That's the amazing exchange. He took our sin and gave us His righteousness.
I remember talking to a man once who told me he just couldn't accept that God would forgive him. He'd made too many mistakes. And I asked him, "Do you think your sin is bigger than the cross?"
The cross says that no matter what crimes you and I have done, His grace is enough. His love is beyond degree. It's a love that looked at us in all our mess and said, "I'll die for that one."
History is just HIS story, and the cross is the central chapter. It's where your sin and His grace came face to face, and grace won.
Let's pray: Father, we stand amazed at the cross. Thank You that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Help us never to take for granted the price that was paid. In Jesus' name, Amen.
#Faith #TheCross #Grace #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #HymnHistory #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #Nightlight
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