“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8

This wonderful verse shows us the extent of our God’s amazing love toward us. The thought that the apostle Paul was emphasizing really begins at verse 6, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.” He continues his thought all the way through today’s verse down to verse 11, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (vv. 9–11).

In these verses (vv. 6–11), we have four things which describe what we were before this “but God.”

We were without strength: we could not help ourselves. This not only describes us physically, but morally as well. We had no ability to change our ways or our behavior; we were on a path diametrically opposed to a holy and righteous God. This comes out stronger in the next word.

We were ungodly: This has the thought that, left to ourselves, we would give no thought to God at all. The Bible informs us that, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way” (Isa. 53:6).

We were sinners: meaning that we missed the mark. We are sinners by nature and by practice. God has the holy standard of His glory, and we fall short of it: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

We were enemies of God: The fourth word might be the strongest against us. We were at enmity with God. The apostle James tells us, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). 

These four words would be utterly discouraging were it not for the “But God” in today’s verse. For even when we were at enmity with God in our weak, ungodly, and sinful condition, He fully and openly displayed His love toward us by send His own Son to died for us.

Read it again—and pause to reflect and thank Him for demonstrating His love toward us.

Anchor For Today
The love of God it was that sought
From sin to set us free,
That gave the Son, whose precious blood
Has wrought our liberty.
                                           – George Wigram