“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. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).
In the beginning of Romans, the inspired apostle thoroughly proves humanity’s universal guilt before God. Sin—with its many expressions of ungodliness and unrighteousness—is a deadly cancer of the soul. This horrific spiritual disease is found in both Jews and Gentiles. Therefore, “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).
Because of His great and daring love, God provided an atoning sacrifice for the ungodly. This fact necessitated the “so” in John 3:16’s “for God so loved the world..”
But, God’s great and daring love is not an academic theory to be argued or a vague, esoteric philosophy to be discussed; it is a dynamic truth to be embraced. Hence, in verse eight, Paul uses the first person pronouns “us” and “we”.
Christ died for the ungodly. I am ungodly. Therefore, Christ died for me.
God’s great and daring love is personal.
