My cause and example for love (Part 2)

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Romans 5:6-10).

Romans 5 has always been one of my favorite chapters of the Bible (ok, they are all my favorite, but in a tie breaker this one comes out close to the top). Lately, it's just really come more alive to me. Even though that last post opened with a verse from Philippians, it was inspired by Romans 5:5. These next four verses from above totally speak to my self centered pride. Stuart Scott calls self centered pride when thoughts, words and actions are centered around my agenda, problems, lacks, desires and needs. When I think about my own self centered pride, I think about how people can inconvenience me and how I want to be exalted instead of serving others.

The key to fighing my selfishness is by meditating on the crucifixion. When I see how much Christ gave of Him self and His humility that brings so much conviction to me and hatred of this sin.

While I was still His enemy, Christ carried a 110 pound tree to the place of His execution so I could be reconciled to the Father.

As a traitor to the most glorious and holy One Christ had railroad spikes driven through His ankles and wrist for my sake.

When I was dead in trangression and sin, He was whipped, bruised and suffocated so that I could be made alive.

What amazing love, that the High King of Heaven would step down from His throne, take on flesh, become covered in my sin, so He could pay the debt that I owed on the cross carved for me and wear a crown of thorns I deserve so I may be crowned in glory with Him.

Think about this, Christ was God and I was ungodly, which means, I was the complete opposite of God, but He died for me. By Christ blood, by His sacrifice, by His death; I am saved from God's wrath. The beloved son of God took on the infinite wrath of the Father so that I may have peace with God. If Christ would do that for me, if He would show me such love, then how can I not die to self and seek to imitate His love to Laura. There is no inconvenience or suffering that is comparable to what Christ went through to me. Any time my "needs," are not my meet, my "desires,"or my agenda forsaken, I just have to look to the cross and see that my "sufferings" are only light affliction compared to the suffering that allows to me always be doing much better then I deserve.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6)