Who would die for you?

Romans 5:6-8
6 While we were yet in weakness [powerless to help ourselves], at the fitting time Christ died for (in behalf of) the ungodly.
7 Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a noble and lovable and generous benefactor someone might even dare to die.
8 But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

I have been studying these verses this holiday with some fellas from church to understand Christ and begin studying fervently the Word again. I studied these verses to understand what God was trying to say in these verses and I found something very profound in these verses specifically in verse 7. Read it below and think about this for a minute.

7 Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to give his life even for an upright man...

For a man who lives upright and lives a good life, it would be an extraordinary thing for one to give their life for that man. The Jewish people defined four classes of people based on their works. This man fell into the category of one who viewed life as the following: "What's mine is mine and what's yours is yours." Cool right? That's how most people should view stuff. What's mine belongs to me and what's yours belongs to you. He is classified as the upright man. Yet it would be an extraordinary thing for someone to die for Him? Why? I have a better question. Is this you? With that said, would someone die for you?

...though perhaps for a noble and lovable and generous benefactor someone might even dare to die.

The noble and generous benefactor is different story though. He is the man who views life the following way: "What's mine is yours and what's yours is yours." Huh? Say what? Yes, he does not view his things as belonging to him. He gives all he has to others and allows them to keep their things. This man is classified in a different category than the man in the above paragraph. This is the man who gives everything he has to the poor, rebuilds Katrina-hit areas during his spring break, does hundreds of hours of community service, and donates to the needy. This is the type of person we are told we should be like and many of us strive to be. But look at that person as well. Someone would perhaps dare to die for them. Huh? You mean that no matter all the good things I do, if I needed someone to die for me, perhaps they would? Pretty much. It is not certain. Even though people say they would die for someone in all the great things that one has done, would they still have that opinion when the gun is pointed at them and they are about to lose their girlfriend, boyfriend, fiancee, mother, sister, brother, best friends, time on this earth to love and help others, future plans, and all the hopes they amassed for someone that they don't even know that well? I don't think so. Especially if they're not certain of what will happen with them after they die.

But this is where the story gets really interesting. There is another class of man the Jewish people spoke of, the fourth class of man. This is that man's philosopy: What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine. This is the quintessential wicked man. He wants what you have and will not give what is his. He is selfish, inconsiderate, rude, and beyond the type of man or woman that we are taught to be like when we are a child. (By the way, although we don't want to be like this person ourselves, isn't it interesting we love watching these people on reality shows like Survivor, Real Chance of Love, I Love New York, and I Love Money. Just sayin') This is the last person who would have any person die for them. Yet for this person someone did die: Christ. And what's more amazing, we aren't the other groups of people no matter all the things we have done; we are like the selfish, wicked man. Don't believe me? Who are you when no one is watching? What do you think of that you fear others will find out? If you truly search your heart you will see that you are not the great person you think you are. I know I'm not. But this is where Christ comes into the picture.

For the wicked man, the one who no one would definitely die for, Christ died for him. Why? Because we are that wicked man. We are the sinners that have transgressed God. Our very lives are wicked to God as well as our hearts. Don't believe me? What do you think about most? Is it God? It is yourself? Your girlfriend? School? Where does your money go first? Church? Your entertainment fund? The club? Like all of us, you were concentrated on living for yourself. You had your own plans. How can we have our own plans in the face of God? How can we not want to live life the way He wants us to? There is something foundationally wrong with humanity and the problem resides deep inside of us. For this we really needed help. That is why when we were helpless Christ helped us. He died for the ungodly because we had no hope of godliness without Him. We had no hope of any resemblance of a meaningful, good life without the One who created life. And the death He died was a gruesome death. It was a innocent man dying a criminal's death. The death we deserved.

So after reading this I ask you the question again: Who would truly sacrifice their life, their family, friends, love, relationships, hopes, dreams, ambitions, etc. and all in it for you?

Now think about this: You no longer have to ask that question. Christ already died for you.

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