But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.” vss. 8-9
Romans 5:6-11
Sometimes it’s hard to understand how the death of Jesus fits into the whole scheme of salvation. We know what we’ve been taught, namely that the death of Jesus saves us from our sins, but we wonder how that could possibly be true. Because it’s confusing and hard to believe, many would like to find another way to understand salvation, one that does not require a dying Christ and the shedding of blood. And there are some options out there, ways of understanding Jesus that embrace him as a teacher and a model for the life of faith. The problem is that such scenarios don’t touch the problem of sin. Paul tells us that the death of Jesus was an act of love that changed the world. It may not make sense to us, but as the old hymn tells us, there is power in the blood. Forgiveness is more than a word of absolution, it is totally wrapped up in the self-giving love of Christ. We can hear that we are forgiven and respond with an “oh, isn’t that nice” attitude. But when we hear that a person died for us, that blood was shed on our behalf, we are overwhelmed with gratitude. If we ever succeed in eliminating the cross from faith, we will lose the gospel.
Thought for the Day: What is the power of blood?
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