Romans 5:8 – Tell Me the Story

Who is Asenath?

Do you know who Asenath is? She was the daughter of an Egyptian priest, but she is in the lineage of Christ. How could that happen?

It happened with Joseph, a son of Jacob who had visions. His brothers hated him because he was Jacob’s favorite, and they sold him to some Midianite merchants who took him to Egypt. He served Potiphar the governor until he was falsely accused and put in prison.

Years later because he had the ability to interpret dreams, he was allowed to tell Pharaoh about the coming of a famine. The king put him in charge of the harvests, and he stored up food to feed the people during the famine.

He married Asenath and she bore him two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who became two of the twelve tribes of Israel and ancestors to Jesus.

THINK ABOUT IT

As Asenath was a pagan to Israel, we were too. We were lost in our selfish, sinful lifestyle until we experienced God’s amazing love. He demonstrated his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). By no effort of our own, Jesus brought us salvation from sin and gave us new life, abundant life (John 3:16).

As Joseph had an Egyptian bride, Christ does too. His bride is the church, which is made up of people who believe Jesus’ sacrifice was for them personally and who became a kingdom of priests so others might be brought in to God’s family. Listen! There is room for everybody! If you have not received God’s amazing love, it is not too late. Do these three things and you will be joint heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven: Admit you need Jesus’ love, believe that He is the way the truth and the life (John 14:6), and confess Him as Lord of your life (Romans 10:9). Then find a Bible teaching church and be baptized.

PRAY ABOUT IT

Thank you, Father God, for Jesus our Savior. Teach us to live in the light of our salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Father, Forgive Them

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Wednesday last week was Ash Wednesday, and I saw people in town with ash crosses on their foreheads. It’s a solemn reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made for our forgiveness. He had dinner with His friends, and then He washed their feet. He knew that Judas would betray Him and Peter would deny he ever knew Him, but it must have broken His heart to see His friends sleeping while He prayed with drops of blood for the Father to let His cup of suffering go away. The priests and elders of the temple took Him from the Garden of Gethsemane to Jerusalem and falsely accused Him. Pilate could see no reason to execute Jesus and sent Him to Herod who didn’t find any reason to kill Him either. Yet, the people kept yelling, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!

Jesus was beaten, mocked, spit on and crucified. From the cross He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

THINK ABOUT IT

My heart breaks every Lenten and Easter season when this is the story. It is hard for me to imagine all Jesus experienced for my redemption. When He said, “Father, forgive them,” He wasn’t just talking about the priests and the Roman soldiers and the people who yelled, “Crucify Him!” He was speaking about me too. “Father, forgive her because she does not know what she is doing.”

“God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Yes, Jesus died for me while I rejected Him. I chose my ways over His for too many years. “O Lord, I am so sorry for my rebellion.”

Brothers and sisters, no one is too far gone, too bad or sinful that Jesus will not say the same words over you: “Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.”

PRAY ABOUT IT

Holy Lord, merciful Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for loving me even when I was unlovely, self-indulged and sinful. I pray for others that do not know your amazing love: “Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing against you. O Lord, send your Spirit on them to open their eyes to your presence in their lives and your amazing love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

God is on the Move

“God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we are still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8). His love never stops. He moves behind the scenes even when we don’t realize it. He is working to answer our prayers before we think to pray or utter our requests. I have heard a couple testimonies from missionaries that prove this.

A hospital in Rwanda had been destroyed and rebuilt three times. During a period of eight weeks, no supplies or medications arrived. The doctor prayed, “Lord, we’re gonna have to close the hospital unless we can help these people. I cannot look into the empty eyes of these suffering people any longer.” The next day an airplane landed in the area of the hospital. The pilot said, “These medical supplies were on our dock, and we didn’t know what to do with them. Thought you could use them.” Tears streamed down the doctor’s wife’s face. “We serve a great God!”

Another missionary doctor needed hospital supplies that included hot water bottles for the patients who had pneumonia. The village held a prayer meeting and prayed specifically for all the things they needed. After the last request, a child prayed: “And please bring a dolly for my friend who is very sick.” The mail carrier delivered a big box within a few days. The villagers gathered around to see the package opened. Yes, item after item requested in prayer was opened. The doctor stopped unpacking, but the little girl said, “You didn’t get everything.” The doctor took out more packing material, and under it all was a dolly.

THINK ABOUT IT

Do you see how God moved the universe well in advance of the desperate cries for help? It takes at least two months for supplies to be delivered to missionaries. God orchestrated people to gather medicine, supplies (and a dolly) months before the needs were realized. It started when we first believed. God loved the world so much that He gave His only son as a sacrifice so that whoever believes in Him will not die in their sins but have eternal life (John 3:16), and He did that while we were still sinning (Romans 5:8).

PRAY ABOUT IT

Thank you, Father God, for loving us before we knew we needed it. Thank you for forgiving us when we didn’t know we needed forgiveness. Thank you for answering our prayer even before we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Relentless Love

To experience God’s amazing love requires a response–to love as He does. That’s what I pray for–the ability to love others as God loves me. But how do I make that happen? Some folks are just not lovable.

Scripture has many love verses. 1 Corinthians 13 talks about unconditional love: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud . It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

Romans 12:9-10 tells about love in action: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Hosea 3:1 tells about relentless love: “The Lord said to me, ‘Go show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress.'” This is the hardest kind of love to show, but it’s not impossible. Many husbands/wives have forgiven their spouses and taken them back after they had affairs. It is surely a Godly way to love. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Yes, when we were still stuck in our sinful nature, Christ died for us. However, He doesn’t want us to stay that way. He wants us to become more like His Son, Jesus.

THINK ABOUT IT

The second part of the relentless love verse is, “Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods . . .” (Hosea 3:1b). We could make that personal–God loves us even though we have turned out backs on Him, chosen our ways over His ways, loved the things of this world more than Him. God loves each us with a relentless love. Let that love impact your life today.

PRAY ABOUT IT

Thank you, Holy God, for your amazing, relentless love. We do not deserve such love, but you love us anyway. Help us to live in light of your relentless love today and forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.