While…

At the end of this week, we will celebrate Easter. One of two Christian holidays. Good Friday, we will remember Jesus Christ’s crucification on the cross. Then three days later, we will remember His resurrection.

One of my favorite verses is “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” That short verse says so much. Especially, the “while.” While we were yet sinners. Notice it doesn’t say, before we were sinners, Christ died for us. Before we were corrupted with sin. Before we screwed everything up in our lives, that’s when Christ died for us.

No. It says while we were yet sinners. While we could offer God NOTHING, that’s when Jesus died for us. While we were dirty and mired in our sins, incapable of fixing ourselves. Incapable of cleaning up our acts. Incapable of freeing ourselves from the power of sin. In that condition, while we were yet sinners, that is when Christ died for us.

Sometimes people forget. Christ died for the sinner, not the saint. Christ died because of our sins. I’ve heard people say, “Oh, I’m too much of a sinner, God can’t possibly love me.” Or, “If I show up to church, the roof of the church will probably collapse because of all my sin.”

But that’s just it. Remember the “while.” It is while, currently in the state of sin, that Christ died. He doesn’t ask us to go clean ourselves up and then He might consider saving us. He knows we can’t. He asks us simply to come just as we are.

“Come to me all you are burden and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Come to Him, as you are. Bring to Him all of your sin. Hand it over. He died for your sins. He died, “while we were yet sinners.”

During this week as we march towards Easter, remember the “while.” Christ paid the price for our sins, “while we were yet sinners.” He had no promise or contract with us, that we would receive it, but He did it anyways. Not because we deserved it. He did it because we needed it.

So remember the “while.” That tells us how great God’s love is for us. It tells us what we must do before we can come to Him – NOTHING! He asks us to bring our sins, and He does the cleaning for us. Remember the “while.”

I hope you have a blessed Easter week and Easter.