Romans 5:6

Romans 5:6 says, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  I believe here Paul tells us once again why Jesus had to die on the cross.  We are without strength to save ourselves, as the nation of Israel and the rest of the world had proven over and over. When the time was right for God, He sent Jesus to die for our sins.  We must never question God's plans or His timing.  We might wonder why God waited so long to send the Messiah, but we must be satisfied with His timing. What we really need to understand is that Jesus died for the ungodly.  This also included those who were called God's people, because no one was or is capable of saving themself.  Verse seven adds, For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. Paul stated that most people would not die for a righteous man, one who was unjustly condemned, according to Matthew Henry.  We most likely will never be called on to place our life on the line for another, but there are some people we would be willing to die for to save them in this worldly life.  There are some who would even be willing to die for a good person that the world might not even recognize as being important. Matthew Henry says this a person who is useful to the world.  I believe this would be someone we know or place a great value on.  I believe Paul was moving from the righteous, those who attempted to do God's will, to the good, those who attempted to have a right relationship with others.  What I believe we can know Paul was saying is that most of us would not willingly die for either a righteous or a good person.  I don't believe he was talking about people who have jobs that sometimes require them to place their lives on the line for others, though this would still apply.  I believe he was talking about the average person in an average situation.  Verse eight continues, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Christ did not die for anyone who was not guilty.  We were still sinners when He died for us.  We cannot become good and righteous in the eyes of God by our own merit.  Verse nine states, Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.   Paul tells us that when we are justified by Christ, we are saved from the wrath of God.  God will never take sin lightly, and neither should we. Christ sets us free from that earned wrath of God. Verse ten adds, For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.  We were reconciled by the death of Christ and saved by His life.  Christ paid the penalty for our sins by His death and gives us life by His resurrection. There is no other way to salvation.  Verse eleven continues, And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.  Paul calls on us to have joy through Christ, no matter what may be happening to us in the world .  We need to capture that joy every day.  We are to be a rejoicing people because we are forever atoned through Christ.