JULY 17, John 3:16, Romans 5:6-8 

Mr Brown has a nasty neighbour. He destroyed Mr Brown’s vegetable garden, poisoned his chickens, stole his eggs and even killed Mr Brown’s old, faithful dog Patch. One day, this neighbour was attacked by some violent gangsters. Mr Brown sent his teenage son over and said,
“Go and protect him with your life!” And his son was killed while saving that nasty neighbor.

What do you think of this story? Mr Brown must be crazy! Why bother to save a wicked enemy?!

Similarly, this is how God loves you and me. By nature, we hate God: we do not like to worship him, to read His Word; we break his laws day and night and even hate those He sends to tell us about God. In Old Testament times, many prophets were killed. Yet God’s Word said, when we were _______________ we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son (Romans 5:10).

Using human logic, we would not be able to understand why or how God loves us, despite our sin. But in Romans 5:8, we read “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet _______________ Christ died for us.”

Yet another verse said, when we were yet _______________, in due time Christ died for the _______________.
We cannot understand! Why did God do it? John 3:16 gives the answer: For God ______________________________, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Thought: How great God’s love is!

Prayer: Thank you Heavenly Father, for loving me when I was your enemy, a sinner, ungodly, without strength to save myself. Please help me to love You more and more. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.