Chapter 2 · Encounter 22 of 48
The Cost of Coming Home
Prepare
We've seen the father welcome his returning son and the Shepherd remain faithful to his promises. But reconciliation raises another question: what does it cost to overcome the estrangement caused by sin?
Paul describes God's love through what Christ has done for people who were still sinners and enemies. John likewise points to God's initiative in sending his Son.
As you read, pay attention to who takes the initiative, the condition of those being reconciled, and what God's actions reveal about his love.
Read Scripture
Open each passage here without leaving this Encounter.
Romans 5:6-11
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
1 John 4:9-10
9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Ponder
- Paul describes humanity as powerless, sinful, and estranged from God when Christ died for us. What does the timing of God's action reveal about his character? How does this challenge the idea that reconciliation begins when we become worthy of his love?
- Both passages describe God's love through the sending and sacrifice of his Son. What do they reveal about the lengths to which God goes to restore relationship with us? How does the cross deepen your understanding of the Shepherd's steadfast love?
Look Again
Look carefully at Romans 5:8–10 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5:8-10
Paul doesn't merely say that God loved us despite our sin. He emphasizes that Christ died for us while we were still sinners and that we were reconciled to God while we were enemies.
Now return to 1 John 4:10 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10
Notice how both writers direct our attention away from human achievement and toward God's initiative.
What does this add to the picture of the Shepherd you've encountered throughout this chapter?
Practice
Spend a few quiet minutes with Romans 5:8 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.Romans 5:8
Read the verse slowly, paying particular attention to the words while we were still sinners.
Consider what this reveals about the God who loved you before you could make yourself worthy of his love. Allow that truth to become an occasion for gratitude rather than another obligation to fulfill.
Prayer
Thank God for the love revealed in Jesus Christ and for the reconciliation made possible through his death.
Speak with him about anything that makes it difficult to receive his grace. Ask him to deepen your understanding of the cost of redemption and your gratitude for his self-giving love.