I’m on rotation with some other men at church who participates in offering the communion thought during service. I am asked to share something about once every eight weeks or so. below is what I shared yesterday.
G.K. Chesterton once wrote “things must be loved first and improved afterwards.” This seems to echo what Paul wrote in Romans 5:6-8 (NASB):
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Even while we were sinners, God loves us first and only after we come to Him does He ask us to change. We are not asked to change prior to Him loving us. Our changing is followed by His love.
I know sometimes we sing songs and we do not really pay attention to the words, so I want to take a couple of minutes here and read through the words to the song we just sang. Pay attention to the chronology of what is happening in the song: God does something first, and asks what we have done second.
I Gave My Life For Thee
I gave my life for thee,
My precious blood I shed,
That thou might’st ransomed be,
And quickened from the dead;
I gave, I gave My life for thee,
What hast thou giv’n for Me?
I gave, I gave My life for thee,
What hast thou giv’n for Me?
My Father’s house of light,
My glory circled throne,
I left for earthly night,
For wand’rings sad and lone;
I left, I left it all for thee,
Hast thou left aught for Me?
I left, I left it all for thee,
Hast thou left aught for Me?
I suffered much for thee,
More than Thy tongue can tell,
Of bitt’rest agony,
To rescue thee from hell;
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee,
What hast thou borne for Me?
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee,
What hast thou borne for Me?
And I have bro’t to thee,
Down from My home above,
Salvation full and free,
My pardon and My love;
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee,
What hast thou bro’t for Me?
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee,
What hast thou bro’t for Me?