At just the right time, when we were still powerless . . . (Rom. 5:6)
ROBIN ROBERTS, the national television news anchor, was dying. The disease she fought prevented her body from creating the blood components it needed. And after other treatments proved insufficient, she was left with a drastic option: a bone marrow transplant. On her own, she was utterly powerless to fight the disease. She would need a donation from someone else so her body could produce the life-giving blood it needed.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, reminded us that we were powerless against the deadly disease of sin. But in our helplessness, Jesus gave His blood for us. We’re not special; we were even Christ’s enemies. But in His incredible love, He did this for us. All we have to do is accept His gift through faith, and we gain life eternal. We are justified, forgiven, made whole, and, most importantly, reconciled with God.
Robin gained a longer life when someone sacrificed their bone marrow and gave it to her. Imagine how you’d feel if someone did that for you. And just think, the sacrifice of Jesus’ blood gives us life eternal. Our part is nothing more than to receive. We can’t do more than that anyway. Then our life-giving relationship with God is restored. What love! What hope! What a blessing to know that even when medical advances fail us one day, our eternal lives are always secure!
Look into becoming a blood or bone marrow donor.
Diane Gardner lives in the San Francisco Bay area, where she enjoys theater, street fairs, and watching the sun set with her husband.
