A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.

At the appointed time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for us godless people.  It is not easy to die even for a good person — though of course for someone really worthy, there might be someone prepared to die — but the proof of God’s love is that Christ died for us even while we were sinners.

Now that we have been justified by Christ’s blood, it is all the more certain that we will be saved by Christ from God’s wrath.  For if we were reconciled to God by Christ’s death while we were God’s enemies, how much more certain that we who have been reconciled will be saved by Christ’s life!  Not only that, we go so far as to make God our boast through our Savior Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The Word of God recorded in the letter of Paul to the Romans.