“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
(Romans 5:8)
As Paul plainly states in Romans 5:8, Christ did not wait for His people to be justified, renewed, strengthened, or made lovely before He loved them. On the contrary, He died for us while we were yet sinners, in misery and without strength to deliver ourselves. The greatness of His love is therefore measured not only by the cost He paid for redemption, but also by the unworthiness of those for whom that redemption was accomplished. He loved us when there was absolutely nothing in us that could merit such love.
This becomes a strong foundation of consolation. If Christ loved His people when they were sinners and gave Himself for them in that condition, His love toward them cannot be less now that they are justified by His blood. The argument moves from the greater difficulty to the lesser. Such that if divine love acted so powerfully toward those under guilt, surely that same love will not abandon those who have now been brought into a state of justification. The death of Christ therefore not only provides redemption; it also gives believers strong reason for confidence concerning final deliverance from wrath.
This confidence rests first upon Christ’s love toward His people. Once the believer is persuaded that Christ loves him, temptations lose much of their power. The question is no longer whether Christ is indifferent to us, but how the love already demonstrated at the cross will continue to act toward us.
An understanding and experience of Christ’s love also strengthens the believer. He heals wounded souls, rescues from the misery incurred by sin, supplies strength against temptation, and is our helper in time of need. The presence and activity of Christ provide further encouragement that the love revealed in redemption has not ceased.
In response, the one who loves Christ keeps His commandments, expressing itself through endurance, obedience, and a desire for fellowship with God. The believer remembers divine love and rejoices in it as something more precious than earthly delights.[1]
Christ loved sinners before they were justified, died for them in their helpless condition, sheds abroad the sense of that love by the Spirit, sustains them in conflict, and receives love from them expressed in obedience and communion. The believer therefore has abundant reason to bless God for a love that began while we were yet unworthy and continues until our salvation is complete.
Contemplations:
- You Loved Me Before There Was Anything Lovely in Me. While sinners were still sinners, Christ died for them. There was no strength, righteousness, or worthiness that could have moved You to act. Your love arose from within Yourself and displayed itself in redemption. Let that truth silence every thought that imagines I first made myself acceptable. My hope began in Your love, not in my fitness to receive it.
- The Cross Gives Me Reason to Trust What Comes After. If You loved Your people when they were under guilt, surely You will not cease loving them after justification. I rejoice in the strength of that argument. The blood that justified was shed by the same Christ who loved before justification. Let the cross become a continual answer to fears that cause me to doubt whether He will bring His saving work to completion.
- Let Me Know and Believe the Love You Have Shown. Your love has been demonstrated in Christ, yet I need the Holy Spirit to shed it abroad in my heart. I bless You that You do not only reveal love objectively, but also bring Your people into the inward persuasion of it. Root and ground me more deeply in this love. Let me seriously consider its breadth, length, depth, and height until doubts and complacency give way to settled gratitude and stronger confidence in You.
- Let Your Love Produce Love in Me. I do not want to speak of Your love while remaining unchanged by it. Let gratitude become patience in affliction, obedience to Your commandments, strength in spiritual conflict, and delight in communion with You. I praise You that love received becomes love returned. Draw me nearer in Your ordinances, make obedience fruitful, and let the remembrance of Christ’s love become sweeter to me than the passing pleasures of this world.
Prayer (Thanksgiving):
Father, I praise You for the love You have commended toward sinners in the death of Jesus Christ.
While Your people were without strength, lying in sin and misery, Christ died for them. He did not wait until they had justified themselves, made themselves worthy, or repaired their ruined condition. Your love acted first, freely and powerfully.
I bless You for the consolation contained in this. If Christ loved His people while they were yet sinners, His love cannot be less now that they are justified by His blood. Let this truth strengthen me whenever temptation accuses, fear rises, or conscience trembles.
Thank You for giving such an objective demonstration of love in redemption, and keep me from looking to my feelings when the cross stands as Your open declaration of grace.
I praise You also for the work of the Holy Ghost, who sheds abroad the love of God in the hearts of Your people. Give me a deeper sense of that love. Root and ground me in it.
I bless You for the continuing effects of Christ’s love: for grace in duties, strength in conflict, healing for wounded consciences, patience in affliction, and power against sin.
Let gratitude answer such love with obedience. Make me fruitful in keeping Christ’s commandments and diligent in communion with You through the ordinances You have appointed.
May I remember Your love more than earthly comforts and rejoice that the Savior who loved sinners unto death will not fail those whom He has justified.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
Rom. 5:6; 2 Cor. 5:18; Eph. 2:5; Psalm 146:8
[1] David Dickson, An Exposition of All St. Paul’s Epistles, (London: R.I. for Francis Eglesfield .., 1659), 12.
