‘But God commends his own love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, for us Christ died.'

‘Being accounted as righteous' has resulted from the grace and love of God (Romans 3:24), and we now learn that that love was ‘commended' towards us by God (drawn vividly to our attention) in that while we were yet sinners ‘for us Christ died'. Note that it is God's love that is commended, and that it is revealed in Christ's death for us. In the Godhead all are as One. This verse is drawing attention to the greatness of the cost to God Himself. Jesus once said that ‘greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends' (John 15:13). But here now we learn of a greater love, a love revealed in that God gave His own Son on behalf of unworthy and rebellious sinners. And what is more, that is the very love which He now spreads abroad in the hearts of His own (Romans 5:5). In other words He loved us and He gave His Son for us so that we might become participants in that love. Consider the greatness of that love. ‘In this was love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins' (1 John 4:10). ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life --' (John 3:16). What greater love could there be than that? And as a result of the cross He spreads it abroad in our hearts so that we might learn to love as He did (Romans 5:5).

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