Romans 5:7-8 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.… We infer — I. That God HAS LOVE. He is not sheer intellect: He has a heart, and that heart is not malign but benevolent. He has love, not merely as an attribute, but in essence. Love is not a mere element in His nature; it is His nature. The moral code by which He governs the universe is but love speaking in the imperative mood. His wrath is but love uprooting and consuming whatever obstructs the happiness of His creation. II. That God has love FOR SINNERS. Then — 1. This is not a love that is revealed in nature. It is exclusively the doctrine of the Bible. 2. This is not the love of moral esteem. The Holy One cannot love the corrupt character; it is the love of compassion — compassion deep, tender, boundless. III. That God's love for sinners is DEMONSTRATED IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST. This demonstration is — 1. The mightiest. The strength of love is proved by the sacrifice it makes. "God gave His only begotten Son." 2. The most indispensable. The only way to consume enmity is to carry conviction that he whom I have hated loves me. This conviction will turn my enmity into love. God knows the human soul, knows how to break its corrupt heart; hence He has given the demonstration of His love in the death of Christ. (D. Thomas, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. |
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