The Unparalleled Love Of God

MAY 23, 2023

 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”(Romans 5:8)

It greatly heightens the blessedness of Divine mercies when we consider them in light of the unworthiness of those to whom they are sent. Let us behold with wonder the amazing love of God that extends not only to such as do not deserve it, but to those that deserve the exact opposite. It is not enough to say, in our account of God’s love, that God was gracious when we had done nothing to merit His favor. That is, after all, a true definition of grace, i.e. unmerited favor. However, as our verse declares, God was gracious to us when we had done everything to merit His displeasure.

This wonderful truth is among the most glorious features of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the reason is very plain. God Himself, of Whose love we speak, is an infinite Being, and therefore His love must be an infinite love. All the properties are infinite as well. It must be exercised to suit an infinite power; it must be such as fits with infinite wisdom; and its effects must be such as shall be suited to infinite goodness. And therefore, in the display of it, such manifestations must be given as shall set forth that the love of God, as an infinite Being, totally differs from the love of man, who is but a finite creature.

Our love is, like ourselves, characterized by circumstances and limitations that belong to finite, limited, perishing, dying creatures, which not only ourselves but all the creatures around us, partake of. But the love of God is a boundless universe that cannot be measured or comprehended. Paul speaks in another place of the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ, which “passeth knowledge.”(Eph. 3:18, 19) Now God commends (shows and puts forth) His love toward us by those properties; that is, He bids us to behold it by those special marks and characters. And when the Lord blesses the souls of His own people by the same astonishing instance of His grace in those acts of goodness, He speaks as in these solemn words: “…If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.” (Zec. 8:6)

How precious is the chief manifestation of this love as seen in the gift of His dear Son, Jesus Christ! When was Christ given? When we were enemies? On what account was He given? Purely on account of God’s love. And to whom was He given? Not to his friends; not to those who had never offended Him; not to those by their affection could reciprocate; not to those who by their service could make some return of acknowledgment for such blessings. Christ was given to poor, helpless, barren, unprofitable sinners such as ourselves.

The love of God in Christ is particularly recommended, pressed upon our hearts by the rich display of it. For God to have blessed us, or to have loved us, if we had never offended, would have been gracious, but that, though a gesture of pure grace, would not begin to set forth the infinite riches of His grace – it would have been a stream too shallow to make known the unfathomable depths of God’s love and mercy. No! “God commandeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Take time to pause and mark the properties of God’s love. Then admire the goodness of God, and the value of the unparalleled love of God in Jesus Christ. So God commended His love towards us!!