The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 148

than even the u_ngodly and, indifferent. H: goes down :nt.o ibe depths of sin. "While we were yet Rmners, Christ <lied for us (ver. 8). And not merely sinners but enemies, "When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death /,r his Son" (ver, 10). Here iR the greatest of all commendatiom of tllll Divine love. It was a love, not for the deserving, but for the undeserving; not for the obedient but for the disobedient; not for the just, but for the unjust; not for his friends, but for'his enemies. If you have ever tried to love your enemies, those who have done you an injury you know how hard it is. But God loved his enemies-those who bad broken his La.V: and rejected his invitations-God loved them so much that he gave his own &n to die 'for their salvation, in order that he might bring those who were his enemies to dwell for ever with himself. What a description it is of the objects of God's love I "Without. strength ; " " ungodly ; " "sinners; " "enemies." Surely this ought U> be enough to commend the love of God to us. Surely, then, there is hope for the guiltiest.. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that (.)hrist Jesus came into Uie world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." " In peace let me resign my breath, And thy salvation see; My sins deserve eternal death, But Jesus died for me." II. THE LOVE OF GoD IB COMMENDED BY ITS OPERATION. L On God's ride it involved sacrifice. God's love did not exhalll!t itself in profession. It showed itself in action. It showed itself in the greatest sacrifice which the world has ever seen. That was a genuine love. How it must have grie;ved the Father to think of his own holy, innocent Son, being buffeted and scourged and crucified by the hands of wicked meu, in the frenzy of their passion and hatred l What a sacrifice to make for our sakes, when God gave up his own Son to the death for us all! Herein is the proof of the reality of God's love. Herein is its commendation to us. "Love so amazing, so Divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all." 2. And then look at the operatiM of this love on our side. Look at the result.'J it produces in human hearts. " Hope maketh not ashamed, because the loue of God i, shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" ( ver. 5). "And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement" (ver. 11). What confidence it produces, what holy calm, what peace, what hope, what joy for time and for eternity, when we know that God loves us I Oh l there is no power like it to sustain the human heart. Temp- tations lose their power to drag us down, when that love is bound aronnd us like a life-buoy. Ho.tred and malice cannot harm us, hidden in the secret of his presence. Sorrow and suffering can bring no despair, when the Father's face is bending over us with his everlasting smile, and his arms are underneath us with their e,erlastin~ strength. His love is like a path of golden sunlight across the dark valley. "For I am persuo.ded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any othu creature, shall be uble to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Thus God commends to us liis love. Ho commends it to us by showing us our own condition-what we are without it. He shows us the character of the objects of his love -"wiLbout strength;" "uugodly;" "sinners;" "enemies.n He shows us the operation of his love. He points us to the cross, and bids us measure there the height and depth of his marvellous love. He shows us the operation of his love in human heart-s-what peo.ce, what ooufidonoe, who.t hopo, what joy unspeakable and full of glory, it produce..-.. For a.ll these reo.sons it is a love worth yielding to. For all t.hese l'l!asons it is a lo,e worth having. Christians should commmd the loi•e of God. A consistent Christh\l:: lifo is tho host testimony to the power of the love ot' God. By loTing even our enou1i~, by showing o. Npirit of unsolfishness nud self-sacrifice, let us commend to thO&l around us tho love of God. "When one tlmt holds communion with tho skies liu tlllo,t bis urn whore \hc,;o pure Wl\krs rise.  THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. [oa, v.1-n.