The Greatest Love
"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die;
yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die." Romans
5:7.
Our English translation does not indicate the
difference between the two words used here. The righteous man is the just
man, the man who is careful to give every one his due. The good man is the
benevolent man, the one who has done us many favors, and who does for us
more than we could justly claim. Now, no matter how just a man may be, his
integrity of character would scarcely lead one to die for him. Yet it is
possible that for a man of great kindness some would even dare to die.
That is the highest measure of love among men. One may
lay down his life for his friends, "but God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners," and therefore
enemies, "Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
God is not our enemy, but we are or have been enemies
to him. Therefore he does not need to be reconciled to us, but we need
reconciliation to him. And he himself, in the kindness of his heart, makes
the reconciliation. We "are made nigh by the blood of Christ."
Ephesians 2:13. How so? Because it was sin that separated us from him, and
made us enemies; and "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin." 1 John 1:7. Being cleansed from sin, we must
necessarily be reconciled to God.
Waggoner on Romans, p. 96 |
