James Nisbet Commentary - Romans 5:8 - 5:8

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James Nisbet Commentary - Romans 5:8 - 5:8


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

THE DEPTH OF GOD’S LOVE

‘But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’

Rom_5:8

It is a remarkable feature in the sorrows of Jesus, that His love maintained such a wonderful equanimity. How very few are the affections which we know of, that have continued the same! How few friendships do any of us carry all along the little journey of life! It is an easy thing to go on, and be kind, when we are happy! Every man can be amiable, when all outward things conspire to bless him. But to feel very exhausted, and to be kind then! To be poor, to be in pain, to be insulted, to be wronged, to feel very miserable—and still to maintain an equipoise: to let the stream flow calmly then—that is the difficulty!

Now here is the marvel of the love of Christ.

I. Its simple endurance of things conspiring to disturb it.—He passed through every diversity of irritating circumstance—and yet there is not a moment in which we can discover a want of affection. Not an unkind word; not a vexed look to a single individual; not a frown; never a change upon His countenance. He never reproaches a disciple; He never upbraids anybody. All is instructive and holy. His reproofs draw milder, as He draws nearer and nearer the close of His earthly life. Each anguish only draws out more sweetness. He pursues His path of high love without one single deviation. Affliction is always cheerfully borne. Love is never on the wane. O what a series! death is the climax. And herein ‘God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ Is not that exactly the Saviour that you want?

II. Another difficulty which we always find, is a just and proportioning love.—Either it is so largely spread out that it wants individuality and warmth, or else it is so concentrated and bound up with a few that it is deficient in breadth and catholicity. We cannot admire too much, in the love of Jesus Christ, the beautiful union—blending the general interest with particular tenderness. The whole world is in His heart. He was carrying the burden of thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of thousands—the conversion of the whole earth was in His prayer. He sent His thoughts down from His disciples to their converts, and their converts again from generation to generation, to the end of time. He grasped the universal kindom of God. Nevertheless, His heart was so disengaged for any one who wanted it, as if He lived and bled only for that one. Again I ask you, is it not just what we want?

III. In the midst of the vastnesses of the Saviour’s universal empire, He could remember such an atom as I am!—But the love that I feel so sweet to me, am I sure that will be bestowed upon the one I wish Him to love? Could He go forth to every member of my family—to all I desire to save? Yes—to me and all. To all and me. And every principle I am acquainted with justifies me in arguing, if a suffering Saviour did this, what will a glorified one do? On the eve of His agony, He stooped to wash His disciples’ feet. I feel confident, while the spirit of the Saviour is glorified, the act will be better. He could stoop from the height of His dignity, at any moment, to wash the vilest sinner white.

Illustration

‘This verse is a direct assertion of the deity of Jesus Christ. For it does not mean “the Father commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” But that “Christ commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, He died for us.” The line of the argument absolutely requires this. “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, He died for us.” It is plain that He Who loves is He Who dies—otherwise there is no argument at all, if one loves and another dies. Therefore the God in the first clause is the Christ in the second clause of the sentence; and the passage exactly agrees with another, 1Jn_3:16 : “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us.” And we are glad that our minds should thus meet a certain resting-place upon the Godhead of the Crucified One.’