⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

^8.But [contrast] God demonstrates [demonstrates clearly] His [emphatic] love toward us

God’s love goes beyond willingness to die for a good person. He is supremely willing to demonstrate His love, so much so that He gave His Son for sinners so that all can see it. This is the proof of His love for us. There is nothing in sinners to call forth this love, but there is something in the unconditional love of God that does.

The word “shows” means to put together by combining. Thus, the idea is to prove, establish, or exhibit. God’s love surpasses the most extreme sacrifice of man for others. God made good on His love by sacrificing His most beloved Son.

The present tense of the word “shows” indicates that God continuously establishes His love, because even today the death of Christ for our sins remains His most striking manifestation of His love. Christ died for His enemies (v. 10).

in that while we were still sinners,

Christ died for us while we were in a state of disbelief, “weak,” “sinners,” “ungodly,” or even “enemies” (v.10). A sinner is someone who cannot conform to the absolute standards of God. In every way he fails to measure up to what God expects. It is an extremely rare thing that a person would die for a good man, much less for a foul sinner.

Christ died for us.

The cross as substitution for our sin is the way God shows His love toward sinners.

PRINCIPLE:

Christ’s death is a demonstration of God’s love.

APPLICATION:

God’s love operates irrespective of human merit. Christ’s death benefits sinners by sacrifice provided by God. God demonstrates His love to the “weak,” “ungodly,” “sinners,” and “enemies.” It is patently clear that there is no qualification in God’s love; He leaves no one out of His love. There is no previous love on our part. God loves us before we make any move toward Him.

God’s love for us is not based on our attractiveness to God. We love people because they love us. That is how we love, but that is not how God loves. He does not love us on the basis of what we do or how we do it. He does not love us only so long as we love Him. He loves sinners unconditionally. Our Lord proved it by having sacrificed His Son for us. His love does not depend on who and what we are.

Jn 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.