01/31/2012
Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Devotional
I find it mind boggling, when I think of man in his fallen state, with the many different infractions of God’s moral law that man has committed how God could love us so unconditionally.
But when we investigate Rom. 5:8 we see here and in the majority of the passages, however, which speak of Christ’s sufferings and death, the preposition hyper is employed: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is shed for (hyper) you” (Luke 22:19–20); “the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51); “greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (15:13); “Christ died for the ungodly; while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6–8); “he delivered him up for us all” (8:32); “if one died for all then all died” (2 Cor. 5:14–15); “he made him to be sin for us” (5:21); “being made a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13); “Christ gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:2, 25); “the man Christ Jesus gave himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:5–6); Christ “tasted death for every man” (Heb. 2:9); Christ “suffered the just for the unjust” (1 Pet. 3:18).
Shedd, W. G. T., & Gomes, A. W. (2003). Dogmatic theology (3rd ed.) (690). Phillipsburg, N.J.: P & R Pub.
The preposition hyper in the original text of the New Testament means that God demonstrated His love on our behalf or for us, that He used His Son (Christ) as a substitute in our place, to receive punishment for our Sin. The violation that we committed against God’s moral law was put on One that did not deserve any ex*****on of judgment for Sin, for He was without Sin, but receive the punishment that we deserved, in our stead. This is how much God loved us, and that his Christ loved us that Christ died a terrible death on Golgotha’s hill, on our behalf. Christ descended in the lower regions of the earth (hell) for us, to pay the Sin debt in full for us. That’s love. God’s love extends beyond human comprehension, to the point of where in His infinite wisdom, He saw us as being so precious and important, that He allowed separation of the Godhead to attain again the fellowship that He had with man in the beginning, at the expense of His Son Jesus, for us the ill-deserving. Yes hell was our just dessert, but God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, that come to Him for salvation.
Heavenly Father, we thank thee for the sacrifice that you made for us through your Love that you demonstrated through the sacrifice of your only begotten, Holy Son Jesus. We give honor to you and are grateful for all that you have done for us. Thank you for your love which passeth all understanding within the finite minds of this your creation. Thank you for your salvation, glory, power and dominion that you have given to us as joint heirs of Your Kingdom. Continue to bless us, Heavenly Father, as we continue to do your will hear on earth. Thank You for the good that we have done for all good and perfect gifts comes from you and please forgive us of all the bad. You are worthy of all power, glory, honor, dominion and blessing in Jesus’ all powerful name and for His sake we pray. Amen.
