Romans 5:7-8 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.… 1. A right knowledge of the true God lies at the root of true religion (John 17:3). On the other hand, either belief in a false God, or a false view of the true God, is the source of all superstition. Of this we have an illustration in Romans 1:21-23. Men needed a new revelation to recall them from the worship of the works of their own hands. The tendency to invent a god, where the knowledge of the true God is blotted out, reappears under a modified form amongst those who have the light of Divine revelation. Human hopes and fears have led the intellect into two opposite extremes concerning the moral character of God. In the one case, God is regarded as a Being whose only attribute is benevolence: in the other, God is invested with the character of implacability. By the first, the sanctity of God is obscured; by the second, He is viewed as "an almighty Tyrant," whom it must be our only endeavour to propitiate. 2. The Cross was a manifestation to meet false views of God as to His sanctity and love. Whilst on the one hand it was the measure of sin marking God's hatred of evil; on the other it was the witness of love. It harmonised Divine mercy and justice — attributes which seemed before to pursue opposite roads. Let us regard the Cross as witnessing to — I. THE LOVE OF GOD. Our happiness depends on knowing and realising this Love. There are three ways of contemplating God. 1. You may regard Him only as a Being, and occupy your thoughts with the conditions of the Divine life — its infinity, immensity, immutability, and eternity. 2. You may dwell on His absolute perfections without respect to creatures — His power, wisdom, sanctity, perfection, form an august object of contemplation, but do not inflame the affections. To know God only as the great "I Am" will prevent me from falling down to an idol; but the revelation of the bush must be followed by that of Sinai, and that of Calvary must complete both. 3. Concerning God, the great anxiety is to know His relative perfections. The great necessity in a fallen world is that His love may shine in upon it, and that the creatures who feared His holiness may be convinced of His benignity. Love begets love. II. THE PRE-EXISTENT LOVE OF GOD. It is necessary to notice this, because language is sometimes used which would seem to imply that the Cross was creative of Divine love. But the conditions and perfections of the Divine life are not varying moods such as creatures are capable of feeling, but fixtures (Malachi 3:6). For God to view the human race with wrath until Calvary, with love after Calvary — would be for God to change. For God to love once is for God to love always (Jeremiah 31:3). Ancientness clothes love with a peculiar tenderness. Early friendships and associations cling to us in after life, and have something in them which new ties cannot supply. Love is heightened by the thought that it was poured upon us when we were unconscious, and entirely dependent upon its unrequited lavishness. Oh, wondrous love of the Parent of my soul, "the God of my life," bending over the thought of my being! (Psalm 139:16). The Cross then witnessed to this pre-existent love. It revealed it anew when the blight upon creation and the heavy penalties of sin had darkened human life. God's thoughts had been "thoughts of peace and not of evil" all along, but they needed to be shown in acts. Angels needed no such witness. Creation sufficed when the first estate was preserved. But with the world as we know it — who is there who has not at some time felt the need of a foundation for his tottering faith. When the tempter suggests the thought, "whence this suffering? is thy God a God of love?" there is but one vision that can sustain the soul — it is the Cross of Christ, for that Cross dispels all doubt as to the goodness of God. III. THE FATHER'S LOVE. All are accustomed to see in the Cross the love of our blessed Lord, yet many fail to discover the Father's love. The secrecy of the person of the Father, unbegotten and unsent, may tend to produce forgetfulness of the first spring of redeeming love; and cause us to stop short at the love of Jesus. A defect in recognising love is a little evil compared with the sin of substituting anger in its stead. A certain system of theology has this latter error at its base: it portrays the Father as Wrath, the Son as Mercy; and the Son as striving to appease the anger of the enraged and implacable Parent. Hence "the love of the Father" becomes impossible. The question is — "how is the First Person of the Blessed Trinity described in reference to man's salvation? How is He portrayed by our Lord?" Does not His description of Him correspond with His name — a name ever associated with tender love? (Luke 6:36; Matthew 5:44). In the parables how does the love of the Father Himself shine forth in the patience of the householder with the wicked husbandmen; in the repeated invitations of the king who made a marriage for his son; in the yearnings of the father over the returning prodigal; in the mission to the most unworthy, that they may share in the blessings of the gospel! Then note how He is spoken of by the apostles (2 Corinthians 1:3; Colossians 1:12; 1 Peter 1:3; Romans 15:5; Ephesians 1:17; 1 John 3:1; Titus 3:4). If we trace redemption to its source, it is the love of the Father which is reached through the Cross. Of Him it is written, that He "so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son" to save it. IV. THE GREATNESS OF DIVINE LOVE. Love is estimated by sacrifice, and heightened by the unworthiness of those for whom the outlay is made. Conclusion: We have regarded the Cross as the witness of the love of God; let us see now what should be the effect of this love on the beholder. This love of God, when realised, has a transforming power on the soul. Love begets love. Love drew God down from heaven to the manger, to the Cross; but it also draws man up to God (Hosea 11:4). (W. H. Hatchings, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. |
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