Genuine Love, pt. 6

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (ESV)

In other words, for this is how God loved the world, that he gave his only Son.... How much does God love us? He loves us so much that He would freely give his Son to die for our sins so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, as our sins deserve, but have eternal life!

Let us look at the free nature of this gift.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:15-17 (ESV)

Paul refers to life in Christ as "the free gift" five times. Not just a gift, a free gift. Paul could have referenced "the free gift" once and just as "the gift" from then on. Yet, he words it as "the free gift" in every instance. Important? I think so.

Now (being saved), when we were dead in our sins, we were spiritually bankrupt. We were in "debt" and could in no way begin to "pay" any of that "debt". Jesus Christ completely "paid" our "debt" with His life. So, by faith, the "debt" to God that our sin created is completely "paid." Yet, we could be newly in "debt" to Christ for "paying" for our sins. (Like owing a bank for a loan that paid for debt because of school tuition). In essence, replacing one form of debt with a new form of debt. God would have been right to make us no longer in debt to sin but in debt to Christ's life. However, we are not (and cannot be) in debt to a free gift!

How is this true?
Well, Paul says, "those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ." Those who are in debt do not reign, over anything.

So, how can debtors reign?
They can't, debt must be removed. Therefore, we reign in (or because of) whatever took our debt away. Paul says that we reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. As stated earlier, life through the one man Jesus Christ is the free gift. This means that we reign in the free gift. Since we could not pay our own debt, we cannot reign in (or because of) ourselves. Therefore, all is in Christ.

Not only did God show us genuine love by giving His only Son to die for a sinful, rebellious race but also by giving His Son freely.