1Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; 2through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a good person someone would even dare to die. 8But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.
11Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death passed to all men because all sinned. 13For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.
15But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16The gift is not as through one who sinned; for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift followed many trespasses to justification. 17For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.
18So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous. 20The law came in that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly, 21that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
In the Greek language four basic words are used to describe love: eros (sexual love; not found in Scripture), phileo (three basic nuances, namely, “natural affection”- occurring approximately 25 times in the N.T., “brotherly love “ – five times, and “casual friendship”- only found in James 4:4), storge (tender affection between relatives), and agape. Agape is similar to the Old Testament rendering of hesed, that is, “loyal love.” Agape-love is the commitment of the will to the true good of another. Agape-love entails dedication and is undeserving- even among those who mock, reject, and ridicule the giver (cf. John 3:16).
Agape-love was powerfully demonstrated by God the Father by sending Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to die on the cross for our sins. (cf. Romans 5:8). Agape-love is what committed Jesus to embrace death by crucifixion so that we might have eternal life (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin on our behalf. It is the type of loyal love that God extends to His children, lavishing them with their best interests in mind (1 John 3:1). Therefore, even though we may not understand why certain afflictions, pains, and troubles come our way, we can trust God, for He is the sum-total of His infinite perfections. God, who is both good and sovereign, has willfully and decisively chosen to love His children. Similar to Hosea’s loyalty to Gomer, God never gives up on us, His children, no matter how many times we raise our fists in rebellion against Him. As a result, we are invited to love Him and love others, believers and non-believers alike, as an expression of His love. This type of love is sacrificial, self-surrendering, always genuine, and demonstrated in meeting the practical needs of others- with no expectation of return (cf. 1 Cor 13:1; 1 John 3:16-17).