With what shall we compare the love of God for us? The apostle Paul is busy with that in the text. Comparing God’s love, and measuring. What’s God’s love like? Or what’s it not like? How far does God’s love go?

Why does the apostle seek to compare the love of God? In order for us to see that it is actually incomparable and immeasurable. That’s his point. God’s love is not like the best of love that man might know or come up with. It is truly divine love; divine in its design and working and reach. When we know this love, we know God – it’s divine love. No one can say: But I know someone who loved like this once. There is no one who did – as Paul will show – but God only. Why compare the love of God? That we might see how incomparable it really is. Which gives us reason to trust and hope in God alone, who worked this divine love so uniquely and to such an extent.

How, then, does the apostle Paul seek to compare the incomparable love of God? It’s in verse 7: Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. It is rare in the human realm, among men, for someone to give his life for anyone else.

Not so easy to give up one’s life for another. Why? Because we love life, our own life. That’s not so hard to imagine. One certainly would not give up his life for anyone. Rare to see someone do that even for a righteous man. Though it might happen. But then only because of the righteousness of the righteous man. At least a righteous man would be worth dying for because of his righteousness. Nevertheless, you will still rarely see this happen. The apostle goes on: Perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. It’s possible to see it happen like that: a man giving his life for the good man. But then, only because the good man is good. A good man’s goodness would anyway be worth dying for. Even then, though, it takes some courage. One might dare to die for the good man. The point being: this sort of love is so extremely rare between people. It’s hard to come by; it’s incredibly hard to come up with this reach of love. Even though it’s not so hard to love a righteous man, to love a good man. Even though a righteous man, a good man, might be worth dying for. Still then, one does not easily give his life.

Now consider God’s own love. He gave his own Son Jesus Christ. Like this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Paul adds that this happened “at the right time.” This may emphasize that it was according to plan; not an untimely sort of death. It’s exactly what God had in mind: the how and the when of Christ’s death for us. We were helpless and ungodly. More than that, says verse 8, we were sinners. And in verse 10, the apostle lumps it all together in the term “enemies.” Christ died for us while we were enemies. All the terms the apostle uses have a purpose: helpless, ungodly, sinners, enemies. It’s like saying: God and Christ knew exactly whom Christ was dying for. This kind of people: not at all righteous, not at all good – but enemies. Which is to say, keeping the comparison in mind: not worth dying for at all. Yet, according to God’s plan, at the right time, this is exactly what happened.

One person might, perhaps (though hardly dare) die for another righteous, good person. Rare, this love between people. Can anyone now imagine that God would give his Son to die for sinful man, enemies? The divide between God and sinful man is infinitely bigger than the divide between one noble person and another righteous, good person. God’s love crossed the infinite divide. This, then, is the demonstration of God’s love. It’s incomparable love; it’s quite inconceivable. Can’t find anything like it in this world. Divine love only from above.

And now sinners, like us, are set free, having our sins paid for. This love reconciled us to God: a love that stretched across the immeasurable divide to bring us incredibly near.

Restored to God’s favour. So that we can live a new life. So that we may love again according to God’s love revealed and given to us. Amazing love, how can it be?

In God, whose love we know and trust, we may hope. As Paul says further in this letter, in chapter 8: He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? And nothing shall separate us from this love.