LOVED CREWNECK

Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  In a short excerpt from Matthew Henry, he writes, "He evinces his love in the most winning, affecting, endearing way imaginable. While we were yet sinners, implying that we were not to be always sinners, there should be a change wrought; for he died to save us, not in our sins, but from our sins; but we were yet sinners when he died for us." God did not love us at our darkest time (in the state of unbelieving) so that we might continue on the path of unrighteousness. Through Christ, we are made clean, and God now sees us through the lens of Christ's righteousness and His atoning sacrifice for our sins. We have been given new life in Christ, and we are to walk in this new life, putting off the old, dark self.