“Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)”
God’s love is in Christ (Rom 8:35, 39). Those two little words, “in Him” contain an ocean of truth. “In Him” refers to the eternal relationship between Christ and His people, in which they are joined to Him by the eternal bond of His love (Jeremiah 31:3; Ephesians 1:4). On account of His love, Christ stands as their High Priest (Heb 2:17), their Surety (Gen 43:9; 44:32; Heb 7:25), their kinsman-Redeemer (Heb 2:11), their Captain (Heb 2:10), their covenant Head (Rom 5:14; Isaiah 42:6) and their Husband (Eph 5:23-32). “In Him” means that God receives His people as He receives Christ Himself (Philemon 1:12,17). “In Him” means that God loves His people as He loves the Lord Jesus Christ our Mediator, to the same degree and for the same duration (John 17:23-24). “In Him” means that all God requires of His people He received from Christ, both for punishment of sin and for obedience to His law (2 Cor 5:21; Rom 5:19; Rom 10:4; Matt 3:15; Heb 10:14). “In Him” means that nothing is given to God’s people but what He gives to them in Christ as their Surety and Mediator (1 Cor 1:30; Eph 1:3; 2 Tim 1:9; Eph 1:11). “In Him” means that all blessings God gives to Christ as Mediator, He gives to Him with His people (Romans 8:17; Eph 1:3-11). “In Him” means that Christ and His people are one before God, loved as one, and blessed as one in all things (Eph 1:3; John 17:23). “In Him” means that all that Christ is as Mediator to God for His people, and all that He accomplished as their Head and High Priest, they are and have accomplished in Him (1 Cor 1:30). “In Him” means that all that God is in Christ, His people receive from God in Him (Colossians 2:9-10). “In Him” refers to the union of Christ with His people in which Christ is their eternal Mediator to bring them to God and save them to the uttermost (Heb 7:25). The bond of this union is the love of God. This love is “stronger than death. (SSol 8:6)” Nothing can break this bond; nothing can separate one so loved by Christ from Him. If the Lord Jesus Christ so loves a man, surely, that man will be saved without fail, to the uttermost. Since only some are eternally saved, God’s love must only be towards His Elect, those who were chosen in Christ and loved in Him before the world began (Eph 1:3-4; 2 Tim 1:9).
God loves His own. WIth respect to them, He “thinketh no evil.” He loved them from eternity (Jeremiah 31:3) and His love for them can no more change than He can, because He is love (1 John 4:7). God’s love and grace never fail because God cannot fail (1 Corinthians 13:8; Lamentations 3:22). He loved His own from eternity, He therefore found a way in Christ to put away their sins. Because Christ put away their sins, God now ‘thinketh no evil” against His people: He does not count them sinners; He does not impute sin to them. In fact, He imputes the very righteousness of His own dear Son. He remembers their sins no more because He made Christ sin for them. Having made Him sin for His people, God now sees no sin in them (Numbers 23:21; Jeremiah 50:20). Instead of their sin, He sees the obedience of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. “He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:21).” The Spirit of God testifies to this when He says in the New Covenant, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now, where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (Heb 11:17-18)”
God’s love is in Christ (Rom 8:35, 39). Those two little words, “in Him” contain an ocean of truth. “In Him” refers to the eternal relationship between Christ and His people, in which they are joined to Him by the eternal bond of His love (Jeremiah 31:3; Ephesians 1:4). On account of His love, Christ stands as their High Priest (Heb 2:17), their Surety (Gen 43:9; 44:32; Heb 7:25), their kinsman-Redeemer (Heb 2:11), their Captain (Heb 2:10), their covenant Head (Rom 5:14; Isaiah 42:6) and their Husband (Eph 5:23-32). “In Him” means that God receives His people as He receives Christ Himself (Philemon 1:12,17). “In Him” means that God loves His people as He loves the Lord Jesus Christ our Mediator, to the same degree and for the same duration (John 17:23-24). “In Him” means that all God requires of His people He received from Christ, both for punishment of sin and for obedience to His law (2 Cor 5:21; Rom 5:19; Rom 10:4; Matt 3:15; Heb 10:14). “In Him” means that nothing is given to God’s people but what He gives to them in Christ as their Surety and Mediator (1 Cor 1:30; Eph 1:3; 2 Tim 1:9; Eph 1:11). “In Him” means that all blessings God gives to Christ as Mediator, He gives to Him with His people (Romans 8:17; Eph 1:3-11). “In Him” means that Christ and His people are one before God, loved as one, and blessed as one in all things (Eph 1:3; John 17:23). “In Him” means that all that Christ is as Mediator to God for His people, and all that He accomplished as their Head and High Priest, they are and have accomplished in Him (1 Cor 1:30). “In Him” means that all that God is in Christ, His people receive from God in Him (Colossians 2:9-10). “In Him” refers to the union of Christ with His people in which Christ is their eternal Mediator to bring them to God and save them to the uttermost (Heb 7:25). The bond of this union is the love of God. This love is “stronger than death. (SSol 8:6)” Nothing can break this bond; nothing can separate one so loved by Christ from Him. If the Lord Jesus Christ so loves a man, surely, that man will be saved without fail, to the uttermost. Since only some are eternally saved, God’s love must only be towards His Elect, those who were chosen in Christ and loved in Him before the world began (Eph 1:3-4; 2 Tim 1:9).
God loves His own. WIth respect to them, He “thinketh no evil.” He loved them from eternity (Jeremiah 31:3) and His love for them can no more change than He can, because He is love (1 John 4:7). God’s love and grace never fail because God cannot fail (1 Corinthians 13:8; Lamentations 3:22). He loved His own from eternity, He therefore found a way in Christ to put away their sins. Because Christ put away their sins, God now ‘thinketh no evil” against His people: He does not count them sinners; He does not impute sin to them. In fact, He imputes the very righteousness of His own dear Son. He remembers their sins no more because He made Christ sin for them. Having made Him sin for His people, God now sees no sin in them (Numbers 23:21; Jeremiah 50:20). Instead of their sin, He sees the obedience of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. “He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:21).” The Spirit of God testifies to this when He says in the New Covenant, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now, where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (Heb 11:17-18)”
-- Rick Warta
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