Romans 8:32, commentary and pictures

The Father did not withhold His own Son but delivered Him up to suffering and death for human offenses, taking toward the Sin Bearer the place of a judge. The Son so given is God's own only-begotten and beloved Son, one with Him from eternity and equal with Him, heaven's Commander and King of glory. His giving is the supreme proof of God's unfathomable love and pity toward fallen humanity. Because God gave this greater gift, He will certainly with Him freely give every lesser thing needed to complete redemption. Those gifts given with Christ include pardon, adoption, sanctification, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, power to overcome, and everlasting life.

The Gift and Its Cost

Romans 8:32 means the Father did not withhold or spare His own Son but delivered Him up to suffering and death for human offenses. Toward the Sin Bearer He assumed the character of a judge, divesting Himself of the endearing qualities of a father, and commanded the sword to awake against Him. Sins were transferred to the Son's soul and laid upon Him, He was treated as guilty, bore them in His own body on the tree as Surety, Substitute, and bearer of the law's demand for complete obedience to its holy, just and good commands, and suffered death under their tremendous weight to the cry of forsakenness and the cry that the work was finished, with darkness hiding His face, the earth shaking, rocks rent and graves opened. This unspared suffering proves God's justice will not excuse transgression of His law but punishes it thoroughly and certainly, and warns that those who remain in sin without oneness with the Father cannot expect to be spared, for neglecting the great salvation is their own loss.

The Son so given is God's own, only-begotten and dearly beloved Son, the express image of Himself, One equal with Himself, one with Him from eternity, the Majesty of heaven and King of glory, heaven's Commander and Sovereign, the Eternal Truth, the Light and the Life. He is heaven's greatest gift, without anything of greater value held back, given as a freewill offering and ransom that unfallen worlds behold with astonishment. After Adam's fall, when God's holiness, justice and truth could not be changed yet He yearned that the sinner need not perish but gain everlasting life, Christ offered to clothe His divinity with humanity and give His life, and because Divine Wisdom could accept no other plan, God accepted the plan Christ proposed and consented to His incarnation and sacrifice, by which justice and mercy were reconciled.

The gift was for us all, for guilty, corrupt, idolatrous and rebellious humanity, for the whole world lying in sin and ignorance, for all mankind Jew and Gentile, black as well as white, including those who have not heard. Christ paid the ransom of His life for the whole world, rescues those who trust Him, helps the tempted and defeats accusation, so ample provision is made that believers need not fall into sin. Presented first in eloquent simplicity before anything definite is said upon the law, this stupendous truth of costly sacrifice warms, melts and subdues hearts, especially Gentile hearts, to surrender to Him as their only hope of salvation, then raises why such an immense sacrifice was required and opens the way back to the types and down through the Old Testament Scriptures to reveal Christ in the law, so hearers are converted both to Christ and to the law as the test of obedience.

Giving the Son was a costly, infinite sacrifice by the Lord of heaven that stirred divine benevolence to its unfathomable depths, so that it was impossible for God to give more. In this one gift He poured out all heaven, giving all heaven with all its treasures and resources, giving Himself and enriching the world with a gift beyond all parallel, of infinite value, leaving nothing wanting or held in reserve in the plan to lift men up and restore the blessings lost by the fall. That gift is the source of all patience, forbearance and mercy, with love sufficient to fill the whole world, and with Christ He freely gives all things, calling for gratitude, though human gratitude is only a ripple beside the great tide of love flowing from the Father, and calling for persevering cooperation with the divine instead of a poor, weak, starved experience.

To give the Son, the Father in union and loving sympathy with Him subjected Himself to suffer with Him, so it is not the sacrifice of Christ only but the Father's sacrifice also. He yielded up His dearly beloved Son to die for guilty man only after struggle, even a struggle with the God of heaven over whether to let guilty man perish or give His beloved Son to die for him, and in letting Him be wounded and bruised for sin subjected Himself to sorrow. This was a strange work for God, for fury is not in Him, and it reveals wonderful love that needs to be better understood as the crowning truth of His love and Fatherhood through time and eternity.

Only the Son's death and intercession could pay the debt and save lost man from hopeless sorrow and misery and restore men to favor. No angel could pay it or save humanity, for the transgression was so great that an angel's life would not satisfy or avail, though angels were so interested that some would have yielded their glory and given their life for perishing man.

The Son's condescension could go no further and stooped as low as possible. He who was Commander of all heaven laid aside His royal robe, kingly crown, royal honor, glory and high command, and seeing the helplessness of the human race came to earth in human nature with its wants, weariness, childhood weakness and temptation yet without sin, to make it possible to unite humanity to His divinity. He became poor though rich, had nowhere to lay His head, accepted humiliation and poverty, took the humiliation of humanity and endured shame, physical suffering, agony and mental anguish, descending from one humiliation to another until as the divine-human suffering Christ He was lifted on the cross to draw all to Him. By that life of deepening humiliation and death He made it possible for men by faith to lay hold of divine power, possess heavenly treasure and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, become partakers of the divine nature and escape the world's corruption, and be brought as many sons and daughters to glory.

Love Proved Beyond Measure

The giving of the Son is the greatest and supreme proof of unfathomable love toward fallen humanity, commending love in the most marvelous manner and expressing pity, goodness, mercy, loving-kindness, tenderness and compassion whose greatness can never be estimated. The Father is not hard to propitiate, for in delivering up His own Son for all while they were yet sinners He proved that love, and because He gave Christ He will with Him also freely give all things. It is the individual privilege to lay hold of the advantages thus provided by complying with the necessary conditions, and no one can intercept one ray of light from the soul that does so. Many lose these rich blessings because of narrow ideas of God, so faith must be kept strong by contemplating His love and generosity with praise and thanksgiving rather than dwelling on sorrows and trials and darkness. Christ's life, death at Calvary, and continuing intercession display that love and give reason to trust Him.

That love is full and deep and unchangeable, amazing and without parallel, beyond language to measure, unlike weak and changeable human love. Contemplating it should make souls aglow rather than closing the eyes to it. The One who commanded light to shine out of darkness shines into the hearts of all who believe to give the light of the knowledge of His glory in Jesus Christ.

In giving His Son, all heaven was poured out in one gift, for God gave Himself and enriched the world with a gift beyond all parallel, sufficient to fill the whole world and the source of all patience, forbearance and mercy. Having undertaken redemption, nothing needed to complete it is withheld, for heaven's treasury is opened and its gifts and resources are placed in Christ's hands for human salvation. The gift began in the heavenly courts the work of restoring the divine image in the fallen race by a constant manifestation of benevolence. It was given at an infinite price to purchase human love, to reclaim the lost race and attach them to Himself so they may be filled with all the fullness of God, because the human agent cannot be satisfied without God and God will be satisfied only with the love He has bought. Even those who feel most unworthy need not fear to commit their case to God, for in Christ He undertook the case of every soul, and the promise to freely give all things with Christ stands as a gracious word for encouragement and strength.

The gift reveals the Father's heart and His Fatherhood and His character as wise and good and loving toward man to save him. It is not the sacrifice of Christ only but the Father's sacrifice also, for the Father in union and loving sympathy with His Son subjected Himself to suffer with His Son. Light from the cross expresses that love and reveals the wonderful condescension of the Father in giving One equal with Himself, correcting the error of dwelling only on the love of Christ while losing sight of the Father's love in giving. This free gift for all is the crowning truth of God's love and His Fatherhood through time and through eternity, showing great love, self-sacrifice, benevolence and kindness. It is unmistakable evidence of what His character is like — loving forbearance and tender pity and infinite compassion in bearing long with disobedience — and it disproves the charge that a wise and good God requires obedience to a law impossible to observe. Those who believe and do His commandments may have sweet peace, the Father's joy and the Father's love, uniting with Him with heart, soul, mind and strength to maintain righteousness and draw in even lines with Christ, drinking in this love until by experience they know the real, tender, joyful experience found in realizing the Fatherhood of God, leading to continued brotherly love and bearing one another's burdens.

The cross displays the gift to the heavenly universe, to angels and unfallen worlds, who behold the Just suffering for the unjust in its most compelling light with astonishment. The atonement reveals God's character and demonstrates to the universe that sin and rebellion are not caused by His government. The self-denying gift gives unmistakable evidence of justice and love, proves the law faultless and changeless, makes government forever secure, reveals Father, Son and Lucifer in their true relation, and causes all unfallen beings to unite in supporting His government while bearing witness to the justice of the punishment of Satan. God is profuse and extravagant in giving beyond enumeration, so bountiful that none can say He could do more, because in giving Jesus He gave all heaven in a love without parallel that stopped short of nothing, with every facility and advantage for restoring the moral image of God in man and securing life, eternal life, life and immortality in the kingdom and mansions in heaven to all who fulfill the covenanted conditions. To human reasoning this whole plan appears as waste of mercies and resources, while the heavenly host marvels that so few accept the boundless love expressed in Christ and that humans cling to earth and self-righteousness instead of being uplifted and enriched.

The infinite price paid reveals the great value placed on humanity and on perishing souls, for the Father gave His own Son to die for their redemption. The cross is the measure by which the worth of the human soul can be known, revealing the worth of each soul for whom Christ died and displaying the fullness of wisdom, mercy and love. That same giving shows the great value of children. Because so much was given for salvation, warning and reproof are given when something endangers souls or hinders them from attaining it. That giving calls for return giving, with wisdom and facilities for saving souls to be asked for in faith and trust without failing or discouragement, and with zeal and love proportionate to the value of souls in working under the Holy Spirit with the Master-worker to redeem fellow men and recover the lost.

Assurance of Every Blessing

Because God gave the greater gift of His Son, He will certainly with Him also freely give all things, having undertaken redemption and withholding nothing needed to complete it. The Father who delivered up His own Son to save humanity from death loves and is ready to be gracious, so heaven's treasures are at the command of His people and they can look up with confidence even when despised, mistreated, discouraged, or surrounded by lack of zeal. This immeasurable sacrifice is the supreme proof of His love, goodness and pity toward guilty humanity, leaving no excuse for continuing in sin but calling for trust, gratitude, whole-hearted devotion, and giving Christ everything in service and stewardship.

All things are given with Christ, through His merits and intercession as sin-bearer, substitute, surety, Saviour and example, and through His present mediation as High Priest and Advocate. Through those merits believers may approach God's throne and infinite power to claim the blessings promised to His children, and by trusting the Father's promises and fulfilling His requirements they receive what they need. By this mediation members of every family may become His sons and daughters, adopted into His family, with pardon, sanctification and holiness for His work, moral strength to overcome sin, and an inheritance in His kingdom. The risen Redeemer lives to dispense blessings of grace and power according to the circumstances of His believing children, compassionately interceding for those who know they cannot save themselves.

The all things freely given include the richest gift of heaven, the fullness of the Holy Spirit with mighty power and grace for every requirement. They include pardon, adoption, sanctification, moral power to overcome and partake of the divine nature, fitness for an inheritance in light, and future immortal everlasting life. This giving is open to everyone who desires access to the Source of strength, especially those of contrite and humble spirit who feel weakness and responsibility to keep God's law, plead for divine help, and pray humbly and fervently for the Spirit's aid. Living the life of Christ now lays hold of that life to come, kindling earnest desire to put every faculty of mind and heart into diligent effort proportionate to the reward, since service decides eternal destiny.

The giving also includes blessings in this life that ennoble and elevate character and prepare believers for heaven, with temporal goods, food even in famine, the pleasant things of nature, health, wisdom, strength and efficiency for duty. Believers can have intelligent faith to know how much blessing to claim, claiming through the Son every promise on record, laying the whole burden on Jesus and claiming by faith His rich and whole salvation against Satan's darkness and charge that they cannot be saved. God wants them joyful and freed from sin and cleansed from iniquity rather than in bondage, and He will not forsake those who serve and trust Him or leave them without food in hardship. With Christ He freely bestows the facilities of heaven on His workers, supplying everything needed to carry out missionary enterprises and the great work of bringing many sons and daughters to God through human agencies, with power and grace and treasures of truth to share with others.

With Christ God opened all heaven so its priceless treasures might enrich men and women of faith, pledged heaven's resources to redeem the lost, and left nothing undone or held in reserve for uplifting and salvation. In the gift of His Son all heaven was opened and given in one rich gift, revealing God's love to believers' hearts so they should diffuse heaven's light, become His children by receiving Christ, and draw upon all treasures of wisdom, power and usefulness for duty to His glory. There is therefore no reason for unbelief and a dwarfed, half-hearted religious life that dishonors Him and will keep professors from ever seeing His face; it is their privilege to be wise in Jesus, learning day by day His methods and ways.

Christ is the firstborn among many brethren and the firstfruits of those who sleep: His resurrection and ascension, with the raised captives presented to the Father, are the pledge of the resurrection of the dead at the last trumpet. The verse belongs to the full and sufficient atoning sacrifice through which God provides remission of sins, pardon and forgiveness, and restoration for the sin-stricken soul. With Christ He freely secured great and abundant blessings, including every temporal good and the privilege of a second trial and second probation, so that whoever believes need not perish but have everlasting life. This purchase makes men Christ's inheritance, with body, soul, spirit and all belonging to Him, requiring surrender of mind and will in life-service and gratitude rather than placing temporal concerns and selfish desires above eternal things or using God's own blessings as an excuse for refusing the gospel invitation, and calling parents to plead with sons and daughters in full assurance of faith with no impatient word.

Justice, Law and Atonement

The verse means He took the sinner's place and bore the full debt and penalty for breaking God's law, sins being transferred to His soul and laid upon Him so that He was treated as guilty of them and suffered death under their tremendous weight. He became the accepted substitute for the sinner through His merits, bearing the penalty of transgression to the cry of forsakenness and the cry that the work was finished, with darkness hiding His face, the earth shaking, rocks rent and graves opened, while the sacrifice ascended with smoke that darkened the earth. God did not spare Him, for justice required the full penalty, and by that death He made a complete atonement, satisfied justice, and put away the sins of every believing soul. He chose this path voluntarily as One among His brethren to share their afflictions, with the sight lying open before the Father while angels would not look upon the agony of their beloved Commander.

His death satisfied justice without abolishing the law or lessening its force, upholding the law rather than setting it aside. The law could not be abolished or altered to save transgressors, so Christ suffered the penalty in their place, proving the law faultless and changeless and binding and demonstrating that it is unchangeable and that impenitent transgression will not be excused. This self-denying gift gives unmistakable evidence of justice and love, makes His government forever secure and just, unites all hearts in the heavenly universe in support of His government, and reveals the Father, the Son and Lucifer in their true relation to one another while bearing witness to the justice of the punishment of Satan. It testifies to all intelligences that sin is the transgression of the law.

Christ's death does not release the sinner from obligation to keep the law but makes obedience possible, supplying every advantage and all the treasure of heaven to give strength to withstand temptation and to overcome through His name. The gift proves the Father wise and good and loving, showing loving forbearance and tender pity and infinite compassion in bearing long with disobedience, and it disproves the charge that God requires obedience to a law it is impossible to observe. There is therefore no excuse for sin or for continuing in transgression, nor for sins or defects of character, and the favor of God is enjoyed only through faithfulness. Salvation through the gift is on condition of leaving transgression and entering the way of life and holiness by repentance, conversion through faith in Christ, surrender and obedience, with the sinner depending wholly on Christ.

Those who refuse this atoning sacrifice have no excuse and remain liable to the full penalty, facing judgment, for God will save no one who continues in transgression after light has come. Neglecting so great salvation and refusing the conditions of eternal life is a grave rejection of what God has done, and He has held back nothing and has no means held in reserve for salvation beyond what He has done to bring men to repentance. The idea that those who now resist the Spirit and refuse to improve their day of grace will be given another opportunity to gain heaven is a deception leading to ruin. Through Christ even the unworthy may come to the throne of grace for life, bringing petitions and receiving spiritual blessings, pardon and justification, for God gave His Son for human offenses and raised Him for justification and undertook the case of every soul.

Sinners who sincerely seek pardon can be forgiven through Christ without first making themselves acceptable or relying on works to commend them to God, bringing the burden of sin to the cross and believing they are pardoned because Christ died for them. God receives believers with favor despite imperfections when they trust in Christ's merits, standing justified before the Father and resisting the fear that sin has put them beyond His love. Christ took human nature with its bodily wants and weariness and childhood weakness and temptation yet without sin, carrying human griefs and sorrows, and was braced for duty and trial by prayer, and He now stands before God as substitute, surety and advocate, the righteous propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Acknowledging sin and seeking pardon through Christ upholds the law as God's moral standard which identifies sin.

The verse proves God is for His people so none can be against them, for with Him He will also freely give all things, and even when overcome by the enemy they are not cast off, forsaken or rejected. No charge can be laid against God's elect because God justifies, and none can condemn because Christ died, rose again, is at God's right hand interceding, and the Spirit helps infirmities and makes intercession according to the will of God. Nothing including tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, height, depth, nor any other creature can separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus, making them more than conquerors through Him who loved them while all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. The gift belongs to the plan of redemption established before creation to save fallen humanity and reconcile man to heaven's immutable law so the sinner need not perish but might gain everlasting life.

After Adam fell, God whose holiness, justice and truth could not be changed still yearned to save the fallen race, and Christ, the Eternal Truth, the Light, the Life, the Sovereign of Heaven, offered to clothe His divinity with humanity and give His life as a ransom, and because Divine Wisdom could accept no other plan, God accepted the plan proposed by Christ and consented to His incarnation and sacrifice for a world lying in sin and ignorance. By that sacrifice justice and mercy were reconciled for man's salvation, mercy reaching out to cleanse man from unrighteousness so man may accept the great gift and have his will conformed to God's will. In giving Jesus God gave the greatest gift and made eternal riches available, with salvation offered to all, but God does not force anyone to obey or accept His mercy, and each person receives reward or punishment according to what he has done.

Trust in Trial and Prayer

The gift of the Son for all is the sure ground for trusting that God will freely supply every present and eternal good needed for His glory and for good. Remembering what has already been done gives strength in danger and discouragement to stand firm even when surroundings are unpleasant and circumstances are discouraging. This confidence holds through disappointment, affliction and darkness, accepting trials as held in a Father's hand and praising even in suffering, with assurance of hearing, deliverance and power to remain faithful and overcome evil against human enemies and evil powers when surrendered in faith.

God's promises are reliable protection against the evil one that cannot fail, and confidence rests on them rather than on human words, dreams or extraordinary feelings. His honor is at stake in fulfilling what He has spoken, and He will not alter what has gone out of His mouth nor falsify His Word. His power is absolute so no obstacle can stand before Him, His understanding is infinite so He cannot err and is never perplexed about means, and the open door He has opened no man can shut. He tenderly sees and sympathizes with the tempted, hearing every voice of supplication and distress and noticing every groan, sigh and tear, uniting majesty with the gentleness and tenderness of a shepherd who knows all necessities, holds the right hand and says fear not, for I am with thee and will help thee. Because He loved fallen humanity enough not to withhold His beloved Son to work out redemption and show how to overcome temptation, He will freely give all things with Christ, including the Holy Spirit and all that perfects character, sustaining in the struggle until sin, sorrow, want and woe are no more, so that in the darkest hour faith can pierce the cloud because Christ is behind and does all things well.

The verse is a pledge that prayer will be heard and answered, a promise to hold fast, repeat, elevate thought upon and claim in faith for courage and confidence. Because God gave up His own Son for everyone, believers may come to Jesus even when feeling unworthy, not because of worthiness but because Christ died, pleading the merits of His blood and taking God at His word in simple perfect trust. They are to depend on God rather than human helpers, laying hold on infinite strength with living faith as bold soldiers settled, rooted and grounded, drawing more grace from infinite power and receiving efficiency instead of remaining weak and inefficient. Nothing is to interpose between the soul and Christ and no sin cherished, so as to be kept through faith unto salvation, while sincere prayers offered in faith are answered though not always in the exact way or for the specific thing requested, since wisdom and goodness withhold nothing truly good from those who walk uprightly. Every prayer, especially earnest prayer of faith for healing of dear ones in sickness, should acknowledge dependence and submit the whole matter to His will, saying not my will but Thine be done, and such submission is never lack of faith.

Answered prayer requires the heart to feel its need of help from God and to be open to the Spirit's influence, with great need itself pleading for the asker, yet asking still required and the Lord to be sought unto. The just Judge turns away no one who comes with a contrite heart, loses not one sincere prayer, hears the cries of the weakest amid the praise of heaven, and keeps His ears open to even those who feel most unworthy when they commit their case to Him for encouragement and strength. Gloomy feelings are no proof that prayer has not been heard; believers should trust the promise, continue daily work in faith, and believe prayed-for blessings will come when most needed. Strength and grace may be asked on this ground while learning meekness and submitting to God's will, presenting needs in living assurance of the faith that works by love and purifies the soul, with contemplation of the infinite sacrifice filling the heart with gratitude, burning within, and mingling joyous thanksgiving with earnest requests. Jesus is very near to all who call on His name, inviting even youth to come just as they are to be washed from stains in His blood and fitted for glory, and the Father hears the contrite and repentant soul and will not withhold anything for eternal good.

Settling into gloom and despair denies this evidence of love and shows failure to trust the word, while faith in Jesus should be exercised continually. Distrusting that love after so great a gift for life dishonors God and grieves His Holy Spirit. There is every reason to trust fully, venture all in His hands, cast all care upon Him instead of carrying heavy loads, pray much and exercise living faith in the promises, which glorifies God, while unbelief after such giving is a sin and crime of great magnitude.

The assurance is to be often spoken, with Jesus presented in His relation to the law of God. When the law is preached as truth in Jesus and the gift to a guilty world is largely dwelt upon in every discourse, the verse reveals love in the law, melts hearts and keeps faith from staggering at the promises, whereas cold lifeless presentation without Jesus leaves hearts unmelted and faith staggering. Presented first in eloquent simplicity before anything definite is said upon the law, the stupendous truth of costly sacrifice for Jew and Gentile as the only hope by surrender warms, melts and subdues hearers to give themselves to the Lord, with assurance that every needed blessing will be freely bestowed with Christ. It raises why such an immense sacrifice was required, which opens the way back to the types and down through the Old Testament Scriptures to reveal Christ in the law, and after surrender the law is presented as the test of obedience, so hearers are converted both to Christ and to the law instead of being handled abruptly and unskillfully.

Gratitude Expressed in Service

So great a love awakens proportionate gratitude, sincere and joyous thanksgiving, and wholehearted devotion of body, soul and spirit. The gift is matchless, wonderful and priceless, revealing unfathomable love that stirred the whole heavenly universe to understand it, and heavenly intelligences watch to see how it is appreciated. He who was Commander of all heaven laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown and came to earth in human nature, seeing the helplessness of the human race, to make it possible to unite humanity with His divinity. He became poor so that humans might possess heavenly treasure and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, descending from humiliation to humiliation until as the divine-human suffering Christ He was lifted on the cross to draw all to Him, stooping as low as possible in the greatest possible condescension. Because God so gave His Son He will also freely give all things, and in return He calls for full appreciation, not halting between two opinions and not giving only a mite or fraction or small part of the powers and capabilities lent by God, for humans are not their own but bought with a price and are to glorify God in body and spirit which are His. Contemplation of the infinite sacrifice made out of great love and mercy, in which with the great gift of Jesus, His only-begotten Son, to die, all heaven was given, should continue until the heart burns within, producing broken, subdued, earnest and urgent petitions for wisdom, for usefulness as His instrument in saving souls, and for the salvation of one's own soul and those around. A right view makes earthly renown, riches and name worthless by comparison and stimulates every soul to copy Christ as the model, to work the works of God rather than at cross purposes with Him, and to strive earnestly to know the plan of the great conflict of good against evil in which the cross of Calvary is the only hope and through Christ every opposing power will be vanquished.

Because God freely gave His Son as ransom, delivered up to save perishing souls, believers are to freely give Him all things in return in loving obedience and devoted service with gratitude. The Lord of heaven made a most costly sacrifice with divine benevolence stirred to its depths to restore the blessings lost by the fall, assuring that with the Son every needed blessing will be supplied, and this divine self-sacrifice is the pattern obligating self-denial and free giving of means to advance the saving work. Nothing is too precious to give to God and nothing should be withheld from Him in view of what heaven has done, for those who receive Christ and share in salvation are to give God all entrusted to them and show Christ's love in their lives. Those who grasp the worth of the infinite sacrifice and proof of love recognize God's claim on possessions and willingly surrender what He calls them to give in service to His cause, while holding worldly treasure above God shows failure to appreciate the gift of His Son. They are to devote abilities and possessions to His service as stewards, not owners, consecrating means, following Christ who though rich yet for our sakes became poor that through His poverty we might be made rich, sustaining mission work so Christ will not have died in vain.

What the Lord requires of those who would follow Christ's example rules out indulgence in self-gratification, display and expensive habits of living, and calls for study of the Scriptures to learn that requirement. The verse reveals Christ's complete freedom from selfishness, for He lived not to please Himself, and though He was in a world of His own creating He had not where to lay His head. His giving up His precious life for all demonstrates self-denial and self-sacrificing love, calling His followers to follow His example by denying themselves, bearing the cross in self-sacrificing love like Him, serving others and rejecting selfishness and covetousness to live with generous, unselfish concern. Selfishness and covetousness are especially contrary to the life of His followers, for those who want heaven should grow in benevolence and use every opportunity to do good, while Judas selling Jesus for money exemplifies how covetousness leads to abandoning good principles and professed followers persisting in selfishness will be sifted out. Individual members are to become one with Him, stop seeking the largest place and seeking the highest position, take the fittest place for service where each can best serve God, with positions of responsibility coming through wrestling with difficulties, using the little short time left to form characters perfectly free from every vestige of selfishness.

Those who receive the gift are to imitate His selfless love, giving up pleasure and convenience for the good and salvation of others, for love for fellow people shows love for God and even great professions of faith or sacrifice are worthless without this self-giving love. The priceless gift teaches the lesson of sacrifice and must be imparted by those who received it through giving sympathy and love to others, with more love and soft hearts through contemplating Christ. God in Christ is given to humanity and His bounties of love and mercy are inexhaustible, with rich provisions made for those who love Him, desiring everyone to be benefited, inviting all to share His glory, with the bliss of heaven provided for every soul who loves God supremely and his fellow man as himself. He is thus known as a God of mercy, goodness, forgiveness and infinite goodness through those who practice the works of Christ, who bind up the wounds sin has made, relieve the poor and oppressed, and let no walls of partition stand because Christ died for all and everyone who believes may be cleansed from every taint of sin. Opening heart and understanding to Jesus to reach perfection of Christian character, with faith that works by love and purifies the soul, looking away from self to Christ and beholding His matchless mercy and inexpressible love, breaks down every barrier with brethren, melts harshness, refines and changes the believer into the same image, with the law of kindness on the lips, able to present an offering to God in righteousness and to increase and abound in love unblamable in holiness, loving one another as Christ loved them.

When God gave His only-begotten Son He gave all heaven in this one gift, so with Christ He freely gives all things and everyone may have a deep, rich, abundant experience in the things of God and reach a high standard and do a great work for the Master instead of being satisfied with a poor, weak, starved experience. This removes every excuse for neglect and calls for moral cooperation with God in persevering effort, walking in all humility of mind and working and drawing with Christ in salvation of souls as a living channel of light filled with all the fullness of God. It calls for faithfulness in small commonplace duties, seizing nearby opportunities to do good with an eye single to God's glory, and continued progress and growth instead of pleasing self. Because He bestowed this great gift to bear the penalty of transgression He will also freely give all essential for the great work to be accomplished through human agencies in bringing many sons and daughters to God and all needed in the struggle against evil to be sanctified in thought, word and deed. Human beings have no power in themselves to stay in right paths for even a moment and no other human can be trusted to keep them there, so Christ the risen Saviour is the only dependence for thorough reformation and cleansing, the source of strength for perfection of understanding.

Becoming one with Christ in spirit and character through obedience to the commandments of God and through His imputed righteousness elevates and ennobles fallen humans as loyal subjects of His kingdom and reveals that love to the world, making evident that God loves believers as He loves Jesus, proved by giving His Son and with Him freely giving all things. In Christ God gave Himself and enriched the world with a gift beyond all parallel and of infinite value, with all that heaven could bestow, the source of all patience, forbearance and mercy, with love sufficient to fill the whole world, offering the most powerful motive and no stronger inducement to reclaim man from transgression to humble obedience. It calls for responding by giving self without reservation, walking in His way and determining to do His will, with strict obedience, holy love and unbounded faith, yet even these at their fullest cannot equal the sacrifice made. Regarding His plans with cool indifference and putting human plans in their place puts the soul in great peril.

Seeing the cost of the gift, in which He gave His beloved Son to endure the humiliation of humanity, shame, agony and death on the cross so many could be brought to glory, shows that overcoming as Christ overcame is eternal gain while gaining the whole world and losing the soul is eternal loss, and heaven is worth any cost. The greatness of love that did not withhold that sacrifice calls people to center affections on things above rather than passing pleasures of earth, laying hold of divine power to escape corruption. God sets before the faithful an unfading crown of immortality, a meeting with Christ and angels, and eternal glory.

Because God did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for all, faulty and perverse souls can have perfect trust and repose in God and should ask Him for strength and grace to battle strong tendencies to evil and hereditary and cultivated traits of character. This means learning the meekness and lowliness of Christ, being renewed in mind, receiving a new heart, and becoming new creatures in Christ Jesus fitted to overcome and be cleansed from selfishness. The Father gave up His Son to death to save from eternal death and will freely provide everything necessary for present and eternal good and for promotion of His glory, calling for living in harmony with Christ and seeking right relation with God, submitting to Jesus and trusting Him in weakness.

God's mercy and care remain dependable even when human friends fail or misjudge, so trust in Him gives reason for hope and faithfulness in trials, for His gift of His Son to die assures He will also freely give all things. He has already done the greatest thing in giving His Son to die for the sinner, proving He has been true and merciful and guaranteeing those all things, which are exhaustless gratitude, contentment and peace open and accessible every moment, drinking to the full of the streams of salvation, hiding in Jesus Christ from strife of tongues, and a richness greater than earthly treasures without limit. Therefore though every human friend forsake, misjudge, wound and show little tenderness and humanity, the believer can hope and rejoice having God for Father, consecrate self and all powers of being to God, serve Him, keep works in accordance with faith, diffuse heaven's light instead of spending time and money as in Noah's day, and never rob God of service or be unfaithful because man proved unfaithful.