Love Beyond Measure

Imagine for a moment that you are at your absolute worst—broken, rebellious, and undeserving. Now picture someone stepping in, not just to help you, but to give their life for you. Not because you proved yourself worthy. Not because you begged for mercy. But purely out of love. That is the radical message of Romans 5:6-11.

This passage is one of the most profound declarations of God’s love in all of Scripture. It reminds us that Christ died for us not when we were righteous, not when we had it all together, but while we were still sinners—weak, ungodly, and incapable of saving ourselves. His love was not a response to our goodness but an initiative born out of His grace.

For those who feel distant from God, who wonder if their failures have placed them beyond His reach, this passage is a resounding declaration: There is no sin too great, no past too dark, no failure too deep that can separate us from God’s love. He acted first, sending Jesus to die in our place, and now offers us reconciliation and hope.

Today, we will explore how God’s love is proactive, perfect, purifying, and praise-filled. We will see how His love was demonstrated through Christ’s sacrifice, how it transforms and reconciles us, and how it calls us to live in joyful response.

The cross is not just a historical event; it is a personal invitation. The question is—how will we respond?

This morning if you have your Bibles, go with me to Romans 5. I will begin reading at verse 6.

Romans 5:6–11 NIV

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

This passage is a perfect set of verses to show us that God’s love is way beyond measure. You cannot begin to measure God’s love for you.

This morning from this passage I want to show you that there are four types of love that we find from this passage alone.

Proactive Love: God Acts First

God’s love is proactive. He loved you long before you ever loved Him. And He continues to love you even if you reject Him.

Romans 5:6–7 NIV

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.

God’s timing is perfect. He knows what we need when we need it.

Galatians 4:4 NIV

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

The events in human history did not determine the plan of salvation; the plan of salvation was designed by God to happen at just the right time.

You can look all throughout history and very rarely you will find someone that is willing to die for someone else. However, God sent Jesus to die for us. He acted first in the relationship. God was the first one to say, “I love you.” and then He shown you how much He loved you.

And that’s the second kind of love.

Perfect Love: Christ’s Sacrifice

Romans 5:8 NIV

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

When you were at your worst, Christ died for you. That is the perfect love of Christ. He went to the cross and died for you even when you weren’t worth dying for, Christ thought otherwise.

Christ didn’t die so that we could be made loveable; Christ died because God already loved us and wanted to bring us close to himself.

When we see the perfect love that Christ demonstrates to us, we can then make a decision to live as Christ making a sacrificial commitment to the plans that He has lines out for us.

Picture a perfect diamond that reflects light in every direction, its clarity symbolizing the perfect love of Christ. Just like the diamond, the sacrifice of Jesus shines brightly through the darkness of sin and despair. Each facet of His love illustrates forgiveness, grace, mercy, and redemption, inviting us to embrace a love so pure that it changes everything about who we are and how we live.

The third kind of love mentioned in our text is…

Purifying Love: Redeemed and Reconciled

When we accept God’s gracious gift of forgiveness that is made available through Jesus’ personal sacrifice, that is the first step of spiritual salvation.

In the book of Hosea, God commands Hosea to marry Gomer. She is a prostitute, a woman unfaithful to Hosea. This reflects God's unwavering love for His people despite their infidelity. Hosea's love for Gomer becomes a powerful symbol of God's redeeming love, showing how we can be reconciled to Him even in our moments of betrayal. Like Hosea, we are called to love fiercely, extending grace to those who have strayed, mirroring the redemptive love Christ has for us all.

Consider a potter working with clay. At first glance, it seems imperfect; cracks run through its surface. Yet the potter sees potential and begins to mold it gently, restoring it into a beautiful vessel. This is how God sees us—though we may feel flawed or broken, His purifying love shapes us, refining us into His image. We are redeemed not just for ourselves but to serve and love others, showcasing the beauty of reconciliation in our lives.

God’s love is a purifying love. We don’t have to be perfect when we come to Christ. We come to Christ in all our filth and His love cleans us and redeems us from top to bottom.

The last type of love this morning is…

Praise-Filled Love: Rejoice and Share

Romans 5:11 NIV

11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

I would guess that all of us like a good party or celebration. We enjoy getting together with family and friends. We like celebrating individuals for their achievements or we like to be at the center of the party, the person being celebrated. Party’s are lots of fun.

When a person accepts Jesus as their salvation, this is a cause for a celebration.

Luke 15:7 NIV

7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Every time someone is saved, we need to rejoice with them. And every time that you help someone on their spiritual journey, we need to celebrate with you.

In America, we do church wrong. We make the large gathering the place that we bring people to find Jesus. In reality, a person’s spiritual journey should begin before they come to the large gathering. It should begin with you building a relationship with someone. You spend the time with that person, share your story with them, and give them an opportunity to become a Christ Follower. And then, we the church, celebrate with you and them.

We celebrate with each other for the wins that we have.

This morning if you haven’t accepted the gift of God’s love then let me encourage you to do so.

God's extravagant love for us is displayed through Christ's death. He offers us hope and reconciliation when we believe in Jesus. This should encourage us to live in the light of that love.

This week as you interact with people I want you to find ways to embrace the love that God has for you by sharing that love with someone else.

Maybe at work or in your daily interactions with people, try smiling at someone who looks overwhelmed or maybe offer a compliment to someone you work with. It is important that we show simple gestures of love.

This week when there are moments of stress or frustration, remind yourself of God’s patient love. Instead of lashing out, take a moment to pray silently for understanding.

When you have conversations with people about difficult societal issues, remember that embracing the love of God means showing grace, even when you disagree. Think about how you might be able to communicate your perspective in a loving manner.

When you respond on social media, don’t let your comments reflect frustration and anger over current events. Be a source of positivity and light instead.

As believers it is important for us to show God’s love to those that might not be believers. We can keep the love of Jesus shining bright.