While We Were Still Sinners, Christ Died For Us

Now herein God commended his love, not only proved or evidenced his love (he might have
done that at a cheaper rate), but magnified it and made it illustrious. This circumstance did greatly
magnify and advance his love, not only put it past dispute, but rendered it the object of the greatest
wonder and admiration: 'Now my creatures shall see that I love them, I will give them such an instance
of it as shall be without parallel.' …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. Nay, which is more, we were enemies, not only malefactors, but traitors and
rebels, in arms against the government; the worst kind of malefactors and of all malefactors the most
obnoxious. The carnal mind is not only an enemy to God, but enmity itself. This enmity is a mutual
enmity, God loathing the sinner, and the sinner loathing God. And that for such as these Christ should
die is such a mystery, such a paradox, such an unprecedented instance of love, that it may well be our
business to eternity to adore and wonder at it. – Matthew Henry