Radical Love

 In Romans 5:8 we see four aspects of a radical love as exemplified by God. First, radical love is a divine love. The verse starts with the words “but God.” The source of radical love is God Himself. The only way I'm going to be able to radically love people is if I know God personally and I’m growing in my relationship with Him. Second, radical love is a demonstrative love. You can see it. "But God 'demonstrated' His love." Radical love in the Bible is never seen as a feeling. It's always a choice. Third, it's a diverse love. "But God demonstrated His love toward us 'while we were yet sinners.'” Radical love involves loving the unlovely. And fourth, it's a deliberate love. "But God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners 'Christ died for us.'” Radical love always involves sacrifice. If there's no sacrifice then it's not radical love. When Jesus, the perfect God-man, hung on that cross, God took every sin you would ever commit, even though you hadn't been born yet, and He placed that sin on Jesus. Everything that had to be done happened when Jesus died on the cross. He paid the penalty for your sin in full so you don't have to. That's a deliberate love. That's radical love.