The Father’s Motive in Saving (2): For the Love of His People

Another wonder of the gospel is that the Father’s Motive in saving His people for His glory is not detached from the good of His people. God also saves His people because He loves them and He wanted to do good to them for the glory of His Name.

This is the greatest good for the people of God, that the Creator may make known His glory to His creatures. But we need to understand that it is never because of what we are. Let us first look on what the Scripture says about sinners prior to conversion or before the saving love of God dawned upon them.

Romans 5:6-10

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Before the love of God dawned upon God’s people shown in the coming and the death of His Son, they were described as being helpless (v.6), ungodly (v.6), sinners (v.8), and enemies of God (v.10).

Ephesians 2:1-5

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Before the richness of God’s mercy dawned upon His people shown in His marvelous saving grace by raising them to life, they were described as being dead in sins (vv.1, 5), allies with the world and the devil (v.2), sons of disobedience (v.2), and children of wrath driven by fleshly lusts (v.3).

Titus 3:3-5

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit

Before the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared to His people shown in the Spirit’s regenerating and renewing work, they were described as being helpless foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslave, etc.

Taken all these together, if these are the condition of men who have no experience of God’s saving grace in Christ, would there be anything from men that will motivate God to love them? Are men deserving of His love? What would God’s response? Base upon God’s holiness and righteousness, men are doomed if He is to depend His action according to their condition.

But the wonders of all wonders, God loves us because He would love! This is the nature of God’s being. Compared to the love of men, most of the time we love others when we see something lovable in them. But for God, He loved and He loves the undeserving.

Charles Spurgeon writes,

"Of all the saints in heaven it may be said that God loved them because He would do it; for, by nature, there was nothing more in them for God to love than there was in the very devils in hell. And as to His saints on earth, if God loves them  - and He does, -  it is simply because He will do it, for there was no goodness whatever in them by nature; God loves them in the infinite sovereignty of His great loving nature." (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 52, p. 9 as quoted by Paul Washer in his draft of the same book)

The greatest revelation of God’s love is shown in I John 4:9-10. He sent His Son to be the wrath-removing sacrifice (propitiation) for our sins. Augustine says, “The cross is a pulpit–and the lesson Christ preached on it is LOVE.” It is where God breathes His love for His people.

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

God’s setting of His affection and love on His people is not due to their number or greatness but because of His love and He will faithfully perform His covenant to them. We see this in Deuteronomy 7:6-8:

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

It was God’s love and not man’s merit that moved Him to save us. John 3:16 is undeniable the most quoted passage that speaks of God’s astonishing love for His people.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Here we see that it is the Father’s love – the Father sent the Son. It so intense that He so loved the world – which according to B.B Warfield is the world in its badness, as it is just the synonym of all that is evil and noisome and disgusting (Biblical and Theological Studies, p. 514). It is undeserved. He gets glory in loving the underserving and unlovable. It is unmerited. It is an unconditional love. It is heavenly love for the hell-bound sinners.

Thomas Watson once wrote,

What a miracle of love it is--that God should love us,
when there was nothing lovely in us. We were rather
fit to be loathed--than loved! We had something in us
to provoke God's fury--but nothing to excite His love.
What love, passing understanding, was it--that Christ
should die for sinners! (A Divine Cordial) 1663

The God who saves for the glory of His Name is the same God who saves for the love of His people. This is the love that we cannot fully understand and measure. The motive of salvation is for the Glory of God and for the love of the people of God.

So we sing…

The love of God is greater far
  Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
  And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
  God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
  And pardoned from his sin. 

O love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
    The saints’ and angels’ song.

Knowing God’s immeasurable love for sinners like you and me, how should you ought to live your life in response to the love of God?

SOLI DEO GLORIA!