But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 KJV
Commend means to entrust or commit. God committed His love for our benefit. Because of that commitment, He sent His only begotten Son to pay the penalty for our sin. The penalty was eternal death!
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” As a result of His love, God’s gift is eternal life through His Son.
I John 4:9 says, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” Manifest means to show plainly to the mind or eye. God showed us plainly how much He loved us when He sent His Son into the world so we could live through Him.
God committed His love toward us “while we were yet sinners.” That means while we were still His enemies, because sin is God’s enemy.
Psalm 11:5-7 says, “The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.”
God loves the righteous and hates the wicked. Verse six describes hell when it says, “Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.”
But before we come to Christ, we’re all wicked. So when God displayed His love toward us by sending His Son, “while we were yet sinners” that means that He showed His love toward us while we were still wicked.
Romans 3:10-18 describes our condition while we were still sinners.
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
God’s tremendous love for us, while we were still sinners, displays His incredible mercy. Maybe that’s why He says in Luke 6:35-36 “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”