Note 16 at Ro 5:9: The phrase "much more" that is used in Ro 5:9-10 is amazing. It would have been wonderful to think that after salvation, God continued to love us with the same love that was manifested toward us through the death of His Son. But Paul was saying that once we are justified by grace through faith, God loves us much more. Being loved the same would be great, more would have been awesome, but much more is beyond our ability to comprehend.

Many Christians accept the love of God for the sinners. They extend love toward the drunks or adulterers as long as they are lost, but if the drunks or adulterers receive the forgiveness of God and ever commit one of those sins again, they show no mercy. They actually believe that God loves us much less now that we are saved. We got by with things before we were saved, but now we have to be holy or else.

These verses clearly teach that is not the truth. God loves us much more now than He did before our salvation. And before our salvation, He loved us so much that He died for us. He loves us even more now.

Does this mean that living a holy life is not necessary? It means that our own holiness is not a requirement. We are acceptable to God by grace through faith. But those of us who are truly born again have had a change of heart. We want to live holy (1Jo 3:3). However, we all fail to be as holy as we want to be. When we fail, this knowledge that God loves us more now than when He sent His Son to die for us will keep us from being condemned and draw us back to serving God.