Marshall1 is of the opinion that Romans 5:10a speaks of the change in God’s attitude towards us while we were still his enemies Romans 5:10b speaks about the consequent change in our attitude. However, Stanley2 rightly rejects this distinction. Romans 5:10a indicates how Jesus’ death effectuated a change in God’s attitude towards us and Romans 5:10b simply repeats the same thought (the change in God’s attitude) to indicate that it is through it that the way for our redemption was opened through Jesus. The way in which Paul articulates this in Romans 5:10 therefore leads us to the conclusion that, in an objective sense, something also changed in us (the enemies) because God no longer regarded us as his enemies. God’s benevolence toward sinners clearly precedes their conversion. In fact, that benevolence is being preached to exhort people to come to repentance and submission. The fact that people can reject this offer of reconciliation does not detract from its benevolence. What Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:18–21 can serve as an elucidation of Romans 5:11:
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
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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.