Candy Love/Bullet Love

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Romans 8:20-22

The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:20-21

The Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
Romans 9:30-32

Love is not an affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.
C.S. Lewis

Without the law, there would be no sin. Without sin, there would be no need of grace to free us from that sin. God doesn't want just to love us tenderly and mildly. He wants to show in the biggest possible way that he loves us. He wouldn't have been contented to just take care of us in a safe little valley. He created a gap between us and him that was so huge that we can't cross it alone... under our own power there's no way to conquer it, like the Jews referenced above found out. So He shows us his love by paying the price of our sin, by sacrificing his son to bridge that gap between himself and us. If that gap hadn't been there, he wouldn't have been able to reach across it to rescue us.

Which action do you think shows more love: someone letting you eat candy whenever you like, or someone taking a bullet for you? The love of the person for you in each of the situations could be equal, but the actions themselves are quite different in how much love is demonstrated.

This thought was sparked by a conversation I recently had with a friend on the topic.