God is

Love

“For God is love” (1 John 4:8)

 John’s assertion that God is love must not be interpreted to mean that God is only love, for the same book also claims that God is light (1 John 1:5), and other passages note that God is spirit (John 4:24), and that God is also a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). When understood in its true Biblical sense, love is a divine attribute – a description of the nature of God.

*** Note - John does not say that “Love is God”, the terms are not interchangeable. God is Love – this truth assures us that all of God's dealings with us proceed from love. Thus God always does that which is in our best eternal interest, and God's commands are always for our "good" (Deut. 6:24). Barclay notes: “It is the explanation of free will. Unless love is a free response it is not love. Love is of necessity the free choice and the free response of the heart; and, therefore, before men could love God in any real sense of the term, their wills had to be free. It is the explanation of providence (Acts 14:16-17; Matthew 5:45 “for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous”). Had God been simply mind and order and law, He might, so to speak, have created the universe, wound it up, set it going, and left it. He might have used it as a man uses a machine, never paying any regard to it unless something goes wrong. It is the explanation of redemption. If God were only law and justice, He would simply leave men to the consequences of their sin. It is the explanation of the life beyond. If God were simply Creator, then men might live their brief span and die forever.”

“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).

God’s love can be defined as “self-giving” and an unselfish concern for the well being of His creation. “He is unselfishly interested in us for our own sake; He cares whether we are truly happy and self-fulfilled. God is concerned about us simply because we are His creatures. God would not have made us only to ignore us or treat us with coldness or lack of interest. God is concerned about us now even though we are sinners.

God does not love us less now that we are sinners: In truth, He loves us even more. What should impress us is that God loves us regardless of outward attainments and external show; God loves us even if we have absolutely nothing in terms of possessions, human glory, external accomplishments, or earthly fame or status. God loves me even when I am stripped of all outward extras. This is what Jesus was trying to tell us in Matthew 16:26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”. We are far more valuable than all the “options” and “add-ons” – the external things that surround us. God loves what He created to be in His image (Genesis 1:26), He loves us even though we may have nothing else but our soul and body. Such love even gave abundantly and worked for our best interest, even when we were nothing more than sinners (Romans 5:8).

“Love is from God” (1 John 4:7)

 Plainly speaking - love originates, springs, or flows from God. W.E. Vine observes that even the word used for such "love" in the New Testament ("agape") was virtually a new word and concept for the ancient world. “AGAPAO and the corresponding noun ‘agape’ present ‘the characteristic word of Christianity, and since the Spirit of revelation has used it to express ideas previously unknown, enquiry into its use, whether in Greek literature or in the Septuagint., throws but little light upon its distinctive meaning in the N.T.”

*** Other commentators have the following to say of this concept

“God is the source and origin of love and all true love derives from Him.” (John Stott)

“Love is part of the nature of God, and has its ultimate origin in God. Every expression of love, therefore, for God or man, emanates from God--for apart from revelation man would not know what ‘love is’. All love has its roots in God, to love is to be like God.”(Zondervan Ency.)

That last statement should impress us. Since God created us in His image (Genesis 1:26), every expression of sacrificial and unselfish love must be tied back to God. Even when a non-Christian does something that is a momentary expression unselfishness, they are demonstrating by their actions that they are made in the image of God--even though they might deny it. Without God's revelation (the Bible) and its widespread influence we would never know or understand what constitutes true love.

“His only begotten Son” (1 John 4:9)

As we read this verse we can not help but understand the relationship between God and the Son _ His only Son! To have only one (singular) Son – shows us the relationship held between God and Christ. Yet as we begin to look at the intensity of love shown by God – He sent His ONLY Son for us – that we might live.

God was willing to give of all that He had – willing to give of the best – His Son. Not because we are loveable in some sense. God did not send His Son to rescue us because we deserve it, or in some remote way could even earn God’s grace. God sent His Son because He is love and love is willing to give up of self for the benefit of others. “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:6-8)

*** Note *** God did not just send just anyone to die for our sins, but the only one of his kind, the most precious and unique.

“Not that we loved God, but that He loved us” (1 John 4:10)

When we look at Jesus and His sacrifice, we see two things about the love of God.

*** It is a love that holds nothing back. God was prepared to give His dearest one, to make a sacrifice beyond which no sacrifice can possibly go.

*** It is a totally undeserved love. The fact is God loves us in spite of our imperfections and not because of our greatness. We need to be cautious in thinking more highly of ourselves than we really are: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15)

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Rom.12:3)

In light of such evidence for love and God’s desire for us to love God and our brother in return, how can we allow ourselves to think it acceptable to give God the bare minimum of our lives – Our time, our talents (abilities), our prosperity? How can we be stingy and unsharing with such a loving God? How can we refuse to forgive or hold a grudge when God remembers our sins no more? (Heb.8:12) And how can we argue that we are not going to try to help someone unless they first make the request for help? Like God, we must take the first step, even towards our enemies (Matthew 5:46-48; Ephesians 2:1-5; Titus 3:3-5).

*** God does not simply tolerate people, but He loves them with all the commitment and feeling of His holy nature. Paul understood this type of love - “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.” (2 Corinthians 12:15) It is a love that stops for nothing. It is a love that is devoted to others, no matter how far away and hostile they are. It is a love that is motivated by the love of God to give even when they do not want or deserve such love.

The warmth of God’s love

 God actually does have an affection for mankind for the Greek word philia which includes the concept of tender affection, is used as well for God’s love for us, “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared” (Titus 3:5; John 16:27). We can see the affection of God toward His people in many Scriptures:  

*** The Father-child analogy:

“Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:13). In the New Testament, God is described as “Our Father who art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). Christians are called His adopted children, who call Him not merely “Father” but even “Abba” Father (Romans 8:15),

-- “Abba” a name which relates to a special intimacy or closeness.

*** The mother and her infant comparison: (Isaiah 49:15; 66:13).

*** The husband-wife relationship:

 The book of Hosea, and the nation of Israel in the Old Testament are examples of the many times shameless and adulterous wife. Still loved by God and the efforts mad to allure her back. (Hosea 2:1-20). We find the same husband-wife analogy in the New Testament, again as a way of describing God’s love for His people (Ephesians 5:25; 2 Corinthians 11:2).

*** The Shepherd and the flock: (Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:11; John 10:11).

After spending time in God’s Word we can not help but see the affection God has for His creation. His desire is to be in fellowship with His creation! Justas parents have feelings and emotions with regard to their children, God has even greater feelings and desires for us – His children. Through The Word we can see the warmth of his love, the tender and personal passion of God for His creation. Read some of the following verses and see if you too can relate to the love that god has for His people – even when they are lost in sin

--- “Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him; therefore My heart yearns for him” (Jeremiah 31:20).

--- “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender You, O Israel? My heart is turned over within Me, all my compassions are kindled” (Hosea 11:8).

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” (Matthew 23:37; Luke 19:41).

Through God’s affection and love for us He reaches out with open arms – wishing only the best for us – and in wishing the best for us has given us the very best – His Son and a sacrifice that compares to no other, a sacrifice that makes us holy in His sight and brings peace between man and God. He reaches out to us even when we do not deserve it (while we were yet sinners) How great and marvelous is His love