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- The Love of God
Bryant Evans
There is no Biblical truth more fundamental to
an understanding of God's word than that of God's love. And, there
is no passage better to begin our study with than the golden text
of the Bible, John 3:16. Jesus says, "For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Herein we have the declaration of God's love and the most excellent
evidence of his love. Let us dig deeper into Scripture to understand
this great outpouring of love.
The Bible teaches that God's love is beyond comprehension.
Paul's plea as in Ephesians is that somehow come to know the breadth,
length, depth and height of God's love (Ephesians 3:18). Yet in
the very next verse, he readily declares that the love of Christ
"passeth knowledge" (Ephesians 3:19). We understand
exactly what he means for what parent can imagine sacrificing
his son for wicked, sinful people. And likewise, who can imagine
offering themselves for those that are sinful (Romans 5:6-11).
We may know in our hearts and minds that God loves us, but we
do not fully understand the expanse of his love.
The Bible teaches that God loved us first. The
Creator's love did not begin at some point in history. Instead,
it began before time, before the creation of the world (Ephesians
3:9-11). Peter writes that our redemption arises from Christ Jesus
who, "was foreordained before the foundation of the world"
(1 Peter 1:20). John is clear when he writes "Herein is
love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his
son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10)
Paul says Gods love was demonstrated toward us even while we were
in sin (Romans 5:8). That is, before we enjoyed a relationship
with God and his Son, God loved us enough to allow Jesus to die
for sinners.
The Bible teaches that God's love is unconditional.
Modern man has difficulty understanding unconditional love. While
we may show great love toward another, it is almost always predicated
on that person meeting our needs and our expectations. In the
case of Jehovah God, there is no divine need that I can meet.
I exist because God chose to create me and I continue to live
because he so allows. God allowed his son to die at a time when
we were not very lovable. We were sinners Paul says (Romans 5:8).
It is also true that God was well aware that we would continue
to sin even after we came to know of his love for us. Nevertheless,
His care and concern for us never lessened. John, who perhaps
wrote more about love than any other Bible writer is also the
one who said "if we say we have no sin...the truth is
not in us" (1 John 1:8) and again, If we say we have
not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us"
(1 John 1:10)
The Bible teaches that God's love is eternal.
While the death of Jesus is, in our mind, the greatest evidence
of God's love, his desire to have us live eternally with him is
certainly next. Jesus said in John 14:3, that he was going to
prepare a place for us. Such promise is driven by his love for
us. Can the faithful Christian imagine anything more wonderful
than to bask in the light his love forever?
Finally, God's love is contagious. It spreads
among all who have been touched by His love and unto those who
so desperately need redemption. "Beloved, if God so loved
us, we ought also to love one another" (1 John 4:11).
When one experiences the love of God through careful study, and
meditation upon his actions and promises, he will tend also to
show great love towards his fellowman. Who can deny that our world
needs more love?