The Attributes of God
Love
1John 4:8
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Last week we discussed God’s grace, which is his freely-given favor toward us. This week we’ll look at God’s love. God’s love and God’s grace are intertwined and inseparable. But to distinguish them consider that while the holiness of God makes Him separate, unapproachable and completely just in judgment, it is God’s attribute of love that causes Him to give grace, that is, His undeserved favor to us.
This love is the agape, or unconditional, love that is different from how the word, ‘love’ is often used. Very often we say we love ice cream or a certain car even another person not for what we give to it but for what it gives to us. We say, “I love this”, because it fulfills some desire on our part. If we were full, or the car broke down, or the person disappointed us we would no longer love. Agape love is the opposite. It is the love that gives itself to the other without expecting reciprocation. We see this in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Sin separates us from God’s presence but not from his love. We had no ability to fulfill the commandment in Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Who can love someone they have no contact with?
And though we gave God nothing He gave us himself without reservation. He left his glory to be born in the most humiliating circumstances. He taught and healed and forgave and in return he was rejected and crucified. He rose from the dead and poured out his spirit on all who believe. This is how we learn to love God, we follow his example.
1John 4:9-11
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Is there a contradiction in saying that agape love gives of itself unconditionally and yet God commands us to love Him? Consider that agape love seeks the highest good of the beloved. It is our highest good to learn to love as God loves.
Even though we have His Word and His Spirit it is still easier to give love where we can see and feel the object of our love. Read Matthew 25:31-40. As we learn to love each other, seeing the imago Dei, the image of God in each other, we learn to love as God loves.
How does God love us? He loves everlastingly, without beginning or end, God has always and will always love you.
Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
God loves us so strongly that the old saying about death and taxes needs to be amended to say, nothing is certain but God’s love.
Song of Solomon 8:6-7
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm;
For love is as strong as death,
Jealousy as cruel as the grave;
Its flames are flames of fire,
A most vehement flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor can the floods drown it.
If a man would give for love
All the wealth of his house,
It would be utterly despised.
Paul was convinced that nothing could come between us and God’s love.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God’s love is sufficient for the whole world.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Psalm 145:8-9
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.
Consider the definition of love in 1Corinthians 13. This is how God loves us.
1Corinthians 13:4-8
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
brotherpayne 