GOD IS: LOVE Part IV
In our GOD IS…series, we began discussing three
reasons why we must know God. It is to worship, trust, and meet his challenge
of knowing Him. Then, we explored how God created the Universe and held
everything together by His power. Last week, we marveled at His incredible and
immeasurable power at work in the world and in the lives of believers.
Today, we will learn about the whole essence of who
God is. William Morris (1834-1836) wrote
a poem called Love Is Enough: Here is a
part of the nine-line poem, "Love is enough: though the World be a-waning,
And the woods have no voice but the voice of complaining, Though the sky be too
dark for dim eyes to discover…"
It speaks on the power of love in the face of
humankind's most depressing, darkest experiences. Someone is said to
have reviewed it briefly in the words, It isn't. The natural
loves are "not self-sufficient," wrote C.S Lewis in His book The Four
Loves. As I reflected on it, I agree with the review. It is true; however
appealing and powerful the natural loves may be, they in and in themselves are
not self-sufficient. Then which Love is Enough and is all that we need?
Where do we get this idea of love? What is the true
nature of love and the highest form of love? What should be our response to
this true and sacred source of love? We have been talking about God as the God
of all creation, and God is all-powerful, but when it comes to love, we don't
say God has love or is full of love, but God IS LOVE. Love
originates from God. Apart from God, we wouldn't know what love is and how we
are to love in the first place.
I.
The Biblical origins and the meaning of LOVE.
The English language is not very
precise in its descriptions. For example, I say, "I love my wife. I love
my friend. I love meat lover's pizza. But I don't love my friend the same way I
love my wife, and I don't love pizza as I love my wife! If I did, then I have a
problem.
The English language uses the same word,
"love," to describe various feelings. The ancient Hebrew and Greek
Biblical authors used much more precise words for God's Love and when expressing
their emotions of love. In the O.T, two words were used for love:
Ahab (208) means deep
emotional love. It describes a deep emotional bond between a husband and wife,
parent and child, two best friends, and even between a person and God. This is
used when describing Abraham's Love for his Son Isaac (Genesis 22:2) or Jacob's
Love for his wife Rachel (Genesis 24:67).
Hesed (248) means Steadfast
loving kindness and mercy. This is the predominant way God describes his love
for us in the Old Testament. Hesed depends not on deep emotional bonds but on faithfulness
and covenant choice. It is often translated as mercy, faithfulness, and
dedication to his people. The Greeks used four words in the Bible to describe love.
The first is Eros, which refers to romantic
or sexual love. From it, we get the word erotic. The second is Storge,
which refers to familial love, like that of a mother for her baby or of a
brother and sister for each other.
The third is Philia, which occurs 24
times in the N.T Did you know the city of Philadelphia is called the city of
brotherly love? It is because of the Greek word Philia, which means familial love.
It is that love you have for a friend or sibling. It is an affection for
someone dear to you. This goes beyond casual acquaintances or love for humanity
in general. This love takes ownership and says, "You are my family
now."
Finally, Agape refers to God's charitable, selfless, generous, and
unconditional. Agape love appears 142 times in the New Testament and is
considered the best Greek word for God's Love. It means to show affection,
kindness, and goodness, not because of a deep emotional connection but rather because
of integrity. It loves regardless of whether it is reciprocal or not.
It is unconditional love, undeserved by the receiver.
Agape was used in John 3:16, "For God so loved the World." In the
passage, we read in I John 4:8, "God is love." Consider how the O.T.
people saw and experienced this God who is love.
II.
God is Love.
All the attributes of God are summed up in one word:
Love. All that God is Love, and all He does is motivated out of love, including
his justice and punishment of sinners. Here are a few things we need to know
about the nature of God's love and how we can respond to His love.
A.
God's Love is Everlasting
As God is eternal, his love for his people is also
everlasting. God affirmed his love lasts for a thousand generations. Exodus
20:6, "But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love
me and obey my commands." God spoke to his people through the prophet Jeremiah,
saying in Jeremiah 31:3, "Long ago the Lord said to Israel: "I have loved you,
my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love, I have drawn you to
myself."
B.
God's Love is Unconditional
God's love for humanity is unconditional. God loves
without placing any conditions on the loved ones. Matthew 5:44-45, "But I say,
love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be
acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to
both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike."
C.
God's Love is Redeeming:
This unconditional love of God was manifested in the
way God redeemed humanity by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5: 8, "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for
us while we were still sinners. God's love is not only for a few but for
everyone who believes in Jesus; to them, He gives them the right to become His
children.
III.
God's Father's Love
God's everlasting, unconditional, and redeeming love
is best manifested in his Father's love. God reveals himself in the scriptures
as our heavenly Father. The apostle John, also known as "the disciple whom
Jesus loved, unpacks the rich and lavishing love of God for His children.
If you doubt who you are in Christ, open your eyes and
see what God says of you. I John 3:1, "See what great love the Father has
lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we
are! Only God, in His abundance, lavishes his great love upon undeserving
people like us and makes us His children. What should be our response to this
God who is love?
John explains how we can behave like God's children. I
John 4: 7-8, "Dear
friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone
who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does
not know God, for God is love."
How can we know we are children of God? How can we
know that God lives in us and his love is expressed in us? How can we overcome
the fear of the future? All that happens when we love and live in God and
continue loving one another through words and deeds. It is not that we loved
God, but He loved us first and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take our sins.
As God's children of love, Jesus is sending us to live
like him here in this world. We can only reflect Jesus as we live in God and
let his love manifest in and through us. We do that by understanding what love
is like. I Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or
boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being
wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth
wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and
endures through every circumstance." Let us receive God's love for us. With
God's overflowing and selfless love, we
love one another, including our enemies.
