How Can We Understand the Love of God?

Transcript

It’s impossible to fully comprehend God’s love. He is an infinite being with love that is truly unconditional.

As humans, our minds are finite, and I would venture to say that we never truly love unconditionally. Even on our best days and in our best ways, our love is not as pure and free from conditionality as God’s love. I would suggest that we are capable of moments of sacrificial love, where we put the needs of others ahead of our own. But to love unconditionally means we never fail in sacrificial love, and our love would be perfect—which it is not.

We can rightly call the Bible the book of love. From the creation of man to God’s love, mercy, and grace in redemption, the Bible reveals God’s true and enduring love. The Apostle John wrote three letters that help us understand the Lord’s amazing love.

John knew how much he was loved by Jesus, and in his epistles, John magnified that love.In his first letter, John used some form of the word “love” 46 times. In his short second letter, which is only 13 verses long, John used “love” four times. And in the 14 verses of his third letter, he used “love” twice.

To better understand God’s love, let’s look at the Bible’s A-to-Z revelations of the great gift of God’s love:

• Abiding Love: 1 John 4:16 — “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
• Bestowed Love: 1 John 3:1 — “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God.”
• Chosen Love: Ephesians 1:4 — “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.”
• Divine Love: 1 John 4:8 — “God is love.”
• Equipping Love: Ephesians 4:7-12 — “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift… for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
• Faithful Love: Deuteronomy 7:9 — “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
• Gracious Love: Psalm 103:8 — “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
• Heartfelt Love: Romans 5:5 — “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Ephesians 3:17 — “…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love…”
• Indescribable Love: 2 Corinthians 9:15 — “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
• Joyful Love: 1 Peter 1:8 — “Whom having not seen you love; though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
• Kind Love: Titus 3:4 — “The kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared.”
• Liberating Love: Galatians 5:13 — “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh but through love serve one another.”
• Manifested Love: 1 John 4:9 — “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.”
• Named Love: Philippians 2:10 — “…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on earth…”
• One Love: John 17:21 — “…that they all may be one as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us…”
• Perfect Love: 1 John 4:12 — “…if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”
• Quickening Love: Psalm 119:159 — “Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O Lord…”
• Redeeming Love: Isaiah 63:9 — “In all their affliction He was afflicted… In His love and pity He redeemed them.”
• Saving Love: Titus 3:4-5 — “…the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared… according to His mercy He saved us…”
• Timeless Love: John 13:1 — “…having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”
• Unfathomable Love (Unfailing/Unending): 1 John 4:9-10 — “…God has sent His only begotten Son into the world…”
• Valuable Love: 1 Corinthians 13:13 — “…and now abide faith, hope, love… but the greatest of these is love.”
• Working Love: Psalm 111: “…The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.”
• Exceeding Love: 2 Corinthians 9:14, Ephesians 2:7.
• Yearning Love: 1 Timothy 2:3-4.
• Zealous Love (Isaiah 9).

Oh, that we might know the magnitude and power of God’s great love for us! Comprehending God’s love comes from knowing Him better—remembering all He has done for us and abiding in Jesus. In this is true love—not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Allow God’s perfect love to work through you. Grow in grace and knowledge. To God be all glory forever. Amen!

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