God Is Love! Series

How do we measure "Love"? By our feelings only? By actions of people in our lives? By what we do or say to another person? Love is NOT determined by it's receiving or in our giving.

The Greek language gives us 3 words for love to help us to see the big picture of love. Eros is the physical attraction attraction of love and basically it is one sided kind of love and shallow. Phila love is giving love to another because someone has loved you, like a 'brotherly love.' And Agape love is a deeper kind of love that you love just because it is love. You love unconditionally. God's love is agape.

1 John 4:10 says, "Herein is Love, not that we love God, but that HE first loved us; HE sent His Son to be a propitation for our sins." God's love is GREAT, it is perfect, it is universal, it is personal, it never fails, it is equal, it is stable, it is deep, long and wide. It is BEYOND MEASURE!

John wanted us to see God's love in it's greatness by the Vision he saw as described in Revelation 21:15,16. He saw the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God and the supreme thing about the glory of God is the LOVE of God. The size of city is beyond description. It's beauty is indescribable. For those who do not accept God's love they will be outside the City and cast into eternal damnation.

Someone has said this "The greatness of God's love is so vast and deep that it will take all eternity to comprehend!"

My favorite description of God's love come from the LOVE Chapter 1 Corinthians 13 as we take the word charity (KJV) or Love (NIV) and substitue " God". Verse 4 reads, "God is patient, God is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it does not keep record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil doings, but rejoices in the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes and perseveres. God never fails. These 3 remain Faith, Hope and Love - But the greatest is God's Love!

CONCLUSION: The story is told of a poor crippled girl who needed a operation that could help make her walk again. She needed blood transfusion to make it work and her oldest brother volunteered to give his blood. As he watching his blood go from his arm into hers, he asked the doctor out of curosity how long he had to live, as he was convinced that he was dying to make her to live! What an act of love given by the brother as he thought he had to die in order for her to live.

"No greater love is this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" Jesus did out of love for us! Amen.