God is Love
February 14, 2021
Well, today is Valentine’s Day and I was going to hold off on this attribute of God until the end, but it seemed very appropriate to talk about today. Of course, it’s God’s attribute of Love.
The great 20th century theologian, Karl Barth, a man of amazing intelligence. A man who wrote this 13 volume theology called Church Dogmatics - - - the dude was smart! When he was asked what he considered to be the most significant theological truth he ever encountered. His response may surprise you - - - He said, “Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so!”
That’s a great response! But for many of us we don’t realize God loves us. We hear about, we may even talk about it, but many don’t really believe it. So, my hope today is to convince you from that very Bible that Barth wrote extensively on . . . and let you know, God loves even you!
Before we really get going, I came across some comments kids made about love.
If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don’t want to do it. It takes too long.
It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I’m only a kid. I don’t need that kind of trouble.
I’m not rushing into love – I’m finding fourth grade hard enough.
No one is sure why it happens but I heard it has something to do with how you smell. That’s why perfume and deodorant are so popular.
Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.
You gotta love their thinking.
Love is the greatest way God demonstrates His love for us. In fact, every attribute of God’s which we talk about in this series is predicated on love.
Love is not something God chooses to do or give. It is the very essence of who He is. He doesn’t just love – He is love. It is the underlying motivation behind every thing which God does, desires and plans for.
Contemporary theologian Wayne Grudem, simply said, “God’s love means that God eternally gives of Himself to others.” I like that image. God giving Himself to others. And I would add, that God doesn’t consider the personal cost.
In his great book, The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer, wrote this about God’s love - - -
“I can no more do justice to this awesome and wonder-filled topic than a child can grasp a star. Still, by reaching toward the star the child may call attention to it and even indicate the direction one must look to see it. And so, I stretch my heart toward the high, shining love of God so that we may be encouraged to look up and have hope.”
I like that because even when I cannot fully describe God’s love, which my words will always fall short. I can reach my heart toward the stars, toward the shining love of God and be encouraged and gain hope because of His powerful love for me.
So, what does the Bible say about God’s love? A LOT! We could be here all day talking about God’s love according to the Bible. Some passages to hold onto are -
6 The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, - Exodus 34:6
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! - Psalm 36:7
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. - Psalm 63:3
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. - Psalm 86:15
76 Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise… - Psalm 119:76
17 But in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. - Isaiah 38:17
17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” - Zephaniah 3:17
5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and steadfastness of Christ. - 2 Thessalonians 3:5
1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. - 1 John 3:1
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. - 1 John 4:8
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. - John 3:16-17
There are so many more passages I could refer to, and will add a couple more as we move forward. The theme I wanted you to hear I those first few passages was the fact that God’s love is steadfast. That’s really important. It’s not a human love. God is not wishy-washy when it comes to love. He doesn’t have His good days and not so good days. He doesn’t love us one day and not love us the next day!
You know how it is in our world. We talk about loving someone then we talk about falling out of love. That’s not possible when it comes to God. Even when there is discipline, it’s not out of malice and hatred, it’s done in love. Because that is who God is.
In the New Testament, there are three primary words for love:
- Eros - romantic love
- Phileo - brotherly love
- Agape - unconditional love
Our world is mostly focused on romantic or brotherly love - but God’s love is agape, the purest, deepest and most unconditional kind of love. It is a sacrificial love. It’s highlighted to me in Isaiah 53. I’m not going to read it for you, but over and over and over in these 12 verses, God tells us He will sacrifice His Son for us because of our sinfulness. As Isaiah tells us, “By His wounds we are healed. That’s sacrificial.
Human love is generally a response to conditions and circumstances around us. We love because someone pleases us or because they’re good looking or because they make us laugh. By contrast, God loves us because He created us. Whether we’re good or bad, God loves us because that’s the kind of God He is.
One passage which really stands out to me is what Paul said in Romans 5:6-8. Listen to what he said - -
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person — though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — 8 but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Paul’s telling us that the death of Jesus was the greatest display of God’s love. Let’s take a quick look at what Paul was trying to get us to understand about God and His love for us.
In verse 6, Paul said - while we were still weak. Paul is saying - - we’re living in a constant state of weakness. That we are powerless on our own to change who we are. The word is usually applied to those who are sick and feeble.
Verse 6 ends with the word “ungodly.” At the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Literally, it means - - we’re destitute of reverential awe toward God, and are impious. It is the literal opposite of someone who is respectful.
Next comes the word in verse 8, “while we were yet sinners.” The word sinners - - means we’ve missed the mark and fall short of the glory of God. We weren’t righteous nor good when Christ died for us. We totally missed the mark.
Paul even adds in verse 10, that we were enemies of God, openly hostile toward God. Now, you may be saying that’s not me. I’m a good person. Maybe you’re struggling with where I’m going . . . but the point is - that’s what the Bible teaches us and because of it . . . we can see the amazing power of God’s love at work.
Think about it, how many people who are like what I’ve described are you going to be willing to die for? How many people who are hostile towards you, enemies, sinners against you. Not too many if I could project a bit. But that’s the beauty and the power of the love of God.
We don’t deserve His love. Yet, God’s love looks beyond our basic nature. There’s no reason for God to love us, except this: That’s the kind of God He is. He loves us because God is love and He can’t help loving us even when we are His enemies. His love is greater than our sin - and He loves us in spite of our sin.
This is not meant to be discouraging, remember this: If God loved you only when you were lovable, then when you stopped being lovable, God would then stop loving you! God loves us in spite of our unloveliness. We can count on His love because it doesn’t depend on anything we say or do.
And that is a gift to us!
So, what should our response to God’s love be? Think about it . . . you can’t just say I love you to someone without actions, demonstrating your love in tangible ways. God loves you so much that He was moved to action - sending His Son for us to find grace, mercy, redemption, forgiveness. So, what’s our response?
Firstly, love God! In Mark 12, when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He answered - -
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
The Bible makes it clear - the greatest commandment is to love God with all that we have. All other love that we can give to others flows from this love.
Secondly, we are to love others. Jesus then added - -
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. - Mark 12:31
Our love for God should lead us to love others. Yup, I know it’s not always easy, but that’s what we’ve been called to do. That’s how we show His love. John added - -
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. - 1 John 4:11
Next, and this is a difficult one to do in a healthy way - are you loving yourself? As you read over the second comment to love you neighbors, notice what Jesus said - - ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
It’s implied that you love yourself. It’s not narcissistic to love yourself. You should love you! Narcissism is when you have a huge ego, when life is all about you at the expense of others, when you’re selfish, feeling entitled, needing constant praise and notoriety.
But to love yourself is healthy. It’s knowing you have tremendous value no matter who you are and what you’ve done. It’s knowing and believing the God of all creation created you, specifically you with great plans in mind. And He was willing to send His Son to die for you. That’s how much God loves you.
Lastly, you need to do another tough one . . . love your enemies. Not everyone loves you. Not everyone has this great love for you. Sometimes we have people who are considered enemies. Yet, Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount said - - -
44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. - Matthew 5:44
I know! I know! That’s not so easy. Yet, that’s what Jesus commands us to do. Love your enemies. The best way to start to have a heart which is softened towards them is to begin to pray for that person. That’s not always easy, but that’s an amazing gift we can give.
Again, John adds - - -
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. - 1 John 4:20
That’s pretty in your face, but that’s what we’re called to do and be. Think about the world we live in. Think about the animosity between Christians over current issues. There’s no love in many of the conversations and we’re supposed to be on the same team.
Finally, I love the way Paul said how God loves us in Ephesians 2 – –
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, - Ephesians 2:4
When is the last time, if ever, that you really thought about the great love with which God loves us?
Have you ever tried to tell someone how much you love them . . . and the words escape you. This is great from God. He loves you with a great love.
I love that expression. The great love of God with which He loves us. Hold onto that! Consider it, meditate on it, hold onto it on those not so good days . . . remembering God loves you with a great love.
A love that is so great that He sent His only Son so that whoever said YES to Jesus would have eternal life. Knowing God’s love is so great that He didn’t send Jesus to condemn us, but that we would have life through Him.
Think about the attributes of God we’ve already talked about. Because God is self-existent, His love had no beginning; because He is eternal, His love can have no end; because He is infinite, it has no limit; because God is omnipotent, His love He can do all things for us; because He is omniscient, He knows us intimately, our thoughts and heart; because He is omnipresent, God is always, always with us; because He is holy, He is the embodiment of spotless purity; because He is immense, His love is an incomprehensibly vast and bottomless.
I want to go back to those statements from kids as we end. These are cute statements, yet, they are reminders of who God is as well.
“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know your name is safe in their mouth.” Imagine how God feels when He says your name
“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” Aah - - - the power of the Holy Spirit . . . always with you.
“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.” - - - Let me repeat it . . . God loves you!!
The last two - - -
“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends, even after they know each other so well.” - - - God knows you even better, and He’s still loving you and calling you my child.
Finally - - -
Rebecca (8) wrote - - - “When my grandmother got arthritis she couldn’t bend down and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.” - - - Jesus went to the cross for us. That’s love!!
