The Surety Of God's Love

This probably comes as no surprise to you, but since covid-19 rearranged so many of our lives and schedules, we have changed how much time we spend looking at a screen, whether it's a tv, smartphone, laptop, or computer screen. As a country, we're spending a significant amount of time on these devices. With that increased usage comes an increase in our exposure to hateful and divisive behaviors. Anger, violence, and unrest that is posted to social media platforms only reflects the anger, violence, and unrest in our communities.

This being the day before our national recognition of Valentine day, a day when we are to express our love more so than we do the rest of the year, I thought we would talk about one of the greatest loves that we can experience. Today, let's talk about the unconditional love that only God can give. We can be sure of God's love.

PRAYER

With all of this unrest in our country, some people may wonder where God is in all of this. Others are tempted to question God's goodness. They might ask, “If God is so good, then how can He allow all of this anger and violence to exist? But just because there is human hatred and violence in our presence, this in no way negates God's goodness and love. You see, the world's concept of love can't compare with God's love.

I am referring to God's love that was on display when He gave His one and only Son to die on the cross for the sins of the world. We can't do anything to deserve God's love, but He loves us anyway. God's love abides forever, and He wants us to be sure of His love for us.

Today we will be using 1 John 4 for our focal passage. John has already spoken to us twice on the theme of love as we looked at his writings in chapters 2 and 3. Now he was dealing with the topic for the third time. Know this: when scripture addresses a matter even once, it is important, but when God inspires a biblical writer to address a topic repeatedly, we should really sit up and take notice. So, let's take notice once again to what God tells us about love.

1 John 4:7-10 – “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Love is the very nature of God. So, John writes, “Love is from God, and love comes from God because God is love.” Love is not just another characteristic of God among many. It’s God's very nature from which all the other attributes come. Everything that comes from God can be attributed to His love for us. So, if God judges, He judges in love. That doesn't mean God condones sin, but in love, He is exposed to that sin and sent His son to die for sin’s penalty.

Most all of us are familiar with John 3:16, that says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Here in verse 9 John is reminding us that God sent His one and only Son into the world so that we can know that God loves us. The origin of Love is God. Love began with God. So, Jesus is the manifestation of God's love. God showed his love toward us by sending His Son to pay our sin debt. How great is God's love? The answer to that is that God's love is seen in the value of the gift: God gave His one and only Son. And that is an extremely valuable gift.

So, God sent His Son as a demonstration of His love for us. The Greek word used in verse 9 for “only son” is the same word that was used to describe Abraham's offering up of his only son, Isaac. Let's go back in Scripture several hundred years and I will explain that.

In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham. He told Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, whom Abraham loved, to the land of Mariah and offer him as a burnt offering on the mountain to God. Abraham didn’t question God but obeyed God immediately. The story reaches its climax when Abraham, who had bound Isaac and laid him on the altar, raised his knife to the sky. It was not until then that God's angel called to Abraham, telling Abraham not to harm the boy. Abraham proved his reverent fear of God. God knew Abraham's heart and knew that Abraham would carry out God's order to sacrifice his son Isaac. Then, in a beautiful display of mercy and grace, God provided a ram to sacrifice in Isaac's place. God, out of His love, provided the sacrifice.