In fact…God IS Love.
But God’s love is not like ours.
Our love is only a dim shadow of His.
His love is not a reflection of ours.
We cannot love in the divine sense,
until we truly know this loving God.
Until we know the God who is love,
our love will be poor, blind, selfish.
How does His love differ from ours?
God’s love springs from His desire
to extend His own perfect holiness and favor,
shared by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from eternity.
The loving Trinity chose to create heaven and earth
as the outflowing of their love for one another:
a perfect love that required nothing in return,
but for the creatures to enter into this love,
and enjoy their Creator’s benefits forever.
God made Adam and Eve innocent and upright,
able either to enter into this perfect love,
or to choose a path of disobedience.
Their bad choice set the life course for all of us,
resulting in a race of fallen sinners,
bound only for eternal judgment.
How does His love differ from ours?
God’s love, though unrequited, never gave up
on the fallen, sinful race of humanity.
The sentence of death He gave us was delayed—
ultimately to be paid by a Savior He promised to send.
All who heard and believed in this promised One
would never have to pay the price for their sins.
Down through the ages, the Savior was called by many names:
“Seed of the woman,” “Offspring of Abram,” “Lion of Judah,”
“Shoot of Jesse,” “Son of David,” “Son of Man”...
And, finally, John the forerunner called Him: “The Lamb of God.”
How does His love differ from ours?
God the Son became a Man to show us how:
Jesus gave up the splendor of his divine glory
to take on the creaturely form of the lowliest servant.
He voluntarily submitted to the smallest letter of the law
to reflect and obey the holy character and demands of God.
His love was so obedient that it totally pleased the Father,
and His love for people was accepting of the worst of sinners.
His love for God’s truth made religious hypocrites hate Him.
His love of God’s mercy made penitent lowlifes love Him.
His love of God’s justice made Him die as a cursed man,
as the final sacrificial Substitute for all who trust the Promise.
His love for His people made Him bear all their sins on the cross.
His love for His Father caused Him to be raised to heaven’s throne.
How does His love differ from ours?
God’s love is more than a concept. More than a sentiment.
More than a lenient whim. More than a fawning niceness.
More than a self-serving passion. More than a heroic martyrdom.
God’s love created. It gave us freedom to choose.
God’s love held back His justice from those who sinned.
God’s love promised freedom from the bondage of our sins.
God’s love pursued fallen sinners with truth, goodness, mercy, grace.
God who IS love, became the MAN who is love.
God loved the world by giving His only Son,
so that all who believe in Him shall not perish,
but have everlasting life.
MNA
3/5/2023
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