Are you glad that God is such a loving God? We all should be. Can you imagine if God was anything but a consistently loving God. With all His unimaginable power and strength, we would be in trouble if God had bad days once in a while. Fortunately, we do not have to worry about that. Every day is a good day for God. His character is always the same, precipitated by His unchangeable, never-ceasing love. It was this love that caused Him to sacrifice so much for our salvation.
John 3:16 (ESV)
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.
This might be the most popular passage in the entire Bible. More importantly, it sets forth a synopsis of God’s plan of salvation. The redemption of mankind begins and ends with the love of God, for it was God’s great love that moved Him to give His only begotten Son.
Love is the essence of God’s very being. John once said, “God is love.” Never was this love displayed more powerfully than when He sacrificed His Son for the sins of the world. Real love always acts in the best interest of whatever is loved. So, God loved the world, and, therefore, He acted. In this case, the act was giving, and what He gave demonstrated an inimitable love which has never been duplicated, nor could it ever be. God gave his Son.
Could there ever be a greater sacrifice than a father giving up his son? When we consider that God gave His Son, not for a friend, but for His enemies (Romans 5:6-8), His love is enhanced even more.
This love is a perpetual presence in our lives. We know that God is going to take care of us because He loves us. We can count on His providential care to supply all our needs because that is just what loving fathers do (Philippians 4:15), and God’s love for us surpasses that of any earthly father. We know that God will forgive us when we sin, if we repent, because fathers do not hold grudges. If you are a father or mother, would you not forgive your child if they sincerely apologized for a wrong that they committed? Of course, you would, that is, if you love that child. Why would we ever conclude that God would not forgive us. Love demands it.
Perhaps the most comforting aspect of God’s love is that nothing will ever stop Him from loving us—not tribulation, distress, persecution, famines, nakedness, danger, sword, death, life, angels, rulers, things present, or things to come (Romans 8:31-39). NOTHING! How comforting is it to know that we have the love of God in our lives every day? The world is a hard place to live sometimes. There are ups and downs, trials and tribulations, sadness and sorrows, but through it all, the love of God remains.
Do we love God the way He loves us? The love that God consistently shows to us should motivate us to love Him back. However, just like God has proven His love for us by His actions, our love must be proven as well. How do we prove that we love God? John repeatedly mentions two ways. First, we prove our love for God by keeping His commandments (1 John 5:3). The truth is, if we do not obey God, we do not know Him (1 John 2:3-4). How can we love God if we do not even know Him?
The second way we will demonstrate that we love God is by loving one another. John said, “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). John emphasized this point so much that he is known as the apostle of love. There is no exception to this truth. If you lack love for any of your brethren, you simply do not love God. And, let us not forget, love involves action, not just talk (1 John 3:18).
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.