Love is the thing everyone wants and everyone chases after it. Poets have written about it and singers have sung about it. It only adds to the confusion about what it is and how to find it.
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10. NIV.
LOVE
The Bible does more to show what love is than tell what love is. One might find a few spectacular passages that are quoted by evangelist and read at weddings but the greater part of the subject is wrapped up in the accounts of God showing love to sinners through His actions.
UNLOVELY
To say that we did not love God is a supreme understatement for we were enemies of God. We oppose God by virtue of our own rebellious nature and sinful bent against his love. Even the best we could offer pales compared to the evidence of our lives making us forever unworthy of his love.
In spite of our animosity to God and our offense against his holiness, God still has an amazing love for mankind. It is not like He came around after a while, or decided after our rebellion was spent and we were broken that then He would love us, or at least pity us; it is even while we are in the camp of the evil and wicked that He maintains love to us.
God did not wait for us to initiate a loving relationship with Him, nor did He wait for us to become worthy of His love. He loves us first.
LOVE IN ACTION
His love does not overlook our greatest need and that is the need for a savior. Because of our sins we face the same judgment reserved for the devil and his followers. In his great love, God takes our place in the person of His own incarnate son and dies in our stead on the cross where he takes the wrath of the Father's judgment against sin. Here we see a statement that words could never form; the act of the sacrifice of the holy and beautiful for the vile and profane.
WHY
God's love is not based on beauty or merit status or charm. God loves because He is the one who is good and merciful. It is based on the character of the one giving the love and is not dependent on the nature of the one receiving the benefits of love.
No matter what kind of sinner you are God loves you and sent Jesus to die to pay for your sins. That is love.
To learn more about what the bible says about God plan of salvation follow this link: Jesus and Salvation.
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10. NIV.
LOVE
The Bible does more to show what love is than tell what love is. One might find a few spectacular passages that are quoted by evangelist and read at weddings but the greater part of the subject is wrapped up in the accounts of God showing love to sinners through His actions.
UNLOVELY
To say that we did not love God is a supreme understatement for we were enemies of God. We oppose God by virtue of our own rebellious nature and sinful bent against his love. Even the best we could offer pales compared to the evidence of our lives making us forever unworthy of his love.
In spite of our animosity to God and our offense against his holiness, God still has an amazing love for mankind. It is not like He came around after a while, or decided after our rebellion was spent and we were broken that then He would love us, or at least pity us; it is even while we are in the camp of the evil and wicked that He maintains love to us.
God did not wait for us to initiate a loving relationship with Him, nor did He wait for us to become worthy of His love. He loves us first.
LOVE IN ACTION
His love does not overlook our greatest need and that is the need for a savior. Because of our sins we face the same judgment reserved for the devil and his followers. In his great love, God takes our place in the person of His own incarnate son and dies in our stead on the cross where he takes the wrath of the Father's judgment against sin. Here we see a statement that words could never form; the act of the sacrifice of the holy and beautiful for the vile and profane.
WHY
God's love is not based on beauty or merit status or charm. God loves because He is the one who is good and merciful. It is based on the character of the one giving the love and is not dependent on the nature of the one receiving the benefits of love.
No matter what kind of sinner you are God loves you and sent Jesus to die to pay for your sins. That is love.
To learn more about what the bible says about God plan of salvation follow this link: Jesus and Salvation.
(c) Adron Dozat 3/28/12
