Perspectives on God's Love

Over my lifetime I've thought a great deal about love. First, trying to figure if it even existed/exists for me. Jesus made Himself known to me just prior to my 18th birthday and it's been a journey walking with Him and discovering what love is about ever since.

Yet many people even after many years are still lost in the dark without understanding, misunderstanding what love really is, really looks like, how it comes to us and how to receive it. Hopefully this post (which of course could be as long as a full-on book- which it surely is not!!) can help.

First, I'm personally convinced for a major stack of reasons beyond the scope of this particular bit of writing, that God IS and that Jesus is both God-in-flesh and Son of God, that the Holy Spirit is also part of what Christians refer to as "the Godhead" and "Trinity". Because of this I believe He reveals Himself in all 3 forms (Three though One... much like liquid water, ice and steam are all H2O). Thus, you'll see here key points about the why and how of my best current understanding about true, genuine, actual, and I argue beyond merely theoretical love comes from Him.

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. -1 John 4.16

Yup! God the Person -IS love. Therefore living in, walking with Him in daily relationship is how He, the Living God is in reality (which by the way, HE defines, not us...) one discovers the truth of John's statement. At core and at base, if God IS Love He is THE SOURCE, the "Well" if you will, of true love that waters our soul with life, both now and eternal life. His actual, active love is the foundation of true love itself as it has no other more complete (Perfect, Unchanging, Demonstrated) Source but He Himself. If by faith we follow Jesus, it's we in Him, He in us and (in part) He through us to the needful world.

See, a concept, an idea, a mere theory of love doesn't equal a Person Who IS Love. So what about at least some of the ways His love is demonstrated, actual in our life, in our world?

Paul writes to the church (believers in Corinth in this passage) the following:

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf. -2 Cor. 5.14,15

The Lord's deep desire and plan was for humankind, His children, to live in His love for them and one another -and to love Him back. This is foundational to why Jesus came, tested and tempted over some 33 years yet never disobeyed, ignored or violated any of the will and commands of God the Father -then suffered, was crucified, died, buried and rose again for -our- justification, that we would be forgiven and granted eternal life, the non-guilty (Jesus) for the guilty (you and I). His is the greatest love the can ever know! He "died and rose on [our] behalf." THAT... is active love that grants eternal love and fellowship with God and all His people for eternity. No greater love exists or ever will. Because of this we can grow in God's love and yes, be controlled by it to love one another no longer merely living for ourselves but for the Lord and extending His love and grace toward others.

Fruit is of course grown over time. It's planted in good soil, nurtured, watered, with the right amount of sun and shade and tended by the Gardener and ultimately blooms beyond the buds into genuine fruit.

God the Holy Spirit does this for those who follow Jesus according to the will of the Father:

The fruit of the Spirit is love. -Galatians 5.22

He not only created us in His image but produces fruit in accord with HIS likeness and thus love grows in us, blesses others as well as God Himself!

Romans 5.5: and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Again, He is the foundation, the Wellspring, the Spring Source, Fountainhead of love and thus the Spirit pours this love out into our hearts. To be sure there are ways we can block the flow, dam it up and bring drought to ourselves if we practice sin - but that's never God's plan for any of us!

We love Him, because he -first- loved us. I John 4.19

Back to the beginning, the starting point, the core of it all: we can only love Him with the very love He gives us in the first place.

Further, I argue that human love in all it's forms is only at best a reflection of but not in the absolute sense, the love of God in our life. That has long been my personal conviction. We are NOT God and can only at best (and whew, how often are we "at worst" or toward it...) a rather thin echo of His love if we do not follow Him in our daily thoughts, words, attitudes, choices and behaviors toward others.

In writing to Christ-followers in Thessalonica Paul writes: you yourselves are taught by God to love one another...

God teaches via His Word (Bible) Who He is and what He does. Unless one decides to believe love doesn't exist at all, we know loving others is central and massively important to life. It's also core to forgiving one another, to receiving forgiveness and for peace itself. No wonder so much of the world and often church is in turmoil!

Plenty of people love to camp in scripture that validates their self-interest. We all do it unless thoughtful and I suggest, brutally honest about our own motivations even in reading and interpretation of the Bible. Here's a verse that gives many of us pause regarding the love of Jesus Christ. It is by His Own statements about it the most important thing. I think it is also the most distressing command of all. Note, "command", not option:

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. -John 15.12

When we consider precisely how Jesus loved them and us... whew... "just as I have loved you" rocks our self-centered, self-satisfied world! To love one another is no "get what you want" deal. He came for us, not Himself. He suffered for us, not due to His Own sin or disobedience or hard-heartedness toward God. What a demonstration of how we are to love one another. He also commands us to love our neighbor "as yourself" and yes, "love your enemies". This is why I used the term "distressing" because if we love like God with God's love we will suffer pain, even deep pain and many believers have been martyred due to such loving God and neighbor. Let's soberly face the facts of what God's love in and through us is all about.

Do NOT miss the joy which knowing and following the Lord brings in the relationships with Him and His people, but realize the cost to Him and ourselves is real because real, demonstrated love costs.

Peter reminds us what is massively important in all relationships and note, he's writing to and about we within the church:

1 Peter 4.8- Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

God's love is what brought Jesus to the cross, empty grave resurrection and is all about forgiveness toward each of us for all our sins. Wow. Straight-up truth! And thus as His love is active in us, Peter reminds us above all... keep on keeping on in (note) "fervent love for one another", why? "Because love covers a multitude of sins". Again, a multitude of them!

How much do you and I, the entire church on earth need this?!! Then the question of our own love for one another- are we conduits of God's forgiveness due to His love and forgiveness for us?

Lastly, Paul encourages the believers in Ephesus to "walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." -Eph. 5.2

This is all about not only believing in love but sharing it to the extent it becomes as common to us as walking. We live, abide, continue in it. How? Giving ourselves up for one another, sacrificing our time, money, personal desires that other's need of His love be met, often through us.

The amazing and eternally enduring love of God is not only His gift to us, but through us to others.

Lord God, help me and we- to trust in, walk in, and share Your incredible one-of-a-kind love!!

And as always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn