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The Love Of God
Probably the best known verse of scripture is John 3:16: “For God
so loved the world, that he GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” No other
thing or action could have proved the magnitude of God’s love. Men have
various definitions for love. Without understanding the love of God man
has not a clue to real love. God
is what love is about: “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for
God is love” (1 John 4:8). Jesus said: “Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). God’s gift
of His Son, and the Son’s gift of His life represents the ultimate kind
of love, a sacrificial love.
We see from John 3:16 that God’s love is all inclusive. It is not
just for the rich, the mighty and powerful, the educated; but it is for
the poor, the powerless, the common man. God’s love is for the whole “world.”
There are many things to learn from God’s kind of love. First, God’s love
is unchangeable: “For I am the LORD, I change not;…” (Malachi 3:6). We
humans are finicky, on-again-off-again when it comes to love. We base much
of our love on how we are treated by those we love. If a loved one crosses
us we can be quick to kill the love we have for that person. What
would be our case if God loved like that? We would have no chance!
Let us be thankful that God loves all men. We might not love everyone’s
manner of life, but we must love the person, even our enemies: “But I say
unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute
you” (Matthew 5:44).
Second, just as God’s love is unchangeable, so is His love unfailing:
“A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend
that sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Remember, when Jesus
said the greater love would cause a man to lay down his life for his friends,
He was speaking particularly about Himself. He called us friends when really
we were still enemies.
Jesus is a friend that “sticketh closer than a brother.” His love
is unfailing. Many times husbands fail wives—wives fail husbands. Sometimes
parents fail children and vice versa. We need to learn to be someone others
can trust to stand unfailing in our love. Third, God’s love is everlasting:
“The
LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee
with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee”
(Jeremiah 31:3). When the love of others fail, God’s love is still present.
Many despair in this life even to the taking of their own lives because
they thought no one loved them. If they could have only understood that
their Maker loved them, and that
He understood their plight. With this everlasting love He desires
to draw men to Him. Think of the trillions who have died throughout the
ages without knowing about this kind of love. The world needs God’s love
more than food, housing, clothing, transportation, careers, etc. The world
is starved for God’s kind of love. Matthew said of Jesus: “But when he
saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they
fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew
9:36). God has exhibited His love toward mankind: “But God commendeth his
love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”
(Romans 5:8). John 3:16 states the purpose of God’s love; that He might
give us “everlasting life.” Jesus said: “And this is
the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son,
and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up
at the last day” (John 6:40). Men love for many reasons, but God’s love
is unselfish. He really has nothing to gain by loving us so much, BUT look
at what He has given just to express HOW MUCH He loves His creature, man.
Let us learn to love like God! “Ye have
heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and
hate thine enemy. {44} But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them
that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you; {45} That ye may be the children
of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain
on the just and on the unjust. {46} For if ye love them which love
you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” (Matthew
5:43-46).
—John D. Cotham
Shady Valley, TN