Exploring the love of God

God is love . . . . In this love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John: 4:8,10) and the reason for his death is not worthy of the name “Christian”. In fact, we rob God of his glory, since it is in Jesus’ death for sinners where the glory of his love is seen most beautifully according to this verse. To suggest otherwise is to put yourself in the camp of those who John describes previously as the “many false prophets who have gone out into the world.” (vs. 1)

Today, the trend among churches is to be accepted in a modern world by portraying a God of love who cares nothing about the way people live, speak or think. Yet, it is nothing short of what Jeremiah meant when he said, “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” (Jer 6:14) If anyone is trying to convince you to find peace in any other way but the Cross of Christ, it’s not representing the love of God to you, no matter how sincerely it is communicated.

Friends, how much better to say that, “Though I am a sinner, God has undertaken to deal with my sin completely. Moreover, even though I struggle with sin for the rest my life, I know he will never give up on me because I have come to him through the Son who he loves and whose work he accepts. I can bring my sins and struggles before the throne of His love without fear to see them forgiven through the work of Jesus.”

Yes, this is one of the greatest statements on the character of God in the entire Bible. It is filled with hope and promise in a world of broken lives. But only when we see it in context and in Christ can we truly know and live out that love in our lives.