Love – Part 1

For some reason the Holy Spirit has me considering the topic of love lately. As I think about love and what the Bible has to say about it, it has become clear that I fall way short of loving God, loving people, and even my own family as the Bible calls me to. How about you? As God’s people, we are called to be the light of Christ to the dark world we live in and it is through love in which we can best shine. So, what does that look like?

The first thing we must remember is that God loves us. How do we know?

John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” 1 John 4:9-10 explains that “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” There are many proofs of God’s love for us, but there is none greater than the sacrifice of His own son, given so that we can be in a personal relationship with the Almighty God.

So how must we respond to the love of God? Again, let us see what God says?

We find the answer in Matthew, chapter 22:36-38 where Jesus answers the lawyer’s question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus answers him saying, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.”

This is where I must stop and examine myself. Jesus doesn’t just say we are to love God. No, He puts a heavy weight to that love saying we are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Can I honestly say I do that? Can you? I sure cannot. Jesus described what our love for God should look like in John 14:15 by saying,” If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” I have not kept all of God’s commandments. Have you? Again, we go back to the Bible. 1 John 1:8 is clear in its message, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Verse 10 is even more biting saying that “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” But because God loves us we find this sandwiched in between these two verses in verse 9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Yes, God loves us. God is faithful, even when we are not, but we must confess our sins, admit we have not loved Him as we should.

Personally, I often find the facts of my sinful nature depressing and sometimes am tempted to doubt my salvation. If loving God is based on my ability to obey, I seem to be in deep trouble. But guess what? God’s love is bigger than my sinfulness and according to scripture, that kind of love is a deal maker. Romans 5:6-8 reminds us “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is good news. This is the Gospel. This is the love of God.