God Loves You

God loves you. Think about that outwardly simple statement for a moment. It is an amazing statement: God almighty, Creator of the universe; sovereign, omnipotent, source of all wisdom, the One who holds the future in His hand, the one and only awesome and invincible Lord, loves you – you. God loves you!

In this week’s blog I would like us to consider the love of God. I suggest there are two ways we could look at the love of God. One would be our love of God, which would be our love for God. That particular dimension will not be our focus this week, though that is indirectly included in everything I say. The second way we can look at the term “love of God,” is, of course, God’s love for us: that is, the love God has and graciously demonstrates toward us.

For the Christian, knowing – and believing – God loves you has a profound impact on how you live your daily life, particularly how you face the adversities of life. For the unbeliever, learning and then believing God loves you, without exaggeration, from spiritual death to abundant life.

“The love of God is greater far than tongue can ever tell; It goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell… Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky. O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure – The saints’ and angels’ song.” – Hymn

It may surprise many that the love of God is not a simple subject to contemplate. The discussion of God’s love invariably raises difficult questions for the serious person, probably foremost on the list this one: “If God is loving, why does He allow suffering and death?” And these would be close second and third: “If there is a loving God, how come there is so much misery, even among Christians?” “If God is loving, why are there earthquakes and famines, and 911s, and other things that tragically beset humanity?”

Some years ago as a chaplain I had an opportunity to speak with a man at Alvarado hospital. This dear man was depressed over his wife’s condition and was opening questioning God’s love. He and his wife had both been faithful Christians who went to church and read the Scriptures regularly. They were both in their mid-sixties, in good health, and looking forward to a happy retirement together. Then the bottom fell out. The wife suddenly had a stroke that had left her severely paralyzed and unable to talk. The husband was devastated. When I first saw him, he was in the waiting lounge with a tight look on his face slowly, steadily shaking his head back and forth. I asked him if I could talk to him for a moment. He kind of shrugged as if to say, “I don’t mind if you do, and I don’t mind if you don’t.” As we talked, the husband asked me the familiar, time-worn question, “How could a loving God allow this to happen?” This man had allowed his circumstance to convince him that God at best is unfair. I gently reminded him about the biblical character Job and how he had trusted God through his rapid series of devastations. The man thought for a long moment and then began to slowly nod his head, but it was obvious by his vibrations that he was far from convinced. I ended up praying with him. Thankfully, the wife responded positively to treatment and was soon released. I got a chance to speak with him one last time as they were leaving the hospital.
Obviously relieved, he avoided my eyes and did not offer any kind of gratitude to me or God. I don’t want to read too much into that, but the man left me with the distinct impression that he was taking his unsettling question with him. Surely this man is not uncommon.

What is the biblical answer to the question, “Why does a loving God allow adversity, especially in the lives of believers?” I think the answer to this question and similar questions is twofold. I studiously believe all of the difficult, seemingly unanswerable questions about God and life may be answered by one of these two reasons: (1) We live in a world of suffering and death because of sin; and (2) there are simply some things God does not choose to tell us; we simply do not know. These realities or conditions do not in any way negate the love of God. God’s love is the only light in a world of spiritual darkness.

In approaching the wonderful and perplexing subject of God’s love it is wise to first define the word in its biblical context. In English we have one word for love, “love.” In Greek, however, there are two words (really three words, though [er-ros], romantic or erotic love, is not found in the Bible – major fact to consider in this study): (1) (phi-los) from which we get our words Philadelphia (the “city of brotherly love”). usually carries the meaning of friendship, affection, warm mutuality. It is not really a “second-class” love, as some have taught, but neither could it be described as the highest form of love. It may be seen as the kind of love that is dependent on circumstances. It may be thought of as self-centered. The second Greek word is (2), (ah-ga-pay). love is the highest form of love in that it is focused on the needs of the other person. love has been accurately referred to as “God’s love” It is God-like love, a selfless love that is primarily concerned with helping others. It has been also called “Calvary love.” Someone defined love as “the accurate estimate and the adequate supply of another person’s needs.” The love we are talking about is love.

Consider for a moment the lyrics and messages of many modern songs. Consider also all the hundreds of bits of worldly wisdom about love you certainly have in mind.
Externally and internally we are bombarded by these types of worldly messages; they invariably stick in our minds. Enough of them cannot help but form impressions. These impressions are usually not biblical. In these popular songs love is not only limited to an emotion, but it is one which involuntarily comes over us. We “fall” in love. Love “sweeps” us off our feet. Love drives us “crazy.”

To the world at large love is an uncontrollable passion. But love in the Bible is a willful choice. Biblical love is a purposeful act of self-giving. There is a big difference.

Love is a prominent subject of Scripture. When we consider such cognate terms as lovingkindness, grace, goodness, mercy, tender mercies, patience and forgiveness, almost every page of the Bible contains mention of God’s love. All of these virtues are merely expressions of God’s love. When God is merciful, that is an expression of His love.
When God forgives us or is patient with us, He is expressing His love toward us.

Another key point to keep firmly in mind as we study biblical love is that God is love:

1 John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
To say “God is love” is to say that love is one of God’s divine attributes. But love is more than that. Without depersonalizing God – suggesting that He is a mere abstract principle, or some cosmic force – the text states that God is love. Love pervades and influences all His attributes. Love is a fundamental component of His character. God by His very and unchangeable nature is love. He could not be unloving if He tried. Just as it is impossible for Him to lie (Hebrews 6:18), so is it impossible for Him not to love. Yes, there are some things that God cannot do. God cannot be unloving because He Himself is love. The realization and remembrance of this one central fact should be transformational. We may not understand why God has allowed this adversity into our lives but we can always remain positive, knowing that God is love. As harsh as this may first sound, people who are in the habit of blaming God for their adverse circumstances probably do not really know God, for to truly know God is to know He is love. As a loving God who loves us without condition forever, He has made a decision to always do what is best for us.

Simple observation readily tells us, however, that most people neither wish to realize nor remember this fact. “Come on, man, how can you intelligently see God’s love in this world of violence, injustice, sickness, and death?” A doubter’s skeptical tone is admittedly difficult to combat. Be that as it may, God’s love is evident all around us for anyone to see. The sunrise of a new day, this glorious morning, the health we enjoy to be able to do what we do each day, the comforts of life, music, to say nothing of family, the laughter of children, church, so many things around us are manifestations of the common grace expressions of God’s love…

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

God has always been love. This is one way of saying that there is no difference between the so-called God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. Many people mistakenly believe that love is characteristic of Jesus, the God of the NT but love is not characteristic of the God of the OT. Well, I must first say that there is no distinction between the God of the OT and the God of the NT; They are one and the same. There is but one God and He is eternal and unchanging. And Jesus said,

John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”

It may surprise you to learn that the Old Testament has as much to say about love as the New. Listen to these verse from the O.T.…

Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, And His faithfulness to all generations.

The Psalms alone are full of words of God’s love. Psalm 136, to mention but one, contains a reference to God’s love in each of its 26 verses; here’s v. 1 for example…

Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.
Psalm 86:15 But Thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.

There are hundreds and hundreds of indirect references to God’s love in the OT…

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

You won’t find the actual word “love” in this great verse, but it’s here in content indirectly, as it in Psalm 23:2-3:

Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Think of the Ten Commandments, is not this foundational passage an expression of God’s love? Have you ever seriously considered how loving prohibitions are? God’s commandments are meant to keep us from harm; they are not expressions of harshness meant to curtail our enjoyment of life; they are expressions of love meant to improve and lengthen our lives…

These are but a few of the plethora of passages manifesting directly and indirectly God’s love. Based upon just few but widespread examples from the O.T., I believe it is fair to say that many of most Christians favorite presuppositions about God and Hs love need to be corrected. You’ll forgive me for voicing the opinion that people who doubt or disparage God love simply do not know their Bibles. John MacArthur has written, “Love is the best known but least understood of all God’s attributes”

As usual, I am running out of time and space, but it would not be right not to include this following fact in this discussion. On the other end of the spectrum, many people today mistakenly believe that love is all God is. The New Age philosophy that has become America’s spirituality in recent years paints a picture of a God who is an impersonal loving force, a God who rejects no one regardless of that person’s behavior and stated beliefs. Liberal Christianity projects an image of God that says His love and goodness ultimately nullify His righteousness, justice, and holy wrath. Because of this, God is envisioned today as a benign, benevolent and totally tolerant (key word today) heavenly grandfather who would never keep even the most hardcore sinner out of heaven. That is not the God of the Bible, and the God of the Bible is the only God there is. And that God loves you.

Thankfully consider these familiar N.T. words on God’s love:

Ephesians 2:1-7 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

How can anyone miss what is being said here? God loves you!

Ephesians 3:19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

God loves you and me with a love that is lavish, abundant, and ceaselessly poured out on us – “My cup runneth over! (Psalm 23:4). It is a love that surpasses our ability to comprehend. People wonder what heaven will be like. Although the Bible does not tell us everything about heaven, but by what it does tell us, heaven will be one experience of receiving this lavish, abundant love of God after another…

Over the years I have had to privilege of teaching or reminding people of this important fact about God’s love: There is nothing you can do to make God stop loving you. “God’s love is an action towards us, not a reaction to us. It is not based on what we are, but on who He is. God is love; God does not change you so He can love you; He loves you so He can change you.” – Adrian Rogers

“God says, ‘I love you just the way you are, but too much to let you stay that way.” – Max Lucado – That really goes for the saved and the unsaved alike.

With all of these wonderful truths about God’s love for us in mind, and framing them in the fact that (ah-ga-pay) love is a decisive action, allow me to ask you, what act of God would most directly, most memorably express His love? It was mentioned in the lyrics of the hymn, “The Love of God,” I included at the start of this study.…

If you said “Jesus” you were right.

Jesus and His death on the Cross to pay for your sins and my sins, that’s the ultimate expression of love.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

“What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul! What wondrous love is this That caused the Lord of bliss To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul, To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.” – Hymn

Christians are the only ones who truly know the love of God. That is because they are the only ones who realize the manifestation of that love in salvation. Only those who have comprehended and experienced what could be termed “the most important fact of human life,” that they were once sinners bound for the lake of fire, can fully appreciate the magnitude and wonder of God’s love.

“God loves believers with a particular love. It is a family love, the ultimate love of an eternal, omnipotent and omniscient Father for His children. It is also the consummate love of a Bridegroom for His bride (Revelation 21:9). It is an eternal love that guarantees their salvation from sin and its ghastly penalty. That love is reserved for believers only. But limiting this saving, everlasting love to His chosen ones does not render God’s compassion, mercy, goodness, and love for the rest of mankind insincere or meaningless…” – MacArthur/TAR

God loves you! God loves me! We rob ourselves of comfort and confidence when we fail to remind ourselves of this glorious fact, especially when we are going through trials.
God loves you and God loves me! Praise the name of the Lord!
– Professor Thomas A. Rohm